Are UAE Banks Phasing Out Handwritten Signatures? What the Law Says About E-Signatures

Direct answer. No law has abolished handwritten signatures in the UAE. What was reported in January 2026 is a change in some banks' own processes: several banks operating in the UAE reportedly began phasing out handwritten customer signatures in favour of electronic signatures through the national digital identity platform. The legal position sits in Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 on Electronic Transactions and Trust Services. It says an electronic document does not lose legal force just because it is electronic (Article 5(1)), that an electronic signature cannot be kept out of evidence for that reason alone (Article 18(1)), and that a qualified electronic signature is equal to a handwritten one (Article 18(3)). It also says nobody is required to use or accept electronic dealing (Article 28(1)). So your ink signature is still legally valid. Your bank may simply stop offering it as the way you confirm certain instructions. The exact scope of each bank's change is set by that bank and can change, so confirm it with your bank or the Central Bank of the UAE.

What the January 2026 bank news actually says

On 29 January 2026, Gulf News reported that "several banks operating in the UAE have begun phasing out handwritten customer signatures", moving instead to "fully electronic signatures through the national digital identity platform". The report relied on an unnamed senior banking source and on a report carried by Emarat Al Youm. It said documents are sent to the digital identity platform for customers to sign electronically, and are then authenticated through the Central Bank's platform. It said the shift applies to transactions that need customer approval and to verification of account-related information exchanged between banks.

The report did not name the platform. The Central Bank's own guidance, covered below, lists UAE PASS among the national-level identification systems banks should use.

The report named no bank and gave no list of documents or dates. It says signed documents are authenticated through the Central Bank's platform, but it cites no Central Bank rule requiring banks to stop accepting handwritten signatures, and we found no such notice on the Central Bank of the UAE website. Treat the specifics as unconfirmed until your own bank tells you in writing.

What the Central Bank has published is narrower. Its October 2022 guidance for licensed financial institutions on digital identification for customer due diligence tells banks to "understand and utilize national-level identification systems", including UAE PASS, which it calls "the UAE's first national digital identity and signature solution." It notes that the UAE PASS app uses biometric facial recognition to verify and register users without an in-person visit, and has a "digital signature" function for completing official transactions without paper documents or physical signatures. That is guidance on identifying customers without an in-person visit. It is not a rule that abolishes ink.

Is your handwritten signature still valid?

Yes. The governing law is Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 on Electronic Transactions and Trust Services. It was issued on 20 September 2021 and came into force on 2 January 2022. It replaced Federal Law No. 1 of 2006 on Electronic Commerce and Transactions, which Article 53(1) repealed. Its Executive Regulations are Cabinet Resolution No. 28 of 2023.

The Decree-Law makes electronic dealing possible, not compulsory. Article 28(1) states: "Nothing in this Decree Law requires a person to use or accept Electronic Dealing." Article 5(3) applies the same principle to electronic documents: nothing in the law requires a person to use one without their consent.

The next sentence of Article 28(1) adds a catch: consent "may be inferred from any conduct that indicates such consent." Approving a request in your banking app can itself count as consent.

The Decree-Law also does not oblige a bank to keep paper forms. Whether other banking rules require a bank to offer an alternative channel is set by the Central Bank of the UAE and your account terms, and can change; confirm with your bank or the Central Bank. If you cannot or do not want to use the app, ask the bank in writing what alternative it offers.

Where a law requires something "in writing" or "signed", an electronic version can meet it:

• Writing (Article 7): met if the information is stored in a way that allows it to be used and referred to later.
• Signature (Article 8(1)): met by a means that identifies the person and shows their intention about the content, provided the means is appropriate for the document's purpose or is proven to meet that test, alone or with other evidence.
• Original (Article 9): the article looks to technical evidence confirming the integrity of the information, the ability to present the information when requested, and any additional conditions set by the supervising government authority.
• Contracts (Article 10): offer and acceptance may be expressed electronically, and a contract does not lose its validity, evidential weight or enforceability merely because it is made electronically.
• Evidence (Article 18(1)): an electronic document is not kept out of court simply because it is in electronic form.

Three kinds of electronic signature, and which one equals ink

Article 1 defines an electronic signature broadly: letters, numbers, symbols, sound, a fingerprint or an electronic processing system, attached to or logically associated with an electronic document, that verifies the signatory's identity and approval of its contents. Inside that broad category, the law sets two higher tiers.

The five conditions for a reliable signature in Article 19 are:

1. It is linked to the signatory and under their "full and exclusive control."
2. It is capable of identifying the signatory.
3. It is linked to the signed data in a way that can detect any later alteration.
4. It is created using the technical and security techniques set by the Executive Regulations.
5. It meets any other conditions in the Executive Regulations.

Article 20(1) adds validity conditions for a qualified signature, including a valid qualified certificate and device. Only this tier equals a handwritten signature by statute. The others can still bind you.

How a court weighs them in a civil or commercial dispute is governed by the Evidence Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 35 of 2022. Electronic evidence follows the rules for documentary evidence (Article 55). Informal electronic evidence is valid between the parties, unless shown otherwise, if it comes from an electronic means set out in the contract under dispute, or from an electronic means that is authenticated or available to the public (Article 57). The party who says such evidence is invalid must prove it (Article 58). In practice, if your account terms name the app as the way you approve instructions and you later dispute an approval made in it, you may be the one who has to prove the approval is invalid.

Under Article 15(1), nobody may provide trust services without a licence from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). Under Article 37, foreign qualified trust services are recognised if they match the UAE level.

How signing with UAE PASS works

UAE PASS is the app the Central Bank describes as the UAE's first national digital identity and signature solution. The UAE Government portal explains its signing feature: you can upload and sign a document in the app or on the UAE PASS website, or sign a virtual document to complete an official transaction. If someone shares a signed document with you, you can verify it in the app or on the website.

TDRA's digital-government page explains that you can verify your UAE PASS account through face verification in the app (for Emirates ID card holders), at a UAE PASS kiosk with your Emirates ID, or by upgrading from a verified SmartPass or DubaiID account. Whether a given bank or authority needs a verified account for a transaction is set by that entity.

When TDRA announced the Decree-Law in its 2021 press release, it said the digital signature "will have the full legal authority to be accepted as if it is a handwritten signature" and "will obviate the need for personal attendance to complete transactions in institutions, banks, and courts, whether inside or outside the country." It listed marriage, personal status and notary transactions, and real estate transactions such as renting, buying, selling and contract modification, among the uses. The release spoke about digital signatures under the new law in general, not UAE PASS by name, and the statute itself gives handwritten-equivalent status only to a qualified electronic signature (Article 18(3)).

For government services, Article 28(4) says a digital identity meets identification and personal-presence requirements if it provides the level of trust required, and Article 28(5) requires government authorities to accept electronic signatures, seals and digital identities in the electronic services they provide, in line with the form, standards and trust levels TDRA sets.

One caution: we found no government page stating which tier (reliable or qualified) a given UAE PASS signature falls in. That depends on the certificate and device behind it. If the tier matters, confirm it with TDRA or a licensed UAE lawyer.

Where a notary, a set form or ink may still apply

The Decree-Law is broad, but it has limits:

• The Cabinet can carve out transactions. Article 2(2) lets the Cabinet add, delete or exclude any transaction, document, service or procedure from the Decree-Law.
• Other laws can require a specific form. Article 8(2) allows "any form of electronic authentication unless the law provides otherwise", and Article 28(2) uses the same qualifier for electronic signatures and seals.
• Contract law respects set forms. Under the Civil Transactions Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, a contract is formed when offer meets acceptance "with due regard to any specific conditions that the law may prescribe for its conclusion" (Article 125(2)). Consent can be given by words, in writing, or by conduct that leaves no doubt (Article 126(1)).

Older guides often list documents excluded from electronic signing, but many of those lists describe the repealed 2006 law. The current Decree-Law has no fixed list; it leaves exclusions to the Cabinet.

Notarisation has not gone away, but a notary may now check identity remotely. The Notary Executive Regulations, Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024, let a notary use IT means that verify the identity and appearance of the persons concerned, "such as visual communication and other means of remote communication" (Article 2(2)). The parties still sign the document (Article 2(3)). The notary's official seal is governed by the electronic seal provisions of Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 (Article 8(2)). The Notary Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, requires notary registers to be created and kept electronically (Article 21).

So if a document needs notarisation, you still go through a notary. That includes a power of attorney for an act that itself needs a set form, because, unless otherwise agreed, an agency takes the form required for the act it covers (Civil Transactions Law, Article 867). The difference is that the notary may confirm who you are over video. Our guide to notary public services in Dubai covers that route.

This guide does not cover cheques, which follow their own rules.

What it means for bank, job and tenancy documents

Bank instructions

If your bank moves an instruction to electronic signing through UAE PASS or its own digital channels, your signature there is a legal act, not a formality, so read the request first. If the account has more than one authorised signatory, ask how the new flow handles the mandate; our guide to joint bank account rules explains how signing mandates usually work.

Employment contracts

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) already works electronically. Its service page states that the labour contract issuance or renewal "is approved and attested electronically if all requirements are fulfilled". It lists among the required documents an employment contract approved by the Ministry and signed by both the employer and the employee. See our guides to UAE labour contract types and registration and the MOHRE offer letter.

Dubai tenancy contracts

The Dubai Land Department lets you register or renew an Ejari tenancy contract through its digital channels, including mobile applications where both the tenant and the landlord are individuals. The document issued is an e-Contract Registration Certificate. Our Ejari registration and cancellation guide walks through the steps.

Business contracts

Under Article 10, a commercial contract does not lose its validity or evidential weight merely because it is made and signed electronically. The practical questions are who signs, on what platform, and how you prove it later; see our guide to drafting a commercial contract in the UAE.

Protecting your signature: duties and penalties

An electronic signature puts duties on you. Under Article 30, a signatory is responsible for the consequences if they fail to:

• exercise due diligence to avoid any unauthorised use of the signature creation data;
• notify the licensed provider if there is any doubt about the security or validity of that data;
• keep the certificate data accurate and report changes to it;
• use valid authentication certificates.

If you hold a digital identity such as UAE PASS, Article 31 separately makes you responsible for the consequences if you fail to take due care against its unauthorised use, to notify the concerned parties immediately if you doubt its security, or to keep its data accurate.

Never share your UAE PASS login or PIN, or approve a request you did not start.

Misuse is a crime. Under Article 39, forging or taking part in forging an electronic document or electronic signature is punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine of AED 100,000 to AED 300,000. Where the forged document belongs to a government authority, the penalty is temporary imprisonment and a fine of AED 150,000 to AED 750,000. Knowingly using a forged electronic document carries the same penalty. Under Article 40, using fraudulent methods, a false name or an incorrect capacity to obtain qualified trust services is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year and/or a fine of AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000.

If someone has used your digital identity or signature, tell your bank and report it quickly. Our guide to fraud under UAE law explains the reporting routes.

Common mistakes and what to do next

The most common mistakes:

1. Assuming ink is now illegal. Banks are changing procedures; the law has not banned handwritten signatures.
2. Assuming every e-signature equals ink. Only a qualified electronic signature does, by statute (Article 18(3)).
3. Approving without reading. Consent can be inferred from your conduct (Article 28(1)).
4. Relying on outdated guides written under the repealed 2006 law.
5. Skipping the notary. Where a law requires notarisation, an app signature alone does not replace it.
6. Sharing credentials. Letting someone else use your UAE PASS ignores your duties as a digital identity owner under Article 31, and letting anyone use your signature creation data ignores Article 30; either can leave you responsible for the consequences.

What to do next:

1. Ask your bank in writing which transactions now need electronic signing through the digital identity platform, and what alternative it offers.
2. If your bank moves you to digital-identity signing, set up UAE PASS and ask whether the bank needs a verified account.
3. For a document with legal consequences, check whether another law requires a specific form or a notary.
4. If a signature is disputed, or your identity was misused, speak to a banking and finance lawyer or a technology and fintech lawyer. You can read the full Decree-Law text on the UAE Government portal.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Confirm current procedure with the relevant authority or a licensed UAE lawyer.