Fast, Accurate Document Authentication in the UAE
Private Notary & Attestation Services in the UAE
Document authentication in the UAE involves multiple steps, specific legal requirements, and authorities who will reject documents that do not meet exact standards. A rejected Power of Attorney, a missing attestation stamp, or an incorrectly certified copy can delay a property transaction, a business deal, or a visa application by weeks. At Fakher & Co, our private notary and attestation team manages this process with speed and precision — so your transactions proceed without interruption.
Since 2011, we have provided notarisation, certification, and attestation services to individuals, families, and businesses across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the wider UAE. Whether you need a Power of Attorney drafted and notarised, a document attested for use abroad, or a will registered to protect your family’s future, our team delivers accurate, legally compliant results every time.
Our Private Notary & Attestation Services
We provide a complete range of notarisation, certification, and attestation services for individuals and businesses in the UAE. Each service is handled by lawyers and document specialists who understand the precise requirements of UAE authorities, foreign embassies, and international institutions.
Power of Attorney
A Power of Attorney (POA) is one of the most important legal documents you can create — a written authorisation allowing a trusted person to act on your behalf in legal, financial, or personal matters. A poorly drafted POA can be rejected by government departments, banks, or courts, or worse, grant powers broader than you intended.
We draft and notarise Powers of Attorney covering:
- General POA — broad authority to manage financial and legal affairs
- Special POA — limited authority for a specific defined act (selling a property, managing a court case, setting up a company)
- Business or commercial POA — authority for day-to-day business operations
- Court representation POA — authorising a lawyer to represent you in UAE proceedings
- Property POA — buying, selling, or managing real estate on your behalf
Every POA we draft is bilingual (Arabic and English), notarised, and ready for immediate use with UAE government departments, courts, and banks.
Certified True Copy Services
Many institutions — foreign banks, universities, immigration authorities, and corporate service providers — require a Certified True Copy of your original documents rather than a standard photocopy. A Certified True Copy is a lawyer-certified confirmation that a copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original.
We certify true copies of all commonly required documents including:
- Passports and national identity documents
- Emirates ID and UAE residence visas
- Academic degrees, diplomas, and transcripts
- Company incorporation documents and trade licences
- Marriage certificates, birth certificates, and family books
- Property title deeds and ownership documents
Our certified copies are issued on official firm letterhead and accepted by banks, government authorities, and international institutions across the UAE and abroad.
Document Attestation Services
Attestation is the process of having a document officially verified by the appropriate UAE and foreign authorities so it can be used in another country — or having a foreign document verified for use in the UAE. The process typically involves multiple steps across notaries, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the relevant embassy or consulate.
We manage end-to-end attestation for all document types, including:
- UAE-issued documents for use abroad — MOFA attestation and embassy legalisation
- Foreign documents for use in the UAE — country of origin authentication, UAE embassy attestation, and MOFA verification
- Educational certificates — degree and diploma attestation for employment and visa purposes
- Personal documents — marriage, birth, and death certificates
- Commercial documents — company incorporation papers, board resolutions, and contracts
- Apostille certification for countries party to the Hague Convention
We track your documents through every step of the process and provide updates so you always know where things stand.
Lawyer Attestation
Certain transactions and institutions — international banks, foreign regulators, and cross-border corporate deals — require a qualified lawyer to personally verify and attest a document or fact rather than a standard notarisation. Lawyer attestation provides that professional-grade verification.
Our lawyers provide attestation for:
- Identity verification — personal meeting with the individual and attestation of identity against original passport
- Signature witnessing — official witnessing and attestation of signatures on international contracts and deeds
- Corporate document certification — confirmation that a company is in good legal standing and that its corporate documents are accurate
- Confirmation of facts — formal lawyer’s letter confirming specific facts or circumstances for regulatory or banking purposes
- Financial due diligence letters — KYC verification letters for banks and financial institutions
Wills & Estate Planning
For expatriates living in the UAE, a registered will is not optional — it is essential. Without a UAE-registered will, your estate will be distributed under UAE default inheritance rules, which may not align with your wishes and can place your family through a lengthy, stressful, and expensive legal process at an already difficult time.
We advise on and prepare wills for both Muslims and non-Muslims, including:
- DIFC Wills — legally recognised and enforced across the UAE for non-Muslim expatriates, covering assets in any emirate
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Wills — for registration of wills in Abu Dhabi
- Dubai Courts Wills — for UAE assets covered by Dubai court jurisdiction
- Guardianship provisions — appointing guardians for minor children in the UAE
- Asset inventory and estate planning advice — covering UAE and overseas assets
- Review and update of existing wills as your circumstances change
We guide you through which registration option is right for your specific asset profile and family situation, and manage the full drafting and registration process.
Why Choose Fakher & Co for Notary & Attestation Services?
Document authentication errors — wrong stamps, missing steps, incorrect certification language — cause rejections that set back transactions by weeks. Whether you need a Power of Attorney for a property sale, an attested degree for a visa application, or a registered will to protect your family, accuracy and speed matter. When you choose Fakher & Co, you choose a legal team that gets it right the first time.
Accurate preparation — no rejections. Our team knows the exact requirements of UAE government departments, MOFA, foreign embassies, and international financial institutions. We prepare every document correctly before it is submitted, minimising the risk of rejection and the delays that follow.
Bilingual documents accepted everywhere. All documents we notarise and certify are prepared in both Arabic and English where required, ensuring they are accepted by UAE authorities and foreign institutions without translation disputes or formatting issues.
Fast turnaround for urgent matters. We understand that notarisation and attestation requirements often arise at time-sensitive moments — a property completion, a visa deadline, or a business signing. We offer same-day and next-day service for urgent requests wherever possible.
End-to-end management. We do not hand you a part-completed document and tell you to finish the process yourself. We manage multi-step attestation from start to finish, tracking your documents and providing updates throughout.
Non-conflict policy. When we work for you, your interests are our only concern. We will never certify or attest documents in a transaction where our duties to another party conflict with our duties to you.
How We Handle Your Request
Step 1 — Tell us what you need. Contact us and describe the document, its intended use, and the receiving authority or institution. We confirm the exact certification or attestation requirements and advise on the process and timeline before we begin.
Step 2 — We prepare and authenticate. We draft, certify, notarise, or arrange attestation of your document — handling every step with the relevant authorities. For multi-step attestation, we manage the full chain on your behalf.
Step 3 — Delivery. We deliver your completed, authenticated document ready for immediate use with the receiving institution. Where required, we provide guidance on how to present the document to ensure acceptance.
Get Your Documents Authenticated Today
Do not let document authentication delays hold up your important transactions. Whether you need a Power of Attorney notarised, a degree attested for a visa, a certified copy for a bank, or a will registered to protect your family, Fakher & Co provides the fast, accurate, and legally compliant service you need.
Contact us today for a confidential consultation and get your documents authenticated correctly, first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
+–What is the difference between notarisation and attestation?
Notarisation is the process by which a licensed notary (or in the UAE, a court notary or private notary) certifies that a document is authentic, that signatures are genuine, or that a copy is true to the original. Attestation is a broader process of having a document officially verified by government authorities — typically involving the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and, for international use, the relevant embassy or consulate. Notarisation is often a first step within a full attestation chain. Our team advises you on which process your specific document requires.
+–How long does document attestation take in the UAE?
Timeline varies depending on the type of document, the country involved, and the authorities required. MOFA attestation for UAE-issued documents typically takes one to three working days. Full attestation chains for foreign documents — involving the country of origin, the UAE embassy abroad, and MOFA — can take one to four weeks depending on the country. Apostille certification for Hague Convention countries is generally faster. We confirm the specific timeline for your document at the outset and manage the process to avoid unnecessary delays.
+–Do I need to be present when my Power of Attorney is notarised?
The person granting the Power of Attorney (the principal) must be present at the time of notarisation to confirm their identity and intent. The person being appointed (the agent) does not need to be present. If you are outside the UAE and need to grant a POA for use in the UAE, the document can be notarised at the UAE embassy or consulate in your country and then attested by MOFA upon arrival in the UAE. Our lawyers advise on the most practical process for your specific situation.
+–Do expatriates in the UAE really need a registered will?
Yes — strongly recommended. Without a registered will in the UAE, your assets in the country will be distributed according to UAE default inheritance rules. For non-Muslims, this means Sharia-based intestacy rules may apply to UAE assets, which can result in a distribution that is very different from your wishes. The process of administering an estate without a will in the UAE is also significantly longer and more costly. A DIFC-registered will covers assets across all emirates and is legally enforceable — giving your family certainty and reducing the burden on them at a difficult time.
+–What is a Certified True Copy and when do I need one?
A Certified True Copy is a photocopy of an original document that has been formally certified by a qualified professional — such as a lawyer — confirming it is a genuine and unaltered copy of the original. It is required when an institution needs verification of your original document but cannot retain the original itself. Common requirements include opening international bank accounts, immigration and visa applications, foreign university admissions, and corporate due diligence processes. Fakher & Co issues certified true copies on official firm letterhead, accepted by banks and authorities across the UAE and internationally.
+–Can Fakher & Co attest documents issued outside the UAE?
Yes. We manage the attestation of foreign-issued documents for use in the UAE — a process that involves authentication in the country of origin, attestation by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, and final verification by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). We advise on the specific requirements for your document’s country of origin and coordinate the full chain on your behalf, including liaising with overseas agents where necessary.
Get Your Documents Notarised or Attested Today
Document authentication delays cost time and money. Whether you need a Power of Attorney for a property transaction, an attested degree for a visa application, a certified copy for a bank, or a registered will to protect your family, Fakher & Co provides the fast, accurate, and legally compliant service you need — with no rejections and no wasted trips.
Fakher & Co Legal Consultancy offers a personal, boutique firm approach backed by over a decade of expertise in UAE notarisation, attestation, and document authentication. Our transparent fees mean you know exactly what you are paying for before we begin.
Call us today for a confidential consultation and get your documents authenticated correctly, first time.
Related Services
Why Document Errors Are More Costly Than They Appear
A single rejected document in a multi-step legal transaction can cause weeks of delay and thousands of dirhams in wasted costs. Here is why getting authentication right the first time matters so much.
In a property transaction, a Power of Attorney that has not been properly notarised or that uses incorrect authority language will be rejected by the Dubai Land Department or Abu Dhabi’s relevant land authority. The sale is on hold while the document is corrected and re-submitted — and if there is a completion deadline in your Sale and Purchase Agreement, that delay can trigger financial penalties.
In an employment or residency visa application, a degree certificate that has not been attested through the full chain — country of origin, UAE embassy, MOFA — will be rejected by the relevant authority. The visa process restarts from scratch, costing the employee their start date and the employer their new hire.
For expatriate families without a registered will, the consequences of inaction are not felt until the worst possible moment. An estate administration without a UAE will can take months or years to resolve, during which assets may be frozen and family members left without access to funds they need. A DIFC will registration takes a matter of days and provides complete certainty.
This is why our
Client’s Interest Comes First policy starts from your very first call — not from when you sign an engagement letter. Contact
Fakher & Co today.
