Dubai Courts guides
Abu Dhabi court notary: the Judicial Department route compared with Dubai Courts
The Abu Dhabi court notary is the notary service of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), the judicial authority for the emirate of Abu Dhabi. If you live or work in Abu Dhabi and need a power of attorney, an affidavit or a signature attested, this is the court side of the process there. It is a separate system from Dubai Courts, with its own channels, and the steps differ in the detail.
NotaryPublicInDubai.com is based in Dubai and works mostly with the Dubai Courts notary. Many of our clients, though, live in Abu Dhabi, or sign in one emirate a document that will be used in the other. This page sets the two court routes side by side, so you can see which one fits your document before you book anything.
Side by side
Dubai Courts and the Abu Dhabi court notary side by side
| Question | Dubai | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Judicial authority | Dubai Courts | Abu Dhabi Judicial Department |
| Notary law | Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai | Abu Dhabi Law No. 11 of 2017 regarding the notary public in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi |
| Private notaries | Yes, on a roll kept by Dubai Courts | Yes, ADJD's notary definition includes private notaries licensed by the Judicial Department |
| Language of the instrument | Arabic, with a certified translation for a foreign language document (Article 27) | Arabic, or English for the services of ADJD's English-language Notary Services Bureau (since October 2023); other documents not in Arabic need a certified translation |
| Attendance | In person or by virtual attendance | Remote meeting with the notary, booked after applying on the ADJD website (ADJD service manual) |
| Fees | Dubai Courts fees, and a separate Dubai decision for private notaries | ADJD's own fees, for example AED 100 for each year a power of attorney runs (ADJD service manual) |
Your options
Which emirate should you sign in?
Start from two questions: where are you, and where will the document be used?
A
You are in Abu Dhabi, and the document is for Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi court notary is the natural route.
B
You are in Dubai, and the document is for Dubai.
Use the Dubai Courts notary or a Dubai private notary. Our Dubai Courts notary guide explains that route.
C
You sign in one emirate, and the document is used in the other.
A document attested by a UAE notary is a UAE notarial instrument. Some receiving offices, though, have their own preferences. Ask the receiving office before you sign.
D
You are abroad.
Sign before an accredited UAE consul, or before a local notary followed by the attestation chain ending at MOFAIC. Consuls may perform notarial duties under Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3.
Checklist
Abu Dhabi Judicial Department notary: documents people bring
The documents are much the same as in Dubai, because the notary's checks are the same in substance: who you are, whether you understand, and whether you consent. Expect to bring:
Abu Dhabi Judicial Department notary: documents people bring
- the original passport, plus the Emirates ID for residents;
- the other party's or the agent's ID details, if the document names them;
- the document itself, unsigned, in Arabic or with its Arabic translation;
- supporting papers for the subject of the document, such as a title deed or a vehicle ownership certificate.
ADJD's service manual lists the documents for each notary service. For most, that is your Emirates ID and the document to be attested, with extra papers for some services, such as a commercial licence issued outside Abu Dhabi or the power of attorney being revoked.
A POA for a court case in Abu Dhabi
If your case is in the Abu Dhabi courts, your lawyer will tell you which powers the POA must give. The law on what a POA must name is the same as in Dubai: pleading, settlement, arbitration and oaths need a special agency that names them (Article 870). The powers most litigation POAs contain are set out on our court case POA page; the list works for an Abu Dhabi case too, although it is attested through the Abu Dhabi route.
In short
Affidavit of support in Abu Dhabi
The most common Abu Dhabi document on this site is the affidavit of support, which a sponsor signs for a family member's visa or an embassy. It has its own page: our guide to the affidavit of support in Abu Dhabi covers who signs it, what it states and how it is sworn.
Fees
Fees
On the federal schedule in Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, the fee lines people ask about most are: a general or special POA, AED 100 per party; signature authentication where the instrument has no stated value, AED 200 per party; an affidavit, AED 300. ADJD charges on its own published schedule instead: its service manual lists AED 100 for each year a power of attorney runs and AED 500 for a signature authorisation.
| Our service | From |
|---|---|
| General or special POA | From AED 1,500 |
| Affidavit, including an affidavit of support | From AED 600 |
| Witnessing of signature | From AED 900 |
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.
How we help
How we help
We prepare the document in Dubai, in English and Arabic, and tell you whether to attest it in Abu Dhabi or Dubai based on where you are and where it will be used. If Dubai is the better fit, we book the Dubai Courts notary or a private notary. If you will sign in Abu Dhabi, we send you the finished document and the list of what to bring. You attend and sign; the notary attests.
Questions
Questions about the Abu Dhabi court notary
Is the Abu Dhabi court notary part of Dubai Courts?
No. The two are separate. Courts and notaries in Abu Dhabi sit under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, while Dubai Courts serves Dubai.
Can I use a Dubai notarised POA in Abu Dhabi?
A Dubai notarised POA is a UAE notarial document. Whether a particular Abu Dhabi office accepts it without more steps is that office's decision, so ask first.
Do I need Arabic for an Abu Dhabi notary document?
Expect the notary to work from Arabic, as in Dubai. We prepare the Arabic with a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice.
Can I sign an Abu Dhabi document from abroad?
Yes, before an accredited UAE consul where you live, or before a notary in that country, after which the paper is attested by that country's foreign ministry, the UAE embassy and MOFAIC.
Does the ADJD notary deal with property POAs?
Property POAs are among the documents notaries attest. The property authority that receives it may have its own requirements.
Contact
Talk to us about an Abu Dhabi document
Tell us what the document is, where you are, and where it will be used. Call or WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935, or email support@notarypublicindubai.com with those three details. Our office is in Business Bay, Dubai. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time).
Dubai Courts guides
Also in Dubai Courts guides
Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession, Articles 2 and 3: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Civil Transactions Law, Articles 869 and 870: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees, items 8, 9 and 12: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- MOFAIC attestation service: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Notary Public: https://www.adjd.gov.ae/EN/Pages/notarypublics.aspx
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Guidance Manual for Notarisation and Attestation Services: https://www.adjd.gov.ae/AR/Documents/%D8%AF%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84_%D8%AE%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%A8_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%84_%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%82Eng.pdf
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Notary Services Bureau in English: https://www.adjd.gov.ae/EN/Pages/Abu-Dhabi-English-Notary-Services-Bureau-at-Abu-Dhabi-Judicial-Department.aspx