Q
Guide: Wills and Estates ยท 5 minute read
DIFC Will: Who Can Make One and How It Works
A
A DIFC will is a will made and registered through the DIFC Courts Wills Service, for non-Muslims who live in or invest in the UAE. We draft the will with you and check every clause before you sign. You then sign and register it with the DIFC Courts, which hold the register.
At a glance
The DIFC Courts Wills Service is for non-Muslims who invest in or live in the UAE.
You can pass on assets, appoint guardians for your children, or both.
We draft and check the text. The DIFC Courts set the signing and registration appointment.
If you need help with English, a translator can be present at the signing appointment.
A dispute or court case needs a practising advocate. We prepare documents; we do not represent people in court.
WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790 and tell us what you own and who should inherit.
What a DIFC will is
The DIFC Courts Wills Service supports the DIFC Courts Wills Registry for Non-Muslims. That registry holds the register of wills and handles probate. The service was set up by Resolution No. 4 of 2014 of the DIFC President, and Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 re-affirmed its authority over inheritance, wills and probate for non-Muslims.
In short, the will is registered with the DIFC Courts, not with a notary. The registry you choose sets your appointment. We do not register the will, and our in-house notary public does not register it.
Checklist
DIFC will requirements
To use the service, you must be a non-Muslim who invests in or lives in the UAE. Beyond that, the DIFC Courts decide what the registry needs at your appointment. The service offers these types of will:
Full will
Property will
Financial assets will
Business owners will
Digital assets will
Guardianship will
Which type fits depends on what you own. Tell us your assets and we will tell you where to start.
DIFC will documents required
The exact list comes from the DIFC Courts at your appointment. We help you gather what you will need to write the will correctly:
01
A list of what you own, such as property, bank accounts, shares or a business.
02
The names of the people who should inherit, and what each should receive.
03
The name of the executor you want to appoint.
04
The name of a guardian, if you have children under 18.
05
Your passport or Emirates ID.
DIFC will procedure
01
You send us your assets and wishes.
02
We draft the will and check every clause with you.
03
Where the text needs an Arabic or English version, a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice prepares it.
04
You book your signing and registration appointment through the DIFC Courts eRegistry, which has a login and appointments page.
05
You sign at the appointment. A translator you appoint can attend with you.
DIFC will fees
The DIFC Courts set their own registration fee, and we do not state it here. Ask the DIFC Courts Wills Service, or ask us and we will tell you what to expect.
Our own will drafting is from AED 4,000. The registry fee is separate. Fees may vary with the will, and we confirm your price before you pay.
All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.
DIFC will processing time
The DIFC Courts decide how soon an appointment is available. We do not promise a date. The quickest way to save time is to send us your list of assets and wishes first, so the draft is ready before you book.
Watch for
Mistakes that get a will turned back
01
A name that does not match the passport.
02
Leaving out a guardian for children under 18.
03
A property or asset described too loosely.
04
Treating the will as a replacement for court work in a dispute. That needs a practising advocate.
How we prepare it
We draft the will, check every clause, and prepare the Arabic text through a legal translator. We work from your document first, so the paper is right before anyone signs it. For choosing where to register, read our guide to how to register a will in the UAE. For our service, see will writing in Dubai for expats. For notary costs in general, see how much a legal document costs to notarise in Dubai.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, ask it on WhatsApp. Tell us what the document is for and who will sign it.
How much does a DIFC will cost?
The DIFC Courts set their own fee, so ask the Wills Service for the current figure. Our will drafting is from AED 4,000, and the registry fee is separate. We confirm your final price before you pay.
How long does a DIFC will take?
It depends on appointment availability at the DIFC Courts and on how ready your draft is. We do not give a fixed time. Send us your assets and wishes first so the draft is ready.
What documents are required for a DIFC will?
The DIFC Courts decide the final list at your appointment. You should have your ID, a list of your assets, the names of your heirs and executor, and a guardian if you have young children.
Can a DIFC will be done online?
The DIFC Courts Wills Service has an online login and appointments page, called the eRegistry. Whether your signing can be done remotely is for the DIFC Courts to confirm. Contact them or ask us.
Who can make a DIFC will?
Non-Muslims who invest in or live in the UAE can use the DIFC Courts Wills Service. If you are unsure whether you qualify, ask us before you start.
How to register a will in the UAE: choosing where to register
How to register a will in the UAE: the questions that decide between DIFC, the Dubai Courts notary and Abu Dhabi, and how each route changes the drafting.
Read more about Will registration
Can a lawyer be a notary in the UAE?
Can a lawyer be a notary in Dubai and the UAE? Yes, once registered as a private notary. Who may notarise, how to check, and what a lawyer alone can sign.
Read more about Can a lawyer be a notary?
Is a lawyer a notary public? The difference between a notary and an advocate in the UAE
Is a lawyer a notary public in the UAE? Not automatically. The plain answer under UAE and Dubai law, and how a notary differs from an advocate.
Read more about Is a lawyer a notary?
The UAE Attorney General office: what it does and how it differs by emirate
What the UAE Attorney General office does, how the federal prosecution differs from Dubai and Abu Dhabi prosecution, and the documents people need.
Read more about UAE Attorney General office
Send us your details
Call or WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790, or email support@notariolawyersuae.com. Tell us what the document is for and who will sign it, and we will reply with what it needs and a starting price. Our office is on the 10th floor, Battuta Gate offices, Dubai. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7. You can also message us on WhatsApp.
Our services