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Wills and succession in the UAE
A registered will decides who receives your UAE property, bank accounts and company shares, and who you want to care for your children. We help you choose the right registry, draft the will and register it.
- Government fees from AED 950 for a single will
- Routes for Muslim and non-Muslim residents
- Drafting support from AED 1,830
Find your will route
What do you want to protect?
One document covers all your UAE assets and names guardians. It is open to Muslims and non-Muslims, can be completed remotely and needs no witnesses on the form.
- Registered at
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD)
- Government fee
- AED 950 single, AED 1,900 couple
- My Eloah fee
- AED 1,830
Government fees are set by each registry and can change, so we confirm the current fee before you book; our professional fee is charged in addition.
UAE wills, in brief.
A UAE will is a registered document that says who receives your UAE assets, who carries out your wishes as executor and who you want as guardian of your minor children. The UAE has no single wills register: wills are registered through the DIFC Wills Service, the Dubai Courts notary or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), and these routes do not recognise each other automatically.
Expatriates with UAE property, bank accounts, company shares or children living here need one. My Eloah Business Hub helps you choose the route, plans and drafts the will and assists with registration; it does not give legal advice or replace a UAE-licensed advocate.
- Lowest fee
- AED 950 government fee at ADJD
- Our fee
- AED 1,830 for ADJD or Dubai Courts, AED 3,900 for DIFC
- Who can apply
- ADJD: Muslims and non-Muslims. DIFC and Dubai Courts: non-Muslims
- Timeline
- ADJD is usually estimated at 7 to 10 days
What happens if you die without a will.
UAE law sets a default split, and the estate is locked until a court releases it.
The spouse does not take everything
For non-Muslims, half goes to the surviving spouse and half is divided equally among the children, sons and daughters alike. A minor child's share sits under court-supervised guardianship of property, typically until majority. For Muslims, the court applies fixed Sharia shares.
Accounts freeze, including joint ones
UAE accounts freeze when the bank is notified of the death and stay frozen until a court order. The UAE has no right of survivorship, so a joint account or jointly owned property does not pass to the other owner automatically.
Shares freeze and heirs become partners
Freezone authorities freeze a shareholder's shares on death. A will decides who receives their value. It does not settle who runs the company, who can sign at the bank or how the licence is renewed.
The registration routes, compared.
Each route has its own rules on who can use it, the language of the will and how far a guardianship appointment reaches.
| Route | Who can use it | Government fee, single | Couple | Guardianship reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIFC Wills Service | Non-Muslims who have never been Muslim | AED 10,000 for a Full Will | AED 15,000 mirror | Dubai and RAK only |
| Dubai Courts notary | Non-Muslims | AED 2,000 statutory fee, about AED 2,170 payable in practice | About AED 4,340 | Dubai |
| ADJD, Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court | Muslims and non-Muslims | AED 950 | AED 1,900 | UAE-wide |
| ADGM notarisation | Non-Muslims | USD 155 plus the ADJD fee of AED 950 | Charged per will | Through ADJD |
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) does not run a wills registry. It notarises the will, which is then registered at ADJD. DIFC wills are in English only and need two witnesses. Dubai Courts and ADJD wills need Arabic, prepared by a Ministry of Justice sworn translator, and the Arabic text governs at ADJD.
Six DIFC wills and what each covers.
The DIFC Wills Service is the only route with a menu of will types. A Dubai Courts or ADJD will is one document that covers everything.
| Will type | Single | Mirror | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Will | AED 10,000 | AED 15,000 | All asset classes and guardianship, with worldwide reach available |
| Property Will | AED 7,500 | AED 10,000 | Up to 5 properties, or a share in up to 5 |
| Guardianship Will | AED 5,000 | AED 7,500 | Minor children living with you in Dubai or RAK. No assets |
| Business Owners Will | AED 5,000 | AED 7,500 | Up to 5 shareholdings in UAE-incorporated companies |
| Financial Assets Will | AED 5,000 | AED 7,500 | Up to 10 accounts at UAE-regulated banks or brokers |
| Digital Assets Will | AED 5,000 | AED 7,500 | Assets held in the DIFC Courts non-custodial wallet |
| Amendment | AED 550 | AED 1,100 | A change is filed as a fresh registration |
A 10% booking fee is paid upfront and deducted from the total. DIFC registration fees are not subject to 5% VAT. After death, the executor pays USD 1,500 for the Grant of Probate. A bespoke DIFC will must be drafted by a lawyer on the DIFC Register of Will Draftsmen.
Four assumptions that cost families.
These errors pass registration without comment and surface years later.
A will states your choice, it cannot guarantee it
No UAE will guarantees a guardianship outcome. Name a UAE-based interim guardian as well as a permanent one, so someone has lawful care of the children until the permanent guardian arrives. For Muslim families, a guardianship clause is a preference only.
Nomination forms outrank the will
End-of-service gratuity, pensions, brokerage accounts and insurance policies follow the nomination on file. An old form naming a former spouse overrides the will in practice.
A new will can cancel an old one by accident
A general revocation clause in a UAE will can cancel your home-country will, and the reverse. Limit every UAE will to your UAE assets. At Dubai Courts the first registered will prevails until it is formally revoked on the register.
A will does not stop the account freeze
A will changes who receives the money and speeds up the process. Rent, school fees and living costs continue while accounts are frozen, so keep three to six months of costs in the survivor's sole name or arrange life cover.
Details we need to draft your will.
Names and numbers must match across your passport, Emirates ID and title deeds, or the registry can reject the will.
Six steps to a registered will.
The order below follows the ADJD and DIFC procedures; timings depend on the registry's appointment availability.
Start on WhatsApp →Choose the route
We look at your religion, where your children live, the language you work in and what you own, then recommend the registry and will type.
Gather the details
You send identity details for yourself, your executors, guardians and beneficiaries, plus the identifiers for each asset.
Draft the will
We plan, structure and draft the will, and arrange a sworn Arabic translation for an ADJD or Dubai Courts will.
Apply and pay the fee
ADJD applications go through the ADJD website, an officer reviews them and confirms by SMS before the fee is paid; DIFC takes a 10% booking fee with the balance due before the appointment.
Sign at the appointment
ADJD notarises the will on a video call with a court officer, so never sign beforehand; DIFC needs you and two independent witnesses, in person or by video.
Store and review
ADJD emails a digitally certified will with a QR code and DIFC keeps the electronic original; review the will after any marriage, birth, property purchase or change of company.
UAE wills, answered.
Ask anything else on WhatsApp and we will answer for your company.
What happens to my UAE assets if I die without a will?
For non-Muslims, half goes to your spouse and half is divided equally among your children. With no children, half goes to your spouse and half to your parents. Bank accounts stay frozen until a court order.
Which is the cheapest way to register a will in the UAE?
The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) will has the lowest government fee at AED 950 for a single will and AED 1,900 for a couple. It is open to Muslims and non-Muslims and can be completed remotely.
Can a Muslim expatriate make a will in the UAE?
Yes, through ADJD. A Muslim's will can direct up to one third of the net estate, after funeral costs and debts, to people who are not heirs; the rest is distributed in fixed Sharia shares. A gift to an heir needs the other adult heirs' approval.
Does a DIFC will cover guardianship of my children?
Only if the children live with you in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah. For children living in another emirate a DIFC guardianship appointment is void, and the ADJD will is the route. No UAE will guarantees a guardianship outcome.
Does a joint bank account pass to my spouse in the UAE?
No. The UAE has no right of survivorship, so joint accounts freeze on death like any other account. With jointly registered property, the survivor keeps only their own registered share.
How long does it take to register a will in the UAE?
An ADJD will is usually estimated at 7 to 10 days from application to notarisation, although notarisation slots have been reported to take about three months. We confirm appointment availability before giving you a date.
What happens to my company shares when I die?
The shares pass under your will or, without one, under the default inheritance rules. For continuity, combine the will with a priority purchase clause in the memorandum of association, a shareholders' agreement with an agreed valuation method and shareholder protection insurance.
Do I need a lawyer to make a will in the UAE?
My Eloah Business Hub provides planning, drafting support and registration assistance, which is not legal advice. A bespoke DIFC will must be drafted by a lawyer on the DIFC Register of Will Draftsmen, and contested estates, probate disputes and foreign inheritance tax need a UAE-licensed advocate or specialist adviser.
Put your wishes on the register.
Tell us what you own and where your family lives, and we will set out the route, the government fee and our fee on WhatsApp.