DIFC Wills Service: five questions before planning around a property
Read the five questions ↓Start with the service's stated audience, not a general rule about inheritance. DIFC Courts describes its Wills Service as an option for non-Muslims investing and living in the UAE to pass on assets and/or appoint guardians in accordance with their Will.[1]
That description is a starting point for a conversation, not a determination of your eligibility or what happens to a particular property. This page is an original reading checklist, not a will, an inheritance calculation or a recommendation to use one registration route.
1. Does this service fit my circumstances?
The official description names non-Muslims investing and living in the UAE.[1] Ask the service or your legal adviser which current requirements apply to your circumstances. Do not turn a short service introduction into a personal eligibility decision.
2. Which property interest am I asking about?
Write down the question you need answered: for example, an already owned home, a joint interest or a purchase still under an off-plan contract. These are question prompts, not confirmed service-coverage categories. Ask which exact interest and documents the proposed Will would address. We have not established property-specific or off-plan coverage from this source.
3. Am I asking about assets, guardianship, or both?
The service introduction mentions assets and/or appointing guardians for children.[1] Keep those objectives separate in your preparation notes. Ask what the proposed document addresses and what remains outside it; do not assume that mentioning one objective settles the other.
4. Will I understand the document I sign?
DIFC Courts says Ministry of Justice licensed translators appointed by testators can be present during the Will signing appointment to assist non-English speakers.[1] If that matters to you, ask the service about the current arrangement before booking. This does not establish that every appointment or document is available in your language.
5. Which step am I actually arranging?
DIFC Courts distinguishes the Wills Service's administrative support from the Registry, where the register is held and probate matters and claims are handled.[1] Ask whether the next step concerns preparing a document, registration or a later probate matter. Do not treat a preparation enquiry as proof that a Will is registered or that a later estate outcome is settled.
A short question to take to the official service
“I want to understand whether this route fits my circumstances and the property interest I have in mind. Which current requirements and documents should I check, what would the document cover, and which step would I be arranging?”
Keep private identity, family, contract and financial documents out of public links or a public website enquiry field. Use the official service's own instructions for any documents it requests. This checklist has no upload, submission, storage or legal-document-generation function.
Source and limits
Source checked 27 October 2026. The source page's publication and effective dates were not established. The description supports this reading aid only: no current fee, processing time, inheritance share, applicable-law conclusion, cross-border recognition, court outcome or personal eligibility is verified here. Ask a suitably qualified adviser about your specific circumstances.
Sources
[1] https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services — Services | DIFC Courts
"The Wills Service provides administrative support to the DIFC Courts Wills Registry for Non-Muslims where the register of DIFC Courts Wills is held and where all probate matters and probate claims are handled."
"The DIFC Courts Wills Service is a joint initiative of the Government of Dubai and the DIFC Courts that gives non-Muslims investing and living in the UAE the option to pass on their assets and/or appoint guardians for their children, in accordance with the instructions in their Will."
"To accommodate Will registration services for non-English speakers, Ministry of Justice licensed translators appointed by testators can now be present during the Will signing appointment."