POA · Vehicle & documents
True Copy Attestation in the UAE
Certified copies of your documents, accepted by UAE authorities.
Updated September 2026 · market data verified methodology
A certified true copy is a photocopy of a document that a lawyer has checked against the original, then signed and stamped to confirm the copy matches it. Authorities, banks, embassies and courts accept such copies in place of originals they do not need to see — or that you cannot hand over. Passports, utility bills, employment letters, diplomas, civil-status certificates and corporate records are the recurring candidates.
In the UAE the work is done mainly by lawyers, with issuing authorities certifying their own company records and notaries handling signed instruments. Certification is not the same as full legalization: a stamp that satisfies a UAE bank will not automatically clear a ministry or embassy abroad. This page covers which documents can be certified, how a lawyer's certification differs from a notary's, and where the chain continues for foreign use.
What you receive
Copies signed and stamped by a lawyer with a statement that each matches the original it was checked against
Typical documents
Passports, utility and DEWA bills, employment letters, diplomas, civil certificates, licences and company records
Who certifies
A lawyer in the UAE; the issuing authority for its own company records; a notary for signed instruments
What to bring
The original itself — every copy is verified against it, so a copy of a copy cannot be certified
Who uses this POA
- Residents submitting identity papers for visa, immigration or banking files
- Applicants for migration to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK or the USA, where a lawyer's or solicitor's stamp is expected on legal documents
- Founders incorporating companies, including offshore structures, and opening offshore bank accounts
- Parties to property sales and purchases asked to prove their documents without surrendering the originals
- Litigants filing supporting papers with courts in the UAE and abroad
What the attorney can do
- Compare the copy with the original, page by page, in the holder's presence
- Sign and stamp each certified page with the true-copy statement
- Confirm identity documents where the holder must show they are the person named in the papers
- Certify company records within the limits of what the issuing authority allows for its own documents
- Advise which receiving institutions need plain certification and which expect a longer attestation chain
Limits and practical notes
Check these before drafting — they decide whether an authority accepts your document.
- The original must be presented at the appointment — certification without sight of the original is not offered
- The stamp confirms the copy matches the original; it does not vouch for the content or authenticity of the original itself
- Notary publics in the UAE notarize signatures and instruments rather than certify copies of passports and utility bills — the lawyer's route covers those
- Documents destined for foreign authorities may need ministry or embassy steps on top of certification; the chain depends on the destination country and the receiving institution's rules
- Translations are certified separately from the underlying document — a stamped translation is its own procedure
- Each receiving body sets its own rules on wording and the number of copies; check its requirements before the appointment
Documents to prepare
The principal (individual)
- The original passport of the holder, to confirm identity at the appointment
- The original documents to be copied and certified
- Emirates ID and visa page, where the holder is a UAE resident
- The requesting institution's instructions — how many copies and what wording it expects
The principal (company)
- Current trade licence of the company
- Memorandum of association and share certificates
- Commercial registry extracts and certificates of incorporation
- Board resolutions and similar records where the receiving party asks for them
Certification, notarization or legalization?
The three stamps answer different questions. A lawyer's true-copy certification says a copy matches an original. Notarization, done by a notary public, witnesses signatures on instruments such as powers of attorney, memoranda of association and affidavits. Legalization — the ministry and embassy chain, including the MOFA stage for foreign use — says the document itself is genuine for another country. Institutions asking for 'attested documents' may mean any of the three, and that is where files go wrong.
For several destination countries the distinction is formalized: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom expect legal documents to be witnessed and stamped by a lawyer or solicitor, so the lawyer's certification is the core requirement. Where a document travels abroad, treat certification as the first step of a longer chain rather than the last one.
- True copy: a lawyer confirms the copy matches the original
- Notarization: a notary public witnesses signatures on drafted instruments
- Legalization and MOFA: a separate chain that makes a document valid in another country
- Certified translations are handled as their own procedure, apart from both
Frequently asked questions
Which documents are most often certified as true copies?
Passports, utility and DEWA bills, employment letters, diplomas and civil-status certificates lead the personal list; licences, memoranda of association and registry extracts lead the corporate one. Banks, embassies and government departments are the usual requesters.
Can a notary public in the UAE certify a copy of my passport?
As a rule no — notaries witness signatures and notarize instruments, while copies of passports and utility bills are certified by lawyers. If a specific authority insists on a notarial stamp, confirm its exact requirement first, because the two procedures are not interchangeable.
Is a certified copy enough for use outside the UAE?
Often it is the starting point rather than the finish. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and the UK specifically expect a lawyer's or solicitor's stamp on legal documents, while other destinations may add ministry or embassy steps. Ask the receiving institution which chain it requires before you certify.
Why can't you certify a scan I email over?
Certification means comparing the copy against the original, so the original has to be on the table. Without it there is nothing to verify the copy against — the stamp would be a statement about a document nobody has seen.
Do you also certify translations?
Translations go through their own certification, separate from the underlying document — the translation is the artifact being checked. If your file needs both, say a diploma and its translated version, plan the two steps together so the wording matches what the requester expects.
Need this POA arranged?
Describe the task — you get a recommendation on wording, the document checklist and an itemized estimate.