Do I need a will in the UAE?
If you own anything in the UAE, or have children living with you here, a UAE-registered will lets you decide who inherits and who looks after your children. This guide explains the options. A qualified lawyer can help you choose.
In 30 seconds
- For non-Muslims without a will, UAE law gives half to your husband or wife and shares the other half equally between your children
- You can register a will covering everything you own in the UAE, and name guardians for your children
- A will made in the UK may not work here: DIFC Courts says one made elsewhere would almost certainly need redrafting for its registry
What happens without a will
A federal law for non-Muslims, Decree-Law 41 of 2022, sets out what happens if a non-Muslim foreign resident dies without a will.
| Your family | How the estate is shared |
|---|---|
| Married, with children | Half to your husband or wife; the other half shared equally between your children, with no difference between sons and daughters |
| No children | Shared equally between your parents, or between your brothers and sisters if your parents have died |
The heirs of a foreign resident can ask for the law of their home country to apply instead, unless a registered will says otherwise. Either way, sorting out an estate without a will takes time, while your family waits.
Registering a will
The same law lets a non-Muslim leave a will covering everything they own in the UAE, to whoever they choose. Two registries are widely used:
| Registry | What it offers |
|---|---|
| DIFC Courts Wills Service | For non-Muslims aged 18 or over with assets in the UAE or children living with them. Full wills (AED 10,000, or AED 15,000 for a couple’s mirror wills), plus property, business, financial assets and guardianship wills |
| Abu Dhabi Judicial Department | Wills for non-Muslims, applied for online and notarised by video call. A will can include property outside the UAE |
Naming guardians for your children
A guardianship will names who looks after your children if something happens to you both. With DIFC Courts you name an interim guardian, who cares for the children straight away, and a permanent guardian, who takes over when they arrive. A guardianship will on its own costs AED 5,000, or AED 7,500 for both parents. A full will can include guardianship.
- Choose people your children know, and ask them first
- An interim guardian who lives in the UAE can step in quickly while family travels
- Tell your guardians where the will and your documents are
Your UK will
Keep your UK will for what you own in the UK. Ask a lawyer to check that your UK and UAE wills work together, so that one doesn’t accidentally cancel the other.
Questions to ask a lawyer
- Which registry suits us, given where our property and savings are?
- Should we each have a will, or mirror wills?
- Who should be our interim and permanent guardians?
- How do our UK and UAE wills fit together?
- What happens to joint accounts and property we own together?
What to do next
- List what you own in the UAE and in the UK
- Choose interim and permanent guardians, and ask them first
- Book a consultation with a lawyer who handles non-Muslim wills
Keep going
- Federal Decree-Law 41 of 2022 (civil personal status)
- DIFC Courts: wills FAQ
- DIFC Courts: full will
- DIFC Courts: guardianship will
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department: wills for non-Muslims