will in dubai

How a Will in Dubai Actually Works for Non-Muslims

If you're a non-Muslim expat with assets in Dubai — property, bank accounts, shares in a free zone company — and you die without a will, your estate doesn't automatically pass to your spouse. UAE Sharia principles can apply by default, your bank accounts get frozen, and your family ends up in court for months. A properly registered will in Dubai fixes that.

Quick Answer

Non-Muslims can register a will in Dubai through two main channels: the DIFC Wills Service Centre (Dubai International Financial Centre) or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's non-Muslim wills register. The DIFC route is the most established and covers worldwide assets if you opt in, or just UAE assets. Costs run AED 10,000 for a single will and AED 15,000 for a mirror will (two spouses), plus registration fees. You don't need to be a DIFC resident or employee. Muslims follow Sharia inheritance rules and cannot use these registers for the bulk of their estate.

Who Can Register a Will in Dubai

The DIFC Wills Service Centre is open to any non-Muslim aged 21 or over, regardless of where you live. You don't have to reside in the UAE, and you don't have to own DIFC-based assets. This is the part most clients get wrong — they assume DIFC is only for DIFC employees. It isn't.

The legal foundation sits in DIFC Law No. 5 of 2012 (the Application of Civil and Commercial Laws in the DIFC) and the DIFC Courts Wills and Probate Registry Rules, last amended in 2019 to extend coverage UAE-wide and globally if you choose ^[1].

Muslims are a different story. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status, non-Muslims get freedom of testamentary disposition. Muslims remain under Sharia-based inheritance for UAE assets, with limited bequests possible (typically up to one-third of the estate to non-heirs) ^[2].

The Five Will Types at DIFC

DIFC offers five registered will types, and choosing the right one matters more than the drafting itself.

Full Will — covers all your UAE and worldwide movable and immovable assets. AED 10,000 single, AED 15,000 mirror. This is what most expats with property need.

Guardianship Will — appoints guardians for children under 21 resident in the UAE. AED 5,000. Honestly, if you have kids here and nothing else, this is the minimum you should have on file.

Property Will — up to 3 UAE real estate properties. AED 7,500.

Business Owners Will — up to 5 shareholdings in UAE companies. AED 7,500.

Financial Assets Will — up to 10 UAE bank or investment accounts. AED 7,500.

Add AED 550 in registration fees per will. Virtual registration is available — you sign over video link with a DIFC registry officer, no need to attend in person ^[1].

Costs at a glance (2024): Full single will AED 10,000 + AED 550 registration. Full mirror will (couple) AED 15,000 + AED 1,100. Guardianship-only AED 5,000 + AED 550.

DIFC vs Abu Dhabi vs Notary Public

Three registers exist for non-Muslims, and they're not interchangeable.

The DIFC Wills Service Centre is the oldest, most tested, and the only one with a dedicated DIFC Courts probate process in English. Probate goes through the DIFC Courts, which apply common law principles. Faster and more predictable, in my experience.

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Non-Muslim Wills Office registers wills for non-Muslims under Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021. Cheaper — around AED 950 for registration — but probate runs through Abu Dhabi civil courts in Arabic ^[3].

The Dubai Courts Notary Public can also notarise a will for non-Muslims under the federal civil personal status law. Cheapest option, but probate is less streamlined than DIFC.

If you have significant assets, kids, or a foreign-domiciled spouse, pay for DIFC. The probate experience is worth the extra dirhams.

What a Will in Dubai Should Actually Cover

A will in Dubai needs to address, at minimum: identification of executors (you need at least one, ideally two with a substitute), beneficiaries with full names and passport numbers, asset schedules where relevant, and guardianship clauses if you have minor children.

Three things people forget:

1. End-of-service gratuity — this passes under the will if you direct it. Otherwise MOHRE (the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) releases it per default rules, which may not match your intentions.
2. Joint bank accounts — these don't automatically pass to the survivor in the UAE the way they do in the UK or US. The bank freezes the account on notification of death. Your will needs to deal with this expressly.
3. Crypto and digital assets — DIFC accepts crypto holdings as disposable assets. Name the wallets, name the executor with technical knowledge, and store access details separately and securely.

Watch out: if you have a will in your home country covering worldwide assets, and a DIFC will covering UAE assets only, draft them so they don't revoke each other. A standard "I revoke all prior wills" clause in your UK will can wipe out your DIFC will overnight.

Probate Timeline and What Your Family Faces

With a registered DIFC will, your executor applies to the DIFC Courts Probate Registry. Straightforward cases get a grant of probate in 4 to 8 weeks. The executor then presents the grant to UAE banks, the Dubai Land Department, and other asset holders to release assets ^[1].

Without a will, your family applies to the Dubai Personal Status Court. They'll need death certificate attestations, heir certificates from your home country (sometimes), and translations. Expect 3 to 6 months minimum, often longer when foreign documents are involved. Bank accounts stay frozen throughout.

Property at the Dubai Land Department is the slowest moving piece — without a will, the title transfer to heirs can drag past a year if there's any dispute about shares.

The math is simple. AED 10,000 now versus months of frozen accounts and court fees later.

Citations

^[1] DIFC Courts Wills Service. "Register a Will." difccourts.ae/wills — fees and procedures current as of 2024.

^[2] Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status (UAE), Articles 11 and 17 — testamentary freedom for non-Muslims.

^[3] Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. "Non-Muslim Wills Registration." adjd.gov.ae — Law No. 14 of 2021 Regulating Personal Status for Non-Muslims in Abu Dhabi.

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