GOFIRM

Legal Services in the UAE

Inheritance and Wills in the UAE: DIFC Wills and Other Registries

Without a will, assets in the UAE are divided under default rules, and the bank freezes the deceased’s accounts until a court decision. A registered will lets you decide in advance who gets the apartment, the accounts and the shares, and appoint guardians for your children. We choose the registry, prepare the text and handle the estate once succession has opened.

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6 types
Of DIFC wills — from a full will to digital assets
½
To a non-Muslim spouse without a will; the rest to the children equally
By video call
A DIFC will can be signed from any country
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We communicate in English and Arabic
Everything we do in the UAE

In short

Without a will, the deceased’s accounts in the UAE are frozen until a court decision, and a non-Muslim spouse receives ½, with the rest split equally among the children. A registered will — for example in DIFC: 6 types, signed by video call — sets heirs and guardians for children in advance.

Checked 16 October 2026 · Egor Chernyshev

Cost of a mistake

Up to 6 months

Without a will in Dubai, the accounts stay frozen until a court decision, and the law allows up to 6 months for the inventory alone.

How to avoid it

How inheritance really works in the UAE

There is no single rule for everyone in the UAE: the procedure depends on religion, the emirate and whether there is a registered will. Without one, the default law and the court decide, and banks wait for a court decision.

  • Muslims — Sharia shares

    A Muslim’s estate is divided according to the shares in the 2024 federal personal status law. Bequests to those who do not inherit by law are possible only within one third.

  • Non-Muslims — half to the spouse

    Under , without a will the spouse receives half and the children share the rest equally, regardless of gender. Abu Dhabi applies the same principle under its local law.

  • Three main registries

    The Wills Service, the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court and Dubai Courts. They differ in language, types of wills, cost and the court where the estate will be handled.

  • Accounts are frozen immediately

    Once it learns of a death, the bank blocks the accounts, including joint ones: there is no automatic transfer to the other holder in the UAE. Money is released by court decision.

Expert tip

A will does not do away with the succession procedure, but it makes it shorter and more predictable: the heirs, the executor and the guardians are already named. A will from your home country would have to be translated, legalised and recognised by a court here — for assets in the UAE, a local one is more reliable.
Egor ChernyshevEgor ChernyshevFounder and Managing Partner · Structures, holdings and foundations

Who it suits

Who it suits — and when to choose something else

A good fit if

  1. 01You have an apartment, an account or a share in a company in the UAE, but no will registered here.
  2. 02The family has minor children, and guardians need to be named in advance in case something happens to the parents.
  3. 03You don’t live in the UAE but have bought property or set up a company here.
  4. 04A couple wants mirror wills, so that on the death of one everything passes to the other.
  5. 05You got married or divorced after registering your will, and it needs to be updated.
  6. 06A loved one has passed away and the accounts are frozen — you need to settle the estate and receive the money and property.

Consider something else if

  1. 01Assets in several countries, a family business, and you need control after death, not a one-time transfer: a foundation owns the assets itself and operates under its own by-laws.Foundation
  2. 02You only need a power of attorney for a relative so they can manage your affairs during your lifetime.Other Private Matters
  3. 03The inheritance has been settled, and you need to sell an inherited apartment — this is already a property transaction.Buying and Selling
  4. 04You need to legalise a certificate of death, marriage or birth from another country.Legalisation

Benefits

What you get

A registry matched to your assets

We compare DIFC, Abu Dhabi and Dubai Courts against your property, accounts, shares and children — and tell you whether one will is enough or two are needed.

A text that will be carried out

We draft under the rules of the chosen registry: executor, substitute heirs, guardians, provisions for the simultaneous death of both spouses. So the bank and the land department don’t send the document back.

Guardians named in advance

We name a temporary guardian nearby and a permanent one — even if they live abroad — and obtain their consent, so that the children are not left in uncertainty while the court decides.

Aligned with your home law

We align the UAE will with your will and the inheritance law of your country, so that one does not revoke the other.

End-to-end estate handling

If a loved one has passed away: a set of documents right away in a form that will be accepted, the probate case, unfreezing the accounts, re-registering the property — together with UAE-licensed advocates.

Registries

Where to register a will: the registries compared

The three main registries and ADGM all accept non-Muslim wills, but they differ in language, cost and the court that will later handle the estate. If you have assets both in the UAE and abroad, you usually need two wills — each covering its own assets. Fees are per the published schedules, checked in October 2026.

Eligibility

Non-Muslim aged 18+

never a Muslim; no residency required

Registry fee

AED 5,000–15,000

by type of will, 2023 schedule

Language

English

no interpreters allowed at the appointment

Where the estate is handled

DIFC Courts

grant of probate — USD 1,500

DIFC will types

Which DIFC will covers your assets

Tick what you need to pass on or whom you need to appoint. If you have more than one kind of asset, you need a full will: each of the other types covers only one. Fees follow the 2023 DIFC Courts schedule; the booking payment is included in the fee.

Matching 6 / 6
Full Will

All property and guardians in one document

Fee
AED 10,000; mirror wills — AED 15,000
What it covers
Any assets in the UAE, crypto in a DIFC wallet, guardians — if the children are in Dubai or RAK
Abroad
Can be included, but that country’s law decides whether it is carried out
Property Will

UAE property only

Fee
AED 7,500; mirror wills — AED 10,000
Limit
Up to 5 properties or shares in them
Guardians
Cannot be appointed
Financial Assets Will

Bank and brokerage accounts in the UAE

Fee
AED 5,000; mirror wills — AED 7,500
Limit
Up to 10 accounts, including joint ones
Condition
The bank is supervised by the UAE Central Bank, the broker by the UAE securities regulator; the accounts hold cash and listed securities
Business Owners Will

Shares in free zone and mainland companies

Fee
AED 5,000; mirror wills — AED 7,500
Limit
Up to 5 shareholdings; RAK ICC companies too
Guardians
Cannot be appointed
Digital Assets Will

Crypto in a DIFC Courts wallet

Fee
AED 5,000; mirror wills — AED 7,500
Supported assets
BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, MATIC, HBAR, HTS tokens; no NFTs yet
How it works
The assets are held in the court’s non-custodial wallet; you can change the named heirs’ shares during your lifetime at no extra cost, while adding a new heir means amending the will
Guardianship Will

Guardians for children only — no property

Fee
AED 5,000; mirror wills — AED 7,500
Who is appointed
A temporary guardian nearby and a permanent one — who may live abroad
Condition
The children live in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah at the time of probate

Meeting with an expert

Not sure where to register your will?

At the meeting we’ll go through which assets you have and in which emirate, whether you have children and a will at home — and tell you which registry fits and whether one document is enough.

Documents

What to prepare for your situation

Information

Documents

Ready

0 / 10

Documents from abroad need consular legalisation and an Arabic translation: the UAE does not accept an apostille.

Process

5 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: 2 of 5

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

  1. Which assets and in which emirate, citizenship, marriage, children, whether there is a will at home. We choose the registry and the type of will.

When succession opens

When a loved one has passed away: who does what

The bank freezes the accounts immediately, and the estate cannot be disposed of before a court decision — except for the funeral and the family’s essential maintenance. The scenario without a will follows Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017; in Abu Dhabi, the estate is handled by ADJD under its own rules.

You
01

Death certificate

You obtain it and pass it to us; if it was issued abroad, we legalise it and have it translated into Arabic.

03

Signing at court

The executor or their representative signs the application before a court officer, with the original documents.

GOFIRM
02

Executor’s application

The application for a grant of probate and the witness statement, with a copy of the certificate, go to the DIFC Courts. The fee is USD 1,500.

04

List of assets

Property, accounts, financial products, cars — for the schedule to the order. Anything missed is added by a separate order.

Bank
06

Accounts

With the court order, the bank unfreezes the accounts and transfers the money to the heirs.

Authority
05

Probate Order

The judge signs the order in English and Arabic; if the will names guardians, a guardianship order as well.

usually several weeks
07

Property at DLD

Re-registration to the heirs on the strength of the court’s letter: AED 1,000 per property and AED 250 per title deed.

8 working hours

The family provides the death certificate and the executor’s signature at court; the application, the list of assets and liaising with the banks and DLD are on us. In a simple case, the order is usually issued within a few weeks.

Timing and budget

What makes up the budget

The budget covers preparing the text, the registry fee and, once succession opens, court and registration costs. We state our fee before work starts; registry and court fees are charged at their current rates.

  • Preparing the willDepends onDepends on the type of will, the number of assets and heirs, whether guardians are needed and whether it must be aligned with another country’s law.WhenBefore work starts
  • Registry feeDepends onAt DIFC, under the 2023 schedule — from AED 5,000 to 15,000 depending on the type of will; the booking payment counts towards the fee and is not refunded if you cancel or reschedule beyond 90 days. In Abu Dhabi — AED 950 per will, plus USD 155 via ADGM; Dubai Courts have their own schedule. A change at DIFC costs AED 550; revocation is free.WhenOn registration
  • Arabic translationDepends onFor Dubai Courts, the text is translated by a licensed translator. At DIFC, the will is executed in English.WhenBefore filing
  • Settling the estateDepends onAn application for a grant of probate at DIFC costs USD 1,500, and USD 300 for an asset discovered later; in the onshore courts — the fees for the probate case. Plus translation and consular legalisation of the death and kinship documents: the UAE does not accept an apostille.WhenAfter death
  • Re-registering propertyDepends onAt DLD, under the October 2026 schedule — AED 1,000 per property, AED 250 per title deed, a site plan AED 100–250 plus AED 20 per drawing, and the DLD service partner fee of AED 130 plus VAT. If the property is mortgaged or under construction — an NOC from the mortgagee bank or the developer.WhenOn re-registration
  • UAE advocate’s feeDepends onIf the estate goes through the emirate’s court or the heirs disagree among themselves.WhenBy stage
  • Our feeDepends onChoosing the registry, the text, coordinating witnesses and registration; after death — handling the probate case and liaising with banks.WhenBy stage

Getting it right

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 7 open

  1. 01 What people often do

    Assuming a joint account or a jointly owned apartment will pass to the spouse automatically.

  2. 02 What people often do

    Relying on a will made in your home country.

  3. 03 What people often do

    Not appointing guardians because “there is the other parent”.

  4. 04 What people often do

    Asking a spouse, an heir or a guardian to act as a witness.

  5. 05 What people often do

    Appointing guardians in a DIFC will when the family lives in Abu Dhabi.

  6. 06 What people often do

    Registering a will once and forgetting about it.

  7. 07 What people often do

    Withdrawing money with the deceased’s card before the bank has frozen the account.

FAQ

Expert answers

Egor Chernyshev — Structures, holdings and foundations

It depends on religion and where the assets are. For non-Muslims, under Law 41/2022 the spouse receives half and the children share the other half equally; if there are no children, the parents share that half; with no spouse, children or parents — the siblings share equally. The heirs of a foreigner may ask for the law of the deceased’s country to be applied, unless there is a registered will providing otherwise. Since 15 April 2025, the new Personal Status Law 41/2024 has also been in force: it is designed primarily for Muslims, and practice on how courts combine it with the 2022 law in cases involving foreigners is still developing. A Muslim’s estate is divided according to Sharia shares.

Egor Chernyshev · Structures, holdings and foundations

Sources

  1. DIFC Courts — Wills FAQ
  2. DIFC Courts — Wills services
  3. DIFC Courts — fees
  4. DIFC Courts — probate application guide
  5. u.ae — personal status affairs for non-Muslims
  6. Dubai Legislation — Law No. 15 of 2017 on non-Muslim estates
  7. ADGM Courts — Notary Public and Wills Office
  8. Dubai Land Department — inheritance title transfer

Deadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.

Often goes with this

What else you may need

Company Registration

Foundation

Assets in several countries or a family business: a foundation holds them itself and passes them on under its by-laws, without a probate case for each asset.

Legal Services

Buying and Selling

Sell an inherited apartment or buy a new one — and check right away whether your will covers it.

Business Support

Visas

The family’s visas were sponsored by the deceased: transfer them to a new sponsor before the grace period expires.

Next step

Tell us what needs protecting

Describe your assets in the UAE and abroad, your family and citizenship. We will suggest a registry and a type of will, tell you whether a foundation is needed and give you the budget. If a loved one has already passed away, we will explain where to start with the inheritance.

Egor ChernyshevEgor ChernyshevFounder and Managing Partner · Structures, holdings and foundations
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