The judgment was issued by the DIFC Courts, but the assets are onshore. What should I do?

DIFC Courts judgments are enforced by the Dubai Courts’ execution judge: you need a final judgment bearing the enforcement formula, an official Arabic translation and a letter from the DIFC Courts. The dispute cannot be reviewed on the merits. The reverse route also works: Dubai Courts judgments are enforced against assets in DIFC.

Can the debt be deducted from the debtor’s salary?

Yes, but no more than a quarter of the fixed salary — even if it has already been paid into a bank account. The deduction is made through the employer by order of the judge. However, the debtor’s home, unless it is mortgaged for its own purchase, and basic necessities cannot be attached.

An apostille doesn’t work in the UAE

The UAE is not a party to the Hague Convention. A Russian judgment is certified by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, legalised at the UAE consulate and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then translated into Arabic by a licensed translator.

Violetta Absalyamova

Business support and legal matters

Tell us what judgment you have

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Legal Services in the UAE

Enforcement of Court Judgments and Arbitral Awards in Dubai and the UAE

Q: What does the execution judge do?

The judge runs the entire recovery: notifies the debtor, requests information about their assets, attaches accounts and property, orders auctions and, where there are grounds, imposes a travel ban. Some measures are taken even before the debtor is notified, so that they don’t have time to move the money out. The creditor files applications and the judge decides — so the pace of recovery depends largely on how active the creditor is.

Q: How do I find out where the debtor’s money is?

The court does this, not the creditor: a creditor cannot obtain data on someone else’s accounts. On application, the court sends requests to banks through the Central Bank, to the land department, the vehicle register and licensing authorities. A bank must report within seven days what it holds in the debtor’s accounts. The requests can be repeated, and the more precisely you name the Emirates ID or licence number, the banks and the properties, the faster the result.

Q: Can a Russian court judgment be enforced in the UAE?

Yes, through recognition in a UAE court. There is no treaty between Russia and the UAE on the recognition of judgments in civil cases, so the court checks the general conditions of the law — from reciprocity to notice to the defendant and public order. The dispute is not reviewed on the merits. Dubai Courts recognised Russian judgments in 2023 and 2024, and in 2025 a Russian commercial (arbitrazh) court enforced a Dubai Courts judgment — an argument for reciprocity. Most often the debtor disputes notice, so we prepare evidence of service in advance. Since 2025, the route through DIFC for foreign court judgments has been contested — we choose it only based on where the assets are.

Q: Can another foreign court’s judgment be enforced in the UAE?

Yes, if the statutory conditions are met: reciprocity with the country of the court, the case does not fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of UAE courts, the defendant was notified, the judgment has entered into force and does not contradict public order. Where there is a treaty — for example, the GCC Convention or the Riyadh Convention — its rules apply. In 2024, the Dubai Court of Cassation for the first time expressly recognised reciprocity with the United Kingdom and upheld the enforcement of an English judgment, but practice remains inconsistent.

Q: How is an arbitral award enforced?

Through ratification or recognition in court. An award seated in the UAE is ratified by the president of the court of appeal — by law, within 60 days. A foreign award is recognised under the New York Convention, to which the UAE acceded in 2006. The grounds for refusal are narrow: an invalid arbitration agreement, a breach of the right of defence, public order. The dispute is not reviewed on the merits.

Q: How long does enforcement take?

If assets exist and have been found — from a few weeks to a few months: attaching bank accounts usually takes about a week, selling real estate at auction — months. Overall, enforcing a UAE court judgment takes from two months to two years. Recognition of a foreign judgment adds time: by law, the order is issued within 5 working days, but if the debtor objects — months. If there are no assets, the file may remain open for years.

Q: What if the debtor has nothing in the UAE?

“No visible assets” does not yet mean “no assets”: property may be registered in the name of a company, relatives or related structures. If, after tracing through the court, there really are no assets, we tell you so before any further costs. The options: keep the file open and repeat the tracing — a judgment can be enforced for 15 years from the last action — enforce it in another country where there are assets, or, if the debtor is a company, consider bankruptcy: since June 2026, the court postpones creditors’ petitions while the emergency financial crisis regime is in effect.

Q: Can the debtor be banned from leaving, and is the director liable?

A travel ban — yes, for a debt of AED 10,000 or more and serious grounds to fear departure; if there is a risk of flight, the judge imposes it even before the debtor is notified. The debtor may appeal the ban within 7 working days, and it is lifted upon payment, a settlement or security. The director is personally liable only if the non-performance depends on them — they hide documents or move assets out: then, after an inquiry, the judge may ban them from travel even without a separate judgment against them.

Q: Can a debtor be jailed for a debt?

Yes, but it is a measure of last resort. At the creditor’s request, the judge may order the debtor’s detention if they fail to prove that they are unable to pay — for up to a month, with extensions, usually no longer than 36 months in total. As a rule, it is not applied to debts under AED 10,000, to debtors under 18 or over 70, and in a number of other cases. Since 2023, Dubai Courts have, as a rule, required the creditor to prove the debtor’s ability to pay.

A court judgment is not yet money. In the UAE, recovery is run by the execution judge: the debtor’s accounts, real estate, cars and shares are found through the court and attached. We open enforcement proceedings, have foreign judgments and arbitral awards recognised in the UAE and handle the case together with UAE-licensed advocates.

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7 days
For the debtor to pay after notification: 5 working days
For an order on a foreign judgment — by law: 15 years
The period during which a judgment can be enforced: 1/4 of salary
The maximum deducted from the debtor’s salary

Everything we do in the UAE

In short

In the UAE a judgment is enforced by the execution judge: after notification the debtor has 7 days to pay, then accounts and assets are attached. A judgment can be enforced for 15 years, an order on a foreign judgment is issued within 5 working days by law, and no more than 1/4 of salary is deducted.

Checked 16 October 2026 · Violetta Absalyamova

Cost of a mistake

30 days

If enforcement isn’t started within 30 days of the judgment becoming final, a travel ban obtained before or during the dispute is lifted.

How to avoid it

How enforcement really works in the UAE

The speed of recovery is determined not by the judgment but by how quickly the court finds and attaches assets. That is why the execution file is opened immediately, rather than waiting for the debtor to pay voluntarily.

The execution file
The judgment is submitted to the execution judge. Even before the debtor is notified, the judge may attach assets, request information about them and impose a travel ban. The debtor is then given 7 days to pay.
Tracing — through the court
The court sends requests to the CBUAE, the land department, the vehicle register and licensing authorities — a creditor cannot obtain such data on their own.
A foreign judgment — without a lawsuit
An application is filed with the execution judge, who by law decides within 5 working days. Conditions: reciprocity, a competent court, notice to the defendant, finality, UAE public order.
DIFC and arbitration — their own bridges
Judgments of the DIFC Courts are enforced by the Dubai Courts’ execution judge — without review on the merits. Foreign arbitral awards are recognised under the New York Convention.

Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal matters

Situations

What clients come to us with

Typical situations

01You have a UAE court judgment that has entered into force, and the debtor is not paying.
02You have a judgment of a Russian or other foreign court — for example, an English or Indian one — and the debtor or their assets are in the UAE.
03You have an arbitral award — DIAC, ICC, LCIA or another centre — and it needs to be enforced in the UAE.
04You have a DIFC or ADGM Courts judgment, and the assets are onshore, or the other way round.
05After the judgment, the debtor is moving assets out — transferring property to relatives and related companies.
06The execution file was opened long ago, but nothing has been found — fresh tracing and new measures are needed.

Similar, but different

01There is no judgment yet: there is a contract, unpaid invoices or a cheque — first a demand, a payment order, a cheque presented for enforcement or a lawsuit.Debt Recovery
02The dispute is still ongoing or just beginning — you need a position, evidence and the right choice of court.Disputes and Litigation
03A partner is moving assets out of a jointly owned company, and there is no court judgment — a corporate conflict has other tools.Corporate Disputes
04You suspect fraud and want to file a police complaint — the criminal track has its own route.Criminal Cases
05You need to enforce a UAE court judgment abroad — this is work for lawyers in the country where the assets are; the UAE documents are legalised for this purpose.Legalisation

Types of judgment

Your type of judgment determines the route to the execution file

On no route is the dispute reviewed on the merits: the court checks only the statutory conditions. What differs is the entry point, the statutory time limit and the documents — a UAE court judgment needs no recognition.

Recognition in the UAE

Not needed

straight to the execution file

Statutory time limit for recognition

No such stage

What the court checks

The enforcement formula

a copy of the judgment bearing the enforcement formula

Click an option to highlight it across every parameter

Recognition in the UAE

Not needed

straight to the execution file

Not needed

the DIFC Courts write to the Dubai Courts

Execution judge’s order

by application, without a new lawsuit

Ratification by the court of appeal

decided by the president of the court

Execution judge’s order

under the rules for foreign judgments

Statutory time limit for recognition

No such stage

5 working days

if the order is appealed — months

60 days

the debtor has 30 days to sue for annulment

5 working days

if the order is appealed — months

What the court checks

The enforcement formula

a copy of the judgment bearing the enforcement formula

Finality and the enforcement formula

and payment of the Dubai Courts’ fees

Reciprocity and five conditions

jurisdiction, certification, notice, finality, public order

Grounds for annulment

the list in the Arbitration Law, Art. 53

New York Convention grounds

and whether UAE law allows such a dispute to be arbitrated

Translation and legalisation

Not needed

Official translation into Arabic

Legalisation and translation

the UAE does not accept an apostille

Translation into Arabic

if the award is not in Arabic

Certified copies and translation

of the award and the arbitration agreement

Legal basis

UAE Civil Procedure Law, Arts. 212 and 233

Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025, Art. 32

UAE Civil Procedure Law, Arts. 222 and 225

Arbitration Law No. 6 of 2018, Art. 55

UAE Civil Procedure Law, Art. 223; New York Convention

Benefits

What you get

The right route for your judgment

Local, DIFC, foreign or arbitral — each has its own procedure. We choose the route where the debtor has fewer ways to drag the case out.

Tracing across all registers

We ask the court to send requests to banks through the Central Bank, to the land department, the vehicle register and licensing authorities. We repeat them if the first round yields nothing.

Pressure through lawful measures

Attachment of accounts, property and shares, a travel ban, a sale at auction. We match the measures to the debtor rather than filing everything at once.

Court-ready documents

Legalisation of the foreign judgment, legal translation into Arabic, proof of finality and of proper notice — the points where cases most often stumble.

Settlement at the enforcement stage

When the debtor is ready to negotiate, we record a payment schedule so that, if it is broken, recovery continues without new proceedings.

Recovery progress in plain view

What has been requested, what has been found and attached, how much has come in — in your client portal. We communicate in English or Arabic.

Document review

You have a judgment, but the debtor is silent?

Send us the judgment and what you know about the debtor. We will tell you how quickly an execution file can be opened and where to look for assets.

Violetta Absalyamova

Business support and legal matters

Self-check

Will a foreign judgment pass scrutiny in the UAE? Check for yourself

The execution judge issues an enforcement order only after checking the conditions of the Civil Procedure Law. Tick what is true for your judgment: any doubtful item is better discussed before legalisation and translations.

Tick what is true for you

0/7Tick the items to see whether you qualify

Is there a treaty with the court’s country?Art. 225

A treaty takes precedence over the general rules of the law: for example, the GCC Convention, the Riyadh Convention and the UAE’s bilateral treaties — including those with France, India and China.

A foreign arbitral award?Arts. 223, 225

By law — the same conditions plus two more: the dispute can be referred to arbitration under UAE law, and the award is enforceable in the country where it was made. If the country of arbitration is a party to the New York Convention, its rules apply.

5 working days — if the debtor does not objectArt. 222(2)

The execution judge’s order is appealed directly to the court of appeal. That is why, if the debtor objects, recognition takes months, not five working days.

UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022 on Civil Procedure, Articles 222, 223 and 225 — based on the official Arabic text. Checked on 15 October 2026.

Process

7 steps from the first conversation to the result

Every step is visible in the client portal: what’s happening now and whether we need anything from you.

Steps on your side: 1 of 7

We handle it · 2Needed from you · 1Authority · 4

We check whether the judgment can already be enforced — an appellate judgment, as a rule, is enforced even while a cassation appeal is pending — what is needed to enforce it in the UAE and what is known about the debtor’s assets. We name the route, the timeline and the budget.

Step 1 of 7

Reviewing the judgment and the debtor

We check whether the judgment can already be enforced — an appellate judgment, as a rule, is enforced even while a cassation appeal is pending — what is needed to enforce it in the UAE and what is known about the debtor’s assets. We name the route, the timeline and the budget.

We handle it2–5 working days

Documents

What to prepare — for your type of judgment

The set depends on whose judgment it is: a foreign one also needs legalisation, a certificate that it has entered into force and evidence of notice to the defendant. Tick what you already have — anything missing goes to your manager as a single list.

Information

Documents

Ready

0 / 6

Foreign documents need consular legalisation in the issuing country and UAE MOFA attestation: an apostille is not accepted. The Arabic translation for the court is done by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice — we arrange it.

Timing and budget

What makes up the budget

Enforcement is paid for in stages: recognition, if needed, the execution file, tracing and measures. We state the budget for each stage in advance — and tell you honestly if there appear to be no assets.

ItemDepends onWhen

Recognition feesDepends onFor foreign judgments and arbitral awards. They depend on the court and the amount.WhenWhen the application is filed
Enforcement proceedings feesDepends onIn Dubai, the fee for enforcing a money judgment is 2% of the amount, from AED 200 to AED 5,000; for commercial claims of up to AED 500,000 — a fixed AED 2,000. Inquiries, attachment and auctions are charged separately; other emirates have their own rates.WhenAs each action is taken
Legalisation and translationDepends onConsular legalisation in the country where the judgment was issued, UAE MOFA attestation, legal translation of the judgment and supporting documents into Arabic.WhenBefore filing
UAE advocate’s feeDepends onFiling applications and representation before the execution judge. Depends on the amount, the debtor’s resistance and the number of measures.WhenBy stage
Asset tracingDepends onThe depth of the search: from requests through the court to related persons, companies and foreign registers.WhenIf needed
Auction costsDepends onValuation and sale of the property. Usually covered from the proceeds.WhenWhen property is sold
Our feeDepends onAnalysis of the judgment, strategy, preparing documents, coordinating the advocate and translators, keeping in touch with you.WhenBy stage

Deadlines

Enforcement deadlines: what a creditor who waits loses

The execution judge moves the case forward on the creditor’s applications, and each step has its own deadline. A missed deadline costs not a fine but measures: the right to appeal, the travel ban and, after 15 years, the judgment itself.

0123456789101112131415years since the last action on the file

1 year

The file may be closed

If the creditor files no applications for more than a year after the judge’s last action, the judge may temporarily close the file.

15 years

The judgment will no longer be enforced

An enforcement instrument is not enforced if there have been no enforcement actions for 15 years — or if it has not been enforced within 15 years of its issue.

The first days

7 days from notification
The debtor can pay voluntarily
The notification states the amount and the deadline. If the debtor does not pay — attachment and auction. The court may request information about assets even before notification, and impose an attachment and a travel ban if there is a risk of money being moved out or of the debtor leaving.
7 days from notifying the bank of the attachment
The bank replies to the court
The attachment is imposed without warning the debtor; the bank informs the court by letter what it holds for them — banking secrecy does not exempt it from replying.

Your deadlines

30 days and 3 years
Don’t lose the travel ban
A ban obtained before or during the dispute is lifted if enforcement is not started within 30 days of the judgment becoming final. A ban imposed to enforce a judgment is lifted if, for 3 years after the last enforcement action, you do not ask to continue recovery.
7 working days from the day after the decision
Complaint to the president of the court
Against a refusal of a travel ban, a deferral or instalments granted to the debtor, a postponement of enforcement, the acceptance of a guarantor, the ranking of creditors. The decision on the complaint is final; if the decision was made in your absence, the period runs from notification.
10 working days from the decision
Appeal against the judge’s decision
The judge’s jurisdiction, property that cannot be attached or sold, a refusal to detain the debtor, the amount to be recovered and whether enforcement should continue — these go straight to the court of appeal. If the decision was made in your absence, the period runs from notification.
7 days from notification
Object to a sale below the debt
After real estate is attached, the debtor may propose their own buyer. If the price is lower than the debt and the creditor has not objected within 7 days, the sale goes ahead and the money is paid into court.

The debtor’s moves

7 working days
Appeal the travel ban
Even without an appeal, the ban is lifted if the debtor pays the debt and costs into court, provides a bank guarantee or a guarantor accepted by the judge — or if the creditor agrees in writing.
15 days from notification
The last deadline before real estate is sold
The judge invites the debtor to pay; otherwise the property is sold at auction. A deferral may be granted if the property’s income over five years covers the debt — the judge may then instruct the creditor to collect that income until the debt is repaid.

Getting it right

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 8 open

01 What people often do
Waiting for the debtor to pay voluntarily after the judgment.
02 What people often do
Filing for enforcement without knowing what the debtor owns in the UAE.
03 What people often do
Warning the debtor “in a friendly way” before filing.
04 What people often do
Bringing a foreign judgment with an apostille or without proof of notice to the defendant.
05 What people often do
Limiting yourself to a single request to the banks.
06 What people often do
Going to DIFC “for convenience” without checking where the debtor’s assets are.
07 What people often do
Agreeing to instalments without security.
08 What people often do
Opening an execution file and then forgetting about it for a long time.

Ongoing counselsubscription

So the next judgment doesn’t have to be forced out

Enforcement is easier when the contract provided in advance for security, jurisdiction and the location of assets. With the “Business Counsel” subscription, a lawyer reviews contracts and counterparties before the deal — for a fixed monthly fee.

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FAQ

Expert answers

Violetta Absalyamova — Business support and legal matters

The judge runs the entire recovery: notifies the debtor, requests information about their assets, attaches accounts and property, orders auctions and, where there are grounds, imposes a travel ban. Some measures are taken even before the debtor is notified, so that they don’t have time to move the money out. The creditor files applications and the judge decides — so the pace of recovery depends largely on how active the creditor is.