You know your parents own an apartment or villa in the UAE. Maybe they bought it as an investment. Maybe they spend winters there. Either way, have you ever asked the question: what would happen to that property if one of them were to pass away?
For most families, the honest answer is: nothing has been arranged. And in the UAE, “nothing arranged” does not simply mean a short delay or a bit of paperwork. It means frozen assets, expensive legal proceedings and an inheritance distribution your family may never have agreed to.
The property gets frozen immediately
When a property owner in the UAE passes away, the relevant authorities freeze every asset linked to that person. Bank accounts, property titles, vehicle registrations: everything stops.
No one can sell the property. No one can rent it out. No one can access the funds in associated accounts. This freeze stays in place until a court issues a succession order. And in the absence of a registered DIFC will, that process is anything but quick.
Probate can take 12 to 24 months
Without a DIFC will, your family would need to navigate the regular UAE court system to unlock the property. This involves:
- Obtaining official death certificates and having them attested for UAE use.
- Appointing a lawyer who is licensed to appear before the UAE courts.
- Translating and legalising documents from your home country.
- Waiting for court hearings, which are scheduled at the court’s pace.
In practice, this process takes between 12 and 24 months. Some cases take even longer, particularly when there are multiple heirs or when documentation from the home country is incomplete.
During this entire period, the property sits idle. If there is a mortgage, the payments still need to be made. If there are tenants, rental income may be inaccessible. Service charges and fees continue to accumulate.
The costs add up quickly
The legal costs of probate without a will in the UAE are substantial. Between court fees, lawyer fees, document translation, legalisation and attestation, families typically spend €10,000 or more. In complex cases with multiple properties or jurisdictions, the figure can be significantly higher.
These are costs your parents never intended to leave behind, and they come at the worst possible moment: when the family is grieving and least equipped to deal with bureaucracy.
Inheritance may not follow your parents’ wishes
Perhaps the most unsettling consequence is this: without a DIFC will, the UAE courts may apply Sharia-based inheritance rules by default. For non-Muslim families, this can produce outcomes that are dramatically different from what your parents would have chosen.
Under these default rules:
- A surviving spouse may receive only 12.5% of the property value if there are children.
- The remainder is divided among children and other relatives according to a fixed formula.
- The distribution is not something the family can negotiate or adjust after the fact.
- Since 1 January 2026, Federal Decree-Law No. 51 of 2024 adds a further risk: assets of deceased persons without identifiable heirs are permanently transferred to a state-managed Waqf foundation. For your parents, with children, the direct Waqf risk is limited - but proving heirship from abroad remains the real obstacle.
Your parents likely assumed that their home-country will covers everything. But a will drafted in Europe, North America or elsewhere has no automatic legal standing in the UAE. A separate, locally registered will is needed to ensure their wishes are respected.
A DIFC will changes all of this
A DIFC will is a will registered at the Dubai International Financial Centre. It allows non-Muslim property owners to specify exactly who inherits their UAE assets, following the legal principles they choose rather than the default rules. The DIFC operates under common law, which means the will is enforceable through a legal system that foreign families recognise and trust.
With a DIFC will in place:
- The property does not get stuck in a lengthy probate process.
- Your parents decide the distribution, not a default formula.
- The costs of settling the estate are a fraction of the alternative.
- Your family is spared months of legal uncertainty at the most difficult time.
What you can do right now
If your parents own property in the UAE and you are not sure whether they have a DIFC will, it is worth having the conversation. You do not need to be an expert. You just need to raise the question.
The guidance packages from UAE Property Wills start at €797 for a single or mirror will (couples). DIFC registration costs (AED 7,500 for a single will, AED 10,000 for mirror wills) are separate and paid directly to the DIFC portal.
A short consultation can clarify whether your parents need a DIFC will and what the next steps would be.