What happens if a non-Muslim expat dies in the UAE without a will?

Under the federal personal status law for non-Muslims, in force since February 2023, half of the estate goes to the surviving spouse and half is divided equally among the children. Bank accounts are frozen and property transfers suspended until the courts decide, which is why a registered will still matters.

What changed for expats under the 2026 Civil Transactions Law?

From 1 June 2026, financial assets in the UAE belonging to a foreigner who dies with no heirs become a charitable endowment under official oversight, and the age of adulthood fell from 21 to 18.

How much does a DIFC will cost?

The DIFC Courts list AED 10,000 for a full will for one person, AED 15,000 for mirror wills for a couple, and AED 5,000 for a guardianship will covering children under 18.

Where can non-Muslims register a will in the UAE?

At the DIFC Wills Service Centre, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Dubai Courts, the Ministry of Justice or ADGM Courts. The DIFC and Abu Dhabi both allow some steps to be done remotely.

Why Every Family Moving to the UAE Needs a Will in 2026

A new UAE law took effect on 1 June 2026, and dying without a will still freezes accounts and leaves children without a named guardian. What the rules are, where to register, and what it costs.

Most people moving to the UAE put a will somewhere near the bottom of the list, after the visa, the school places and the bank account. In 2026 it deserves to move up. A new federal law that took effect on 1 June 2026 changed what happens to some expats' assets, and the practical problems of dying without a will in the UAE haven't gone away. Here's what you need to know, as of September 2026. This guide is written for non-Muslim residents; for Muslims, Islamic inheritance rules apply.

What changed in 2026

The UAE's new Civil Transactions Law came into effect on 1 June 2026. Two parts of it matter to relocating families:

Assets with no heirs now go to a charitable endowment. Under the law, financial assets in the UAE belonging to a foreigner who dies with no heirs are designated as a charitable endowment, managed under official oversight. A will is how you make sure that isn't your estate's outcome.
Adulthood is now 18, not 21. At 18, young people can sign contracts, take out loans, buy and sell property, and register a business. If you have teenagers, that affects how you plan who inherits what, and when.

What happens if you die without a will

Since February 2023, a federal law on personal status for non-Muslims has set a default: if there is no will, half of the estate goes to the surviving spouse, and the other half is divided equally among the children, with no difference between sons and daughters. You may see older guides saying Islamic inheritance rules apply to everyone by default; for non-Muslims, that stopped being the starting point in 2023.

A default split still leaves real problems:

Accounts freeze. Bank accounts are frozen and property transfers are suspended until the courts decide who owns what. That can leave a surviving spouse without access to money at the worst possible moment.
Your spouse only gets half. Many couples would rather everything passed to the surviving partner first. The default doesn't do that.
No named guardian. A will lets you say who should look after children under 18. The DIFC even offers a separate guardianship-only will for exactly this reason.

If your family's residency depends on your visa, this matters twice over: under the Golden Visa, sponsored family members can stay until their visas expire, but they still need access to money and property in the meantime. We cover that in7 common Golden Visa problems.

Where to register a will in the UAE

Non-Muslim residents can register a will with any of these:

DIFC Wills Service Centre (Dubai): an English common-law system. Open to non-Muslims aged 18 or over with assets in the UAE, or minor children living in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah, and witnesses can attend virtually.
Abu Dhabi Judicial Department: covers assets across the UAE, works in English and Arabic, and registration can be done in person or by video.
Dubai Courts (notary public), the Ministry of Justice, and ADGM Courts in Abu Dhabi.

What it costs at the DIFC

The DIFC Courts publish their fees. For a single person (a "mirror" will for a couple costs more):

Full will (all assets): AED 10,000, or AED 15,000 for mirror wills.
Guardianship will (children under 18): AED 5,000.
Property will (up to five UAE properties): AED 7,500.
Financial assets will (up to 10 UAE bank accounts): AED 5,000.
Changing a registered will later: AED 550.

Add a lawyer's drafting fee if you use one. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department is generally described as the lower-cost option; check its current fees before you book.

Your five-step plan

List what you own in the UAE: property, bank accounts, company shares, and digital assets.
Decide who inherits, and who looks after your children if both parents die.
Choose a registry: DIFC for a common-law will in English, Abu Dhabi for a lower-cost bilingual option.
Keep your home-country will aligned, so the two don't contradict each other. Ask your lawyer how they interact.
Review it after big changes: a new property, a new child, or a move between emirates.

A will is one of about 20 tasks in a well-ordered UAE move.Build your free relocation planand GulfPilot puts every step in the right order for your visa and family.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Estate planning depends on your nationality, your assets and your family, so speak to a UAE-qualified lawyer before you register.