DIFC Wills Service Launches Digital Probate Management for UAE Expatriates

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DIFC Wills Service launches digital probate management. Faster asset distribution for UAE expatriates.

The DIFC Courts Wills Service Centre has launched a fully digital probate management system for non-Muslim expatriates holding registered DIFC wills.
Executors can now submit applications, upload documents, and track case progression entirely online through the DIFC Courts' Digital Wills Portal.
Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025 grants the DIFC Courts exclusive probate jurisdiction, removing the need for separate onshore court recognition before UAE institutions act on estate instructions.
The DIFC Wills Service registered 922 wills in H1 2025 - up 14% year-on-year - and has processed more than 13,400 wills in total since launch.
The digital system covers all DIFC will types, including Full Wills, Property Wills, Guardianship Wills, Business Owners' Wills, and Digital Assets Wills.
Legal experts urge expatriates to register wills promptly, as unregistered estates risk assets being treated as heirless charitable endowments under UAE federal law.

A New Digital Standard Under the DIFC Courts Probate Division

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts Wills Service Centre has offered non-Muslim expatriates a recognised route to register wills and administer estates in the UAE for over a decade. The DIFC Courts Probate Division - the judicial body responsible for issuing probate orders and resolving estate disputes - now operates a fully digital case management environment that consolidates the entire process in one place. This development sits within the framework established by the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry Rules, which govern will registration, executor duties, and procedural requirements for all probate applications.

Non-Muslim expatriate estate planning in the UAE has grown more structured in recent years, and this digital upgrade reflects both rising demand and a clearer legislative foundation. Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025 grants the DIFC Courts exclusive jurisdiction over probate matters concerning registered non-Muslim wills, strengthening enforceability across the UAE. A Grant of Probate - the court order confirming an executor's authority to administer an estate - can now be obtained entirely through an online process, with fewer procedural hurdles than before.

How the Digital Probate Portal Works

The DIFC Courts' Digital Wills Portal - which already supported online will registration - now extends to probate filings, electronic document authentication, and real-time case tracking. Executors, or their legal representatives, begin by gathering and legalising core documents: the death certificate, proof of identity, and any power of attorney required to authorise a representative to act on their behalf.

The formal application is submitted through the portal and must include an executor's witness statement, a copy of the registered DIFC will, and an English-Arabic list of the deceased's assets. Practitioners note that the DIFC does not charge a court filing fee for probate applications, although standard will registration and other court fees continue to apply.

Once the application is lodged, a dedicated Case Progression Officer reviews the electronic file and arranges a virtual meeting to confirm the submission is complete and accurate. The DIFC Courts then publish a notice on their website for approximately two weeks, allowing potential objectors to come forward. If no valid objections arise, the court issues a Grant of Probate conferring legal authority to administer and distribute the estate.

Direct Enforcement Across UAE Authorities

A significant practical benefit of the digital system is its enforcement reach across UAE institutions. Once a Grant of Probate is issued, the DIFC Courts send bilingual letters and directions to banks, the Dubai Land Department, the Roads and Transport Authority, and other relevant bodies. These instruct institutions to release funds and complete asset transfers without requiring separate onshore court filings.

Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025 reinforces this by granting the DIFC Courts exclusive jurisdiction over probate of registered non-Muslim wills, removing the additional recognition step that onshore courts previously required. For executors, this eliminates a process that added time, cost, and uncertainty to estate administration - a change legal commentators describe as a meaningful upgrade to the system's practical reach.

Will Types, Registry Growth, and Digital Assets

The DIFC Wills Service offers several will types that feed into the digital probate environment. These include Full Wills covering worldwide assets, Property Wills for UAE real estate, Guardianship Wills for minor children, Business Owners' Wills for company shares in free-zone and onshore entities, and Financial Assets Wills for bank accounts and investments. The recently introduced Digital Assets Will can be registered online via video conference and results in a secure digital certificate.

The DIFC Wills Service registered 922 wills in the first half of 2025 - up approximately 14% from 808 in the same period of 2024 - and has processed more than 13,400 wills in total since launch. Over the same six-month period, the DIFC Courts issued 27 probate orders, confirming the registry is actively used for full estate administration rather than simply storing wills. Across the UAE, combining DIFC and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) frameworks, more than 21,000 wills have been registered since 2024.

Common Causes of Delay and How to Avoid Them

The digital system reduces administrative friction considerably, but certain issues remain common sources of delay. These include executors living abroad or being unresponsive, unclear guardianship provisions for minor children, missing or untranslated documents, improperly legalised death certificates, and outstanding service charges linked to property assets.

Centralising document checks and communications in one portal allows the Case Progression Officer to identify procedural gaps earlier. However, applicants are encouraged to prepare complete asset schedules, court-ready translations, and clear ownership evidence before initiating the online application. Assembling this material in advance is the most effective way to avoid pauses in estate administration once probate proceedings begin.

The Broader Legal and Regulatory Context

The digital probate upgrade aligns with wider UAE estate-planning reforms that emphasise certainty and timely resolution of estates. Federal Decree-Law No. 51 of 2024 (Civil Transactions Law) and Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024 (Personal Status Law) both affect what happens when a UAE-based expatriate dies without a registered will. Under these laws, assets with no identifiable heirs are designated as a charitable endowment - known as waqf - and directed to charity under court supervision.

Banks freeze accounts immediately upon notification of death and will only release funds after receiving court orders. The DIFC digital probate system gives executors a faster route to those orders, reducing the risk of prolonged account freezes and administrative uncertainty for families. Employment regulations add a further dimension, requiring employers to pay end-of-service entitlements to a deceased employee's family promptly - a process that also depends on clear probate outcomes to determine who qualifies as a beneficiary.

Legal experts urge expatriates to register wills promptly through recognised platforms such as DIFC, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), or Dubai Courts. Regular reviews after major life events, clear naming of executors, and coordination between wills, shareholder agreements, and cross-border structures such as trusts and life insurance policies are also strongly recommended.

What Clients are Asking their Advisors

What does a Grant of Probate allow an executor to do in the UAE?

A Grant of Probate is the formal court order that gives an executor legal authority to collect, manage, and distribute the deceased's assets. Under the rules introduced by Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025, once the DIFC Courts issue this grant for a registered non-Muslim will, executors can instruct UAE banks, the Dubai Land Department, and other institutions directly - without needing separate onshore court confirmation.

How long does DIFC online probate typically take from application to grant?

There is no fixed statutory timeline, but the process involves document review, a virtual meeting with a Case Progression Officer, and a two-week public notice period before the grant can be issued. Delays most commonly arise from incomplete documentation, untranslated asset records, or executors based overseas - issues that the centralised digital portal is designed to identify and resolve earlier in the process.

Can a DIFC probate order be enforced against a UAE mainland bank without going to Dubai Courts?

Yes - since Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025 came into force, the DIFC Courts have exclusive probate jurisdiction over registered non-Muslim wills, meaning UAE mainland banks and other institutions must comply with a DIFC probate order directly. Previously, executors often needed a separate Dubai Courts recognition step, which added time and cost; that requirement has now been removed for DIFC-registered wills.

What are the legal risks for an executor who makes errors in a DIFC digital probate application?

Executors act as fiduciaries and are personally liable for errors, misrepresentations, or misuse of estate funds during the probate process. The DIFC Courts can impose sanctions, suspend the grant, or refer matters to further legal proceedings; for complex or high-value estates, engaging a UAE-licensed probate lawyer before submitting the online application is strongly advisable.