UAE Inheritance, Wills & Succession Laws
A practical guide to civil succession for non-Muslims, the current federal Personal Status Law, bank-account succession, Will registration and inherited-property transfer.
Important: inheritance is not governed by one identical rule for every resident. Religion, nationality, the applicable personal status framework, the existence of a Will, emirate, asset type and court jurisdiction can all affect the outcome.
The most important 2026 legal distinction
The current federal Personal Status Law is Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024.
Separately, Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022remains the federal Civil Personal Status framework dealing with non-Muslims. It contains its own Will and intestate succession rules and permits certain alternative-law choices within its scope.
Which succession framework may apply?
UAE succession law must be analysed from the deceased’s personal circumstances and the asset involved. A non-Muslim foreign resident may fall within the Civil Personal Status framework under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022, which specifically addresses non-Muslim residents and provides a Will-based civil succession route.
The current Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024 contains the federal Personal Status Law and its inheritance chapter, including Sharia-based fixed shares. Its scope also contains provisions for non-UAE citizens who insist on applying their home law or another law permitted by UAE legislation.
Because these regimes can overlap with local court jurisdiction, registered Wills and the location/type of assets, a Will should be drafted and registered for the actual estate rather than relying on a generic inheritance percentage.
Intestacy: what the current legislation says
| Framework | Without a Will | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Personal Status — non-Muslims | Article 11 of Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 provides that half of the inheritance devolves to the husband or wife and the other half is distributed equally among the children, without distinction between male and female. Where there are no children, the legislation contains further rules for parents, siblings and other situations. | This is the statutory civil framework and does not mean every foreign resident is forced to use it regardless of permitted alternative-law choices. |
| Current federal Personal Status Law | Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024 contains Sharia inheritance rules with fixed shares and agnatic inheritance principles. | A complete inheritance distribution depends on all surviving heirs and the full family structure; one spouse or child percentage cannot determine the whole estate by itself. |
Non-Muslim civil Will route
Federal civil framework
Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 permits a person within its scope to make a Will covering property owned in the State in favour of a person of their choice, subject to the law and Executive Regulation.
Abu Dhabi Civil Wills
ADJD provides a Civil Wills service and states that the Will must be registered for it to be legally recognised within that process.
DIFC Courts Wills
DIFC Courts offers multiple Will types under its dedicated Wills Service and separately publishes the applicable eligibility, registration and fee rules.
Why a Will does not mean “no court process”
- A registered Will expresses the succession wishes, but estate administration still involves the competent court or authority.
- Banks, property registries and other asset holders may require probate, inheritance documentation or execution orders before releasing or transferring assets.
- The Will must comply with the rules of the registry where it is registered.
- Property registration is a separate administrative step from drafting the Will.
- Cross-border assets may require procedures in the country where those assets are located.
Current official Will-registration options
DIFC Courts Wills Service
Specialist DIFC Courts Will registry with different Will types, including Full, Property, Guardianship, Business Owners, Financial Assets and Digital Assets Wills.
Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Civil Wills
ADJD Civil Wills service for non-Muslim applicants, with the official court describing a standard Will form and procedures for registration and probate.
Bank accounts after death
| Account situation | Current legal position |
|---|---|
| Sole account | Access to the deceased’s estate is subject to the applicable succession and court/administrative process. Beneficiaries should not assume that a Will alone gives immediate access to the bank balance. |
| Joint account | Under Article 379 of Federal Decree by Law No. 50 of 2022, the other joint-account owners must notify the bank of the death within 10 days. The bank suspends withdrawals within the limits of the deceased co-owner’s share, and that share cannot be withdrawn until a successor is appointed. |
| “Survivorship” clause | A generic claim that a joint-account survivorship clause automatically releases the deceased’s share is unsafe. The actual account agreement, applicable banking law and succession process determine what happens. |
Real estate after death
Dubai
Dubai Land Department legislation provides that where an estate contains real-property rights, the inheritance certificate is registered in the Property Register.
The current DLD fee schedule lists AED 1,000 for registering ownership of each inherited real property in the heirs’ names.
Abu Dhabi and other emirates
The succession/probate process and real-estate registration procedure are handled through the competent local court and real-estate authority. Do not describe DLD procedure or DLD fees as a UAE-wide property-inheritance rule.
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Related UAE personal-status and estate resources
Official sources checked for 2026
These are primary government, court or legislation references. This page is not certified, verified or endorsed by DIFC Courts, ADJD, DLD, the UAE Ministry of Justice or any other authority.