Wills in Dubai and the UAE (2026): Costs, Options and How to Protect Your Property

o make a will in Dubai in 2026, non-Muslims register it with one of three authorities: the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD, AED 950), the DIFC Courts Wills Service (from AED 5,000, or AED 10,000 for a full will) or the Dubai Courts notary (about AED 2,167). Without a registered will, default inheritance rules apply and your UAE assets can be frozen.

Key takeaways

• A will made in your home country is not enough on its own. In the UAE, an unregistered foreign will must be translated, attested and proved in court before anyone can act on it.
• For non-Muslims without a will, the law gives 50% to the spouse and 50% to the children, whatever you would have wanted.
• Bank accounts can be frozen, and your Dubai property cannot be transferred until a court confirms the heirs.
• An ADJD will costs a fraction of a DIFC will and is valid across all seven Emirates.
• A will decides who inherits your property. You also need someone to run it: tenant, rent, Ejari, DEWA and maintenance.

Do you need a will in Dubai?

Yes, if you own property, hold a bank account or have children in the UAE. A will is not compulsory, but it is the only way to make sure your wishes are followed here rather than the default rules.

A will made in London, Mumbai or Toronto may be valid at home. In the UAE, it has to be translated into Arabic, attested and proved in court, which can take months. A will registered with a UAE authority avoids most of that delay.

What happens if you die in the UAE without a will?

UAE courts decide who inherits your UAE assets using default rules, and your family must go through court before they can access anything.

Non-Muslims: the 50/50 default

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status (Article 11), the default for non-Muslims is:

• your spouse receives 50% of the estate
• your children share the other 50% equally, sons and daughters alike
• with no children, the estate goes to your parents, then to your siblings

That may not match your wishes. You may want everything to pass to your spouse first, provide for a child from an earlier marriage, or leave something to a parent, partner or charity. The default rules take none of that into account.

Muslims: Sharia shares

For Muslims, inheritance follows Sharia shares under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024 on Personal Status, in force since 15 April 2025. A will can distribute up to one-third of the estate unless the heirs agree to more. Non-citizen Muslims may ask the court to apply their home country’s law, subject to court approval.

The practical problems families face

• Frozen bank accounts. Personal accounts can be frozen until the court confirms the heirs, including the account that pays the mortgage, service charges and DEWA.
• Property stuck in limbo. The Dubai Land Department will not transfer a title deed without a court order or inheritance certificate.
• Guardianship. If no guardian is named, the court decides who looks after minor children.
• Delay and cost. Families translate and attest documents and attend hearings, often from abroad. Settling an estate without a will commonly takes 6 to 18 months.

What happens to your Dubai property when you die?

Your Dubai property stays in your name until a court confirms who inherits it, and nobody can sell or transfer it until then. That has four practical effects:

• No automatic transfer to a co-owner. UAE law does not recognise survivorship, so if you own a property 50/50 with your spouse, your share passes through your estate, not straight to them. Each co-owner needs their own will.
• The mortgage continues. The loan does not disappear on death. The bank keeps its security over the property, so check that your mortgage life cover is active and covers the current balance.
• The tenancy continues. A tenant with a valid Ejari contract stays. Someone still has to collect rent, handle renewals and deal with maintenance requests.
• Bills keep arriving. Service charges, DEWA and chiller bills keep running even if the account that paid them is frozen.

A registered will speeds up who inherits the property. A property manager keeps it rented, maintained and compliant while that happens.

UAE inheritance laws in 2026

Which rules apply depends mainly on your religion and where your will is registered.

The law gives non-Muslims real freedom over their UAE estate, but only if the will is registered with a UAE authority.

DIFC vs ADJD vs Dubai Courts: which will should you choose?

For most property owners, an ADJD will gives the best balance of cost, validity and convenience. A DIFC will can suit complex business holdings or people who want the DIFC’s English-language common-law court.

Government fees only, as published in 2026. Drafting and translation are extra wherever you register.

DIFC will types and costs

Why an ADJD will suits most property owners

• Lower cost. The AED 950 fee is about a tenth of a DIFC full will.
• UAE-wide validity. One will covers property in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and every other Emirate.
• Already in Arabic. The will is bilingual from the start, in the language of the UAE courts.
• Remote-friendly. Most of the process is online, which suits owners living abroad.

Is my UK or home-country will valid in the UAE?

It may be legally valid, but it is slow to use. Your family would need to translate it into Arabic, attest it in your home country, at the UAE embassy and at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then ask a UAE court to recognise it. A UAE-registered will for your UAE assets avoids that. Keep your home-country will for assets abroad, and make sure the two do not contradict each other.

How much does a will cost in Dubai in 2026?

Expect to pay a government registration fee plus a drafting fee. Government fees are AED 950 at ADJD, about AED 2,167 at the Dubai Courts notary and AED 5,000 to AED 10,000 at the DIFC for a single will.

Veer & Sant’s ADJD wills packages:

Every package includes legal consultation, certified Arabic translation, document review, court assistance, unlimited amendments before registration and full coordination with ADJD. The AED 950 ADJD fee per will is paid separately.

How to register a will in the UAE, step by step

With Veer & Sant, an ADJD will is typically registered 45 to 60 days after your documents are ready.

Free consultation. We discuss your assets, family and goals and confirm the right will.

Gather documents. Passport, Emirates ID and visa (if any), marital status, beneficiaries’ full names and IDs, and details of your UAE assets. For property: title deed, Oqood or SPA. For guardianship: your children’s passports and the guardian’s details. Couples also need a marriage certificate.

Drafting. We draft the will in English with a certified Arabic translation, with unlimited amendments until registration.

Review and submission. We check every document and submit through the ADJD portal.

Notary appointment. We arrange your video appointment and support you through it.

Registered. Your will is valid across the UAE. You can update it later if your circumstances change.

Who runs your property while the estate is settled?

A will decides who gets your Dubai property. It does not collect the rent, renew the Ejari or fix the AC in August. During the months an estate can take, and for overseas families who inherit a property thousands of kilometres away, someone has to run it.

That is why Veer & Sant offers wills and property management in Dubai under one roof. One RERA-licensed team knows your property, tenant, compliance status and estate plan.

What our property management covers

• Tenant management: requests, complaints, move-in and move-out, with us as the single point of contact.
• Rent collection: payment tracking, reminders, formal notices and escalation to the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC) if needed.
• Maintenance: AC servicing to emergency plumbing, with a 24/7 emergency line and vendors dispatched on site.
• Inspections: scheduled visits with thermal and endoscopic cameras that find hidden leaks early.
• Ejari and RERA compliance: registrations, renewals and RERA-compliant contracts, with every date tracked.
• DEWA and utilities: registration, disconnection and meter readings, so no bills build up.
• Owner reporting: monthly rent reports, quarterly condition and financial statements, and an annual review.

Packages and pricing

Example: an apartment let at AED 120,000 a year on Premier costs AED 6,000 + VAT a year to manage.

Built for overseas owners and their families

Most of our clients live outside the UAE, in the UK, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Europe, and manage their Dubai property without travelling here:

• vacant properties are typically let within 9 to 21 days
• new clients are onboarded in 5 to 7 days
• tenant disputes and early terminations are handled through RERA and the RDSC, usually in 2 to 8 weeks
• Power of Attorney services on the Signature package let us act for you on the ground

7 will mistakes Dubai property owners make

1. Relying on a home-country will. Your family will need it translated, attested and proved in a UAE court.
2. Assuming joint ownership means automatic inheritance. Each co-owner needs their own will; mirror wills make this simple for couples.
3. Forgetting guardianship. If you have children under 18 in the UAE, name a guardian.
4. Ignoring the mortgage. Check your mortgage life cover, especially after refinancing.
5. Not naming an executor. Choose someone you trust, and a back-up.
6. Never updating the will. Review it after a marriage, divorce, new child or new purchase.
7. Planning ownership but not management. Make sure someone can run the property while the estate is settled.

Your will checklist

• List every UAE asset: property (title deed, Oqood or SPA), bank accounts, investments and business shares
• Decide on beneficiaries, an executor and guardians for minor children
• Choose your registry: ADJD, DIFC or Dubai Courts
• Gather passports, Emirates IDs and your marriage certificate
• Register the will and tell your executor where it is
• Put a property manager in place
• Review the will every two to three years

Protect your family and your property with one team

Most owners deal with five companies: a snagging firm, a leasing agent, a property manager, a lawyer and a will-writer. With Veer & Sant, one RERA-licensed team handles handover inspections, leasing, management, tenant disputes and ADJD wills.

FAQ