Introduction
With millions of Syrians living abroad, the power of attorney has become one of the most-used — and most misunderstood — legal tools in Syrian practice. It allows someone outside the country, or simply someone who cannot be physically present, to authorize another person to act on their behalf: selling property, managing a business, representing them in court, or handling administrative matters. Used correctly, a power of attorney is an efficient and powerful tool. Used carelessly, it can leave the person who granted it with far less protection than they assumed they had.
General vs. Special Powers of Attorney
Syrian law distinguishes between two broad categories:
- A general power of attorney (وكالة عامة) authorizes the agent to handle a broad range of the principal's affairs, useful for someone managing ongoing matters such as a business or multiple properties on another person's behalf.
- A special (limited) power of attorney (وكالة خاصة) is restricted to a specific act or transaction — for example, authorizing the sale of one named property, or representing someone in one specific lawsuit.
In real estate practice specifically, a particular form known as the special irrevocable power of attorney is widely used as a practical substitute for a fully registered sale, because it is faster and less expensive to execute than a complete notarized transfer.
The Real Estate Power of Attorney: A Practical but Imperfect Tool
Because of how common this practice is, it deserves special attention. When a seller grants a buyer a special irrevocable power of attorney over a property — rather than completing a full registered sale — the notary's office does not automatically forward a copy to the Real Estate Directorate. This means the property can remain registered under the seller's name in the official registry unless the buyer takes the additional, separate step of registering the power of attorney themselves.
If this step is skipped, the seller technically remains the registered owner of record and could, in theory, attempt to deal with the property again. For this reason, many lawyers recommend that a buyer relying on a power of attorney also pursue a court-confirmed sale ruling, which places a protective note directly on the property's registry file — a meaningfully stronger form of protection than the power of attorney alone. Following a regulatory suspension related to property transfers after the December 2024 transition, the certification of these real estate powers of attorney was formally resumed in late 2025, alongside a new "No Objection to Completing the Real Estate Transaction" certificate now required for the underlying transaction.
Powers of Attorney for Syrians Living Abroad
For the large Syrian diaspora, granting a power of attorney to a relative, friend, or lawyer in Syria is often the only practical way to handle property sales, business matters, inheritance procedures, or court representation without traveling. To be valid for use in Syria, a power of attorney executed abroad generally needs to pass through an authentication chain: notarization in the country of residence, followed by authentication through the Syrian embassy or consulate in that country (and, depending on the destination country's own requirements, an apostille or further legalization), before it can be relied upon by Syrian authorities, notaries, and courts.
Getting this chain right matters enormously — a power of attorney that is improperly authenticated can be rejected at the exact moment it is needed, often after the underlying transaction (such as a property sale) is already well underway.
What a Power of Attorney Cannot Do
A power of attorney authorizes an agent to act, but it does not transfer ownership by itself, and it does not survive certain events: it generally terminates upon the death of the principal, and a principal can revoke an ordinary power of attorney at any time (special irrevocable powers used in property transactions are a narrower, deliberately structured exception designed to prevent easy unilateral revocation once a sale has effectively been agreed). Anyone relying on a power of attorney for an important transaction should understand exactly what authority it grants — and what it does not.
Practical Example
A Syrian engineer living in the United Arab Emirates needed to sell an apartment he owned in Damascus but could not travel. He granted a special irrevocable power of attorney to his brother, properly notarized in the UAE and then authenticated through the Syrian embassy in Abu Dhabi. His lawyer in Damascus advised that, in addition to using the power of attorney to negotiate and sign the sale, the brother should register the power of attorney with the Real Estate Directorate immediately and, where possible, pursue the formal sale-confirmation process — ensuring the buyer received fully secure, registered title rather than relying on the power of attorney indefinitely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grant a power of attorney from outside Syria? Yes, but it must be properly authenticated — typically notarized in your country of residence and then authenticated by the Syrian embassy or consulate there — before Syrian authorities will accept it.
Is a power of attorney enough to fully transfer ownership of my property? Not by itself in the fullest legal sense. The property can remain registered under the original owner's name unless the power of attorney is registered, or a court-confirmed sale is obtained, to fully secure the buyer's title.
Can a power of attorney be cancelled? An ordinary power of attorney can generally be revoked by the person who granted it. Special irrevocable powers used in completed property sales are structured specifically to prevent easy unilateral cancellation, which is part of why they are used in that context.
What happens to a power of attorney if the person who granted it dies? It generally terminates upon the principal's death, which is one reason underlying property transactions should be formally completed and registered as promptly as possible rather than left to rely on the power of attorney indefinitely.
Conclusion
A power of attorney can save Syrians abroad enormous time, expense, and stress — but only when it is properly drafted, properly authenticated, and properly followed up with the right registration steps. Maher & Momen Law Office prepares and authenticates powers of attorney for Syrians at home and abroad, and ensures the transactions built on them are fully and securely completed.
Contact us today through damascuslawyer.com to set up a power of attorney or to verify that one you already hold is fully valid and protected.