Q
Guide: Notary lawyer
Is a lawyer a notary public? The difference between a notary and an advocate in the UAE
A
No. In the UAE, a lawyer is not automatically a notary public. Only public notaries, private notaries and accredited UAE consuls may carry out notarial acts. In Dubai, a private notary is a lawyer licensed by Dubai Courts to act as a notary, so some notaries are lawyers. But being a lawyer, on its own, does not give anyone the power to notarise a document.
The answer in four lines
Are all lawyers notaries? No. A lawyer must also be registered as a notary before they can notarise.
Is a notary a lawyer? Sometimes. A private notary in Dubai is a lawyer. The government notary public is an official of Dubai Courts, and the law also counts registered government employees and accredited consuls as notaries.
Who can notarise in the UAE? Public notaries, private notaries and accredited UAE consuls, and no one else (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3).
Notary vs lawyer in one sentence: the lawyer works for a client; the notary checks the people and the document and makes the act official.
That is the short answer. The rest of this page explains where it comes from in UAE law, what a notary does that a lawyer does not, what "notary lawyer" means in Dubai, and what this means when you have a document to sign.
What the law says
Two laws answer this question, and which one applies depends on where the notary sits.
Federal law
Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 regulates the notary profession across the UAE. Its Article 3 says notarial duties are performed exclusively by public notaries, private notaries and accredited consuls of the State. Article 1 defines a private notary as a natural person listed in the competent department's register and authorised to perform notarial services under the law. Being a lawyer is not on that list by itself. Registration is what counts.
Dubai law
The federal law does not apply to local judicial authorities that have their own notary legislation (Article 2), and Dubai has its own: Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai. It defines a notary public as a government notary public, a private notary public, or an employee of a government entity registered on the roll. A private notary public is a natural person registered on the roll to carry out certain functions of the government notary public. Under that law, the President of the Court, or a judge he authorises, supervises the technical side of a notary's work.
So in Dubai, the test is not "is this person a lawyer?" It is "is this person a notary on the Dubai Courts roll, or the government notary public?"
Step by step
What a notary does
A notary's job is to make a legal act official and reliable. At a signing, under Article 7 of the federal notary law, the notary:
01
verifies the identity of the people concerned from their ID card, passport or another official document issued by the State;
02
checks that they have the capacity to act and that they consent;
03
reads out the content of the transaction and explains its effects to them.
Then the notary applies the seal and records the act. If the notary does not understand the language of the people signing, an interpreter from the Ministry's register interprets for them (Article 8).
Notice what is not on that list: taking one party's side. A notary's duties are checks on the people and the document, not advocacy for either party.
What a lawyer or advocate does
A lawyer advises a client on the law and acts for that client. An advocate, in the UAE sense, is a lawyer licensed to represent clients, including before the courts. The federal law is Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2022 Regulating the Legal Profession and Legal Consultation Profession; under Article 6, courts admit a lawyer's representation only if the lawyer is on the Ministry of Justice's Roll of Practising Lawyers. A lawyer drafts contracts, negotiates, writes legal opinions, sends legal notices and argues cases. Everything a lawyer does is on behalf of someone.
That is the core difference between a notary and an advocate. The advocate is on your side. The notary is on the side of the act being done properly.
Side by side
Notary vs advocate: side by side
| Notary (public or private) | Advocate or lawyer | |
|---|---|---|
| Works for | The legal act and its proper form | A client |
| Main job | Verifies identity, capacity and consent, reads the act out, applies the seal | Advises, drafts, negotiates, represents |
| Needed to notarise a document in the UAE | Yes, only a notary can | Only if also registered as a notary |
| Appears in court for a client | No, that is not a notarial function | Yes, where licensed to do so |
| Legal basis in Dubai | Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 | Licensed separately as a lawyer |
| How the fee is set | Government fee schedules | Agreed with the client |
Notary lawyer meaning in Dubai
"Notary lawyer" is not a separate job title in UAE law. When people use it, they mean one of two things.
The first is a private notary: a lawyer licensed by Dubai Courts to act as a notary and listed on its roll. This person can notarise, within the functions the roll assigns to private notaries. When acting as notary, they perform the notarial checks described above.
The second, and more common, is a lawyer or legal professional who prepares a document and takes it to a notary. This person drafts and checks, and the notarisation is done by the notary public or a private notary. This is also what people usually mean by "notary advocate": someone who knows the law and handles the notary step for you.
Both are legitimate. What matters is knowing which one you are dealing with, so you know who is actually notarising your document.
Is a notary public a lawyer?
It depends on which notary.
- A private notary in Dubai: yes, a private notary is a lawyer licensed by Dubai Courts to act as a notary.
- The government notary public at Dubai Courts: an official of Dubai Courts. Article 7 of Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 requires, among other things, UAE nationality (with a possible exemption for an Arab national with ten years as a notary), a degree in law or in Sharia and law, good character, medical fitness and passing the set tests and interviews.
- A registered government employee: Dubai law counts an employee of a government entity registered on the roll as a notary public.
- An accredited UAE consul abroad: a diplomat of the UAE who may notarise under federal law.
So the question "does a notary public have to be a lawyer?" has a different answer for each type. For a private notary in Dubai the answer is yes.
Attorney, advocate, attorney general: three words that confuse this question
Attorney in American English means a lawyer. In a power of attorney, though, the "attorney" is simply the agent you appoint, and that person does not have to be a lawyer at all. A notary notarises the power of attorney; the attorney named in it may be your brother.
Advocate in the UAE means a lawyer who represents clients, including in court.
Attorney general is not a private lawyer. In the UAE, the Attorney General heads the Federal Public Prosecution. Our guide to the UAE Attorney General office explains that role.
Why this matters when you have a document
A lawyer's stamp and a notary's seal are different things
A letter signed and stamped by a law firm is a lawyer's letter. If the office receiving it asks for a notarised document, it needs a notary.
Drafting and notarising are two steps
A lawyer or a legal document service can prepare your document. A notary must still notarise it. See can a lawyer be a notary for who is allowed to do that step.
Ask who notarises
If someone offers "notary lawyer" services, ask whether the notarisation will be done by the Dubai Courts notary public or by a named private notary on the roll.
DIFC is separate
Documents for DIFC matters go to the DIFC Courts notary service, which has its own rules.
The same question in other countries
This question is asked all over the world, often in other languages: "notario y abogado es lo mismo?" in Spanish, "apakah notaris sama dengan pengacara?" in Indonesian, "notary vakil kya hota hai?" in Hindi. In most countries the answer has the same shape as in the UAE: a notary and a lawyer are different roles, and each country sets its own rules for who may become a notary. This page covers only the UAE and Dubai. If your document will be signed in another country, check that country's rules.
Where Notario Lawyers fits
Notario Lawyers is a legal document service. We draft and check your document, prepare the Arabic text through a legal translator, and our in-house notary public then verifies the signatories and notarises the document. We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. You get one team for the preparation and the notarisation, done by a notary as the law requires. See our notary lawyer service in Dubai for how that works in practice.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, ask it on WhatsApp. Tell us what the document is for and who will sign it.
Are lawyers automatically notaries in the UAE?
No. A lawyer becomes able to notarise only by being registered as a notary. In Dubai, that means being licensed by Dubai Courts as a private notary and listed on its roll. Is every lawyer a notary public? No.
Can my lawyer notarise my document?
Only if your lawyer is also a registered notary and acts as the notary for that document. Otherwise your lawyer prepares the document and a notary notarises it.
Is a notary higher than a lawyer?
Neither is higher. They do different jobs. The notary makes a legal act official; the lawyer advises and represents a client.
Does the notary check whether my document is fair or legally correct?
The notary confirms who is signing, that they are able to sign and that they agree, and explains what the document does. Whether the document protects your interests is the job of whoever drafts or advises on it.
Is notary and advocate the same?
No. An advocate represents clients, including in court. A notary performs notarial acts. In Dubai one person can hold both roles, as a private notary is a lawyer, but they are still two different functions.
Is a notary public cheaper than a lawyer?
They charge for different things, so the prices do not compare like for like. A notary's fee is fixed by an official schedule for the act itself: the federal fee table sets AED 200 per party to authenticate signatures on a document that states no value, and Dubai Courts apply their own table. A lawyer or a document service charges for work on the content, which the notary does not do. What we charge for drafting is listed on our legal document fees page.
Do I need a lawyer to go to a notary?
No. You can take your own document to a notary. A lawyer or legal document service helps make sure the document is right before you sign, which is where most problems start.
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Can a lawyer be a notary in Dubai and the UAE? Yes, once registered as a private notary. Who may notarise, how to check, and what a lawyer alone can sign.
Read more about Can a lawyer be a notary?
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Need a document prepared for the notary?
Call or WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790, or email support@notariolawyersuae.com with what the document is for. We will tell you what it needs and who will notarise it. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7.
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Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession, Articles 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, definitions: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- DIFC Courts notary service: https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, federal notary fee table: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2022 Regulating the Legal Profession and Legal Consultation Profession (Ministry of Justice copy): https://www.moj.gov.ae/assets/d984aaa6/federal-decree-law-no-34-of-2022-regulating-the-legal-profession-and-legal-consultation-638441976591014059.aspx