Power of Attorney for an Elderly or Hospitalised Parent in the UAE
An elderly or sick parent can still give a power of attorney in the UAE if they understand it and sign freely. A notary can come to the hospital or home, Dubai offers video notarisation, and the law covers thumbprints and interpreters. Once capacity is lost, the court route takes over.
If your parent is elderly, unwell or in hospital in the UAE, they can still give you a power of attorney, as long as they understand what they are signing and sign it freely. A notary can come to the hospital or home when the person cannot travel, and in Dubai many notary services can also be done by video. What a POA cannot do is cover a parent who has already lost mental capacity: at that point the authority has to come from the court, through a guardian or curator appointment.
The difference between those two situations is often a matter of weeks. Families who act early usually have a simple, signed document. Families who wait often end up in a court file.
Can an elderly or sick parent still sign a power of attorney?
Yes. Age and illness on their own do not stop anyone from giving a power of attorney. What matters is capacity and consent on the day.
The federal notary law, Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the Notary Profession, sets out what a notary must do before notarising any document (Article 7):
- check the person's identity from their Emirates ID, passport or another official document;
- check their capacity and that they consent to the content of the document; and
- read out the document and explain its effect, then record that the person understood and accepted it.
So the notary will talk to your parent directly, not through you. They may ask simple questions: who is the agent, what can that person do, why are they signing. If your parent can answer in their own words, the document can usually go ahead. If they are heavily sedated, confused or clearly being pushed, the notary should stop.
Can a notary come to the hospital or home in the UAE?
Yes, in defined cases. The executive regulations of the federal notary law (Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024, Article 18) allow a public notary to leave the office for, among other cases, a patient who cannot appear because of their medical condition, and a person with a disability who cannot appear because of it. A private notary may work outside the office when the nature of the transaction or the person's condition makes it necessary.
In Dubai, notary work is done by Dubai Courts notaries, private notaries licensed by Dubai Courts, and the e-notary channel. Dubai Courts describes its licensed private notary offices as offering "greater flexibility in appointments and locations", and publishes the list of private notary offices on its site.
A few practical points make a bedside visit go smoothly:
- Ask the ward first. The hospital decides who can visit and when. Get permission and pick a time when your parent is usually awake and clear.
- Have the original ID at the bedside. A photo on a phone is not enough.
- Prepare the text in advance, in Arabic or bilingual, with names spelled exactly as in the passport.
- Keep it focused. A short special POA for the bank, the tenancy or the car is easier for a tired patient to follow than a long general one.
Can my parent sign by video instead?
Often, yes. Dubai's rules on digital notary services (Resolution No. 137 of 2022) let a person apply through the Dubai Courts digital channels, after which the notary holds a video call to verify identity, capacity and consent, sends a one-time password, and issues the document with an electronic seal. The rules set the video window at 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. At federal level, the Ministry of Justice also offers remote digital power of attorney issuance.
Video works well for a parent at home who is comfortable on a phone or tablet and has UAE PASS. It works less well on a ward with poor signal, or for someone who tires quickly or cannot hear well. In those cases, a visit is usually kinder. Our guide to the UAE digital power of attorney explains the online route in more detail.
What if my parent cannot write, see or speak clearly?
The law has answers for this, and none of them involve a relative quietly signing on the parent's behalf. Under Article 8 of the federal notary law:
- Cannot write: a person who is illiterate signs with a thumbprint, and the notary records it.
- Cannot sign or give a thumbprint because of a disability: the person names someone else to sign for them, that person's ID is checked, and this is written into the notary's record.
- Does not speak the notary's language: an interpreter from the Ministry's register is used, or one the notary swears in.
- Cannot express their wishes in the ordinary way: a specialised interpreter or an assistant, who takes an oath, helps them communicate.
Tell the notary about any of these before the appointment so the right people are there.
What happens if my parent has dementia or has already lost capacity?
Then a power of attorney is no longer the right tool. Article 8(5) of the federal notary law says that where a person has a mental disability, the curator appointed by the court signs for them. And under the UAE Civil Transactions Law, a principal's loss of legal capacity ends an existing agency, just as death does, so a POA signed years ago stops working too. We explain that rule in what happens to a power of attorney when someone dies or loses capacity.
The route instead is a court application. The Federal Personal Status Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024) treats people with certain mental conditions as lacking capacity and allows the court to appoint someone to manage their affairs, and interdiction cases go to the court where the person lives. In Dubai, the Courts' service directory lists a "Request for Determining Person's Legal Competence / Appointment of Guardian" in both its Muslim and non-Muslim family sections. Expect medical evidence and a court process, not a same-day signature.
This is why timing matters so much with early dementia. A diagnosis does not automatically mean a person cannot sign; many people have good days and clear periods. But once a doctor or notary has real doubts, the door to a simple POA may close.
Which kind of POA should you ask for?
Choose by the job, not by the biggest possible document.
- Special (limited) POA: one bank, one property, one vehicle, one tenancy. Easier to explain at a bedside, and often what banks and authorities prefer. See general vs special POA.
- General POA: wide powers over the parent's affairs. Useful for long recoveries, but it needs more trust and a clear explanation to the parent.
- Name a second agent if you can, in case the first is travelling or unwell.
If your parent is overseas rather than in the UAE, the steps are different: they sign before a notary where they live and the document is attested for UAE use. Our guide to a POA signed outside the UAE covers that. You can also see how we prepare a general power of attorney for families.
How do you plan before it is urgent?
The calmest version of this story starts while your parent is well. A POA signed early, kept up to date and reviewed after any hospital stay saves the family from a court application later. Pair it with a registered will, so the plan continues after death too: a POA ends on death, a will takes over. If your parent is a non-Muslim with assets in Dubai, a DIFC will is one common way to do that.
Frequently asked questions
Can a notary come to the hospital to notarise a power of attorney in the UAE?
Yes. The federal notary regulations allow a public notary to attend a patient who cannot come in because of their medical condition, and private notaries may work outside their office when the person's condition makes it necessary. The hospital still decides on visiting access.
Can my mother sign a power of attorney with a thumbprint?
Yes, if she cannot write. The notary takes her thumbprint and records it. If she cannot sign or give a thumbprint because of a disability, she can name another person to sign on her behalf in front of the notary.
Can I get a power of attorney for a parent with dementia?
Only if your parent still has the capacity to understand and agree to it on the day, which the notary must check. If capacity has been lost, you need a court-appointed guardian or curator instead.
Does my father's POA stay valid if his condition gets worse?
Not if he loses legal capacity. Under the Civil Transactions Law, the principal's loss of capacity ends the agency. Plan for the court route if that is a real risk.
The Deed Box prepares powers of attorney for families in the UAE and abroad, arranges notary appointments, and drafts DIFC and ADJD wills. We are not a law firm, so for disputed or complex cases, take legal advice.
Sources reviewed 29 October 2026: Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 (Articles 7 and 8); Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024 (Article 18); Dubai Resolution No. 137 of 2022; Dubai Courts private notary list and service directory; Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024 (Articles 3, 125 and 126); Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 (Article 897). This is general information, not legal advice; the official Arabic texts prevail.