This comparison is a practical starting point, not a final eligibility or legal-effect decision. You do not choose the route yourself — the assessment and the legal review identify it.
The assessment provides a preliminary pathway only. It does not confirm final authority eligibility, create a final Will or complete registration.
The five UAE Will routes compared
Route
Who it may be relevant for
Main features
How it is handled
DIFC Courts Wills Service
A person who is not Muslim and has never been Muslim, is at least 18 years old, and has qualifying UAE assets and/or qualifying minor children under the applicable guardianship requirements
Specialist DIFC rules; its general FAQ lists five standard Will types and its service page also presents a Digital Assets Will option; virtual registration is currently available; UAE residence is not required
Direct contact with Summit before payment where DIFC is identified at assessment; engagements start from AED 3,999 plus VAT
ADJD Civil Wills
A person who is not a UAE citizen; ADJD states that religion does not prevent access to its Civil Wills Office
ADJD Civil Wills Section; standard bilingual template and special or customised registration routes are available under its current process
Standard online pathway — AED 10,000 plus VAT, reviewed by Summit's legal team after payment
Dubai Courts Wills
Non-Muslim testators whose Will and estate fall within UAE's statutory framework
Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 establishes a Dubai Courts register for non-Muslim Wills and rules on registration, implementation and estate administration
Standard online pathway — AED 10,000 plus VAT, reviewed by Summit's legal team after payment
Muslim Will pathway
Muslim residents, investors or asset owners who wish to make a Will within the rules applicable to them
May record permitted gifts and appointments under the applicable Personal Status framework; ADJD registration may be available to a person who is not a UAE citizen
Standard online pathway — Muslim clients pay and complete the questionnaire like any other client, and Summit's legal team applies the applicable rules during review
Foreign Will involving UAE assets
A person who has or plans a Will in another country
May remain relevant and form part of a coordinated international estate plan
Standard online pathway, reviewed alongside the existing document
DIFC Courts Wills Service
Who it may be relevant for
A person who is not Muslim and has never been Muslim, is at least 18 years old, and has qualifying UAE assets and/or qualifying minor children under the applicable guardianship requirements
Main features
Specialist DIFC rules; its general FAQ lists five standard Will types and its service page also presents a Digital Assets Will option; virtual registration is currently available; UAE residence is not required
How it is handled
Direct contact with Summit before payment where DIFC is identified at assessment; engagements start from AED 3,999 plus VAT
ADJD Civil Wills
Who it may be relevant for
A person who is not a UAE citizen; ADJD states that religion does not prevent access to its Civil Wills Office
Main features
ADJD Civil Wills Section; standard bilingual template and special or customised registration routes are available under its current process
How it is handled
Standard online pathway — AED 10,000 plus VAT, reviewed by Summit's legal team after payment
Dubai Courts Wills
Who it may be relevant for
Non-Muslim testators whose Will and estate fall within UAE's statutory framework
Main features
Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 establishes a Dubai Courts register for non-Muslim Wills and rules on registration, implementation and estate administration
How it is handled
Standard online pathway — AED 10,000 plus VAT, reviewed by Summit's legal team after payment
Muslim Will pathway
Who it may be relevant for
Muslim residents, investors or asset owners who wish to make a Will within the rules applicable to them
Main features
May record permitted gifts and appointments under the applicable Personal Status framework; ADJD registration may be available to a person who is not a UAE citizen
How it is handled
Standard online pathway — Muslim clients pay and complete the questionnaire like any other client, and Summit's legal team applies the applicable rules during review
Foreign Will involving UAE assets
Who it may be relevant for
A person who has or plans a Will in another country
Main features
May remain relevant and form part of a coordinated international estate plan
How it is handled
Standard online pathway, reviewed alongside the existing document
Beyond registration
Route selection should consider what happens after death as well as the registration appointment. The chosen framework can affect the court dealing with probate or implementation, document language, enforcement steps, asset-transfer procedures and the work required from the executor or family.
What the comparison does not decide
It does not confirm that an authority will accept a particular Will, that every asset falls within the document, that a registered Will avoids probate, or that one document will operate automatically in every country.
DIFC Courts Wills
Reviewed before payment
A specialist route operating under the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry Rules and Dubai's framework for non-Muslim Wills. Because DIFC has its own eligibility rules and its own professional-registration requirement for drafting assistance, DIFC matters are not processed through the standard online checkout. Engagements are quoted individually and currently start from AED 3,999 plus VAT.
Current DIFC eligibility, per its published FAQ
Not Muslim, and never having been Muslim
At least 18 years old
UAE assets, or qualifying minor children residing with the testator in the UAE
A UAE residence visa is not required, and virtual registration is currently permitted
Will types currently presented by DIFC
Full — movable and immovable assets, with guardianship where applicable
Property — up to five qualifying UAE properties or shares in them
Business Owners — up to five qualifying UAE shareholdings
Financial Assets — up to ten qualifying UAE bank or brokerage accounts
Guardianship — appointments without asset distribution under that Will type
Digital Assets — a specialist option connected to the supported DIFC wallet
The available route, scope and portal requirements must be checked at the time of engagement.
Abu Dhabi Civil Wills — ADJD
ADJD states that its Civil Wills Office is available to a person who is not a UAE citizen, and that religion does not prevent access. Its current process provides a standard bilingual template as well as special or customised registration routes.
Handled through the standard online pathway at AED 10,000 plus VAT, with human legal review by Summit's legal team after payment to confirm the correct wording and structure.
Dubai Courts Wills
Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 establishes a Dubai Courts register for the Wills of non-Muslims and sets rules on registration, implementation and estate administration.
The current service channel, document, language and procedural requirements are confirmed for each proposed application as part of the standard service.
Muslim Will pathway
For Muslim residents, investors or asset owners who wish to make a Will within the rules applicable to them. A Will may record permitted gifts and appointments under the applicable Personal Status framework, and ADJD registration may be available to a person who is not a UAE citizen. Muslim clients use the same online process as everyone else: complete the instructions, pay the professional fee, and Summit's legal team applies the applicable rules during review and selects the registration authority.
We do not state that any single framework applies automatically to every person. What applies depends on the individual circumstances and the authority's own requirements.
Foreign Will involving UAE assets
A Will already made in another country may remain relevant and form part of a coordinated international estate plan. It is reviewed alongside the new document through the standard online pathway.
One document does not operate automatically in every country. Where a foreign Will exists, the review considers how the two documents sit together and whether anything needs revoking or amending.
How a route is identified
Nationality, religion, residency, family circumstances, asset type and location, existing Wills and international connections may all affect the analysis. The assessment produces a preliminary indication; the legal review confirms it.
01
The free assessment indicates a likely pathway from your answers.
02
Human legal review examines the detail and confirms the recommended authority.
03
The authority applies its own current requirements and decides.
You do not have to pick the route
Answer the assessment and the legal team identifies the appropriate framework. No account or payment is required to complete it.