# How to Cancel a Power of Attorney in Dubai Source: https://poaindubai.ae/cancel-power-of-attorney-dubai/ Summary: Cancelling a power of attorney in Dubai has two parts: revoke it before a notary public, then make sure the agent knows. The full process, step by step. Language: en-AE --- Revoke a power of attorney # Cancel or revoke a power of attorney in Dubai Cancelling a power of attorney in Dubai has two parts. You revoke the document before a notary public, and you make sure the agent, and everyone still dealing with them, knows it has been revoked. [Get started](/contact/) [Call us](tel:+971555640358) - Drafted in Arabic - Signed before a notary - Notice served and proved ![Drafting the revocation that cancels a power of attorney] ## How to cancel a power of attorney in Dubai Have a cancellation drafted in Arabic and sign it before a notary public, which ends the authority on paper. Then serve it on the agent and on every bank, registry and authority still holding the original, because until they know, acts done under the old document can still bind you. Governing article Article 898, Federal Decree-Law 25/2025 Where it happens Before a notary public, in Arabic The step most miss Written notice to the agent ## What the law says about revocation Revocation sits in the Civil Transactions Law, Federal Decree-Law 25/2025, which repealed the 1985 Civil Code. Agency runs from Article 866 to Article 903, and revocation is Article 898. Most published guidance in this market still cites Article 955 of the 1985 law. That law is repealed, so a cancellation argued on it is argued on a text that no longer applies. ### Federal Decree-Law 25/2025, Article 898 The principal may revoke or restrict the authority of their agent at any time, unless the agency involves a right of a third party or was issued in the interest of the agent, in which case the principal may not terminate or restrict it without the consent of the person in whose interest it was issued. ![Signing a revocation before a notary public in Dubai] ## The four stages of a cancellation Take them in order. The first three end the authority on paper, and the fourth is the one that stops the document still being used. 1 ### Read the power of attorney before you cancel it Start with what the document actually grants and who relies on it. Article 898 lets the principal revoke at any time, with two limits written into the same article: where the agency involves the right of a third party, or was issued in the agent’s own interest, it cannot be ended without that person’s consent. Article 899 adds that revoking at an inappropriate time, or without acceptable justification, can carry compensation to the agent. 2 ### Have the cancellation drafted and translated In Dubai, notarial instruments are in Arabic. Dubai Law 4/2013 permits a foreign language document only when it is accompanied by an Arabic translation from a certified translator, with both versions signed by the parties. Dubai Courts requires documents submitted to its power of attorney service to be translated into Arabic as legal translation approved by the UAE Ministry of Justice. We draft, arrange the translation and check the two versions against each other. 3 ### Sign the cancellation before a notary public Notarial duties in the UAE are performed only by public notaries, private notaries and accredited UAE consuls. The notary verifies identity from an ID card, passport or other official document issued by the State, checks capacity and consent, and reads the content of the transaction out to the parties. We prepare the file and attend the appointment with you. Notarisation is carried out by a notary public, and no legal consultant can perform it. 4 ### Put the agent and the record holders on notice This is the stage people skip, and it is the stage that decides whether the cancellation works. Serve the revocation on the agent in writing and keep proof of what was sent and when. Then go back to every bank, registry and authority holding the original and ask each one to confirm the file has been updated. The notice document itself is covered in detail on its own page. ## What cancelling changes, and what it does not Once the revocation is notarised, the agent’s authority under that document ends, and every sub-agency derived from it is revoked by law under Article 903(2). What the paper cannot do on its own is reach people who have not been told. The law treats knowledge as the dividing line, which is why the second half of this job carries as much weight as the first. Article 902 makes the point plainly for an agent authorised for litigation: if they act after acquiring knowledge of their dismissal they are liable, but if they act before they knew, their act is effective. If you think your power of attorney has already been used in a way you did not intend, that is a separate question from cancelling it, and it needs advice on your own facts rather than reassurance from a web page. ## What the cancellation document should state A cancellation that is vague is a cancellation that gets argued about. Settle these points before anything is signed. - The full name and identity details of the principal and the agent - The date of the original power of attorney and its reference number - The notary public or authority that attested the original document - Whether the whole authority is withdrawn, or only named parts of it - That every sub-agency granted under the original is revoked with it - How and where written notice of the revocation will reach the agent ## Two ways a power of attorney comes to an end Revocation is a decision you make, and extinction happens on its own. There is no general statutory validity period in UAE law, so a document runs for whatever term is written into it, and our validity page covers that separately. By your decision ### Revocation by the principal You revoke or restrict the authority before a notary public under Article 898. It takes a document, a signature, and notice to the agent before it changes anything in practice. By operation of law ### Extinction under Article 897 An agency ends when the entrusted work is complete, when the term specified for it expires, or on the death or loss of legal capacity of the principal or the agent. ## Where cancellations go wrong The first list is what we see most often. The second is what to do instead. - Signing the revocation and never telling the agent - Assuming a bank or a registry updates its own file - Citing Article 955 of the repealed 1985 Civil Code - Serve the revocation in writing and keep proof of service - Return to every holder of the original and get written confirmation - Cite Article 898 of Federal Decree-Law 25/2025 ## What to bring together Dubai Land Department asks for an electronic copy of the UAE ID for both client and attorney, or a valid passport for non-resident foreigners. The rest of this list is what makes the file usable rather than merely accepted. ### From the principal The person who granted the authority - Emirates ID, or a valid passport for a non-resident - The original power of attorney, or a clear copy of it - Details of the notary or authority that attested it - The cancellation itself, drafted and ready in Arabic ### About the agent Named so the file cannot be mistaken - Emirates ID number, or passport for a non-resident - Full name exactly as it appears on the original - An address or route where written notice can be sent - Details of any sub-agent appointed under the original ### If the cancellation travels abroad Extra steps once it leaves the UAE - Arabic translation by a legal translator registered with the Ministry of Justice - Both language versions signed by the parties - MOFAIC attestation, published at AED 150 for individual affairs documents - AED 2,000 where the document is classed as commercial ## Related reading Cancelling raises four or five questions that belong on pages of their own. Start here if one of them is yours. [If a power of attorney has been misused](/verify-power-of-attorney-dubai/) [Property power of attorney in Dubai](/property-power-of-attorney-dubai/) [How notarisation works in Dubai](/how-notarisation-works-dubai/) [What a power of attorney costs](/power-of-attorney-cost-dubai/) [Documents you will need](/power-of-attorney-documents-required/) [Attestation, both directions](/power-of-attorney-attestation-dubai/) [Telling the agent it is revoked](/power-of-attorney-cancellation-notice/) [How long a power of attorney lasts](/power-of-attorney-validity-uae/) [This page in Arabic](/ar/cancel-power-of-attorney-dubai/) ## Frequently asked questions The questions we are asked most often on this one. **How do I cancel a power of attorney in Dubai?** Have a cancellation drafted in Arabic, sign it before a notary public, then serve it on the agent and on every authority holding the original. Article 898 of Federal Decree-Law 25/2025 lets the principal revoke at any time, subject to third party rights and to agencies issued in the agent’s interest. The notice half is the half people skip. **Do I need the agent’s agreement to revoke?** Usually not. Article 898 lets the principal revoke or restrict the agent’s authority at any time. Two exceptions are written into the same article. Where the agency involves a right of a third party, or where it was issued in the interest of the agent, it cannot be ended without the consent of the person it was issued for. **Do I need to present the original power of attorney?** Bring the original if you still hold it, and a clear copy if you do not. What the file needs is enough to identify the document beyond argument: the date it was issued, its reference number, and the notary or authority that attested it. A cancellation that does not pin down its target is easy to dispute. **Can someone else attend the notary in my place?** Federal Decree-Law 20/2022 says the persons concerned, or their legal representatives, shall appear before the notary in person, and it allows IT tools to be used in place of personal appearance. So a stand-in is not automatic. Tell us early if you cannot attend and we will check what the receiving office will accept. **Does the cancellation need translation into Arabic?** In Dubai, notarial instruments are in Arabic. Dubai Law 4/2013 permits a foreign language document only when it comes with an Arabic translation by a certified translator, with both versions signed by the parties. Dubai Courts requires documents submitted to its power of attorney service to be translated as legal translation approved by the UAE Ministry of Justice. **Can I cancel a power of attorney issued outside the UAE?** A document issued abroad and used here runs through the attestation chain: the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then the UAE embassy or consulate there, then MOFAIC in the UAE. The UAE is not a contracting party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille does not replace that chain. Send us the document and we will map the route. **What happens to a sub-power of attorney?** It goes with the main one. Article 903(2) of Federal Decree-Law 25/2025 provides that where the principal agency is revoked, all sub-agencies derived from it are deemed revoked by virtue of law. That is the legal position. In practice, name the sub-agent in the cancellation and notify them too, because the same knowledge problem applies. **What does it cost to cancel a power of attorney?** Dubai Land Department publishes its power of attorney cancellation notarisation application as a free service, taking 20 minutes at its main headquarters, with Dubai Court as the third party partner. The federal notary fee table sets AED 50 for each page of a translation included in the instrument, but Dubai Courts sits outside that federal schedule and publishes its own fees, so we confirm which figures apply to your file. Our own drafting and attendance fees are quoted separately. Start here ## Send us the document before you sign anything We are lawyers and legal consultants, not notaries. We read the power of attorney you want to end, draft the cancellation, arrange the Arabic legal translation, check both versions against each other, and attend the notary appointment with you. We also help you put the agent and the record holders on notice, and keep proof of what was sent to whom. Tell us what you want stopped. [Get started](/contact/) [Call us](tel:+971555640358) [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/971555640358) [Send your documents](mailto:info@poaindubai.ae) ## Tell us what the document has to do Say who will receive it and what you need it to allow, and you will get a straight answer on the wording, the government fees and what to bring. You can also [send it through the contact form](/contact/). ### Call us Speak to the person who will handle your file and get an answer on the same call. [+971 55 564 0358](tel:+971555640358) ### WhatsApp Send photographs of your passport, your Emirates ID and anything the matter attaches to. [Message us](https://wa.me/971555640358) ### Email Best for a company matter, or anything that runs to several documents. [info@poaindubai.ae](mailto:info@poaindubai.ae) ### Visit the office Jebel Ali area, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. Come in, or have it handled remotely and only turn up to sign. [Find us on the map](https://maps.app.goo.gl/J2Aoax7ii4XzNZTt5) **Opening hours.** Monday to Thursday, 9:00 to 18:00. Friday, 9:00 to 12:00. Saturday, 9:00 to 18:00. Sunday, closed.