POA · Personal & family
Power of Attorney for a Bank Account in the UAE
Operate your UAE bank account through someone you trust — within your bank's rules.
Updated September 2026 · market data verified methodology
A power of attorney for bank matters authorizes a person you trust to operate your UAE bank account when you cannot: to visit the branch, sign servicing forms, withdraw and transfer funds within the limits you set, obtain statements and certificates, and deal with the bank on cards and deposits. It is the practical answer for account holders who left the country but keep accounts, salaries or deposits in the UAE.
Banking is the one area where a correctly drafted POA can still fail: UAE banks are not obliged to honor third-party mandates, and each bank applies its own acceptance rules — confirm with your bank before drafting. Many banks insist on their own form, some decline outside POAs for account operations altogether, and nearly all require the attorney to identify themselves at the counter.
Where it is used
Branches and service desks of UAE banks — account operations, deposits and card matters
Typical situation
The account holder has left the UAE and a local representative services the account
Bank acceptance
Each bank applies its own acceptance rules — confirm with your bank before drafting
Language
Registered in Arabic at the UAE notary; you approve a bilingual draft beforehand
Who uses this POA
- Expats who left the UAE with active accounts or deposits they still need to operate
- Business owners and managers handling matters on a company account — usually with a board resolution behind the mandate
- Families resolving questions on a relative's account: statements, cards, maturing deposits
- Account holders whose bank requires in-person servicing they can no longer attend
What the attorney can do
- Visit the branch and submit requests and servicing forms on the principal's behalf
- Withdraw and transfer funds within the limits written into the scope
- Obtain account statements, balance confirmations and bank certificates
- Handle card matters — replacements, renewals and servicing requests the bank allows under a mandate
- Give instructions on deposits — renewals and placements within the scope
- Respond to the bank's requests for documents and clarifications on servicing matters
Limits and practical notes
Check these before drafting — they decide whether an authority accepts your document.
- Each bank applies its own acceptance rules: many require the bank's own form or a corporate resolution, some do not accept outside POAs for account operations, and nearly all verify the attorney's identity — confirm with your bank before drafting
- Money movement is normally capped: withdrawal and transfer limits belong in the scope, and a mandate without them gives the attorney more freedom than most owners intend
- Credit products are not part of the mandate — loans, credit cards and credit facilities stay outside, and some banks bar them under any POA
- A POA does not lift restrictions on a frozen or disputed account — those are settled with the bank and, where applicable, the authorities
- Banks usually require the original notarized document, not a scan, and the attorney's own ID at the counter
Documents to prepare
The principal (individual)
- Passport copy of the principal
- Emirates ID and visa page, if the principal is a UAE resident
- Passport details of the appointed attorney
- The bank's name and, where the bank prescribes one, its own POA form or requirements list
A POA operates an existing account — it does not open one
The mandate covers servicing of accounts the principal already holds. Opening a new account is a different procedure with its own identification and compliance checks that the bank runs on the future holder — a representative cannot substitute for them by presenting a POA.
If the plan is a new UAE account rather than servicing an existing one, start from the account opening track instead: this portal maintains a separate section dedicated to opening bank accounts in the UAE.
- The POA covers accounts the principal already owns
- Account opening requires the future holder's own verification with the bank
- A separate portal section covers opening bank accounts in the UAE
Frequently asked questions
Will my bank accept a power of attorney issued by someone else?
Each bank applies its own acceptance rules — confirm with your bank before drafting. Many banks work only with their own form or add conditions such as a corporate resolution for company accounts, some decline outside POAs for account operations altogether, and nearly all require the attorney to identify themselves at the counter.
Can the attorney withdraw or transfer money?
Yes, within the limits written into the scope. Most owners set caps so the mandate covers day-to-day servicing without exposing the full balance. State the limits at drafting — banks read the scope literally.
Can the attorney open a new account or take a loan for me?
No. Opening accounts and credit products — loans, credit cards, credit facilities — sit outside a servicing mandate, and some banks do not allow them under any POA. Those procedures need the holder's personal participation.
What if the account is frozen or under dispute?
A POA does not change that. Restrictions from a freeze, an investigation or a dispute are resolved with the bank and, where applicable, the authorities; the attorney can request information but cannot operate around the restriction.
I have already left the UAE — can I still issue the mandate?
Yes. The POA can be signed abroad, provided it is notarized in your country, attested by the UAE embassy there and by MOFA in the UAE, and translated into Arabic where the bank or notary requires it. Check the result with your bank before the attorney's first branch visit.
Need this POA arranged?
Describe the task — you get a recommendation on wording, the document checklist and an itemized estimate.