How to Check a Power of Attorney Online in Dubai

To check a power of attorney online in Dubai, use the Document Inquiry page in the Dubai Courts notary services and enter the details printed on the POA: register type, year, serial number, issue date and receipt number. A POA from a Ministry of Justice notary or another emirate is checked through that authority instead.

Here’s the situation we see most often. Someone hands you a POA (a buyer’s agent, a relative abroad, a business partner’s manager) and you’re about to sign, hand over keys, release money or file papers on the strength of it. The paper looks official, but a stamp only tells you the document was notarized once. It doesn’t tell you whether it was later cancelled, or whether it covers what the person is about to do. A few minutes of checking now is cheaper than unwinding a deal later.

Why check a power of attorney before you rely on it?

A POA is the principal saying “this person may act for me.” That permission can change after the paper was printed. The UAE Ministry of Justice, for example, runs a service that lets a client cancel contracts and deeds previously notarized before a notary and issues a document showing the cancellation. The old printout stays in the agent’s folder looking exactly the same.

So there are really three questions, and only the first one is answered by a website:

1. Is it on record? Was this exact document issued by the notary it claims to come from?
2. Is it still in force? Has the principal cancelled it, or has something else ended it (the principal’s death, for instance)? Our separate guide on power of attorney validity in the UAE covers when a POA stops working.
3. Does it cover this act? A POA to manage a bank account doesn’t let the agent sell a villa. Read the powers clause, not just the header.

How to check a Dubai-issued POA on the Dubai Courts website

Dubai Courts has a public page called Document Inquiry (الاستعلام عن المحررات) under its notary public services. When we opened it today, it asked for these fields:

The steps are simple:

1. Open the Document Inquiry page. It loads in Arabic; there’s an English switch at the top.
2. Choose the register type and the year.
3. Type the serial number and issue date exactly as printed.
4. Add the receipt year and receipt number, then press Search.
5. Compare what comes back with the paper in your hand: names, document type, date.

If any number is unreadable on a photocopy, ask for a clearer scan of the original before you guess. One wrong digit gives you a “not found” that means nothing.

What if the POA was made with a Ministry of Justice notary?

Some UAE POAs are authenticated through the federal Ministry of Justice rather than Dubai Courts. The MOJ lists several notary services that matter here:

• Issuing a certificate from the records: an official certificate with information about a deed already issued. You apply online after signing in with UAE PASS, and the requirements list the identity of the parties, so it’s built for the people connected to the deed.
• A copy of a previously notarized deed, again requested online with UAE PASS.
• Cancellation of contracts and deeds, which is how a principal formally withdraws an MOJ-notarized POA.

If you’re a third party, ask the principal to get the certificate and share it rather than relying on a forwarded PDF.

POAs from Abu Dhabi, the other emirates or a free zone court

Each authority keeps its own records. A POA notarized in Abu Dhabi is checked with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, not with Dubai Courts. Documents from ADGM or DIFC court notaries are checked with those courts. The menus and field names differ, and they change from time to time, so check the current service on the issuing authority’s own website. If there’s no public lookup, the issuing notary office can confirm the status to the principal or the agent.

A small but common mix-up: people try a Sharjah or Abu Dhabi document number on the Dubai Courts form, get no result and panic. No result there means “not a Dubai Courts record,” nothing more.

Checking a POA signed outside the UAE

A POA signed in India, the UK or anywhere else won’t appear on any UAE notary lookup, because no UAE notary issued it. What you can check is the legalisation chain that lets it be used here:

1. Notarized in the country where it was signed.
2. Authenticated by that country’s foreign ministry (or the equivalent office).
3. Attested by the UAE embassy or consulate there.
4. Attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs after it arrives.
5. Translated into Arabic by a legal translator, if the office using it asks for Arabic.

The MOFA stamp is the one you can check yourself. We explain how in how to verify a MOFA attestation. If a step is missing, the POA isn’t necessarily fake; it’s just not ready for use in the UAE yet. See our power of attorney attestation service for how that chain gets completed.

Red flags we look for before anyone acts on a POA

• Only a photo or a forwarded PDF. Banks and property offices usually want the original or a certified copy. Ask what the receiving office accepts before the appointment.
• A QR code as the only proof. Scan it if you like, but still check the record on the issuing authority’s own website. A code printed on paper can point anywhere.
• Names that don’t match passports or Emirates IDs. Spelling variations between the English and Arabic text are common, but a different date of birth or ID number is not a small thing.
• Powers that don’t match the job. “Manage my affairs” is vague. Property, banking, court and company matters often need specific wording, and some offices are strict about it.
• An old document for a big decision. Even when a POA hasn’t expired, many offices prefer a recent one for a sale or a large transfer. Ask the receiving office about its current rule.
• The principal is unreachable. If you can, a short call with the principal confirming the POA is still in force is worth more than any form.

What to do if the record doesn’t match

Don’t accuse anyone yet. Re-check the numbers against the original document, since a lot of “not found” results come from a misread digit or the wrong register type. Then ask the agent for the receipt and a clean copy. If it still doesn’t match, pause the transaction and ask the principal to confirm directly or to get an official record from the issuing authority. Where fraud is suspected, the right place is the police or the issuing court, not a social media post.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Wordcraft Comes In

We aren’t a notary or a government office. What we do is the paperwork around it: drafting a POA in clear Arabic and English, arranging notarization with the right authority, attesting POAs signed abroad and translating them for UAE use. If you’ve been handed a POA and aren’t sure it’s ready for the bank, the court or a property transfer, send us a photo and we’ll tell you what’s missing. See our power of attorney service or the wider notarization services page.

We offer pickup and delivery, and you get a written quote in 10 to 30 minutes. Government fees are payable at cost; we confirm the exact fee and our service charge in writing before any work begins. WhatsApp us on +971 56 681 3996 or call toll-free 800 9673.