U.S. Embassy & Consulate
in the United Arab Emirates

Overview

The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and U.S. Consulate General in Dubai are now offering routine notary appointments.

All notary services in the Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General in Dubai are by appointment only.  Due to the high volume and demand for services we cannot offer expedited appointments, except in cases of true emergencies.

Notary Service Basics

Appointments must be made via the online appointment system; customers without an appointment will not be accommodated.

If you are unable to attend your appointment, please cancel it here

Individuals needing notary services must appear in person at their scheduled appointment time and present the following:

• Appointment confirmation printout
• Documents to be notarized
• Government-issued photo identification such as a valid passport
• Pay the appropriate fees. The fee for each notary seal is $50 or the equivalent in Dirhams, payable by cash or credit card. Effective April 1, 2021, the Consular Section will use the U.S. Dollar to UAE Dirham exchange rate of $1 USD to 3.70 Emirati Dirhams (formerly $1 USD to 3.69 AED).

Individuals not signing documents during the notary service may not accompany the applicant to the ACS section and should not come to the Embassy.  Fiancées of U.S. citizens completing the free-to-marry affidavits do not need to appear.

Prior to your appointment, you should review your documents to understand what is needed.  Consular officers cannot provide legal advice and may not be familiar with your particular legal document.  If you have questions or do not understand the document(s), please direct your questions to an attorney or the agency/individual which issued the document.    

Do not sign the document until requested to do so by the notarizing officer.

Depending on the nature of the document, the notarizing officer will either take an

acknowledgement that your signature was done freely and with an understanding of the document’s contents, or administer an oath whereby you swear or affirm the contents of a document are true.  (Note: Notarizing officers do not certify that the contents of submitted documents are true.  A notarizing officer only certifies that you have signed and sworn or affirmed under oath that the contents are true.)  Notarizing officers are prohibited from offering legal advice regarding the form or content of documents to be notarized.  The embassy staff cannot complete the form or statement for you.  You should clearly understand the document and the requirements set by your financial institution, government agency, or attorney.  We reserve the right to ask you to return at a later date/time if you have multiple documents, if the document requires more than two seals, or is more than five pages in length.

Book an appointment by clicking here.  As there are many people seeking appointments, we ask you to please cancel your appointment if you will be unable to come to the Embassy.  You may cancel your appointment by clicking here.

Some U.S. jurisdictions also allow for remote notarization. Individuals needing to notarize documents for use in the United States may wish to explore the possibility of remote notarization if an earlier appointment is needed that cannot be accommodated by the Embassy. They may also wish to consult with a local attorney to ensure that remote notarization is permitted under UAE law.

Special Notice Regarding the Use in the UAE and Authentication of Documents Issued in the United States

The Government of the United Arab Emirates has established strict guidelines for the submission of foreign-issued vital records used in the residency process.  The guidelines require embassies to verify the information contained in the documents.  The U.S. Embassy does not have the legal authority to certify the informational content of such documents.  In the United States, many of the records affected are not maintained centrally and can only be certified by the custodian of record.  This includes the documentation of eligibility for marriage, birth certificates, marriage certificates, court records, and driver’s licenses.

Authentication of U.S.-issued public documents for use overseas should therefore be undertaken in the United States. The documents are certified by the custodian of record and first authenticated at the state level.  Following that process, they must be sent to the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and finally, authenticated by the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Please visit the Department of State website for more information on the Authentication of Documents.

The U.S. Embassy will not provide services for U.S.-issued documents that have been certified and authenticated in the United States.  This includes the authentication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seal and signatures.  The U.S. Embassy will not provide authentication services for U.S.-issued documents to be used in United Arab Emirates.

Notary Services Offered

Affidavits

An “affidavit” is a written declaration or statement of facts, made voluntarily and confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the party making it, taken before an officer having authority to administer such oath or affirmation.  Affidavits require the personal presence of the individual signing the document in order for the consular officer to administer the oath. The affidavit should be typed and prepared prior to the appointment. Consular staff cannot prepare the document or provide advice as to what information should be included.

Free-to-Marry Affidavit

Any foreigner who wishes to marry in the UAE is required by the Government of the UAE to demonstrate his/her eligibility to marry.  The U.S. Government does not maintain a central marriage registry. Therefore, the embassy is unable to provide verification of a U.S. citizen’s eligibility to marry.  U.S. citizens seeking to marry in the UAE may choose to complete an affidavit declaring he or she is eligible to marry.  However, the Government of the UAE may not find the document acceptable and may refuse to accept the document.  Please note the embassy cannot make changes to the document.  U.S. citizens seeking to marry in the UAE may need to contact the custodian of records or the respective state agency to identify vital records in the U.S. that may meet the criteria for the Government of the UAE.  U.S. citizens obtaining certified vital records from the custodian of such records will need to follow the process for the authentication of documents in the United States.  Please visit the Department of State website for more information on the Authentication of Documents.  For information regarding marriage in the UAE, please see Marriage requirements in the UAE.

Acknowledgements

Consular officers may take an acknowledgement of a signature on a document for use in the United States.  An “acknowledgement” is to “acknowledge,” to admit, affirm, or declare; to recognize one’s acts, assuming obligation or incurring responsibility.  Acknowledgements require the personal appearance by the person who signed the document in order to confirm that the individual signed the document.

Authentications

The primary purpose of an authentication, which is a governmental act by a U.S. consular officer, is to certify the official seal, signature and/or authority of foreign officials who perform an official act with regard to a document that is to be used in the United States.  For UAE documents to be used in the United States, consular officers may only authenticate the stamp and seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE on such documents. Documents may be authenticated at the U.S. Embassy once they have received this seal.  A consular authentication of a document to be used in the U.S. in no way attests to the authenticity of the contents of a document but merely to the seal and signature of the issuing UAE government official.  Only authentication requests for originally signed documents from key Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials will be authenticated.

The U.S. Embassy will not provide authentication services for U.S.-issued documents to be used in UAE.

Notary Services That Cannot Be Provided

Drafting Legal Documents

Consular staff cannot draft legal documents or provide legal advice.  U.S. citizens seeking legal documents, such as a power of attorney, should consult with an attorney or review online resources before their appointment.

Authentications of Documents Issued in the United States

Consular officers are not empowered to certify or authenticate public documents issued in the United States or abroad.  Consular officers do not have access to the records of the issuing office or the seal of the custodian of records.  When a certification or authentication of a true copy is requested, please contact the embassy or consulate of the country where the document was issued.  Please see this link for a step-by-step process on getting documents authenticated for use in UAE.

Authentication of U.S and Foreign Academic Credentials for Use Abroad

U.S. embassies and consulates cannot authenticate diplomas or other documents from universities and other schools in the United States nor provide notary services related to foreign academic degrees.  U.S. academic credentials, certificates, or degrees for use in the UAE must be authenticated by the Department of State and then by the Embassy of UAE in Washington, D.C.

Fingerprints/Police Clearances

The U.S. Embassy in the UAE does not provide fingerprinting services and CANNOT issue or certify U.S. police clearances.  Any police clearance obtained from U.S. law enforcement authorities must be certified in the United States.   Police clearances must be certified by the custodian of record and first authenticated at the state level.  Following that process, they must be sent to the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and finally, authenticated by the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C.  Please visit the Department of State’s Authentication of Documents website for more information.

The UAE authorities will not routinely provide fingerprint services for U.S. citizens.  Please find detailed information on how to do your fingerprints in UAE here.

Certifications of True Copies

Some states provide that notaries may execute certifications of true copies of documents. However, many public documents, such as a birth, death, marriage or divorce records, and police clearances must be certified by the custodian of record in that state.  Individuals seeking such a service may choose to make a sworn statement declaring that a copy is an exact reproduction of an original document he or she possesses. The best source of information about the requirements of the individual U.S. states and other U.S. jurisdictions regarding certification of true copies of documents by notaries public is the state notary public administrator.

Marriages

U.S. embassies cannot perform marriage ceremonies.

No objection letter for transferring a UAE residency to/from a U.S. passport

Please note that the U.S. Embassy in UAE will no longer issue “no objection” certificates or letters relating to adding UAE residency to or removing it from a U.S. passport.  U.S. citizens should print this Information Note and proceed to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs along with their passports and any required supporting documents to apply for transferring a residency to/from a U.S. passport.

No objection letter to sponsor family for UAE residency

Please note that the U.S. Embassy in UAE will no longer issue “no objection” certificates or letters relating to UAE visa/residency.  U.S. citizens should print this Information Note and proceed to the Immigration and Passport Directorate along with any required supporting documents to apply for sponsoring their family member.

For a letter confirming your U.S. passport details

The U.S. Embassy in UAE does not provide additional letters or certificates confirming the citizenship status and passport details of a U.S. citizen.  Please present this Information Note along with your original U.S. passport and any other required supporting documents to the requesting authorities.

Refusal of Notary Services

Notarial services may be refused under the following conditions:

• It is prohibited by treaty or foreign law
• It is prohibited by U.S. law
• The notarizing officer believes the document will be used for a purpose patently unlawful, improper or inimical to the best interests of the United States
• The document is blank
• The individual does not appear to be capable of understanding the nature or language of the instrument
• The individual is unable to comprehend the significance of the act and/or is acting under duress
• The document is incorrect
• The individual has invalid, inadequate or insufficient proof of identification
• The proof of a corporate title or position is lacking or inadequate, and/or the service is a medallion signature guarantee (only financial institutions can provide a signature guarantee/medallion guarantee service)

If you are an American citizen in need of an emergency service, please visit ACS Navigator for Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain) or visit the Dubai ACS Navigator (for Dubai and other emirates).