Define the act you want someone to perform

Identify the principal, the proposed representative, the transaction, and the institution that will receive the document. Ask which powers need to be expressed and whether limits or a validity period should be included. Property disposal, settlement, banking, and litigation can raise different authority questions. Avoid giving wider powers merely because a template includes them, and confirm that the person granting authority can legally do so.

Distinguish drafting from formal authentication

Drafting establishes what the document says; notarisation and attestation address different formal requirements. Ministry of Foreign Affairs guidance describes attestation requirements for documents issued inside and outside the UAE. A stamp or certificate should not be treated as legal advice about the document’s scope or whether it accomplishes the intended transaction. The receiving authority still needs to accept the document for its particular purpose.

Check the route for a document issued abroad

Requirements can depend on the issuing country, document type, and receiving institution. MoFA explains that relevant prior authentication may be required and that UAE missions can have their own procedures. Some services now use digital processes, so an old paper checklist may be incomplete. Confirm the current route before paying for translations, courier services, or appointments that may not fit the document.

Resolve language and identity details early

Ask whether an Arabic legal translation, bilingual wording, or another accepted format is needed. Compare names, passport details, company particulars, and property identifiers across every version. Dubai Courts’ service guidance identifies approved legal translations for relevant filings. Do not rely on an informal translation where an official one is required. Retain the original and each certified or translated version as separate records.

Plan for use, storage, and changes

Confirm who will hold the original, how the representative will present it, and whether an electronic copy is sufficient for the intended step. Keep a record of where the authority has been used. If circumstances change, ask how to revoke or replace it and notify the relevant institutions effectively. Destroying your own copy should not be assumed to end authority already communicated to others.

Bring the details together

Before your next step.

  • The precise transaction and receiving institution’s requirements.
  • Accurate identity details and a deliberately limited scope of authority.
  • Confirmed notarisation, attestation, and translation steps.
  • A storage, use, and revocation plan.

Reference points: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, document-attestation FAQs and mission guidance; Dubai Courts, civil-filing document requirements. Procedures depend on the document and country of issue. Reviewed September 30, 2026.