A special power of attorney also called a specific POA is a notarised document that authorises someone to carry out one clearly defined act, such as selling a particular property or registering a specific tenancy. Its authority is narrow and tied to the task named in the document.
Where you’ll see it
A specific POA is the form usually expected for a property sale or transfer when the owner cannot attend in person. It names the property and the exact power being granted. Because authorities scrutinise the wording closely, drafting it correctly is a core part of what a power of attorney specialist does before a transaction.
Why it matters
For high-value, high-risk acts like transferring ownership, a notary or trustee office often prefers a specific POA over a broad general one it leaves no doubt about what the agent is authorised to do. A POA that doesn’t name the property, or the precise power, can be refused at the counter and the transfer postponed.
What it is not
A special POA is not a general POA, which grants broad authority across many matters. It does not let the agent do anything beyond the act it specifies, and like any POA it can be revoked by the principal and ends on their death.
Example
A seller abroad cannot attend the transfer. They grant a specific POA naming the apartment and authorising a representative to sell it and sign at the DLD trustee office. With that document properly notarised and, if signed overseas, attested the representative completes the sale on the seller’s behalf.
Connected documents and parties
Notarised specific POA naming the property, title deed, IDs of both parties, legal translation and attestation where signed abroad; principal, agent, notary public, trustee office.
Going deeper: for help drafting a property-sale POA that will be accepted, see the UAE power of attorney guidance.
Related Terms
Power of Attorney (POA), General POA, Property Sale POA, Corporate POA, Attestation
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Last reviewed: June 2026