Guardianship of children in the UAE: what expat parents should know
5 min read · Updated 24 August 2026
For most expat parents, guardianship — not money — is the real reason to register a will. Without one, a UAE court appoints your children's guardian; with one, you name your own choice, including someone who can act immediately while a relative travels from abroad.
The gap nobody plans for: the first weeks
If your chosen guardian is your sister in London or your parents in Mumbai, someone still has to care for your children TODAY — school runs, the apartment, passports, consular paperwork — while long-term arrangements are made. That's why the ADJD form provides for an interim (temporary) guardian as well as a permanent one.
The interim guardian should be someone in the UAE who can genuinely act at once — practically, a UAE resident. The permanent guardian can be anyone you trust, anywhere in the world.
What the will's guardianship section covers
- A permanent guardian for children under 21, plus a substitute if that person cannot act.
- An interim guardian in the UAE for the immediate period.
- Identification details for each child (the form names minors individually — name, nationality, passport).
- How a minor's inheritance is held: a share left to a child under 21 is held by your appointed trustees until they reach 21, with power to apply it for the child's maintenance and education in the meantime.
Choosing well
Pick the permanent guardian for parenting, not proximity: values, capacity, willingness — and ask them first. Pick the interim guardian for logistics: someone here, steady, and available. Naming substitutes matters more than people think; the person you choose today may be unable to act in fifteen years.
Frequently asked
Must my children's guardian be a UAE resident?
The permanent guardian doesn't have to be. The interim guardian — the person acting immediately — practically must be in the UAE to be of any use in the first weeks, and that's how the form is designed to be used.
What happens to money my child inherits before 21?
Under the form's terms it is held by the trustees you appoint until the child turns 21, with authority to use it for the child's benefit, maintenance and education in the meantime.
We're a blended family — does that change anything?
It can: children from a previous relationship have another parent whose position matters. This is one of the situations where a conversation — with us on WhatsApp, or with an independent lawyer for complex cases — is worth having before you finalise.
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.