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DIFC Full Will: Eligibility, Scope and Limits

ByFawad Khan

A DIFC Full Will is a will registered with the DIFC Courts Wills Service that can deal with more than one category of asset at the same time, and can combine the distribution of those assets with the appointment of guardians for minor children. It is registered with a court registry rather than notarised before a UAE notary, and it is open to non-Muslims whether or not they live in the UAE.

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Article contents12 sections
  1. What a DIFC Full Will Is
  2. Who Can Register a DIFC Full Will
  3. What a Full Will Can Cover
  4. Full Will Compared With the Other DIFC Will Types
  5. Limitations Worth Understanding Before You Register
  6. How DIFC Registration Differs From UAE Notarisation
  7. Registration and Fees
  8. Frequently Asked Questions
  9. Where We Can Help
  10. Official Sources Reviewed — 20 August 2026
  11. Legal Disclaimer
  12. Related pages

What a DIFC Full Will Is

The DIFC Courts describe it as a route to “register a DIFC Courts Will to govern the distribution a variety of your assets, or a Will which is to encompass both assets as well as guardianship provisions”. That combination is the practical reason most people choose a Full Will over one of the narrower DIFC will types.

Who Can Register a DIFC Full Will

Eligibility is set by the DIFC Courts Wills Service, not by our practice, and it is worth checking each condition against your own circumstances before spending anything.

  • You are not Muslim and have never been a Muslim.
  • You are at least 18 years of age.
  • You own assets in the UAE and/or have minor children residing with you in the UAE.

Residency in the UAE is not a requirement. The DIFC Courts state plainly: “You do not need to be a resident of the UAE to register a DIFC Courts Will at the Wills Service.” This matters for overseas owners of Dubai property, who often assume a will of this kind is closed to them.

What a Full Will Can Cover

A Full Will is the broadest of the DIFC will types. It can deal with movable and immovable assets together, and it can carry guardianship provisions in the same instrument rather than requiring a second registration.

  • Assets of more than one type in a single will, rather than one will per asset class.
  • Guardianship provisions for minor children, combined with asset distribution.
  • Digital assets, which the DIFC Courts support through their wallet arrangement for certain cryptocurrencies.
  • A choice between a Single Will and Mirror Wills, the latter being two wills registered at the same time for a married couple.

The content is not free-form. The mandatory provisions for a Full Will are set out in Schedule 1 of the DIFC Courts Wills and Probate Registry Rules, and a will that omits them is not simply weaker — it may not be accepted for registration at all.

Full Will Compared With the Other DIFC Will Types

The DIFC offers narrower will types alongside the Full Will. Choosing correctly is mostly a question of how many kinds of asset you hold and whether children are involved.

  • Property Will — real estate only, covering up to five UAE properties or a share in up to five. Nothing else.
  • Guardianship Will — guardians only, with no asset distribution. If you want both guardians and assets, the DIFC directs you to a Full Will instead.
  • Financial Assets Will and Business Owners Will — narrower categories aimed at particular holdings.

Our DIFC wills service page sets out how we assist with each of these, and the DIFC Courts publish the definitive scope for every type.

Limitations Worth Understanding Before You Register

A DIFC Full Will is a useful instrument, but it is not a universal solution, and several limits catch people out.

  • Guardianship has a geographic limit. The DIFC Courts require that the minor children reside in the Emirate of Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah for guardianship provisions to operate.
  • Guardians must qualify. Nominated guardians have to meet the eligibility requirements of the Rules, and their appointment must not contravene UAE public policy.
  • Foreign assets are not automatically solved. DIFC guidance indicates a Full Will may extend beyond UAE assets, but anyone with foreign assets should take advice on recognition and enforcement in that jurisdiction. Cross-border succession should never be presented as automatically resolved by a UAE will.
  • Registration is not administration. Registering a will does not itself transfer anything; the estate still has to be administered after death.

How DIFC Registration Differs From UAE Notarisation

This is the single most common confusion we see. A DIFC Full Will is registered with the DIFC Courts Wills Service. It is not an instrument executed before a UAE public or private notary, and the federal notarial framework — Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, together with Cabinet Resolutions No. 16 and No. 19 of 2024 — governs notarisation rather than DIFC will registration.

That distinction changes which authority you deal with, what the document must contain, and what the output is worth. If your matter is a power of attorney, a declaration, a corporate resolution or an attestation rather than a will, the notarial route applies instead; those requirements are set out in full on our notary services page and the underlying legislation is listed in our legal resources.

Registration and Fees

The DIFC Courts publish their own fee schedule for the Wills Service, separately from any professional fee for drafting or advice. Registration fees differ between a Single Will and Mirror Wills, and a booking fee applies which is deductible from the service fee but subject to the published non-refund conditions.

Fees change. Rather than relying on a figure quoted on any third-party page, including this one, check the current amounts on the DIFC Courts fees page before you budget. The figures reviewed for this article were current as at the review date shown below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to live in the UAE to register a DIFC Full Will?

No. The DIFC Courts state that UAE residency is not required. You do need to own assets in the UAE and/or have minor children residing with you in the UAE.

Can one Full Will cover both my assets and my children’s guardians?

Yes — that is the main reason to choose a Full Will rather than a narrower type. A Guardianship Will covers guardians alone, and the DIFC directs anyone wanting both to register a Full Will.

Is a DIFC Full Will notarised?

No. It is registered with the DIFC Courts Wills Service. Notarisation before a UAE notary is a different process governed by different legislation, and the two are not interchangeable.

Who should consider this service?

Non-Muslims who hold more than one type of UAE asset, or who hold UAE assets and also have minor children in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah, are the clearest candidates. Anyone holding only one property may find a Property Will sufficient.

Where We Can Help

We assist with drafting and reviewing DIFC wills, and with the separate notarial and attestation work that often sits alongside an estate plan. If you are not certain which will type fits your circumstances, send us the outline of what you hold and where, and we will set out the likely route before any registration is booked. Our DIFC wills page explains the service, and our contact page sets out how to send a document for review.

Official Sources Reviewed — 20 August 2026

This article provides general legal information and is not legal advice for a specific matter. Requirements vary by facts, document, Emirate, free zone, court, registry, asset, religion/personal-status position, receiving institution and country. Official fees, eligibility rules and service channels can change. No approval, notarisation, registration, probate result, enforcement, completion time or legal outcome is guaranteed. Current requirements should be verified with the competent authority before execution or filing. For interpretation and application of UAE legislation, the official Arabic text prevails where applicable.

Fawad Khan, Paralegal

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