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Document drafting and notarization in Dubai
Document drafting and notarization are two separate jobs. Drafting decides what the document says: who the parties are, what they agree or authorise, and where the limits sit. Notarization is the formal signing before a notary public, who checks identity and consent and applies the seal. We do the drafting, prepare the Arabic text, and book the notarization.
Most people only think about the second step. They book a notary, bring a letter written the night before, and find out at the counter that a name does not match, a page is missing or the Arabic version says something different. This page explains what a well drafted legal document contains, how the drafting connects to the notarization of legal documents in Dubai, and what we do at each step.
Legal drafting
Pages under legal drafting
Service
Contract drafting
Notarize contracts in Dubai with the wording checked first: contract drafting, vetting, supplementary agreements and addenda, in English and Arabic.
Service
Company resolutions and MOA
Board resolution notarization in Dubai starts with the wording. We draft company resolutions, MOA addenda and partner agreements that match your licence.
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When you need a lawyer for a document
When does a document need a legal documents lawyer and not a typing centre? A plain test, real examples from Dubai, and what legal drafting adds.
Service
Declaration of residency
A declaration of residency for a foreign bank, pension fund or school: what it says, how it is notarised in Dubai, and when a certificate is needed.
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At a glance
At the signing, the notary checks the people and reads the document out to them. Getting the content right is the job of whoever drafts it.
In Dubai, notarised instruments are in Arabic. Anything written in another language must come with an Arabic translation made by a certified translator, and the parties sign both (Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, Article 27).
How a document is drafted can change which government fee line applies to it, for example an affidavit or a signature authentication.
We draft contracts, company resolutions, wills, consent letters, NOCs, affidavits, declarations and legal notices.
Drafting starts from what the receiving office needs, not from a template.
The wording
What a well drafted legal document contains
A legal document that works has the same bones, whatever its subject. When we draft, or when we review a draft you bring, we check each of these parts in this order.
Checklist
Legal drafting
1
The right name for the document "Power of attorney", "affidavit", "declaration", "consent letter" and "agreement" are different instruments. The title tells the notary and the receiving office what kind of act this is, and it affects the fee line the notary applies.
2
The parties block Full names exactly as printed in the passport or Emirates ID, nationality, ID numbers and, where relevant, the capacity in which each person signs: as an individual, as a parent, as a manager of a company.
3
The background One or two sentences that say why the document exists. "The father resides in India and cannot attend" explains a consent letter better than any adjective.
4
The operative clauses What is being agreed, declared or authorised, written as specific acts. "To sign the tenancy contract for Apartment 1204" beats "to deal with all property matters".
5
The limits Dates, amounts, places and conditions. A document without limits is either refused or accepted and then misused.
6
The signature block Who signs, in what capacity, and with what ID. For a company, the signatory must be someone the constitutional documents allow to sign.
7
The Arabic text Either a bilingual document with both languages side by side, or an Arabic instrument with a separate certified translation, depending on what the notary and the receiving office ask for.
8
Attachments A list of what is annexed, such as passport copies, a trade licence or a title deed, so nothing goes missing between pages.
Legal drafting services for the documents people need most
The documents below are the ones we draft most often. Each has its own page with the clause level detail.
Contracts and agreements
Sale, settlement, supplementary and personal agreements prepared for a notarised signing. See contract drafting and notarisation.
Company documents
Board resolutions, shareholder resolutions and MOA addenda. See board resolution and MOA drafting.
Wills
Wills for expats, with guardianship and executor clauses. See our will writing service.
Travel consents for children
The letter or power of attorney that lets a child travel with one parent, grandparents or another family. See child travel power of attorney.
NOC letters for a child visa
The father's consent when the mother sponsors. See NOC for child visa.
Affidavits of support
For sponsoring a visiting relative or friend. See affidavit of support in Dubai.
Declarations
For example a declaration of residency for a foreign bank, pension fund or tax office.
Drafting or typing: what is the difference?
Many people search for a notary typing service when what they need is drafting. A typing centre fills in a form or types what you dictate. That is fine when the form is fixed and the office that issued it only wants the blanks completed. It is not enough when the content itself is the question: which powers to give, which clauses protect you, which wording a foreign embassy expects, or who is allowed to sign for a company.
Our page on when you need a legal documents lawyer rather than a typing centre goes through the difference with examples. If typing is all you need, we will tell you so.
How drafting changes what the notary charges
The notary fee follows the kind of act, and the kind of act follows the drafting. Under the federal schedule in Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, notarising an affidavit is AED 300, while authenticating signatures on an instrument of unspecified value is AED 200 per party. A declaration or an NOC can be drafted as either, depending on what the receiving office needs to see. With two parties signing, the difference is real.
We choose the form that the receiving office will accept, and we tell you before the signing which fee line the notary is likely to apply. Dubai private notaries charge under a separate Dubai Courts decision: AED 100 per party for registration plus AED 100 per signature, according to the Dubai Media Office announcement of that decision.
The Arabic version
This is where more drafting problems start than anywhere else. The federal notary law says a notarised instrument shall be in Arabic, with foreign language drafting allowed only under conditions the Minister sets (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 5). Dubai's own notary law requires Arabic, or a foreign language document with an Arabic translation by a certified translator, both signed by the parties.
In practice most documents we prepare are bilingual, with English and Arabic in two columns. That lets the person signing check their own language line by line while the notary reads the Arabic. If a translation is loose, the two columns say different things, and the Arabic is what the notary reads out. Our legal translation services handle that step.
Step by step
From draft to notarization of legal documents: the steps
01
Instructions
You tell us what the document must achieve and who will sign. We ask for the ID of every signatory and any document the text will refer to, such as a title deed, trade licence or birth certificate.
02
Route check
We confirm where the document will be signed: the Dubai Courts notary public, a private notary, a consulate, or the DIFC notary for DIFC matters.
03
First draft
You receive the draft in English.
04
Your review
Read it slowly. Check every name and number against your ID. Tell us what does not sound like you.
05
Arabic text
Once the English is final, the Arabic is prepared and aligned clause by clause.
06
Booking
We book the signing and tell you what to bring: original IDs of every signatory and any original document referred to in the text.
07
Signing
The notary checks each signatory's ID, confirms capacity and consent, reads the content out and applies the seal.
08
Next step
If the document is going abroad, or coming from abroad, we tell you what attestation it needs.
Watch for
Common reasons a signing stops
01
A signatory brings a copy of their ID and not the original.
02
The name in the document follows the visa page, and the notary checks the passport.
03
One parent's details are in the letter but that parent is not present and has not signed a separate document.
04
A company resolution is signed by a manager who is not authorised to sign it under the MOA.
05
The document refers to an attachment that is not attached.
06
The English and Arabic versions give different dates or amounts.
Every one of these is a drafting problem, and every one can be caught before the day of signing.
When you do not need drafting
Some tasks do not need us to write anything. A certified true copy of a passport or degree is a copy check, not a drafting job; our sister service at certifiedtruecopydubai.ae handles those. A fixed government form, such as an application form from a foreign ministry, only needs to be completed and signed as it is. If your task is one of these, we will say so at the start.
How we help
We draft the document from your instructions or review the draft you have. We prepare the Arabic text through a legal translator. We book the signing before the notary public and tell you exactly what to bring. You read, approve and sign. The notary verifies the signatories and notarises the document. Our starting prices are on the legal document fees page: drafting or typing as an add-on starts from AED 200, and full documents such as a board resolution start from AED 2,000.
All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.
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.
Can I bring my own draft for notarization?
Yes. Many people do. We can review it before the signing and mark the clauses that are likely to cause questions, then prepare the Arabic text if it has none.
Does the notary check whether my document is legally correct?
The notary checks the identity, capacity and consent of the people signing, and reads the content out so they understand its effect. That is not the same as reviewing whether the document achieves what you want. That review is part of drafting.
Do legal documents in Dubai have to be in Arabic?
A notarised instrument in Dubai is in Arabic, or in a foreign language with an Arabic translation by a certified translator, with both versions signed. Most documents we prepare are bilingual for that reason.
Can you draft a document for use outside the UAE?
Yes. The drafting then follows what the foreign office expects, and after notarisation the document usually needs attestation before it is used abroad. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so the route is attestation, not apostille.
What should I send you to start?
A short description of what the document is for, a photo of the passport or Emirates ID of each person who will sign, and copies of any document the text will refer to.
Do you draft legal notices?
Yes. Legal notice drafting and notarization covers a formal notice to the other party to a contract, an eviction notice from a landlord to a tenant, and a legal notice for cancellation of POA sent to the agent after a power of attorney is revoked. We write the notice in English and Arabic and book the notary, and eviction notice notarization in Dubai follows the same steps. A legal notice or an eviction notice starts from AED 2,000 with us. If the notice starts a dispute, you also need an advocate.
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Contact
Start your document
Call or WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790, or email support@notariolawyersuae.com with what the document is for. We are on the 10th floor, Battuta Gate offices, Dubai.
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Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession, Articles 5 and 7: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 27: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, fee table items 8 and 12: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491/download
- Dubai private notary fees, Dubai Media Office: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public
- Hague Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
- DIFC Courts notary service: https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service