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Doing Business In The UAE?

The most common document a notary deals with – particularly in relation to business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – is a Power of Attorney (PoA). A PoA is needed when you wish to carry out legal or business activities in the UAE but cannot be there in person to sign each and every time.

For this to take effect you will need to appoint someone to act on your behalf. That person is called an “attorney”. This does not mean that the person you appoint must be a lawyer – it could be a trusted friend or a relative.

The process of validating a power of attorney differs from one country to the next. Yet, documents for the UAE are amongst the most complex. Do not fear, as we have particular expertise in dealing with documents for companies and documents for individuals in connection with the UAE.

How To Get Documents Notarised For The United Arab Emirates

For a power of attorney to be legally acceptable within the UAE, you will need to sign the document in front of a notary public.

The notary has the PoA “apostilled” at HM Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The apostille is a piece of paper affixed to the notary’s certification verifying the notary’s signature is genuine. The power of attorney will then need to be stamped at the UAE Embassy in London to complete the process.

Fees vary according to what needs to be done. Notarial fees will apply, and the price for notarisation will depend on the nature and number of documents.

To obtain an apostille, additional fees apply. The FCDO charge £30 per apostille on their standard service, and £75 per apostille on the Premium service. An additional fixed handling fee will also apply depending on which service you select.

The UAE Embassy fee depends on whether the document is a personal or commercial document. The fee is charged in Dirhams, and the exact fee depends on the current exchange rate. As of April 2022, the fee including transaction fees, for a personal document is £36, and for a commercial document is £415.

Please contact us for a full breakdown of costs and time-scale. We recommend emailing the document to us at the outset so we can review and advise whether the document will be treated as a personal or commercial document.

Going To Work In The UAE?

A big attraction of going to work in the UAE is the minimal income tax and fantastic weather. Year on year an increasing number of Brits are relocating to the UAE and it’s seen as an exciting place to work and socialise for upwardly mobile Brits.

When you are offered a job in this region, the company that employs you will process the formalities required for getting you the work permit and this involves initially getting you a residence permit. Before a visa can be granted, you will need all your academic certificates certified by a notary.

You should note that we cannot make certified copies of birth, death or marriage certificates as these are protected by Crown copyright. Certified copies can only be issued by the General Register Office. These documents do not need to be notarised and can be apostilled directly.

What Documents Are Required?

The UAE authorities are extremely particular about the necessary documents which are required. If you are missing a piece of documentation, this can result in your application being refused. Hence, you should ensure that you adhere to these requirements and have the following documents listed below with you:

1. A passport which should have at least six months’ validity. 
2. If you are accompanied by your spouse and children each one of them should have a separate passport. 
3. There should not be any Israel visa entry on the passport. 
4. Marriage certificate, if your spouse is accompanying you. 
5. If you are a female employee and will have your children staying with you, you will need a letter of consent from the father of the children which is certified, notarised and attested. 
6. Notarised copies of your academic certificates. 

If you need any more information or help with notarising your documents for the UAE, get in touch with our exceptional team of notaries who can assist you.

You can call us on  020 7630 1777 or email info@notary.co.uk to get started.