Board resolution notarization in Dubai and the wider UAE turns a decision of the directors, shareholders or partners into a document that banks, the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and free zone authorities will act on. Manager changes, company POAs, bank mandates, MOA amendments and new branches all start with one. Wordcraft drafts it bilingually, books the notary and handles legalization for foreign parents.
The notarization itself is carried out by a UAE notary or an e-notary platform. We do the drafting, translate the company papers and put the file in the form the receiving authority wants to see.
When a Resolution Must Be Notarized
Not every internal decision needs a notary. A notarized resolution is usually required, or at least expected, when a company is:
- Appointing or changing a manager or authorized signatory on the trade license
- Granting a company power of attorney to a manager, PRO or lawyer
- Opening a bank account or changing its signatories
- Amending the MOA: capital, activities, partners or company name (see MOA amendments)
- Selling or transferring shares, or admitting a new partner
- Opening a branch or subsidiary in the UAE, or registering a UAE company abroad
- Buying, selling or mortgaging company property
Mainland authorities, each free zone and each bank have their own format. We check the receiving authority's requirements first, so the resolution is accepted on the first submission.
Resolutions From a Foreign Parent Company
When the parent company sits outside the UAE, for example to open a UAE branch or appoint its manager, the resolution is signed in the home country and then made valid for UAE use:
- The directors sign it and, where required, the company secretary certifies it
- It is notarized in the home country
- The home country's competent authority or foreign ministry authenticates it
- The UAE embassy or consulate legalizes it and now completes the UAE MOFA attestation digitally in the same step
- An MOJ-certified legal translator in the UAE translates it into Arabic
A resolution that stops at an apostille is still incomplete for UAE purposes; the UAE embassy step cannot be skipped. We send a bilingual draft first, so the version legalized abroad already reads correctly in Arabic. For documents moving in the other direction, see notarization for use abroad, and for the branch itself, branch of a foreign company.
Linked MOA Amendment and Company POA
A resolution rarely travels alone. A new manager usually means an MOA amendment and a new company POA; a share transfer needs the resolution, the transfer agreement and an amended MOA. We prepare the whole set together so names, dates and numbers match across every page, and one notary appointment can cover all of it. See our power of attorney services and, for new companies, business setup.
Company Papers We Ask For
- Trade license and the current MOA or articles of association, with all amendments
- Passport and Emirates ID copies of the directors, shareholders or partners who sign
- Passport copy of the person being appointed or authorized
- The decision itself: the new manager, the bank, the share transfer or the branch
- For foreign companies: certificate of incorporation, register of directors and shareholders, and articles of association
From Board Decision to Notarized Resolution
- Scope: send the license and MOA; a free written quote follows within 10 to 30 minutes, naming the notary route and any linked documents.
- Drafting: the bilingual resolution, plus the MOA amendment or POA if needed, for your approval.
- Signing: before a UAE notary in person or by video, or abroad following our legalization instructions.
- Arabic version: legal translation where the authority needs it, then the signed originals back to you.
Who Usually Asks Us for One
- Mainland and free zone companies changing managers, signatories or partners
- Foreign companies opening a UAE branch or subsidiary
- Companies opening bank accounts or changing mandates
- Investors buying into, or exiting, a UAE company
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a board resolution need to be notarized in the UAE?
Often, yes, particularly for manager changes, company POAs, share transfers and bank matters. Some free zones and banks accept a signed resolution on letterhead; we find out what yours requires.
What is the difference between a board resolution and a shareholder resolution?
Directors pass a board resolution; owners pass a shareholder or partners' resolution. Which one you need depends on the company's MOA and the authority's rules.
How do I use a foreign parent company resolution in the UAE?
Have it notarized and authenticated in the home country, legalized at the UAE embassy (which includes MOFA digitally), and translated into Arabic by an MOJ-certified legal translator once it arrives.
Can directors sign remotely?
Often, yes, through a UAE e-notary video session where the document and the company's authority allow it. Otherwise each director signs before a notary in their own country.
Can you prepare the MOA amendment and POA at the same time?
Yes. We draft the full set so every document matches and all of them can be notarized in one sitting.
Last updated: September 2026
