Power of attorney
Limited power of attorney for a car in Dubai: sale, transfer and paperwork
A limited power of attorney for a car lets another person deal with one named vehicle for one purpose, such as selling it, transferring it to a buyer or renewing its registration, while you are away or busy. It is attested by a notary in Dubai, it identifies the car by its ownership certificate, and it gives the agent nothing beyond the acts it lists.
NotaryPublicInDubai.com writes vehicle POAs in English and Arabic, reserves the notary slot, and passes the finished POA to the person driving the sale for you. This page explains what "limited" means in law, which powers to write in for the common car jobs, what to bring, and what it costs.
Why "limited" matters for a car
A car sale is one of the acts the Civil Transactions Law says needs a special agency. Article 870 lists sale among the acts that require the POA to specify the type of act. Article 871 confines a POA worded in broad, general language to managing things, so a POA like that stops short of selling your car. A limited or special POA for a car fixes three things: which car, which acts, and for how long.
Keeping it narrow also protects you. If the POA says "sell the vehicle with plate number X to any buyer and receive the price", the agent cannot use it for another car, a loan or a bank account. If you only want the car transferred to one buyer you have already agreed with, you can name that buyer.
Special power of attorney for a vehicle: the powers to list
Pick the job, then list its acts. The same rule covers every vehicle power of attorney in Dubai: a vehicle ownership transfer POA, a vehicle registration and transfer POA and a vehicle purchase POA are each a special power of attorney for vehicles that names the car and the job. Anything not written is outside the agent's authority.
| Job | Acts to write into the POA |
|---|---|
| Selling the car | Sell the named vehicle, agree the price or a minimum price, sign the sale and transfer papers, receive the price and give a receipt, hand over keys and documents |
| Transferring ownership to a known buyer | Transfer the named vehicle to the named buyer, sign the transfer, collect the new documents |
| Renewing registration | Take the car for inspection, renew the registration, pay the renewal fees and any fines, collect the renewed documents |
| Changing or collecting plates | Apply for, hand back or collect number plates for the named vehicle |
| Insurance and claims | Renew insurance, report an accident, follow and receive a claim for the named vehicle |
| Clearing fines | Pay traffic fines on the named vehicle and obtain a clearance |
For a power of attorney for car title transfer, the key line is the transfer power with the buyer's name and ID if you know it. For a power of attorney for selling a car where the buyer is not yet found, name the minimum price and say how the agent must pay the proceeds to you.
Situations with their own guide
Some car jobs have details that go beyond a single limited POA. For these, poaindubai.ae publishes separate guides:
A car still under finance, where the bank's interest has to be cleared first: leased or financed vehicle POA.
Someone registering a car in your name: POA for car registration.
Buying a car through an agent: POA to buy a car in Dubai.
Taking a car out of the country: vehicle export POA.
Checklist
What to prepare
What to prepare
- Vehicle ownership certificate (the registration card), front and back. The POA quotes the plate number, chassis number and other details from it.
- Your ID. The original passport; residents also bring the Emirates ID.
- The agent's ID. Their Emirates ID, or their passport if they are not a resident.
- The buyer's details, if you are naming a buyer.
- Bank clearance, if the car was financed.
The most common reason a car POA is refused at the counter is a mismatch: a plate number, chassis number or name spelled one way on the POA and another way on the ownership certificate. We copy every detail from the certificate, not from memory.
Step by step
Power of attorney for car sale in Dubai, step by step
Tell us the job: sale, transfer, renewal or another task, and send the ownership certificate.
We draft the POA with the vehicle details, the acts and any limits, such as a minimum price or an end date.
We prepare the Arabic.
The notary's instrument is in Arabic, and the licensing authority reads the Arabic text. You see both versions before booking.
We book the notary.
A Dubai Courts notary public, a private notary, or virtual attendance where the channel accepts your document.
You sign.
Bring your original ID. The notary confirms your identity and consent and attests the POA.
The agent uses it at the licensing authority, a testing centre or the buyer's bank.
Already outside the UAE? A UAE consul accredited where you live can take your signature. The other route is a local notary, followed by attestation in that country, at the UAE embassy there and by MOFAIC. Tell us where you are and we set out the route.
How long a car POA lasts
UAE law sets no general number of years for a POA. It ends on the date or term written in it, when the job is done, or on the death or loss of capacity of the owner or the agent (Article 897). For a sale, a short term is sensible: the agent does not need authority over your car after it is sold. Some authorities apply their own rule on how recent a POA must be.
You can revoke the POA at any time, unless it was given in the interest of the agent or protects a third party's right (Article 898). If you cancel it, tell the agent and anyone who might rely on it, such as a buyer who has paid a deposit.
Fees
Cost
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our service: vehicle POA drafting, Arabic, booking and hand over | From AED 1,500 |
| Federal fee, general or special POA | AED 100 per party |
| Private notary on the federal schedule | AED 130 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.
The licensing authority's own transfer or renewal fees are separate and paid to that authority. Our special POA price guide shows how the POA lines add up.
How we help
How we help
We read the ownership certificate, ask what the agent must do, and write a POA that covers that job and nothing else. We add the Arabic through a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice, check each vehicle detail twice, and book the notary. After the attestation we pass the POA to your agent with a short note of the documents to carry. You sign; the notary attests. Other POA uses are on our power of attorney services page.
Questions
Questions about a car POA
Can my friend sell my car in Dubai with a POA?
Yes, if the POA is a special one that names your car and gives the power to sell and to receive the price. A general POA in general terms does not include sale.
Does the buyer need a POA too?
No. The buyer signs as buyer. Only the owner who is not present gives a POA to the person acting for them.
Can one POA cover two cars?
It can, if both are named with their full details. A separate POA for each car is easier to use, because the agent can hand one over without showing the other.
Is a vehicle POA from another emirate accepted in Dubai?
A POA attested by a UAE notary is a UAE instrument, but the receiving authority decides what it accepts.
What is a power of attorney for auto title in the UAE?
It is the same document under a different name. "Auto title" is the American term; in the UAE the car is identified by its ownership certificate, and the POA gives the power to transfer that ownership.
Can the agent keep using the POA after the car is sold?
Once the sale is complete, the work is done and the agency ends under Article 897. Writing an end date into the POA makes this clear to everyone.
Contact
Start your car POA
Send a photo of the ownership certificate and a line on what the agent must do. Call or WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935, or email support@notarypublicindubai.com with the details. We reply with the draft and your price. Our office is in Business Bay, Dubai. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time). For more on vehicle POAs across the UAE, see the vehicle POA guide at poaindubai.ae.
Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Civil Transactions Law, Articles 870, 871, 897 and 898: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011
- Dubai Courts, Power of Attorneys Ratification service page, vehicle ownership certificate and agent ID requirements (archived 16 March 2023): https://web.archive.org/web/20230316055912/https://www.dc.gov.ae/PublicServices/GessServiceDetails.aspx?lang=en&ServiceCode=G4
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees, items 9 and 11 and Article 2: 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
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3 (accredited consuls): https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563