POAUAE, part of Knightsbridge Group, drafts and registers wills for non-Muslim residents of the UAE. This guide walks through who needs a UAE will, how registration actually works, and what happens if you put it off.

Three expats. Three very different outcomes.

The first registered a will with the DIFC Wills Service Centre within a year of buying her Dubai apartment. When she later remarried, her lawyer flagged the update needed and it took twenty minutes to amend. The second assumed the will he had made in his home country would cover his UAE assets too. It did not, and his family spent months untangling a process nobody had prepared them for. The third never got around to it at all. His case is now a textbook example, cited by advisors across the region, of why “later” is a risky plan.

Most expats fall into the second or third category, not because they do not care, but because nobody explained clearly what a UAE will actually does, or how easy it is to put one in place. This guide covers both. 

Why a will made at home does not automatically work here

It is a reasonable assumption. You already have a will, drafted by a lawyer, covering your estate. Surely it applies wherever you live?

In the UAE, it usually does not, at least not on its own. UAE courts and land, bank and company registries generally look for instructions that are valid and recognised locally. A foreign will can sometimes be used as supporting evidence of intent, but relying on it alone, with no UAE registered will in place, creates delay, uncertainty and cost for the family left to sort it out.

The reverse is also true. If your only will is a UAE registered one and you also hold assets abroad, that will may say nothing about your home country property. The right approach for most expats is a UAE will that works alongside their home country will, each covering its own jurisdiction, drafted so neither accidentally cancels the other. 

What happens without a registered will

Without a locally registered will, the UAE’s default succession rules apply to your estate. For non-Muslim expats, recent legal reforms have introduced clearer default rules than in years past, but “default” still means rules you did not choose, applied by a court, to a family that is grieving and now also navigating an unfamiliar legal process.

In practice, that can mean:

  • Bank accounts frozen while the estate is formally established, including joint accounts in some cases
  • Property transactions paused until the court process concludes
  • Guardianship of children decided by a judge, based on the information available to them, rather than by the parents in advance
  • Longer timelines and more cost than a straightforward registered will process would involve

None of this is designed to be punitive. It is what happens by default when no clear, locally valid instructions exist. A registered will replaces that default process with your own instructions. 

Who should register a UAE will

If any of the following applies to you, a UAE will is worth putting in place. 

You are a non-Muslim expat living in the UAE. This is the largest group by far, and the group the DIFC, Dubai Courts and Abu Dhabi routes were built for. 

You have children under 18. Guardianship is often the single biggest reason parents finally get this done. A will lets you name who steps in, rather than leaving that decision to a court that has never met your family. 

You own property in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE. Whether it is a family home, a buy to let apartment or an off-plan unit, clear instructions prevent delay when the property needs to be sold, transferred or passed on. 

You hold shares in a UAE company, mainland or free zone. Business interests need to be specifically addressed, or continuity can be disrupted at exactly the moment your family or business partners can least afford it. 

You hold assets in more than one country. A UAE will and a home country will can work together. Getting that coordination right is a common source of avoidable problems, and one worth getting professional help with. 

The three registration routes

Non-Muslim residents currently have three main ways to register a will in the UAE. Each has its own process, language and scope, and the right one depends on your circumstances rather than a single universal answer. 

DIFC Wills Service Centre. An English language, common law process, open to non-Muslims whether or not they are UAE residents, covering assets in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. Popular with expats who want proceedings conducted in familiar legal terms. 

Dubai Courts. A Dubai government registration route, available in Arabic or bilingual form, registered directly with the Dubai judicial system. 

Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD). A federal option covering non-Muslim residents with assets anywhere in the UAE, generally without a witness requirement, often chosen by residents based outside Dubai or with assets spread across multiple emirates.

We cover the differences between these three in detail, including language, cost and asset coverage, in our companion guide, DIFC vs ADJD vs Dubai Courts Will: Which Registry to Use. If you are trying to decide which route fits your situation, that is the next thing to read. 

What a good UAE will actually covers

A will that only lists who gets what is doing half the job. A well drafted UAE will should also address:

  • Guardianship, naming a first choice guardian for any children under 18, plus a backup
  • An executor, the person or professional responsible for carrying out your instructions
  • Specific bequests, for named individuals, causes or institutions
  • Business and share provisions, so a company or shareholding is handled as you intend, not left in limbo
  • Digital assets, where relevant, so your family knows what exists and how it can be accessed 

Keeping it current

A will is not a document you sign once and forget. Marriage, a new child, buying property, selling a business or moving to a different jurisdiction are all reasons to review what you have in place. Many advisors recommend a review at least every few years even when nothing obvious has changed, since registries and requirements can be updated over time. 

Where to start

If you already know you need a will, the next practical step is deciding which registry fits your circumstances, then getting the drafting right the first time. POAUAE drafts wills in English with certified Arabic translation where required, and handles registration with the DIFC, Dubai Courts or Abu Dhabi Judicial Department on your behalf.

Book a will consultation and we will confirm what you actually need, in plain language, before anything is drafted. 

FAQs 

Do I need a UAE will if I already have a will at home? Usually yes. A home country will does not automatically cover your UAE assets. The two can work together if drafted correctly, which is something we check as part of every consultation. 

What happens to my children’s guardianship if I do not have a will? Without a registered will naming a guardian, that decision can fall to a court. A will lets you make that choice yourself in advance. 

Can I register a will if I am not a UAE resident but own property here? In many cases yes, particularly through the DIFC route, which is open to non-residents with UAE assets. We can confirm your eligibility during a consultation. 

How often should I update my will? Review it after any major life event (marriage, a new child, a property purchase, a business sale) and at least every few years even without a specific trigger. 

Where do I start? Book a consultation. We will assess your situation, recommend the right registry, and handle drafting and registration from there. 

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