If a power of attorney or a notarised paper is the one thing still going round by courier, this is for you. The notary keeps that paper, and a link can carry the papers around it. This is not for you if nobody owns the document after it is signed.
Can a power of attorney be signed by link?
No. A power of attorney is made in the notary's own process, and a signing link does not stand in for it. Our Sign page puts "Marriage, divorce, wills, powers of attorney, anything a notary or court must see" in the Not here row, for both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
That is not because electronic signatures are illegal. Federal Decree-Law 46 of 2021 lets you use any form of electronic signature unless another law says otherwise. The notary route is one of those other rules, and it comes with its own channel.
What does the notary's own system look like?
It is already digital, which is why "power of attorney means paper" is no longer the right rule. The right rule is that the document is made on the notary's system, never on ours.
In June 2023 the Ministry of Justice launched Phase 2 of its digital service. It offers eight types of power of attorney, covering lawyer representation, legal cases, real estate, rental disputes, licensing, vehicles, stocks and company management. The ministry says a customer can produce a ratified document in less than 10 minutes, without visiting a notary office.
Abu Dhabi runs its own. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) has an automated service where you apply with UAE Pass. As Gulf News reported in November 2025, the service time is two working days, and the maximum validity is 3 years, or 5 for a lawyer's power of attorney. The fee is AED 100 per year of validity.
Free zones differ again. The ADGM Courts Notary Public FAQs (August 2024) say: "The document must be signed by the authorised signatory(ies) in handwriting on all pages. DocuSign and electronic signatures are not accepted." That is ADGM's rule. Dubai Courts and the federal ministry publish their own, so check the one you use.
Why does the bank still decide?
Because a notary and a bank answer different questions. A notary service in Dubai puts it plainly: "Notarization validates the instrument within the notarial framework, but the bank still applies its own mandate, KYC, compliance and product rules."
HSBC UAE's business mandate page shows the same habit. Where no delegation authority is held, it says new signatories sign "in the presence of a bank official". A law firm, ATB Legal, gives the practical rule: "Use digital signatures only when the specific stakeholder explicitly accepts them for that document type." That is a law firm's view, not the law.
What can a signing link carry around it?
The papers that surround the power of attorney. They are your own documents, and the receiver decides what it needs to see.
A link adds a dated record. The audit log shows the file fingerprint and every event, so you can say who signed which version and when. Our post on renewing from abroad shows the same split for a tenancy, and the one on offer letters shows it for hiring.
How do we decide what goes where?
Three questions, asked in this order. This is our method, not legal advice.
- 01Must a notary or a court see it? Then it stays on the notary's system or on paper. Stop there.
- 02Does the authority name its own channel, as the Ministry of Justice, ADJD and ADGM Courts do? Use that channel, and read its current rules the day you issue.
- 03Has the bank or registry that receives it said in writing that it takes a link-signed copy? If yes, send by link. If it has not said, ask first.
A power of attorney also has a shelf life. ADGM's notary will not notarise an indefinite power of attorney for use in the UAE: 5 years at most for a lawyer's, 3 years for all others. Put the expiry date in whoever owns the document next.
What does sending by link cost?
Here is what our Sign page says today. You pay per sender a month, the people on your team who send documents. Signers are free and unlimited, with no cap on documents.
- 1 to 5 senders: AED or SAR 69 each.
- 6 to 20 senders: AED or SAR 49 each, on the senders inside that band.
- The shared plan, which we host in the UAE, has a minimum of AED or SAR 349 a month, so one office manager does not buy a seat at AED 69.
- Quick start: a fixed AED or SAR 2,500 for up to 20 senders. We set it up for you.
A company certificate from a licensed provider, and email sending if we provide it, are billed at cost. Prices exclude 5 percent UAE VAT and 15 percent Saudi VAT.
What happens on the first call?
We ask which papers you send for signing and who receives each one. Then we sort them into two piles: what stays with the notary or the authority, and what goes by link. You get a written plan, the go-live date and the monthly price. We call it one link per signer.
If your only need is the power of attorney itself, we will tell you to use the notary's system. If you also send resolutions, authorisation letters and engagement letters by courier or email, tell us what you send and who signs it.
