Documents have a great significance in an individual’s life. The official documents, such as an ID card or a passport, authenticate the person’s existence. Importantly, signatures and property documents shall be kept secure in digital and physical form. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), forging documents is a serious offense. It becomes a legal crime when governmental or financial systems come across tampered documents. The crime offender may face serious consequences, including imprisonment, heavy fines, or deportation, if they are an expatriate in the country.
Why is Forgery Done?
The documents are forged for various illegal activities. An act of changing text, numbers, or images in an official document that can lead to defamation. When there is a disapproval of the document, but the individual tries to tamper with it with forged signatures to show approval to the other party. Sometimes, fake documents are created to support illegal activity.
What Happens to Expat in Forgery Cases?
The expats are deported to their home country. They also have to pay heavy fines in the UAE. There is a possibility that you might get trapped in a case of forgery. Imprisonment and deportation are assured in such cases. Therefore, as an expat in the UAE, you must always hire a lawyer for your case. Legal help would make many things clear if you ever get caught in the UAE for criminal cases.
Regulations for Tampered Documents
The UAE has strict laws against document forgery. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 (UAE Penal Code), making unauthorized changes to documents with an intention to mislead is considered the crime of forgery. A ‘forgery’ is the act of falsely making or altering a document with the intent to deceive. These documents can include business licenses and receipts. In legal terms, forgery in public documents refers to tampering with documents issued by or bearing the seal of a government body; this is considered a felony, meaning a serious crime punishable by longer imprisonment. These penalties are intended to discourage financial fraud and protect sensitive information, particularly in the banking and immigration sectors.
Difference Between Public and Private Documents
A public document refers to the paperwork that includes a government official or a government stamp. In contrast to the public documents, the private documents would be categorised under the business dealings for invoices and contracts. Tampering with a public document threatens national security, whereas forgery in private documents would lead to commercial disputes in the UAE.
Legal Punishments for Forgery in the UAE
Considering the UAE, a country with strict rules and regulations, forgery is difficult to do. However, individuals still engage in such kind of illegal activity to make their work look good or for financial gains. In response to such criminal activities, the UAE legal system penalises the crime offender for 10 years of imprisonment. In the case of an expat, they are deported. Other than these penalties, the financial penalty is also paid by the criminals. The forgery in private documents can lead to imprisonment maximum of five years.
Who is Penalised for Forgery in Documents?
Individuals may not have forged the documents, but if they are even using those documents, they are liable to the UAE legal system. Penalties depend on the severity of the effect that it has created or threatened the national law and order.
UAE Legal System 2025
The good news about the UAE legal system is that it has digital verification systems. Individuals do not have to visit the UAE courts physically. They can make complaints online on the official portals. Moreover, the documents can also be verified on digital portals. In fact, the police official would use forensic laboratories to do an inspection for stamps and signatures.
Complaint Mechanism: UAE 2025
The UAE has made recent developments in digitalising its sectors. Improving the complaint mechanism, the individual can make a complaint on the verified website of the emirate’s police. It is then followed by the Public Prosecution, and from there investigation and evidence are reviewed. The case proceedings and verdict happens in the UAE criminal courts.
Compensation Claims in the UAE
In the UAE, forgery is believed to be a serious violation. The victim can make a compensation claim against the case of forgery. However, individuals can be compensated for the financial loss, psychological and emotional health affected, and if their business or personal reputation has been damaged. The legal proceedings of civil and criminal cases may be held in parallel.
Forged Contracts in the UAE
If the companies are trapped by forged contracts and agreements, they can sue the other party. Such documents can jeopardise the company’s financial situation and its reputation in the UAE. Moreover, this is also a case of breach of trust. Hence, legal action will be taken against the offender.
Measures Taken in Forgery Cases
The forgery cases are handled with strict regulations in the UAE. There are specialised police officials and teams that work on forgery cases. Once the evidence has been collected, the suspects are asked for trials and arrested till they are proven guilty or not guilty. The punishments are imposed after reviewing the impact and manipulation done to the victim or their business.
How Reports are Examined in the UAE?
The forensic team would go through stamps and inks to examine minute details of the forged documents. After the scientific proof of the forged document, the case was well-handled by the judges in the UAE.
Summary
The strict rules and regulations in the criminal laws ensure safety for individuals. However, the criminal acts vary in different situations. Forging documents is also a criminal act in the business environment. Tampering with documents would mislead people, which may result in financial loss. Therefore, penalties for forgery are harsh, including imprisonment, deportation, and heavy fines. With the intent to make it a developed country, the UAE has digital verification systems. Documents can be verified online, and it can save people from fraudulent cases. Besides that, victims can claim compensation as they must have gone through financial losses and emotional distress during the whole period.