Wills in uae for expats
What this page covers
Wills in uae for expats
For foreign residents in the UAE, having a will that is recognised locally helps prevent assets from being missed or locked for long periods. It can cover UAE real estate and bank deposits, as well as offshore accounts and overseas life insurance, so that nothing important is left out in practice.
Without a clear will in the UAE, families may face frozen bank accounts, delays in accessing property and uncertainty over how the estate will be divided. A properly structured will gives non‑Muslim expats more freedom to set their own wishes and can make later court procedures simpler and faster for their heirs.
Solutions & Management does not provide legal services or draft wills, but can help you understand how your UAE assets and structures fit into your wider planning and connect you with specialist advisors where needed.
In brief
- A UAE will allows expats to specify how their estate should be distributed, instead of relying only on default legal rules that may not match their wishes or family situation.
- Real estate, local bank accounts, offshore funds and foreign insurance policies should all be reviewed, so that no part of the estate is left unclaimed or practically inaccessible for heirs.
- Registering a clear, well drafted will in the UAE can reduce delays for your family when dealing with banks, land departments and courts after a death, and can sit alongside wider asset and business structures.
What to do
When a foreign resident in the UAE dies without a local will, their family can face immediate legal and practical challenges. Banks typically freeze personal accounts as soon as they are notified of the death, cutting off access to funds at a critical time. In the past, in the absence of explicit instructions, inheritance could default to Sharia‑based distributions that did not always reflect an expat’s intentions, and even with recent reforms there is still no automatic mechanism that quickly releases assets or appoints guardians for children.
For non‑Muslim expats, the current framework gives much more freedom to distribute an estate by will, and even provides default shares between spouse and children if no will exists. However, these default rules still require heirs to go through a formal court process to prove relationships and claim assets, which can be lengthy and emotionally draining. Many families therefore prefer to have a formally registered will in place, so that their specific wishes are recorded in advance and the administrative burden on relatives is reduced as much as possible.
A robust UAE will should look beyond just local property and bank deposits. It needs to account for all relevant asset classes, including offshore bank accounts, overseas life insurance policies and interests in companies or foundations, either within the UAE will itself or in coordination with a foreign will. Simply assuming that only real estate matters can leave parts of an estate effectively unclaimed or tied up because no one has the practical access details. Clear instructions on where key information is stored help ensure that executors and heirs can actually reach every asset that has been provided for them.
What to keep in mind
Expats in the UAE can choose between different local registration routes for their wills. One option is to have a will notarised by a specialised court, which then carries official authority in that jurisdiction and can provide a strong basis for inheritance proceedings across the country. Another option is to register through the onshore UAE courts via a notary public, which is the traditional method and integrates directly into the local legal system.
Local court registration usually requires the will to be in Arabic or in a dual‑language format with an official translation, and it must comply with UAE public order and laws. Precision in wording and structure is important, especially for non‑Muslims who want the document to clearly state their wishes and the law they wish to apply. Courts are generally expected to honour such instructions under recent reforms, but any ambiguity in language or format can still cause delays in probate and in releasing assets to heirs.
Real estate is often central to an expat’s succession planning in the UAE. When a property owner dies, the relevant Land Department will freeze dealings on the property until an official inheritance ruling or probate order is produced, meaning no sale, transfer or new rental can proceed. Even where a husband and wife jointly own a home, the deceased’s share forms part of the estate and does not pass automatically to the survivor. Having a will recognised in the UAE helps the surviving family obtain the necessary court order more quickly, reducing the risk of a prolonged limbo, especially if a sale or refinance is needed for the family’s benefit.