The Document Checklist: What to Have Ready Before Starting a POA

Welcome back to the POA's desk.

In the last episode we covered fee breakdowns and hidden costs. In this episode we cover something more practical — the checklist of documents and information you need to have ready before starting a POA, and how to avoid the delays caused by missing items.

The biggest cause of POA delays is not drafting time or notarisation time. It is principals starting the process without the supporting documents they need. The drafting cannot proceed without the source information, and the notarisation cannot happen without the supporting evidence. Getting your documents organised before you start saves days.

Let's go through what you need by POA type.

Property Sale POA

You need the title deed for the property, in PDF or clear photo — it shows the exact property details, the registered owner's name as it appears in DLD records, and the title deed reference number, and the drafting must match the title deed exactly. You need the principal's identification — passport for everyone, plus Emirates ID if the principal is a UAE resident, both valid and not expired — and the attorney's identification to the same standard. Add any existing sale agreement or memorandum of understanding, if a sale is already in progress and the POA is for that sale, and the mortgage details if the property has one: the bank's name, the mortgage reference, and any liability letter if available.

Property Management POA

You need the title deed, the principal's and attorney's identification, existing tenancy contracts the attorney will manage or renew, Ejari registration details if Ejari is already in place, and the service charge account details with any outstanding balances.

Corporate POA

You need the trade licence, current and valid; the Memorandum of Association or company contract; the board resolution authorising the POA, if the company's structure requires it; the authorised signatory's identification; the attorney's identification; and any free zone or mainland authority documents specific to the regulator.

Bank Account POA

You need the principal's identification, the attorney's identification, and the bank's details — full bank name, branch, and the account number or details, because different banks have different requirements — plus a specimen signature card if the bank requires one.

Inheritance-related POAs

You need the death certificate of the deceased, the inheritance order or recognised will documentation, identification of the heir issuing the POA with documentation linking them to the deceased, and the asset details — title deed, bank account, or whatever is being handled.

Items that apply across every type

If the principal is overseas, valid identification suitable for remote notarisation — most countries require a passport with biometric data, and some require additional supporting identification. A sense of the language the principal is most comfortable with: the Arabic version is the binding version and the English version is for the principal's own understanding, but additional translations for understanding can be arranged. A clear statement of what the attorney needs to do — not a document, but essential information, because vague briefs produce vague POAs and specific briefs produce specific POAs that work. The attorney's contact details — phone, email, and physical address are part of the document. And a validity period preference — one year, two, three, five, or open-ended — decided before drafting.

The three avoidable mistakes

The first: starting the process with a single message saying "I need a POA" and none of the supporting information. That forces a back-and-forth to collect details, which extends the timeline by days — and the principal then thinks the process is slow when it was the information gathering that took the time. The second: sending out-of-date documents — an expired passport, an expired trade licence, a replaced Emirates ID. Even small expirations stop the process until current documents arrive. The third: sending documents in poor quality — photos taken at angles, with parts cut off, or in low resolution — so the drafter cannot read the details and re-sends are needed.

At POAS we provide a clear document checklist at the start of every engagement, specific to your POA type and situation. We tell you exactly what we need, in what format, and we do not start drafting until everything is in. This avoids the back-and-forth and keeps the timeline predictable.

In Episode 26 we cover what "court-licensed entity" actually means — the question of where your POA gets notarised, and why it matters.

I'm Patrick. Thanks for joining me at the POA's desk.