Q
Guide: Notary lawyer
Can a lawyer be a notary in the UAE?
A
Yes, a lawyer can be a notary in the UAE, but only after being registered as one. In Dubai, a lawyer becomes a private notary when Dubai Courts licenses them to act as a notary and lists them on its roll. Until then, a lawyer can draft, advise and represent, but cannot notarise a document. So can any lawyer be a notary public? Not without that registration.
At a glance
Notarial acts in the UAE are reserved to public notaries, private notaries and accredited UAE consuls (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3).
Dubai has its own notary law, Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, and its own roll of private notaries kept by Dubai Courts.
In Dubai, a private notary is a lawyer that Dubai Courts has licensed to act as a notary.
A private notary performs certain functions of the government notary public that are assigned to them, not necessarily all of them.
A lawyer who is not registered as a notary can prepare your document, but a notary must notarise it.
This page answers the narrower "can" questions: who is allowed to notarise in the UAE, how a lawyer gets there, what a lawyer without notary registration can still do with your document, and how to check who you are dealing with. For the broader comparison of the two roles, see our main guide: is a lawyer a notary public.
Who can notarise a document in the UAE
The federal answer is short. Article 3 of Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 says notarial duties are performed exclusively by three kinds of person: public notaries, private notaries and accredited consuls of the State. Nobody outside those three groups can notarise, however senior or qualified they are.
Dubai applies its own law, because the federal decree-law excludes local judicial authorities whose notary services are governed by local legislation (Article 2). Under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, a notary public is a government notary public, a private notary public, or an employee of a government entity registered on the roll.
So can lawyers be notaries? Yes, through the private notary route. Can all lawyers notarize? No, only the ones registered for it.
How a lawyer becomes a private notary
In Dubai, a private notary public is a natural person registered on the roll kept by Dubai Courts to carry out functions of the government notary public assigned to them. Dubai Courts runs a registration service for this, listed on its site as the Private Notary's Registry.
The conditions a lawyer must meet to be registered are set by Dubai law and Dubai Courts. Article 10 of Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 requires the conditions set for a Government notary in Article 7, including a degree in law or in Sharia and law, good character and passing the set tests; at least five years in a judicial or legal profession; full-time practice as a private notary, unless Dubai Courts authorises a licensed professional to combine the two; and payment of the registration fee. Registration lasts one year and can be renewed (Article 12).
Outside Dubai, in the emirates that follow the federal system, a private notary is a natural person listed in the register of the competent department and authorised under Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 and its Executive Regulations, Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024. The Ministry of Justice lists the conditions: a recognised degree in law or in Sharia and law, good character with no conviction for a crime of dishonesty or breach of trust, earlier work in the judiciary, legal practice or notary services, a valid insurance policy, passing the Ministry's training and examinations, and practising through a suitable office. The registration fee is AED 1,000.
How can a lawyer become a notary public in another country, such as India? Each country has its own rules, and this page does not cover them. If you are a lawyer asking about your own home country, check with that country's notary authority.
Can a lawyer notarize a document?
Only when acting as a registered notary. The practical test is simple: at the signing, is the person in front of you acting as the government notary public, or as a private notary on the Dubai Courts roll? If yes, they can notarise. If they are acting only as your lawyer, they cannot.
A private notary who is also a practising lawyer wears two hats. When notarising, they carry out the notarial checks the law sets out: verifying identity from an official ID, checking capacity and consent, and reading out the content and its effects (Article 7 of the federal notary law). Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, Article 21, bars a notary from processing any application in which the notary, their spouse or a relative up to the fourth degree has an apparent or hidden interest, or in which any of them acts as translator.
What a lawyer without notary registration can still do for you
Quite a lot, and much of it happens before the notary.
- Draft the document. Choose the right instrument, write the clauses, set the limits.
- Review your draft. Point out wording that the notary or the receiving office is likely to question.
- Advise on the route. Dubai Courts notary public, a private notary, the DIFC notary for DIFC matters, or a consul abroad.
- Prepare the Arabic text, through a legal translator, so the notary can read it.
- Represent you in a dispute, where the lawyer is licensed to do so.
The one thing such a lawyer cannot do is make the document notarised. A lawyer's signature, stamp or letterhead on your document is evidence that a lawyer was involved. It is not a notarisation. If the bank, embassy or authority asked for a notarised document, it still needs a notary.
Why the law keeps the two roles apart
A notarised document is relied on by people who were not in the room: a bank, a land department, a foreign embassy, a court years later. They trust it because a registered notary, whose name is on an official roll, checked who signed and confirmed that they understood and agreed. Anyone can find out whether that person was entitled to notarise. A lawyer's involvement is valuable for getting the content right, but it does not carry that public check unless the lawyer is also on the roll. That is why the law ties notarisation to registration, not to a law degree.
Can an advocate be a notary?
Yes, in the same way. "Advocate" is the usual UAE word for a lawyer who represents clients, including in court. An advocate can be a notary only if also registered as one. The two functions stay separate even when one person holds both.
Step by step
How to check who is notarising your document
Step 1
Ask for the notary's name before the appointment, and whether they act as the Dubai Courts notary public or as a private notary.
Step 2
Check the Dubai Courts private notary list
Dubai Courts publishes information on private notary offices.
Step 3
Look at the finished document
A notarised document carries the notary's seal and notarial details, not only a lawyer's stamp.
Step 4
For DIFC matters, the notarisation is done by the DIFC Courts notary service.
Where we fit
Notario Lawyers prepares documents for the notary. We draft or review the text, prepare the Arabic, and our in-house notary public then verifies the signatories and notarises the document. Our notary lawyer service page explains the steps, and our legal drafting page explains what we write.
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 a lawyer be a notary public in Dubai?
Yes. A lawyer licensed by Dubai Courts as a private notary and listed on its roll is a notary public under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013. A lawyer without that registration cannot notarise.
Are lawyers also notaries?
Some are. Every private notary in Dubai is a lawyer, but most lawyers are not registered as private notaries.
Can any lawyer witness my signature instead of a notary?
A lawyer can sign as a witness where a document calls for witnesses, but that is not notarisation. If the receiving office wants a notarised signature, a notary must authenticate it.
Can a notary in Dubai also be my lawyer?
A private notary is a lawyer, so the same person may hold both roles. Whether they can act as notary on a document for their own client depends on the rules on conflicts of interest. In Dubai, Article 21 of Law No. 4 of 2013 bars a notary from any application in which they, their spouse or a relative up to the fourth degree has an interest. Ask before you book.
I am abroad. Can a lawyer in my country notarise my UAE document?
Only if they are a notary under your country's law. After that, the document needs attestation for use in the UAE. You can also sign before an accredited UAE consul, who may notarise under federal law.
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Get your document ready for the notary
Call or WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790, or email support@notariolawyersuae.com with what the document is for. We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. 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 and 7: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Cabinet Resolution No. 146 of 2025, citing the Executive Regulations in Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/3875/download
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai: 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
- Ministry of Justice, Registration of Private Notary: https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/services-categories/notary-public-and-authentication/registration-of-private-notary-c7d24d3d.aspx