Power of attorney # General power of attorney in Dubai: general vs special A general power of attorney in Dubai lets your agent manage your affairs while you are away, and it stops there. Selling, mortgaging, settling or pleading in court needs a special power of attorney that names the act. We draft both in Arabic and English, our in-house notary public at our Business Bay office notarises them, and we hand you the finished document. You can sign in person, online or at home, 24/7. At a glance * UAE law names two working types: general and special agency (Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Articles 869 to 871). * A POA in general terms gives the agent acts of management only (Article 871). * A special agency must name the act and is needed for anything beyond management and preservation (Article 870). * Both types carry the same federal fee: AED 100 per party. * "General" does not mean "everything". It is the smaller of the two. Send your request on WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935, or email support@notarypublicindubai.com and we reply with a draft. On this page * General vs special power of attorney: what each can and cannot do * When to use a general power of attorney * When to use a special power of attorney * General power of attorney format in the UAE * How long a general power of attorney is valid * Cost * How we help Side by side ## General vs special power of attorney: what each can and cannot do | Question | General POA | Special POA | | --- | --- | --- | | What it covers | Acts of management and preservation | Only the acts written into it | | Can the agent sell property or a car? | No | Yes, if sale is named | | Can the agent mortgage or give a gift? | No | Yes, if named | | Can the agent settle a dispute or go to arbitration? | No | Yes, if named | | Can the agent plead before a court? | No | Yes, if named | | Suits | Ongoing handling of routine affairs | One job, one asset or one case | Article 870 lists sale, donation, settlement, mortgage, acknowledgment, arbitration, taking an oath and pleading before the court as examples that need a special agency. The list starts with "particularly", so it is not the only set of acts. ![Hand writing on a sheet of paper at a table](https://notarypublicindubai.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/documents_noc-father-for-child-visa-inline1.webp) ## When to use a general power of attorney Choose a general POA when the agent will do routine things in your name over a period. Think of collecting your post, dealing with a utility or keeping your affairs in order while you travel. Do not use it as a shortcut for a big decision. A property office, a bank or a court will look for the specific act, and a general POA that does not name it will be turned away. Power of attorney ## Also in Power of attorney * [POA for a court case](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/court-case/) * [POA price](https://notarypublicindubai.com/2025/07/17/power-of-attorney-dubai-cost/) * [Vehicle power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/car/) * [POA to sell or buy property](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/property/) * [POA for property management](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/property-management/) * [POA for a bank account](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/bank-account/) * [POA for inheritance](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/inheritance/) * [POA from abroad](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/from-abroad/) * [Cancel a power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/cancel/) * [Medical power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/medical/) * [POA for a prisoner](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/prisoner/) [Back to Power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/) ## When to use a special power of attorney A special power of attorney, sometimes searched as a special power of attorney Dubai form, fits when the job is clear: Selling or buying one named property, see [property power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/property/) Selling or transferring one named vehicle, see [car power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/car/) Acting in one court case, see [court case power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/court-case/) Following an estate file, see [inheritance power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/inheritance/) The narrower the wording, the safer it is for you. The agent cannot stretch it to another asset, and the receiving office can read it in seconds. Step by step ## General power of attorney format in the UAE There is no fill-in form that suits everyone. We write each POA from your facts. A good one contains: ![Blue chairs in a quiet waiting area](https://notarypublicindubai.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/dubai-courts-hero.webp) Your full name and ID details, and the agent's. The powers, one act per line. Any limits, such as a maximum amount or one named asset. A term, or an end date. The Arabic text, which the notary reads to you before you sign. A sample you copy from the internet will not have your details. We write the format around the job instead. ![Hand holding a cordless phone](https://notarypublicindubai.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/dubai-courts_contact-hero.webp) ## How long a general power of attorney is valid UAE law sets no fixed number of years for a POA. It lasts for the term written in it, and it ends when the work is done, the term runs out, or the principal or agent dies or loses legal capacity (Article 897). You can revoke it at any time, with the exceptions in Article 898. If you want to end one, see [cancelling a power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/cancel/). Some offices apply their own acceptance rules on how recent a POA must be. Ask the office where it will be used before you choose a term. Fees ## Cost | Item | Amount | | --- | --- | | Our general or special POA service, Arabic and English | From AED 1,500 | | Federal fee for either type | AED 100 per party | | Same fee through a private notary on the federal schedule | AED 130 per party | Our prices are starting prices, and government fees are added at cost. We confirm your final price before you pay. More lines are on the [pricing page](https://notarypublicindubai.com/pricing/). ![Man listening on a phone call](https://notarypublicindubai.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/dubai-courts_contact-inline1.webp) How we help ## How we help Our in-house notary public sits at our Business Bay office. Bring your ID, and we prepare the wording with you. If you cannot come, our in-house notary public notarises online or visits you at home. Ask about home visit rates when you message us. Questions ## Questions about general and special power of attorney ### Is a general power of attorney enough to sell my flat? No. Sale is an act that needs a special agency naming it (Article 870). A general POA gives management acts only. ### Can one document be both general and special? Yes. You can list routine management and add named special acts in the same document. Each special act must be written out. ### Which is cheaper, general or special? The federal fee is the same, AED 100 per party. Our service price depends on the length of the wording. ### Does a general POA work at a bank? The bank decides what it accepts, and many banks want their own wording. See [bank power of attorney](https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/bank-account/). ### Do I need a lawyer? You do not need one to sign a POA. If you want advice on which powers to give, speak to a lawyer first, then bring us the list. 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 * Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Civil Transactions Law, Articles 869, 870, 871, 897 and 898: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011) * Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees, item 9 and Article 2: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491) --- Source: https://notarypublicindubai.com/power-of-attorney/general-and-special/