Dubai Courts guides
Signature approval in Dubai: notary signature authentication
Notary signature authentication, often called signature approval or witnessing of signatures, is the notary's confirmation that the signature on a document belongs to the person named and was given freely. Our in-house notary public does it at our Business Bay office, online or at a home visit, 24/7. The notary does not approve what the document says. It confirms who signed it.
Send the form on WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935 and we tell you which act it needs and your price.
Side by side
Signature authentication, affidavit or POA?
Three notary acts are often confused. They cost different amounts and do different things.
| Act | What the notary confirms | Typical document |
|---|---|---|
| Signature authentication (signature approval) | You are the person who signed, and you signed willingly | A bank form, a foreign pension form, a consent letter, a company letter |
| Affidavit | You swore the statement before the notary | A statement of facts that a body wants sworn |
| Power of attorney | You gave the named powers to the named agent | Authority for someone to act for you |
If a body asks for a signature to be "witnessed by a notary", "notarised" or "certified by a notary public", it usually means signature authentication. If it asks for a statement "sworn" or "affirmed", that is an affidavit. If you want someone else to sign for you, that is a POA; see our power of attorney services.
Documents that often need it
- Forms from banks and investment platforms in your home country.
- Pension, life certificate and social security forms.
- Consent letters, such as a parent's travel consent.
Company documents with a stated value, such as a contract, are priced by value under the federal schedule instead of AED 200 per party. We check which applies before you book.
Dubai Courts guides
Also in Dubai Courts guides
Lawyer or notary to witness a signature?
Some foreign forms say a lawyer, a notary or another professional may witness the signature. Under UAE law, notarial work is done by notaries public and by accredited UAE consuls abroad (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3, and in Dubai, Law No. 4 of 2013). A lawyer's witness signature counts only as the lawyer's own signature. If the form asks for a notary, only a notary public counts. Read the form's exact words before you choose.
Checklist
What the notary checks
What the notary checks
- Identity. Your original passport, and your Emirates ID if you are a resident. The name on the form must match your ID.
- The signature. You sign in front of the notary, or confirm the signature is yours.
- Consent. You understand what you are signing and sign willingly.
- Language. A notarised instrument in Dubai is in Arabic, and an English document may need an Arabic translation by a certified translator (Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, Article 27). We tell you what your form needs.
Step by step
Witnessing of signatures in Dubai, step by step
Send us the form and the receiving body's instructions. We check what kind of act it needs.
We prepare the file.
Arabic if needed, by a legal translator registered with the Ministry of Justice, plus copies of your ID and the unsigned form.
You attend with your original ID and sign in front of our in-house notary public, in person, online or at a home visit. Where the receiving body wants Dubai Courts, you attend the court route.
Our in-house notary public authenticates the signature and adds the notarial certificate.
Attestation if it goes abroad.
MOFAIC attests personal documents at AED 150 and commercial documents at AED 2,000.
People also search for court signature verification in Dubai. That means either signature authentication by a notary, described here, or checking that a signed and notarised document is genuine; for that, see verifying a Dubai Courts document.
Fees
Price
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our service: witnessing of signature and preparation | From AED 900 |
| Federal fee, authenticating signatures on an instrument of unspecified value | AED 200 per party |
| Dubai private notary route | AED 100 per party registration plus AED 100 per signature |
| Notarising a translation included in the instrument | AED 50 per page |
All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.
Watch for
Mistakes to avoid
- Signing the form at home before the notary session.
- Asking for a signature authentication when the body wanted a sworn statement.
- Sending a foreign form abroad without the MOFAIC step.
How we help
How we help
You send the form and the receiving body's instructions. We tell you whether it needs signature authentication, an affidavit or a POA, prepare the Arabic if needed, and our in-house notary public authenticates your signature and hands the document back to you. If it is going abroad, we take you through the MOFAIC step. Other personal documents are on our personal documents page, and every fee is on our fees page. Call or WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935, or email support@notarypublicindubai.com with the form.
Questions
Questions about signature approval
What is signature approval?
It is the everyday name for notary signature authentication: the notary confirms that the signature on a document is yours. It does not confirm that the contents are true.
How much does authentication of a signature by a notary cost in Dubai?
Under the federal schedule, AED 200 per party for an instrument of unspecified value. On the Dubai private notary route, AED 100 per party for registration plus AED 100 per signature. Our service starts from AED 900.
Can I get my signature witnessed online?
Yes, where the document type allows it. Our in-house notary public runs online sessions 24/7, and Dubai Courts and the Ministry of Justice offer their own remote channels. See our online notary page.
Does a witnessed signature make the document legally valid?
It proves who signed. Whether the document itself is valid depends on its contents and the law that governs it.
Contact
Send us your question
Tell us the document, who signs it and where it will be used. We reply with the route, the list of what to bring and your price.
Sources for this page
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees, items 8 and 11: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Dubai private notary fees, Dubai Courts decision: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 27: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- MOFAIC FAQ, attestation fees: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563