How a Notarised Acknowledgement of Debt Works
A Fixed Sum, a Due Date and a Notary
An acknowledgement of debt is a document in which the debtor confirms that a specified sum is owed to the creditor and states when it will be repaid. Signed before a notary in Dubai, it has the evidentiary value of an official document. When the obligation is established, the sum is specified and payment is due, the notary affixes the executory formula at the creditor's request, and the creditor opens an execution file at the Dubai Courts without first filing a claim for payment.
A loan agreement and a repayment schedule are notarised on the same terms.
At EGSH, the acknowledgement or loan agreement is drafted in Arabic and English, translated where needed and notarised through the EGSH Notary Department, which provides notary public services in Dubai without queues and in one visit.

How to Notarise an Acknowledgement of Debt in Dubai
From Agreed Terms to the Notarised Document
01
Visit EGSH
The client presents the Emirates ID or passport of each party and the terms already agreed between them: the sum, its currency and the due date or instalment schedule.
02
Bilingual Text Drafted
The acknowledgement or loan agreement is drafted in Arabic and English with a fixed sum and due date, or an existing foreign-language text is given a legal translation into Arabic.
03
Signature Before the Notary
The parties sign before the notary, who verifies their identity, capacity and consent and attests their signatures on the document.
04
Receive Your Notarised Debt Acknowledgement
The creditor receives the notarised document, and if the debt is not paid when due, the executory formula is affixed to it at the creditor’s request.
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What to Bring to Notarise a Debt or Loan
Parties, Sum and Repayment Terms
Identity of the Parties
The Emirates ID or passport of the debtor and the creditor, and for a party who is represented, a power of attorney notarised in Dubai that authorises the attorney to sign this document.
Amount and Repayment Terms
The exact sum and currency, the origin of the debt, the due date or each instalment date and amount, and the agreed method of payment.
Company Documents
Where a party is a company, its trade licence and the document authorising the signatory, such as the memorandum of association or a board or shareholder resolution.
Proof of the Loan
Where available, bank transfer receipts or earlier correspondence showing how and when the money was paid, so that the text matches the actual transaction.
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When an Acknowledgement of Debt Becomes Enforceable
Under Article 34(a) of Law No. (4) of 2013 Concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, as amended by Law No. (26) of 2021, a notary affixes the executory formula, at the request of a party, to an instrument the notary has registered or attested where it contains established and enforceable obligations of a specified amount. The UAE Civil Procedure Law, issued by Federal Decree-Law No. (42) of 2022, lists documents authenticated under the law governing notarisation among writs of execution in Article 212(2)(b). Article 212(1) allows compulsory enforcement only of a right that is established, due and of a specified amount.
In practice, three conditions apply. The document states the exact sum, the date for payment has passed, and the obligation does not depend on a condition. Only one copy bearing the executory formula is delivered to the parties. Under Article 34(b), a further copy is issued only by written order of the Chief Justice of the Court of First Instance or a judge authorised by the Chief Justice, where the first copy is lost or cannot be used.
Under Article 35(b), a notarised instrument has the evidentiary value of an official document, and its validity can be challenged only by a claim of forgery. Enforcement measures are decided by the execution judge of the Dubai Courts. Article 21(2) prohibits notaries from attesting instruments that create, transfer, change or extinguish rights in real property, and such rights are registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD).

Personal Loan Agreements: Friends, Family, Founders and Employees
A loan agreement records a loan as it is made: the sum, the date the money is handed over and the repayment schedule. A debt acknowledgement confirms a debt that already exists, whatever its origin. Both are notarised in Dubai, and under either document only the amount that has fallen due can be enforced.
A friendly loan agreement between friends or relatives, or a simple cash loan agreement, records a cash payment or a bank transfer and the dates of repayment. A founder loan agreement, under which a shareholder lends money to the company, names the company as a party, so its trade licence and the authority of its signatory are presented. Where that authority does not follow from the memorandum of association, it is given by a board or shareholder resolution. An employee loan agreement records an advance from an employer to an employee with its repayment instalments.

How to Write an Acknowledgement of Debt
The document states the full names, nationalities and identity document numbers of the parties, or the company's details and its signatory. It sets out the sum in figures and words with its currency, the origin of the debt, such as a loan, the price of unpaid goods or services, or the balance of a sale price, the due date or the instalment schedule and the method of payment. It also states the consequence of a missed payment, for example that the whole outstanding sum becomes due, and ends with the signatures of the parties.
Article 27 of Law No. (4) of 2013 requires notarial instruments to be written in Arabic. A bilingual instrument contains both texts in one continuous document, and the parties sign each page opposite each text. An instrument written only in a foreign language is accompanied by an Arabic legal translation by an MOJ-registered translator, the parties sign both texts, and the notary attests the foreign-language text.
Where the sum is stated as approximate, the due date is left to later agreement or repayment is tied to a future event, the obligation is undetermined and the document does not meet the conditions of Article 34 for the executory formula.
Under Article 35(a), notarial work may be performed by digital processes, including identity verification, remote communication and electronic signature, under rules set by the Dubai Courts. A party who cannot attend in person signs by video conference with a notary in Dubai, and the instrument has the same legal effect as one signed at the notary's office.

Settlement and Repayment-Schedule Agreements
When a debt is overdue or disputed, the parties can settle it by agreement, fixing the amount still owed, a new repayment schedule and any part of the debt the creditor waives. An amicable settlement agreement of this kind becomes enforceable in one of two ways.
A settlement agreement notarised in Dubai carries the executory formula on the same terms as any other notarised instrument under Article 34, once the agreed sum is due. Where a case is already before the court, the parties can have their settlement recorded and ratified by the court, and the ratified conciliation minutes are a writ of execution under Article 212(2)(c) of the Civil Procedure Law.
In a repayment-schedule agreement, each instalment date and amount is stated, and only the instalments that have fallen due can be enforced, or the whole balance where the agreement makes it due on a missed payment.

If the Debtor Does Not Pay: Execution at Dubai Courts
With a notarised acknowledgement, the creditor asks the notary to affix the executory formula, for which the Dubai Courts notary fee is AED 500 under Executive Council Resolution No. (72) of 2025, and then opens an execution file at the Dubai Courts. From that point, the execution judge decides on enforcement measures, such as attachment of the debtor's assets.
Under Article 324 of the Civil Procedure Law, a creditor can ask the competent judge to bar the debtor from travelling, even before a claim is filed, where the debt is not less than AED 10,000 and there are serious grounds to fear the debtor's flight. Under Article 212(5), a writ of execution cannot be executed once it has been abandoned for 15 years from the last enforcement step, or left unenforced for 15 years from its issue.
Legal debt recovery in Dubai without a notarised document is pursued through the court. A debt confirmed in writing or electronically, of a specified amount and due, is claimed by a payment order: the creditor serves the debtor with a notice giving at least five days to pay and then petitions the judge of the court where the debtor is domiciled, who issues the order within three working days (Articles 143 and 144). Any other debt is claimed through an ordinary lawsuit, and before either step the creditor may send the debtor a legal notice.

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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an acknowledgement of debt?
It is a document in which the debtor confirms the exact sum owed to the creditor and the date or schedule of repayment. Signed before a notary in Dubai, it has the evidentiary value of an official document and can be challenged only by a claim of forgery.
Is a notarised acknowledgement of debt enforceable without a lawsuit in Dubai?
Yes, where the sum is specified, payment is due and the obligation does not depend on a condition. The notary affixes the executory formula at the creditor’s request, and the creditor opens an execution file at the Dubai Courts without filing a claim for payment. Enforcement measures are then decided by the execution judge.
How do I write an acknowledgement of debt?
The document names the parties with their nationalities and identity document numbers, states the sum in figures and words with its currency, the origin of the debt, the due date or instalment schedule and the method of payment, and ends with the parties' signatures. It is written in Arabic or as one bilingual text signed on each page. Approximate sums and conditional repayment wording prevent enforcement through execution.
How much does a notary cost in Dubai?
At the Dubai Courts notary, attesting signatures on an instrument worth up to AED 100,000 costs AED 300 per signature, and above that value 0,5% of the value, up to AED 15,000. Entering each party’s details electronically costs AED 100 per party, and affixing the executory formula costs AED 500. Private notaries charge fees set by a Dubai Courts decision in force since 2 January 2026, and translation and the EGSH service fee are charged in addition.
Who can notarise a document in the UAE?
In Dubai, notarial work is performed by Government Notaries Public of the Dubai Courts, private notaries registered on the Dubai Courts roll, government-entity employees registered on that roll and the e-Notary Public system. In the other emirates, notarial services are provided by the competent federal or local judicial authority. At EGSH, debt and loan documents are notarised through the EGSH Notary Department.
Can a personal loan agreement between friends be notarised in Dubai?
Yes. A personal loan agreement between friends states the sum, the date the money is handed over and the repayment schedule, and is drafted in Arabic or as a bilingual text. To be enforced through execution, the sum must be specified and the repayment date must have passed.
What can I do if someone does not return borrowed money?
With a notarised acknowledgement or loan agreement, the creditor requests the executory formula and opens an execution file at the Dubai Courts. A debt recorded in writing, of a specified amount and due, is claimed by a payment order after a notice giving at least five days to pay. Any other debt recovery in the UAE goes through an ordinary lawsuit.
Can a debtor leave the UAE while owing money?
A creditor can ask the competent judge to bar the debtor from travelling, even before a claim is filed, where the debt is not less than AED 10,000 and there are serious grounds to fear the debtor’s flight. The ban is a court order and is not imposed automatically for an unpaid debt.
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Official Sources
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. (4) of 2013 Concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. (26) of 2021 Amending Law No. (4) of 2013 Concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Executive Council Resolution No. (72) of 2025 Amending Executive Council Resolution No. (4) of 2014 Approving the Fees and Fines Related to Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai
- Dubai Media Office, Dubai Courts Is Preparing to Implement the Decision Regulating the Fees of the Private Notary Public
Disclaimer
Updated October 2026: notarial rules checked against Law No. (4) of 2013 as amended by Law No. (26) of 2021, notary fees against Executive Council Resolution No. (72) of 2025, and enforcement rules against the UAE Civil Procedure Law (Federal Decree-Law No. (42) of 2022).
This page provides general procedural information about acknowledgements of debt and loan agreements in Dubai and is not legal advice on a particular matter. Notarial acts are performed by a notary public, enforcement measures are decided by the Dubai Courts, and fees are set by the competent authorities and may change.













































































































































