DIFC vs ADJD vs Dubai Courts: which UAE will registry fits you?

By MyHaven Team·Published 19 September 2026·7 minute read

Ask five expats in Dubai where to register a will and you will likely get five different answers: DIFC, ADJD, Dubai Courts, a colleague’s lawyer, or simply not having gotten around to it yet. Part of the confusion is real. There genuinely are three separate registries in the UAE, and each works a little differently. Here is what actually distinguishes them, so you can see which one fits your situation.

The short answer: it depends on who you are and what you are protecting

All three routes exist to do the same basic job: record your wishes for your UAE assets in a way the courts will recognise. Where they differ is who is eligible, what language the process runs in, whether you need witnesses, and what it costs. For most expats with straightforward UAE assets, that combination points fairly clearly toward one option. For expats with significant assets abroad or ties to DIFC based business, it can point somewhere else.

ADJD wills (Abu Dhabi Judicial Department)

The ADJD register is available to eligible non-UAE nationals and, unlike the name might suggest, it is not limited to Abu Dhabi residents. An ADJD registered will is legally recognised across all seven emirates. It is built for non-Muslim expats, in line with Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status, which lets non-Muslims in the UAE choose how their estate is distributed.

• Language: drafted in English with a certified Arabic translation, since the court works in Arabic.
• Witnesses: none required. The will is signed in front of a notary over video call.
• Process: fully online, including registration.
• Coverage: UAE assets across all seven emirates.
• Government fee: 950 AED for a single will and 1,900 AED for mirror wills, paid to the court and separate from any service fee.

DIFC wills

The DIFC Wills Service is run out of the Dubai International Financial Centre and is available to eligible non-Muslims. It is the most internationally recognisable of the three, largely because the DIFC courts operate under a common law framework, which some expats find more familiar.

• Language: English throughout, with no Arabic translation requirement.
• Witnesses: two witnesses required.
• Process: online, though the witness requirement adds a coordination step.
• Coverage: UAE assets, and in some cases certain foreign assets, depending on structure.
• Government fee: roughly 10,000 AED for a single will and roughly 15,000 AED for mirror wills.

Dubai Courts wills

Dubai Courts also offer a will registration route for eligible non-Muslims, sitting between ADJD and DIFC on cost.

• Language: Arabic with certified English translation.
• Witnesses: none required.
• Process: online.
• Coverage: UAE assets across all seven emirates.
• Government fee: roughly 2,020 AED for a single will and roughly 4,040 AED for mirror wills.

Side by side

Government registration fees are paid directly to the relevant court and are separate from any drafting or advisory service fee. The ADJD figures are the ones MyHaven works to. The DIFC and Dubai Courts figures are marked with a tilde because they are approximate and set by those registries, so check the current schedule with them before you decide on price alone.

So which one is actually right for you?

A few rough patterns tend to hold.

• Straightforward UAE assets, cost conscious, and you want the whole thing done online without coordinating witnesses. ADJD tends to be the most accessible route, both in process and in government fee.
• Assets or business ties structured through DIFC, or a preference for an English common law framework. DIFC may be worth the higher fee, particularly for more complex estates.
• Want an Arabic recognised will without ADJD specifically, or you fall outside ADJD eligibility for another reason. Dubai Courts sits as a middle option.

How MyHaven fits in

MyHaven uses the ADJD route because it offers one of the most accessible paths for eligible non-UAE nationals to register a will covering their UAE assets: fully online, without witnesses, and at a comparatively affordable government fee. We guide you through the drafting process step by step, so the will is ready before you ever get to the registration appointment.

Every MyHaven will is customised to your family and assets, reviewed by our legal team, translated to Arabic for the court, and registered through ADJD by video call, from 699 AED. Read how to write a UAE will step by step, compare the numbers on the pricing page, or start the assessment to see what you need before you pay anything.

MyHaven is not a law firm and this article is not legal advice. It explains how the process works so you can make your own decisions. What that means