People in the UAE enter into contracts for a variety of reasons like rendering services, buying, and selling. Agreements contain relevant clauses in which both parties need to perform. There are cases wherein a party to a contract ends up having to deal with a dispute as another party has missed or taken for granted a certain necessary element to an agreement. This is where the document notarization comes in. Notarization bears a heavyweight on the legality and validity of documents. Although a mere signature binds a contract, it won’t be considered as its legal proof.
Document Notarization and its Importance in UAE
The notarization process in UAE for documents convert private, personal, or business documents into a legal document. The contract’s clauses are enforceable after the notarization as it is a strong proof of the authenticity of a document. But there are certain requirements for the document notarization process.
Take note: UAE Courts will only consider a notarized document as tangible proof. Document notarization is also the way in which business entities utilize in preventing fraud with legal documents and business agreements.
As per UAE legislation, a document shall be considered valid if an acknowledgment was made before an officer or notary public in Dubai/UAE. A public notary in Dubai will make sure that the person is known to the officer and is the same individual that executed the signing. A notary public in Dubai also has to acknowledge that the signing was done in the free will of the signatory. A certificate will be provided with the official seal of the notary public if the law requires keeping a seal. Otherwise, a certificate provided by a notary public shall so state.
Documents that need Notarization
Some documents can’t be enforced legally in UAE if they do not have notarization. This is to protect concerned parties from fraud. Public notaries in UAE ensure that people willingly signed the document and were not forced to do so. Legal documents, typically, require the official seal or signature of a public notary.
- Wills, deeds, trusts – These are the common types of documents that require a public notary to witness the signing of the documents. These documents often involve the transfer of assets from one person to different parties.
- Medical documents – These are the documents that also have to be notarized. The documents explain the types of medical treatments that a party wishes to have. Medical documents provide detailed instructions with respect to the medical/health care that a person wants when he or she is no longer able to express what he or she wants. In order to prevent any disputes between friends and family members, the doctors abide to the wishes of a patient which are in medical documents.
- Power of attorney – POA is another document that has to be duly notarized and attested. Powers of attorney provide a person in acting on behalf of another person that has assigned authority or powers. A power of attorney is given for a specific duration to perform certain tasks. To be considered acceptable and legal by courts of law and financial institutions, powers of attorney are to be notarized.
If you want to know more about document notarization in UAE, read the frequently asked questions below and/or call us here in Notary Public Dubai to have a quick chat with our team!
What has changed with the Document Notarization Process in UAE?
Earlier uae allowed notarizing multiple documents at once and saving clients legislation fees. But, UAE federal government no longer accepts legislation of bundled documents. Each personal or commercial document has to undergo the notarization process individually.
What’s the Process of Document Notarization in UAE?
The process in notarizing a document in UAE is daunting; however, a public notary can assist you. First, a public notary has to witness the signing and/or stamping of a document. After notarization, a document has to be attested in order for legal and international recognition. In UAE, attestation is conducted in Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After that UAE embassy will secure the certification. The official translation may be needed for documents that are not in Arabic.
Manal Elysyed carries with her an extensive experience of 20 years across a full range of notarial and legalization matters. It is this experience that helps her in delivering the right notary solutions to clients from diversified industries.
