Wills And Foundation
Wills and Inheritance in the UAE
Protect your assets. Protect your family. Protect your wishes.
Estate planning in the UAE is not something to leave to luck, assumptions, or a family group
chat.
Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 applies to non-Muslim UAE citizens and non-Muslim
foreigners residing in the UAE on matters including inheritance and wills, unless they choose
another applicable law. The law also states that in the absence of a will, estate distribution
follows default rules, while a registered will can direct how property is distributed after death.
That means the right solution depends on your religion, nationality, residence, asset location,
business holdings, and whether guardianship for minor children needs to be included.
At Klay Consultants, we help clients make sense of the options before they sign the
wrong document in the wrong jurisdiction.
Why a UAE Will matters
A properly registered will helps ensure your UAE assets are distributed according to your wishes rather than default legal rules. The DIFC Courts say many expatriates are unaware
that, without a registered will, transferring assets to loved ones can be time-consuming and
legally complex.
Under the current civil personal status framework, a testator has the right to leave a will for
all property they own in the UAE, and if there is no will, the law provides default inheritance
distribution rules.
For families with children, a will is not just about money. It is also about guardianship,
continuity, and avoiding a legal mess when the family is already dealing with loss. The DIFC
Courts specifically allow guardianship provisions in registered wills, and ADJD and ADGM
both provide will services that can include guardianship depending on the route chosen.
What Klay Consultants helps with
We help clients with practical inheritance planning across the UAE, including will structuring,
jurisdiction selection, guardianship planning, and registration coordination.
Our role is to help you choose the correct route based on your actual situation, not a
one-size-fits-all template that looks neat and fails when it matters.
Our support includes:
Will drafting support, will registration guidance, inheritance and succession planning,
guardianship planning for minor children, asset structuring for the UAE and cross-border
estates, and coordination with the right registration authority.
UAE will registration routes
1) DIFC Wills Service
The DIFC Courts Wills Service is a joint initiative of the Government of Dubai and the DIFC
Courts for non-Muslims living and investing in the UAE. It lets registered wills direct the
transfer of assets and, where relevant, guardianship for children.
To register a DIFC will, the person must be non-Muslim, at least 21 years old, and own
assets in the UAE and/or have minor children residing in the UAE. The service also offers
five will types: Full Will, Guardianship Will, Property Will, Business Owners Will, and
Financial Assets Will.
DIFC allows virtual registration from anywhere in the world, and spouses can register mirror
wills in a joint appointment.
Best for: clients who want a structured, court-backed common-law style process, especially
where guardianship, business interests, or multiple asset classes are involved.
UAE will registration routes
ADJD’s non-Muslim wills process is fully digital at the start: the application is submitted
online, reviewed by the department, approved or amended by SMS notice, paid for, and then
notarised by video call. ADJD also confirms that money and property outside the UAE can
be bequeathed, and its FAQ explains the executory wording step used to enforce the will
later.
Best for: clients looking for a more cost-effective route with a straightforward registration
process and the ability to include UAE and foreign assets.
UAE will registration routes
3. ADGM Wills Office
ADGM’s Wills Office notarizes non-Muslim wills for disposition of estate, guardianship of
minor children, or both. The will must be bilingual in Arabic and English and certified by a
legal translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. ADGM is fully digital, but it does not
provide probate services. Probate applications must be registered with ADJD’s Wills and
Probate Office.
Mirror Will vs Single Will
A mirror will is for spouses. Each spouse has a separate will, but both are signed in the
same appointment and follow the same estate plan. DIFC explicitly recognizes mirror wills,
and the service allows spouses to register them together.
For couples with children or shared assets, mirror wills are usually the cleaner option. Not
always mandatory, but often smarter than pretending one will magically covers two different
people. The law rarely rewards lazy paperwork.
Pricing
| Authority / Route | Type / Fee Details | Cost (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| DIFC | Full Will (Single) | 10,000 |
| Full Will (Mirror) | 15,000 | |
| ADJD | Government Fee (Single) | 950 |
| Klay Fee | 1,200 | |
| Mirror Will Add-on | 400 | |
| Dubai Courts / Local Route | Government Fee | 2,250 |
| Klay Fee | 1,200 | |
| Mirror Will Add-on | 400 |
Why clients come to Klay
Most inheritance problems come from three things: no will, the wrong jurisdiction, or a will
drafted without understanding how UAE rules actually work.
Clients usually come to us with questions like:
Which jurisdiction fits my assets best? Should I register in DIFC, ADJD, or ADGM? Do I
need guardianship provisions for my children? What happens to business shares or bank
accounts if I do nothing? How do I keep the process valid, practical, and enforceable?
That is where proper guidance matters. The wrong route can cost more later than the
“cheap” route saves today.
Why clients come to Klay
A proper will is not just a document. It has to match the reality of your family, your assets,
and the legal route you are using.
For example, DIFC’s will types are built around different asset categories and guardianship
needs, while ADGM requires bilingual drafting and legal translation certification. ADJD also
has its own process, including online submission, review, fee payment, and video
notarization.
If you own more than one type of asset, have children, hold company shares, or have assets
across different jurisdictions, structure matters. A template will can be the legal equivalent of
taping a broken chair and calling it furniture.
Klay Consultants helps you choose the right route and move through the process with clarity,
proper documentation, and far less drama than an inheritance dispute deserves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anyone with UAE assets, children, or family responsibilities should consider it. This is
especially important for non-Muslim residents and investors because UAE law provides
formal will and inheritance routes for them.
Yes, for DIFC at least, a will can be registered virtually from anywhere in the world. The
DIFC Courts state that testators and witnesses do not need to visit the UAE to sign.
Yes, ADJD says property and money outside the country can be bequeathed, and DIFC
allows foreign assets in certain will structures, though enforceability outside the UAE
depends on the other jurisdiction’s laws.
Do spouses need separate wills?
Usually yes. Mirror wills are separate wills signed in the same appointment. DIFC explicitly
provides for this.
Not always. DIFC handles probate through its Wills Registry framework, while ADGM does
not provide probate and requires probate applications to go through ADJD.
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