DIFC Guardianship Will: Appointing Guardians for Children
A DIFC Guardianship Will is a will registered with the DIFC Courts Wills Service that deals solely with the appointment of guardians for minor children. The DIFC describes it as a will that “solely provides for the appointment of guardians for your children”. It distributes nothing. No property, no bank account and no other asset passes under it.
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Article contents13 sections
- What a DIFC Guardianship Will Is
- Interim and Permanent Guardians
- Where the Children Must Live
- Who Can Be Appointed as a Guardian
- What a Guardianship Will Does Not Do
- When You Need a Full Will Instead
- Registration: One Practical Difference
- Fees
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Where We Can Help
- Official Sources Reviewed — 20 August 2026
- Legal Disclaimer
- Related pages
What a DIFC Guardianship Will Is
Its purpose is narrow and specific: to say, in a form a court can act on, who should care for your children if you and the other parent are no longer able to. For many parents that is the single most urgent piece of planning they have, and it is separate from the question of who inherits what.
Interim and Permanent Guardians
The distinction between the two roles is the heart of this will type, and it is worth understanding before you nominate anyone.
- Interim guardian — someone who can take care of a child immediately and temporarily. In practice this is usually family or a close friend living nearby, because the value of the role is that they can step in without delay.
- Permanent guardian — someone taking long-term responsibility. This may involve the child relocating, potentially to another country, which makes it a decision with far wider practical consequences.
The DIFC Courts can issue both interim and permanent guardianship orders in line with the directions in a registered will. Naming the same person for both roles is possible but not always sensible: the qualities that make someone the right person to arrive within an hour are not necessarily the qualities that make them the right person to raise a child for a decade.
Where the Children Must Live
There is a geographic condition. DIFC guidance on nominating guardians refers to minor children in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah. Families resident in other emirates should confirm their position with the Wills Service before assuming this route is open to them, rather than discovering the limit at registration.
Who Can Be Appointed as a Guardian
Nomination is not unrestricted. The DIFC service states that nominated guardians must satisfy the eligibility requirements of the Rules, and that their appointment must not contravene UAE public policy.
That second condition matters and is easy to overlook. A nomination that would be unremarkable in another country is still assessed against UAE public policy here, so it is worth raising any arrangement you are unsure about at the drafting stage rather than assuming it will pass unexamined.
What a Guardianship Will Does Not Do
- It does not distribute assets. Property, accounts, investments and personal belongings are untouched by it.
- It does not provide for the children financially. Naming a guardian says who cares for a child, not what they inherit or how their upbringing is funded.
- It does not replace a will for your estate. If you have UAE assets and no other will, those assets are dealt with by whatever default position applies.
This is the gap that catches people. A parent registers a Guardianship Will, feels the matter is settled, and has in fact addressed only half of it.
When You Need a Full Will Instead
The DIFC is explicit on this point: parents who want to distribute assets and appoint guardians should register a Full Will rather than a Guardianship Will. A Full Will can carry both in one instrument.
So the practical decision is straightforward. Guardians only, and nothing else to deal with in the UAE — a Guardianship Will. Guardians plus any UAE assets — a Full Will. Real estate only and no children involved — a Property Will.
Registration: One Practical Difference
Guardianship Wills carry a procedural requirement that surprises people who expect the process to be entirely online. The DIFC service page states that pre-registration checks are carried out by appointment in person with the Wills Service, rather than through the Virtual Registry.
Anyone planning around a fully remote registration should factor that appointment in. It is a scheduling consideration rather than an obstacle, but it is not optional.
Fees
The DIFC Courts publish separate fees for a Single Guardianship Will and Mirror Guardianship Wills, and these sit apart from any professional fee for advice. Because fees are revised periodically, check the current figures on the DIFC Courts fees page before budgeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an interim and a permanent guardian?
An interim guardian takes immediate, temporary care of a child and is usually someone living nearby. A permanent guardian takes long-term responsibility, which may involve the child relocating. The DIFC Courts can make orders covering both.
Can a Guardianship Will leave money to my children?
No. It deals only with guardianship. To distribute assets as well, the DIFC directs you to register a Full Will instead.
Can I nominate anyone I choose as guardian?
Not without limits. Nominated guardians must meet the eligibility requirements of the Rules, and the appointment must not contravene UAE public policy.
Can the whole process be completed online?
Not entirely. The DIFC states that pre-registration checks for a Guardianship Will are carried out by appointment in person with the Wills Service rather than through the Virtual Registry.
Do both parents need separate wills?
The DIFC offers Mirror Wills, which are two wills registered at the same time, as well as a Single Will. Which fits depends on your circumstances.
Where We Can Help
We advise on which DIFC will type matches your family circumstances, prepare the supporting documentation, and handle the separate notarial work that often accompanies family planning — parental consents, declarations and attestation of foreign documents. If you are weighing guardianship alongside UAE assets, tell us what you hold and where the children live, and we will set out the likely route. Our DIFC wills page explains the service and our contact page sets out how to send documents for review.
Official Sources Reviewed — 20 August 2026
- UAE Legislation Portal — Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024 and related federal notary legislation.
- UAE Legislation Portal — Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on federal notarial fees.
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Documents Attestation service.
- DIFC Courts Wills Service, Rules and current Fee Schedule where the topic concerns DIFC Wills.
- ADGM Courts Notary Public and current published fee schedules where the topic concerns ADGM.
- The competent local court, notary, registry or receiving authority should additionally be checked for the specific transaction.
Legal Disclaimer
This article provides general information and is not legal advice for a specific matter. Requirements vary according to the facts, instrument, Emirate, free zone, court, registry, receiving institution and country. Official fees, service channels, eligibility and procedures may change. No notarisation, registration, acceptance, direct enforcement, completion time or legal outcome is guaranteed. Current requirements should be verified with the competent authority before execution or filing. Where applicable, the official Arabic text of UAE legislation prevails for interpretation and application.
