What should a power of attorney template include?

A power of attorney template identifies the principal and the agent, states whether the power is general or special, lists the powers granted and describes the property, account or proceedings concerned. It also sets the duration, the revocation terms and the form of signature required by the authority that will receive it.

General or special power of attorney: which one to sell a car or property?

A general power normally covers acts of administration; selling or mortgaging requires a special or express power. This is the rule in Egypt (Civil Code, art. 701-702), France (art. 1987-1988) and Italy (art. 1708). A power of attorney to sell a car or real estate should therefore name the act and the asset expressly.

Does a power of attorney need to be legalised or notarised?

It depends on the act concerned. In Egypt and Italy, the power takes the form required for the act to be concluded; in Morocco, a power over real rights in property must be an authentic deed or a deed by an authorised lawyer, failing which it is void. In the UAE, it is in practice authenticated by a notary before use.

How do I make a power of attorney from abroad?

There are generally two routes: a power of attorney received by the consulate of the country of use, or a local notarial deed. That deed carries an apostille if the country of use applies the Hague Convention (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria since July 2026, Saudi Arabia, Oman, France, Italy); otherwise it goes through consular legalisation (Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen). Nor does the apostille apply between two States where one objected to the other's accession, as Germany did for Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. For Tunisia, a power made at the consulate is then registered in Tunisia.

Can a power of attorney be made online?

In some countries, yes. In Saudi Arabia, an electronic power of attorney is issued on Najiz without a notary, for up to one year. In the UAE and France, a notarial power of attorney can be signed remotely; Qatar has a remote procedure for non-residents. In Iraq, the electronic signature law excludes powers of attorney relating to real estate.

How do I revoke a power of attorney?

In France, the principal can revoke at any time, without giving a reason (Civil Code, art. 2004). In Italy, revocation cannot be relied on against unaware third parties without adequate publicity; in the UAE, it takes the same form as the grant and is notified to banks and registries. In Egypt, a power granted in the interest of the agent or a third party cannot be revoked without their consent.

Contract templatesPersonal

Power of attorney template: general, special and from abroad

A power of attorney is the document by which one person, the principal, authorises another, the agent, to act in their name: selling property, managing an account, or representing them before an authority or a court. Its form (legalised signature, notarial deed, consulate) depends on the act concerned and the country where it will be used, which matters most when it is signed from abroad.

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Reviewed by the E-Tafakna legal team
Updated on 29 October 2026
14 countries covered
English, French, Arabic

Essential clauses

What every template should include before you sign.

Principal and agent details
Full civil status, nationality, ID number and address of each party; for a company, name, registration number and authorised representative.
General or special power of attorney
Nature of the power: a general power of attorney normally covers day-to-day management, a special power of attorney a specific act such as selling an asset.
Powers granted
Precise list of authorised acts (sign, collect, pay, file documents, represent), with any price or amount limits.
Property, account or proceedings concerned
Exact description: real estate (title deed, address), vehicle (registration, chassis number), bank account, administrative file or court case.
Term and effective date
Start date and period of validity, or the event that ends the power; some authorities limit the accepted duration.
Substitution and self-dealing
Whether the agent may appoint a substitute, and express authorisation where the agent may buy the asset or contract with themselves.
Agent's duties
Act within the limits of the power, account for all transactions and hand over to the principal any funds and documents received.
Revocation and termination
How the power is revoked, notice to the agent and third parties, return of the original, and termination events such as death or completion of the act.
Legalised, notarised or signed abroad
Place, date and principal's signature; form required by the receiving authority (legalised signature, notarial deed, consulate), then apostille or consular legalisation for use in another country.

What changes from one country to another

Pick a country: key points, formalities and reference texts.

Maghreb

Egypt and the Levant

Gulf and peninsula

East Africa

Europe

Country

Tunisia

Maghreb

General contract law applies; the rules specific to this contract remain to be confirmed.

All templates in Tunisia

Key points

From abroad: at a Tunisian consulate, or as a local notarial deed bearing an apostille where the country of signature is a party to the Convention.
Tunisia has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 30 March 2018; it does not apply with States that objected to the accession, including Germany.

Formalities

Power of attorney made at a consulate: consular legalisation, then registration in Tunisia before use.

Reference texts

Common mistakes

Using a general power of attorney to sell, mortgage or donate, when these acts normally require a special and express power.
Signing a simple private power of attorney when the final act requires a notarial or authentic deed, as is often the case for real estate.
Describing the asset vaguely, without the title deed, registration number, chassis number or account reference.
Getting an apostille for a power of attorney intended for a country outside the Hague Convention, such as Egypt or the UAE, where consular legalisation is still needed.
Revoking the power of attorney without notifying the agent and the third parties involved, or without recovering the original.

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Simple signature, OTP signature or TunTrust qualified signature (DigiGO, Mobile ID) in Tunisia.

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Frequently asked questions

A power of attorney template identifies the principal and the agent, states whether the power is general or special, lists the powers granted and describes the property, account or proceedings concerned. It also sets the duration, the revocation terms and the form of signature required by the authority that will receive it.
There are generally two routes: a power of attorney received by the consulate of the country of use, or a local notarial deed. That deed carries an apostille if the country of use applies the Hague Convention (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria since July 2026, Saudi Arabia, Oman, France, Italy); otherwise it goes through consular legalisation (Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen). Nor does the apostille apply between two States where one objected to the other's accession, as Germany did for Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. For Tunisia, a power made at the consulate is then registered in Tunisia.

Sources

Tunisia: Code of Obligations and Contracts (COC) – title on agency (wakala)Real Rights Code, art. 377 bis et seq. (drafting of deeds on registered real estate), as amended by Law No. 2010-34 of 29 June 2010 Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Apostille) – Tunisia a party since 30 March 2018
Algeria: Civil Code, art. 571 to 589 (agency)Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Apostille) – Algeria's accession on 5 November 2025, in force on 9 July 2026
Morocco: Code of Obligations and Contracts (DOC), Book II, title on agency (art. 879 et seq.)Law No. 39-08 on the Real Rights Code, art. 4 as amended by Law No. 69-16 (2017)Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Apostille) – status table
Egypt: Civil Code, art. 699 to 702, 714 and 715 (agency)Embassy of Egypt (Washington) – Certification of documents and powers of attorney HCCH – Apostille Convention status table
Saudi Arabia: Civil Transactions Law, art. 87, 88, 90 to 93 (representation)Ministry of Justice – Najiz service "Issue a power of attorney"Ministry of Justice – power of attorney with multiple principals (Najiz)HCCH – Apostille Convention status table (Saudi accession)
United Arab Emirates: Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the notary profession and Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024 (implementing regulation), art. 2 Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 (Civil Transactions Code) – agency HCCH – Apostille Convention status table (UAE not a party)Kayrouz & Associates – powers of attorney in the UAE in 2026 Gulf News – notarising documents in the UAE (Sept. 2023)
Qatar: Civil Code, Law No. 22 of 2004, art. 82, 90 and 716 to 737 (agency)Law No. 16 of 2010 on electronic transactions, art. 3 Apostille Convention – status table (HCCH)HCCH – Qatar joins the Statute (17 September 2026)Power of attorney authentication procedure – Ministry of Justice
Oman: Notaries Law (RD 40/2003), art. 6, 7, 8, 16 Land Registry Law (RD 56/2026), art. 7, 18, 19 Power of attorney practice in Oman (2017 note)Hague Apostille Convention – status table
Iraq: Civil Code No. 40 of 1951, art. 927, 930 and 946 (wakala)Notaries Law No. 33 of 1998, art. 11 and 22 Electronic Signature Law No. 78 of 2012, art. 3-II Hague Apostille Convention, status table (Iraq not a party)Consulate of Iraq in Los Angeles, general power of attorney (wakala amma)
Yemen: Decree-Law No. 29 of 1992 on notarisation, as amended by Law No. 34 of 1997, art. 2, 9, 10, 11, 25 Civil Code, Law No. 14 of 2002 (agency)Apostille Convention – status table (HCCH)
Lebanon: Code of Obligations and Contracts 1932, title on agency (wakala)Embassy of Lebanon in Washington – Power of Attorney (consular procedure)HCCH – Status of the Apostille Convention of 5 October 1961
Kenya: Land Registration Act, 2012, s. 7(1)(g), 44, 45, 48 Registration of Documents Act (Cap. 285)Ministry of Lands – Registration of power of attorney HCCH – Apostille Convention status table
France: Civil Code (Code civil), art. 1984 to 1990 (nature and form of mandate)Civil Code, art. 2004 (revocation of mandate)Decree No. 2020-1422 of 20 November 2020 (remote authentic power of attorney)Decree No. 2021-1205 of 17 September 2021 (legalisation and apostille)Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Apostille) – status table
Italy: Italian Civil Code (Codice civile), art. 1387 to 1400 (representation), notably art. 1392 (form) and art. 1396 (revocation); art. 1708, 1722, 1723 (mandate)HCCH – Apostille Convention (Italy: in force since 11/2/1978)

General information, up to date at the date shown. It does not replace legal advice tailored to your situation.

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Power of attorney template: general, special and from abroad

Essential clauses

Principal and agent details

General or special power of attorney

Powers granted

Property, account or proceedings concerned

Term and effective date

Substitution and self-dealing

Agent's duties

Revocation and termination

Legalised, notarised or signed abroad

What changes from one country to another