Power of Attorney in Dubai

A power of attorney is a special document that grants authority, and it is given by one person or company to another natural/ legal entity so that the latter will be able to act on behalf of the grantor. Our team of lawyers in Dubai can help you deal with the necessary formalities so that you can use a power of attorney in Dubai.

Conditions to issue a power of attorney in Dubai

Persons who sign powers of attorney in Dubai must be over 21 years old and have full mental capacity. One should know that this significant document can be used by lawyers in Dubai when acting on behalf of their clients. If a power of attorney is necessary for a foreign business owner in Dubai and has been issued in another country, it also has to be translated into Arabic, in the UAE, and then legalized.

There are several aspects to consider before drafting and issuing a power of attorney in the United Arab Emirates, as follows:

• there are two parties concerned by this document: the donor or principal and the agent or attorney-in-fact;
• the donor can be a natural person or a company;
• the agent can be a person (family member), a Dubai lawyer, another party, based on the needs of the principal;
• the power of attorney must contain the details of each party, as well as the reason it was granted for, its termination, and specific conditions requested by the donor.

POAs in the UAE must be written in Arabic. This is one of the main reasons to request the help of our law firm in Dubai for creating this document.

Types of powers of attorney in the UAE

There are two types of powers of attorney acknowledged in the UAE, including in Dubai:

• general;
• limited.

The general POA is one of the most employed as it:

• can be used by both natural persons and companies for a wide variety of matters;
• enables the agent to represent the donor in multiple situations;
• allows the attorney-in-fact to represent the principal even if the latter becomes
• incapacitated, and even in case of death.

The Dubai limited POA, on the other hand, can be used in representation for specific matters only, and its effectiveness terminates as soon as its purpose is fulfilled.

If you must draft a power of attorney and do not know the type to choose, our lawyers in Dubai can advise you.

Rights conferred by a power of attorney

A power of attorney empowers the agent to sign in all capacities as a legal representative of someone else. It is a trust relationship and any misuse will be considered fraud and will be judged in the court of law. A power of attorney is usually issued for a specific task and can be cancelled by the executor at any time or once the task has been completed. Dubai and the UAE do not recognize a lasting power of attorney, meaning that such a document will be cancelled once the executor has deceased. Also, Dubai does not allow for the signing of an irrevocable power of attorney. Our Dubai lawyers can help you choose the most suitable type of power of attorney.

Using a power of attorney in Dubai

A power of attorney can be issued for a number of different tasks. Such a document can also be general, meaning that a person will have the right to sign/ decide for all matters concerning the grantor. A power of attorney can be issued for buying and selling properties or vehicles, for residency and foreigners affairs, for incorporating a company, for inheritance matters and others. A special power of attorney is usually issued for tenancy disputes, for granted land, for properties, for administrating an establishment or for trademarks.

Representation offered by our lawyers in Dubai

Oftentimes, people and companies grant lawyers powers of attorney to represent them. In case you need such a service, you can rely on us for representation with the following:

• opening a company in Dubai (our lawyers can act as local agents for foreign investors);
• filing for an investment visa or a freelance visa in Dubai (the power of attorney allows us to file the documents with the appropriate authorities);
• buying a vehicle;
• opening a bank account;
• marriage registration;
• trademark registration;
• tax and VAT registration.

Power of attorney for real estate transactions in Dubai

Numerous rules and regulations need to be considered as soon as you decide to acquire or sell properties in Dubai. The power of attorney can cover varied actions like: signing a rental or a purchase contract, registering utility bills or delivering possession of assets from developers. The person who receives the POA (power of attorney) is fully entitled to represent a party in the activities related to real estate acquisition. One should know that the power of attorney in Dubai cannot grant the possibility of receiving money in the name of the company or representative. In cases of property sale, the Land Department in Dubai will only accept a banker’s draft in charge of receiving and supervising the financial transaction in a real estate purchase for immigration purposes.

The validity of the power of attorney in Dubai

A power of attorney has a particular time limit, as long as a transaction or activity takes place, but considering the rules in the UAE. Please keep in mind that the power of attorney in Dubai is available for two years after which a renewal is necessary. As for the revocation of the POA in Dubai, a notification in this matter needs to be created and delivered to the office that issued the document in the first place.

Generally speaking, the validity of the power of attorney in Dubai depends on the type of transaction for which it was issued. As an example in this sense, a POA can be used for real estate transactions like buying or selling a property for a specific period of time. Once the transaction took place, the POA is no longer valid, it expires, or it is revoked. It is good to know that the validity of a power of attorney will also depend on the local legislation and the general rules in this matter. Also, a POA used for a real estate transaction has a specific validity: it can be used for five years for a property purchase or two years for selling a property in Dubai. Those wanting to renew the power of attorney may do so at the Dubai Public Notary for a specific fee of approximately AED300. We remind that our lawyers in Dubai can act on your behalf with a power of attorney in the cases you wish to buy or to sell a property as a foreigner.

Issuance of POA in Dubai

Even though a power of attorney can be easily issued, it is recommended to seek the advice of an attorney and find out the ways in which we can legally help. The Public Notary in Dubai verifies and validates the documents right before the UAE Embassy attest them in the country of origin of the person soliciting a POA. Here are a few facts to consider about the POA in Dubai:

• a power of attorney can be ready within a few hours or less if the grantor is in Dubai;
• in the case the grantor is outside the UAE and wants a POA, this document will be ready in approximately two weeks or less;
• the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attests the power of attorney legalized in foreign countries;
• specific fees are imposed at the time a POA is issued in Dubai.

If you do not want to deal with the language barrier or other misunderstandings, you can talk to one of our lawyers in Dubai who can help you obtain the power of attorney. Also, we remind that our team of advisors can act on your interests with the help of a POA.

The revocation of a POA in Dubai

In the case you were wondering if a power of attorney can be revoked, the answer is affirmative. A POA can be revoked at any time with the help of a notification in this sense submitted at the office where the document was issued in the first place. In the case you are a foreign investor or entrepreneur who appoints us with a power of attorney, you should know that you do not need to travel to Dubai to revoke a POA because such matters can be legally handled by our team of advisors. Even more, you should know that a POA can be issued for a specific period of time which needs to be mentioned at the time this document is signed.

The advantages of a POA

If you would like to know the advantages of a POA in Dubai, we mention that our advisors are at your service and can act as reliable and competent representatives without worrying that you might need to travel to Dubai and solve your problems. This means that a power of attorney can be used on your behalf in Dubai, in order for you to save time and money while concentrating on other matters. For instance, if you are interested in selling or buying a property in Dubai, but you cannot travel to the city, you can easily appoint our lawyers with a power of attorney and ask us to handle all the requirements in this matter. A POA simplifies the entire procedure, especially in the cases of real estate properties in Dubai. A law firm in Dubai can be the right answer for your business, and particularly for cases in which a power of attorney is necessary. Choosing our experienced lawyers in Dubai means taking advantage of complete legal services, plus comprehensive information about your transactions, the steps involved, and each stage of the process, in order for you to know everything at any time.

Short conclusion about POA in Dubai

A power of attorney is an important document that can be used by a lawyer on your behalf in order to take care of the transactions you are interested in. There is a wide range of activities covered by a power of attorney in Dubai, and among these, the ones related to the real estate transactions (property sale, purchase, or rent), managing a specific matter in a company, signing specific contracts, and many more. A POA can be issued for a specific period of time, or the grantor can revoke the powers if he/she considers so. We remind that domestic and international customers can direct their attention to our team of advisors in Dubai and solicit complete information about the power of attorney.

The digital power of attorney service in the UAE

Not long ago, the Ministry of Justice in the UAE announced the launch of a digital power of attorney issuance program. At the end of 2023, its second phase was released. Through it:

• it is possible for notaries to issue 8 types of POAs;
• the issuance time for a digital power of attorney was reduced to 10 minutes.

We can also assist foreign citizens who want to apply for the freelance visa for Dubai. Through it, the authorities want to keep up with world changes in terms of relocation, but they also want to use it as a means of attracting new talent. Get in touch with our law firm and find out how to apply for it!

We remind you that our advisors can help you draw up a power of attorney for simple tasks or for special procedures. Please contact our law firm in Dubai for more information about this document.