If you live in the UAE, documents for use in India are signed and attested at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General in Dubai, because the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. The attested power of attorney is sent to India, stamped and used by our advocates. Decrees of UAE courts are directly executable in India since the UAE was notified as a reciprocating territory in 2020.
- Document route
- Indian Embassy or Consulate attestation
- Time difference
- 1.5 hours behind IST
- UAE judgments
- Directly executable since 2020
- Hague Apostille
- UAE is not a member
What clients in the Emirates ask for
Because most Indians in the UAE are on employment or investor visas and expect to return, their ties to India are active: a house under construction, a flat booked with a developer, parents to support, a business interest back home. Instructions accordingly cover the whole range. Property purchases need title checks; delayed flats go to RERA; loans to relatives and business partners that have gone unpaid lead to cheque dishonour and recovery cases; and family disputes produce divorce, maintenance and, too often, criminal complaints.
Leave is short and exit and re-entry depend on employers, so the ability to act through a power of attorney is essential.
Signing documents in the UAE for use in India
The UAE has not joined the Apostille Convention, so the notary-and-apostille route used in Western countries is unavailable. Indian passport holders sign the power of attorney or affidavit in person before the consular officer at the Embassy or Consulate, booking through the mission's designated attestation service centre, with their passport, Emirates ID, photographs and two witnesses as required. Documents issued by UAE authorities, such as a death or marriage certificate, need attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs before the mission will attest them for use in India.
The original is couriered to India, where a power of attorney is stamped within three months of arrival. See the attestation guide.
Services most requested from the UAE
Active investment in India means a broad mix of property, money and family matters.
Title Verification & Due Diligence
Independent title and RERA checks before you pay a developer or seller.
Builder Fraud & RERA Complaints
Refund with interest for delayed or stalled projects.
Cheque Bounce & Money Recovery
Section 138 cases and recovery of loans made to relatives and partners.
FEMA Compliance & RBI Notices
Regularising resident accounts and other FEMA lapses.
NRI Divorce
Divorce and related proceedings where one spouse is in India.
Power of Attorney for India
Consulate-attested powers of attorney for sale, purchase and litigation.
Tax residency and money
The UAE levies no personal income tax, which has two consequences in India. First, an Indian citizen whose Indian-source income exceeds fifteen lakh rupees and who is not liable to tax in any other country is deemed resident in India, though "not ordinarily resident", so foreign income stays outside Indian tax but filing obligations change. Second, to claim treaty rates on Indian interest, dividends or gains you need a tax residency certificate from the UAE Federal Tax Authority, which is issued on meeting its presence conditions.
On leaving India you should have redesignated resident accounts as NRO; many have not, and regularising this is a common request under FEMA compliance. Sale proceeds and inheritance are remitted within the annual limit; NRE balances move freely.
Court orders, family cases and working hours
In January 2020 India notified the UAE as a reciprocating territory and named its federal and emirate courts, including the DIFC and ADGM courts, as superior courts. A money decree from them can therefore be executed in India like a local decree, which is valuable against debtors who have moved assets home. Divorces granted in the UAE, whether under personal status law or the civil regime now available to non-Muslims, are recognised in India on the usual conditions of participation and compatible grounds.
Our working hours overlap almost entirely with yours, and Sunday consultations can be arranged on request.
All services for NRIs in the UAE
Every service below is available to clients living in the UAE and is handled in India on your authority. Open any one for the law, documents and process.
Property & Real Estate
- NRI Property Dispute Resolution
- Property Partition Suit
- Title Verification & Due Diligence
- Power of Attorney for India
- Illegal Possession & Encroachment
- Builder Fraud & RERA Complaints
- Buying & Selling Property
- Property Transfer & Mutation
- Landlord-Tenant & Eviction
- Adverse Possession Defence
Inheritance, Wills & Documents
Family, Marriage & OCI
- NRI Divorce
- Child Custody & Guardianship
- Maintenance & Alimony
- Domestic Violence Cases
- Adoption from India
- Marriage Registration
- OCI Card Legal Issues
- Parents & Senior Citizen Rights
Tax, Banking & FEMA
- Income Tax Notices & Appeals
- TDS & Capital Gains on Property Sale
- Repatriation of Funds
- Shares Transmission & IEPF Recovery
- FEMA Compliance & RBI Notices
Business & Corporate
Criminal Defence & Recovery
- FIR Quashing & Bail
- Cheque Bounce & Money Recovery
- Fraud & Cybercrime Recovery
- Look Out Circular & Extradition
Claims & Compensation
Indian missions in the UAE
Attestation services are provided through the missions' designated service centres across the emirates; check current providers and appointment rules.
- Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi
- Consulate General of India, Dubai (also serving the Northern Emirates)
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an apostille in the UAE for a power of attorney for India?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. The power of attorney is signed and attested at the Indian Embassy or Consulate instead.
Is a UAE court judgment enforceable in India?
Yes. Since the UAE was notified as a reciprocating territory in January 2020, money decrees of its notified superior courts can be executed directly by Indian district courts.
Am I taxed in India on my UAE salary?
No. A non-resident, or a person who is not ordinarily resident, is not taxed in India on income earned and received abroad. Indian-source income remains taxable.
What is the deemed resident rule for Indians in the UAE?
An Indian citizen with Indian income above fifteen lakh rupees who is not liable to tax in any other country is treated as resident but not ordinarily resident. Foreign income is not taxed, but the status affects filing and some exemptions.
Can my wife in India file a case against me while I am in the UAE?
Yes. Matrimonial, maintenance and domestic violence proceedings can be filed where she resides. You can respond through an advocate and should not ignore summons.
Can I attend a hearing in India by video from the UAE?
Courts permit video appearance and evidence in many cases, sometimes requiring the witness to sit at the Indian mission. Permission is sought case by case.
Can I recover money lent to someone in India while I am in Dubai?
Yes, by a recovery suit or, if a cheque was dishonoured, a section 138 complaint, filed through an attorney holder within the limitation period.