DIFC Will Registration: Cost, Types and Process
If you are not Muslim and own anything in the UAE, or have young children living in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah, you can register a will with the DIFC Courts Wills Service without being a resident and without flying in. A Full Will costs AED 10,000 (AED 15,000 for a couple's mirror wills), the signing takes about 20 minutes on a video call, and two witnesses can join from anywhere in the world. The other options are the non-Muslim wills register at the Dubai Courts and the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD).
What happens to your estate if you do nothing is covered in our separate piece on inheritance for non-Muslims. This article is about getting the will done.
Do you qualify?
The DIFC Courts list three conditions:
- you are not Muslim and have never been Muslim;
- you are at least 18;
- you own assets in the UAE and/or have minor children residing in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah.
No UAE residence visa is needed, and your executors and guardians do not have to live in the UAE either.
One point to check if you are between 18 and 20: Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 on non-Muslim wills, which also applies in the DIFC, lists a minimum age of 21 among its validity conditions (Article 9), while the DIFC Courts state 18. We clear that before booking.
Which DIFC will, and what it costs
Fees below are from Article IX of the DIFC Courts fee schedule as published on 24 September 2026. Mirror wills are two separate wills for a married couple signed at one appointment.
| Will | Covers | Single | Mirror |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Will | all movable and immovable assets, plus guardians | AED 10,000 | AED 15,000 |
| Property Will | up to 5 UAE properties | AED 7,500 | AED 10,000 |
| Business Owners Will | shares in up to 5 UAE companies | AED 5,000 | AED 7,500 |
| Financial Assets Will | up to 10 UAE bank or brokerage accounts | AED 5,000 | AED 7,500 |
| Digital Assets Will | digital assets | AED 5,000 | AED 7,500 |
| Guardianship Will | guardians for minor children only | AED 5,000 | AED 7,500 |
The rest of the price list:
- part of the fee is a non-refundable booking fee (AED 1,000 for a single Full Will, AED 2,000 for mirror Full Wills, 10% on most other types). It counts towards the fee, but is lost if you cancel, reschedule more than three times, or move the date by more than 90 days;
- modifying a will: AED 550 per will;
- withdrawing a will: no fee;
- applying for a Grant of Probate: USD 1,500, fixed regardless of the size of the estate;
- DIFC Courts fees are exempt from VAT;
- your lawyer's drafting fee is separate and not paid to the court.
How the maths usually works out. A couple with an apartment, two UAE bank accounts, a car and a six-year-old: a Property Will, a Financial Assets Will and a Guardianship Will as mirror wills would cost AED 25,000 and still leave the car and everything else outside the wills. Two mirror Full Wills cost AED 15,000 and cover all of it, including guardianship. With a single flat and nothing else, a Property Will for AED 7,500 can be enough.
Property, Business Owners and Financial Assets Wills can only be made on the online template. A Full Will can use the template or a bespoke text; bespoke wills are accepted from you personally or from a lawyer on the DIFC Courts register of Wills Draftsmen.
The process, step by step
- List what you own and decide who gets what. Include title deeds (an off-plan unit goes into a Property Will only once there is an Oqood certificate), accounts, shareholdings and digital assets. Choose an executor and, if you have children, interim and permanent guardians.
- Pick the will type based on that list rather than on price.
- Prepare the text on the template or as a bespoke document that meets the mandatory provisions of the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry Rules.
- Upload documents to the portal: your passport and Emirates ID (if you have one), your two witnesses' passports, title deeds or Oqood for a Property Will, share documents for a Business Owners Will, and signed Guardianship Statements from each guardian.
- Book and pay by card, or choose offline payment and pay within 3 days to hold the slot.
- Attend the signing, online or in person, for roughly 20 minutes. You need one device for the video call and one touchscreen device to sign. A Compliance Officer checks IDs, reads through the will with you, and you and the witnesses sign on screen.
- Download your copy straight away. The registry keeps no paper originals: the electronic will is the original.
Witnesses, executors and guardians
You need two witnesses aged 18+, with a passport, Emirates ID or other government photo ID. They cannot be beneficiaries or guardians, or spouses of either. Family members outside those categories are fine. Your executor can witness if eligible, and so can the registered draftsman who prepared the will.
Your executor applies for probate and administers the estate, and may also be a beneficiary. Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 requires a will to name one.
Guardians can be appointed for minor children living in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah. Each signs a Guardianship Statement in advance, and the appointment must not conflict with UAE public policy.
Life changes: marriage, divorce, amendments
- Marriage after registration revokes the will entirely, unless the will states the intention to marry that person. Plan a new will after the wedding.
- Divorce does not revoke the whole will, but gifts and appointments to the former spouse are treated as if that spouse had died on the date of divorce.
- Any change means signing a new will that fully replaces the old one — same procedure, AED 550.
- Withdrawal is a written application to the registry and costs nothing.
- A will in your home country is allowed, but if it is not drafted with the DIFC will in mind it can revoke it. Draft them together.
After death: probate
The executor emails the DIFC Courts probate team with the death certificate and is guided through the application. Once the court has the required documents, the DIFC Courts say a Grant of Probate in a straightforward case is "normally issued within a matter of a few weeks". The executor can handle it personally or appoint a lawyer. DIFC Courts orders are executed through the Dubai Courts as a standard formality.
A Full Will can mention assets outside the UAE, but enforcement abroad depends on the law where those assets sit. How a DIFC grant is executed against assets in other emirates depends on the emirate and the asset, and we check that before you sign.
Dubai Courts register
Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 set up a register of non-Muslim wills at both the Dubai Courts and the DIFC Courts (Article 6), and disputes go to the court where the will was registered (Article 29). Attesting non-Muslim wills is one of the listed functions of the Dubai Courts notary (Law No. 4 of 2013 on Notaries Public, Article 20, as amended in 2021).
The registration conditions in Article 8 are: a non-Muslim testator; a will that names an executor and says how the property is to be distributed; signature in front of two witnesses; no deletions or insertions; fees paid. A revocation must also be registered (Article 10). We could not confirm the fee, language requirements or attendance format on the official Dubai Courts portal today, so we confirm them on the date of registration.
One point for property owners: Article 4 of the same law applies the legislation in force in Dubai — not your home country's law — to wills and estates relating to real property in Dubai. For how inherited property is actually handled, see our article on inheriting real estate in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi (ADJD) in brief
The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department runs its own non-Muslim wills register. According to the ADJD FAQ, the application is filed on adjd.gov.ae by the testator or a representative holding a power of attorney; after review the fee is paid and a video appointment is booked; forms exist in Arabic and English. We could not confirm the fees or the rules for non-residents on an official page today.
Where to register: side by side
| DIFC Courts Wills | Dubai Courts | ADJD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | DIFC Rules; Dubai Law 15/2017 | Dubai Law 15/2017; Dubai Courts notary | Abu Dhabi law |
| Residence needed | no | to confirm | to confirm |
| Remote signing | yes, video | to confirm | video (ADJD FAQ) |
| Witnesses | 2, anywhere | 2 (Art. 8) | to confirm |
| Fee | AED 5,000–10,000 (single) | to confirm | to confirm |
| Probate / disputes | DIFC Courts | Dubai Courts | Abu Dhabi courts |
With assets mainly in Dubai, the DIFC is the usual choice: published rules and fees, fully remote. With significant assets in Abu Dhabi, compare ADJD first.
FAQ
How much does a DIFC will cost?
From AED 5,000 for a single narrow will to AED 10,000 for a single Full Will; AED 15,000 for mirror Full Wills. Lawyer's drafting fees come on top.
Do I have to be in the UAE?
No. Registration and amendments are done by video call, and witnesses can join from any country.
Does Federal Decree-Law 41/2022 cover non-residents?
That is an open question — the law refers to foreigners residing in the UAE. A registered will removes the uncertainty for the assets it covers.
Can I draft it myself?
The rules allow it, but the registry gives no legal advice. For blended families or assets in several countries, have it drafted with a lawyer — we do this as part of our legal support.
Sources
- DIFC Courts — Wills FAQ (eligibility, will types, witnesses, amendments, probate): https://www.difccourts.ae/about/faq/wills-faq — checked 24.09.2026
- DIFC Courts — Fees, Article IX (Wills Service fees): https://www.difccourts.ae/about/fees — checked 24.09.2026
- Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 on estates and wills of non-Muslims: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2017/Law%20No.%20(15)%20of%202017.html — checked 24.09.2026
- Dubai Law No. 26 of 2021 amending Law No. 4 of 2013 on Notaries Public (Article 20): https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2021/Law%20No.%20(26)%20of%202021%20Amending%20Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public.html — checked 24.09.2026
- ADJD — FAQs (registration of non-Muslim wills): https://www.adjd.gov.ae/EN/Pages/FAQs_.aspx — checked 24.09.2026
This is a general framework, not legal advice. Registry rules and fees change, and the right will depends on your family, nationality and where your assets are. We review each situation individually.