Can Muslim expats make a civil will in the UAE?
4 min read · Updated 24 August 2026
Yes. Under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's current published guidance, a person who is not a UAE citizen can register a civil will regardless of their religion. This surprises many Muslim expats who assumed civil wills were only for non-Muslims — that was the historic position, and the DIFC route still works that way, but ADJD's civil family court route does not.
What changed
Abu Dhabi's civil family law framework created a personal-status system for non-citizens that operates alongside Sharia-based rules, with the choice resting on citizenship rather than religion. The civil will — where you allocate your estate by your own written wishes — is part of that framework.
The registration form itself includes an express election of the civil (non-Sharia) framework, which you confirm as part of preparing the document.
Why Muslim expats register civil wills
- To leave everything to a spouse — which the statutory distribution formula does not do by default.
- To name guardians for children rather than leaving the appointment to a court.
- To provide for family members the default formula would treat differently.
- Simply to make the process fast and certain for their family, with accounts unfrozen and instructions clear.
The honest caveats
This is an area where rules have evolved and could evolve again — our information reflects ADJD's guidance as published at the time of writing. And if your family situation spans jurisdictions whose own inheritance rules matter to you, independent legal advice is worth the fee. A will service prepares documents; it doesn't advise on personal religious or cross-border questions.
Frequently asked
Does a Muslim expat need any special permission to register a civil will?
Under current ADJD guidance, no — the civil wills route is open to non-citizen residents regardless of religion, through the same registration process.
Can I leave my whole estate to my wife as a Muslim expat?
A civil will is precisely the instrument where you write your own distribution — including everything to a spouse. That's the core difference from the statutory formula.
Is this the same as a DIFC will?
No — DIFC's service is limited to non-Muslims under its rules. The ADJD civil route is the one whose current guidance is religion-neutral for non-citizens.
Make your UAE will in about 20 minutes
Guided questions on the official ADJD form — see your finished bilingual will before paying anything.
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General information about the process, not legal advice about your circumstances — see our Disclaimer. Figures and procedures reflect published information at the date above; courts can change forms, fees and requirements at any time.