Have you recently moved to Dubai, or are you planning to build your career and settle here soon? While the idea of starting fresh in Dubai might sound exciting and like a dream come true, there are some important legal steps you need to take, one of which involves translating and notarizing your legal documents in compliance with UAE law.
Did you know? To ensure your documents are authentic and they need to be notarized either by a Public or a Private Notary.
Here we will look into the key difference between these two and which one you should choose to notarize your Documents in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and across the UAE.
What is this Notarization?
Let’s start with the basics. Notarization is the process to ensure your documents are legally valid. It ensures that signatures on a document are valid, genuine, and not forged. A notary helps identify fraudulent documents and certify trustworthy ones, making them legally acceptable.
Public Notary
A public Notary is a government-initiated person or Individual. He/she is responsible for being neutral and ensuring no one engages in any fraud concerning the documents.
Responsibilities of a Public Notary include:
- Witnessing and certifying signatures on legal documents
- Administering oaths and affirmations
- Authenticating copies of original documents
- Applying official government seals and stamps
Public Notaries are essential when dealing with documents that require government authority or recognition. Some institutions and countries accept only public notarization for specific legal matters.
Private Notary Services
Although both public and private notaries perform similar core functions, Private Notaries typically operate under private firms or companies, rather than being appointed by the government.
The key functions that differentiate Private from Public involve these key features.
- They often have more flexible appointment times and locations.
- May provide mobile services – Includes visiting clients at their home or office.
- Specialize in specific document types or industries. Can offer multilingual services tailored to expatriates.
- Additional services (document drafting, translation, etc.)
- Typically shorter waiting times compared to public notaries.
Private notaries are especially useful for urgent or more complex cases, offering faster and more convenient services.
So, Which One should you choose?
While both parties have the same key performance indicators to validate the authenticity of Documents. It is important to know what suits you well and makes you confident.
Choose a Public Notary if:
- The document must be certified by a government authority
- You’re dealing with legal systems or institutions that require official government notarization.
Choose a Private Notary if:
- You need fast, flexible, or mobile services.
- You require multilingual assistance.
- Your case involves complex documentation or specialized industries.
Whether you choose a public or private notary, make sure your documents are in the hands of someone trustworthy, experienced, and knowledgeable. Consider your budget, time constraints, location, and the nature of your documents before making a decision.
Notarize your Documents to have a safe stay in Dubai, where dreams know no boundaries.
“At Index Legal translation, we offer comprehensive notary in Dubai, guiding clients through the nuances of both public and private notarization.”.