Notary public locations and timings in the UAE depend on the emirate. Dubai Courts service centers publish Monday to Thursday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and Friday 8:00 am to 11:30 am. Sharjah Courts list Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. RAK notary branches open at 7:30 am, Monday to Friday. Abu Dhabi and the MOJ work mainly online. Wordcraft prepares, translates and books; a court or ministry notarizes.
Last checked: 29 September 2026 against official sources: dc.gov.ae (Dubai Courts), adjd.gov.ae (Abu Dhabi Judicial Department), sjd.ae (Sharjah Courts), rak.ae (RAK Courts notary page), moj.gov.ae (Ministry of Justice) and u.ae. Hours change in Ramadan and on public holidays, so confirm on the official page before you travel.
Three Ways to Reach a Notary in the UAE
- Court notary offices and service centers. Each judicial authority runs its own notary: Dubai Courts, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), Sharjah Courts and RAK Courts. The federal Ministry of Justice (MOJ) serves as the notary for the other emirates and runs its own platform.
- Private notaries. Law firms licensed as private notaries in Dubai are listed by Dubai Courts, and the MOJ keeps a search page for private notary offices under its authority. See our private notary in Dubai page.
- Online (remote) notarization. Dubai Courts, ADJD, Sharjah Courts and the MOJ let you apply online and meet the notary on a video call. Our MOJ e-Notary guide walks through the federal platform step by step.
The financial free zones have their own courts and notaries, covered separately on our DIFC Courts notary and ADGM notary public pages.
Notary Public Timings in Dubai
| Location or channel | Hours as published | What to bring | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Courts main building, Umm Hurair 2, Riyadh Street, next to Al Maktoum Bridge (the Hatta branch lists the same hours) | Mon to Thu 8:00 am to 3:00 pm; Fri 8:00 am to 11:30 am. Ramadan: Mon to Thu 9:00 am to 2:00 pm; Fri 9:00 am to 11:30 am | Emirates ID, the document in Arabic or bilingual, and the papers it refers to (trade license, title deed, vehicle ownership) | Dubai Courts service centers |
| Government service centers (Al Adheed) listed by Dubai Courts, in areas such as Al Barsha, Qusais, Al Rashidiya, Oud Metha and Sheikh Zayed Road | Mon to Thu 8:00 am to 7:30 pm; Fri 8:00 am to 12:00 pm | Same as above; the center submits the Dubai Courts application for you | Dubai Courts contact page |
| Dubai Courts online notary (website, prior registration, video session) | No session hours published; you book when you apply | A valid Emirates ID for every party, plus clear PDFs of each supporting document | Dubai Courts POA ratification service |
| Private notary offices licensed by Dubai Courts (mostly law firms in Business Bay, Sheikh Zayed Road, DIFC, Deira and Garhoud) | Each office sets its own hours; the official list gives phone numbers, not hours | Emirates ID or passport as the office requires, and the document | Dubai Courts private notary list |
No Saturday or Sunday hours appear for any Dubai Courts service center. For documents, preparation and booking in Dubai, see notary public in Dubai.
Notary Public in Abu Dhabi: ADJD Channels and Hours
| Location or channel | Hours as published | What to bring | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADJD remote notary (apply on the ADJD website, pay, then meet the notary by video and receive the document digitally) | We found no current session hours on adjd.gov.ae; check current booking slots on the ADJD site | Emirates ID card and the document; non-Arabic documents need a translation by a licensed translator | ADJD notary public |
| ADJD English Notary Services Bureau (online, launched October 2023) | Check current hours on adjd.gov.ae | English documents are accepted as they are, without an Arabic translation; ADJD provides ready-made POA forms | ADJD English Notary Services Bureau |
| ADJD in-person notary and authentication units | The timing sheets on adjd.gov.ae date from 2017 and 2018 and are out of date; check current hours on adjd.gov.ae or call 600 599 799 | Emirates ID and the document | adjd.gov.ae |
ADJD's own service manual lists the Emirates ID card as a required document for its notarization services. Our notary public in Abu Dhabi page explains which documents ADJD handles and how we prepare them.
Notary Public Timings in Sharjah
| Location or channel | Hours as published | What to bring | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharjah Courts, Al Layyah (Al Khan) area, near Khalid Port | Mon to Thu 7:30 am to 3:30 pm (Sharjah government offices close Friday to Sunday) | ID and the document; the exact list depends on the transaction, so check before you go | Sharjah Courts (SJD.ae) |
| Sharjah Judiciary Platform e-services and app | No session hours published; check current hours on sjd.ae | Online account and clear scans of IDs and documents | sjd.ae |
| MOJ federal notary (e-Notary platform) | No hours published on the pages we checked; check current hours on moj.gov.ae | UAE PASS for residents; passport registration where the platform allows it | MOJ e-Notary system |
Sharjah residents use both the Sharjah Courts notary and the federal MOJ notary. Which one suits you depends on the document and where it will be presented; see notary public in Sharjah.
Notary Public Timings in Ras Al Khaimah
| Location or channel | Hours as published | What to bring | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAK Courts notary branch at the Traffic and Licensing Services Center | Mon to Thu 7:30 am to 3:00 pm; Fri 7:30 am to 12:00 pm | ID and the document; RAK Courts confirm the list per transaction | RAK Courts notary services |
| RAK Courts notary service centers at RAK Municipality, RAK Economic Zones Authority (RAKEZ), Al Tarabut awareness center, the Injaz, Moamalat and Al Taleb transaction centers, and the Wadi Asfan customer happiness center | Mon to Thu 7:30 am to 3:30 pm; Fri 7:30 am to 12:00 pm | ID and the document | rak.ae notary page |
| RAK Courts, Al Quawasim Corniche Road, and the rak.ae e-service | Main office hours are not stated on the notary page; the Notary Department lists separate WhatsApp lines for its morning and evening shifts | ID and the document | RAK Courts |
Our Ras Al Khaimah office is in Al Nakheel, near RAK DED. For documents and preparation in the emirate, see notary public in Ras Al Khaimah.
MOJ e-Notary: The Federal Online Option
The Ministry of Justice e-Notary system is the federal notary online. Residents sign in with UAE PASS, visitors can register with a passport where the platform allows it, and every party joins a video session before the document is issued electronically. The MOJ pages we checked do not publish session or counter hours. As a general guide only, the UAE government portal gives federal office hours of Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and Friday 7:30 am to 12:00 pm. The MOJ also has a private notary office search (in Arabic).
Emirates ID or Passport: Which Notary Can You Use?
If every party holds a valid Emirates ID
All channels are open to you: Dubai Courts online or at a service center, ADJD remote notary, Sharjah Courts, RAK Courts and the MOJ through UAE PASS. Check that the Emirates ID has not expired, because an expired card stops the session.
If you only have a passport
Dubai Courts notarization needs an Emirates ID. Without one, Wordcraft arranges MOJ notarization with your passport instead, which also suits visitors and people signing from abroad. ADJD lists the Emirates ID as a required document too, so passport-only clients in Abu Dhabi usually go the same MOJ route. Our Emirates ID rules for notarization guide covers the exceptions.
Ramadan, Fridays and Public Holidays
- Ramadan: only Dubai Courts publish Ramadan hours (Mon to Thu 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, Fri 9:00 am to 11:30 am). For Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, RAK and the MOJ, check the official site when Ramadan starts.
- Fridays: Dubai Courts close at 11:30 am, Al Adheed centers at 12:00 pm and RAK notary branches at 12:00 pm. Sharjah government offices do not open on Fridays.
- Weekends and public holidays: none of the official pages list Saturday or Sunday counter hours. Holiday closures are announced by each authority, so check before you plan a visit.
How Wordcraft Gets You Ready for the Notary
We are a private documents company, not a notary, court or ministry. What we do is the work before and around the appointment:
- Drafting: we draft or review the POA, declaration, agreement or consent letter so the powers and names are exact.
- Translation: our Arabic–English legal translation team produces the Arabic text. Dubai Courts ask for an MOJ-certified legal translation of non-Arabic documents.
- Choosing the channel: Dubai Courts, ADJD, Sharjah Courts, RAK Courts or the MOJ, based on your ID and where the document will be used.
- Booking: we submit the application, book the session or counter visit, and tell each party what to have ready.
Visit us at Dubai (HQ, Al Twar), Abu Dhabi (Al Ghaith Tower), Sharjah (Al Majaz) or Ras Al Khaimah (Al Nakheel), or send a photo of your document on WhatsApp for a written quote within 10 to 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Dubai Courts notary timings?
Dubai Courts service centers, including the main building in Umm Hurair, publish Monday to Thursday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and Friday 8:00 am to 11:30 am. Al Adheed government service centers stay open until 7:30 pm Monday to Thursday.
Is any notary open on Saturday in the UAE?
None of the official court and ministry pages we checked list Saturday counter hours. Online applications avoid the counter altogether, and some private notaries set their own hours, which you confirm with the office directly.
Can I notarize a document in Dubai without an Emirates ID?
Dubai Courts notarization needs an Emirates ID. If you only have a passport, Wordcraft arranges MOJ notarization with your passport instead.
What are the notary timings in Sharjah?
Sharjah Courts publish Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm at their Al Layyah (Al Khan) building near Khalid Port. Sharjah government offices close from Friday to Sunday.
What are the notary timings in Ras Al Khaimah?
RAK Courts notary branches open Monday to Thursday from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm (3:00 pm at the Traffic and Licensing Services Center) and on Friday from 7:30 am to 12:00 pm.
Does the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department publish notary hours?
ADJD's notary works mainly online, and the timing sheets on its website date from 2017 and 2018. Check current booking slots on adjd.gov.ae before relying on any time.
Do notary hours change during Ramadan?
Yes. Dubai Courts publish Ramadan hours of 9:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday to Thursday and 9:00 am to 11:30 am on Friday. The other authorities announce Ramadan hours each year.
Do I need an Arabic translation before visiting the notary?
Usually yes. Dubai Courts require an MOJ-certified legal translation for non-Arabic documents. The ADJD English Notary Services Bureau is the exception, as it accepts English documents without translation.
Is Wordcraft a notary public?
No. Wordcraft drafts, translates and books your notarization. The notarization itself is always done by Dubai Courts, ADJD, Sharjah Courts, RAK Courts, the MOJ or a licensed private notary.
