If you are pricing a will in Dubai, the registry you choose sets the fee. The DIFC Courts charge between AED 5,000 and AED 15,000 depending on the will form and on whether a couple registers mirror wills, and that fee is not subject to the 5% VAT. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) charges AED 950 for a civil will. Both are the registries' published fees on 28 September 2026, and neither includes a lawyer's drafting charge.

If you are an Indian living in the UAE and you own a flat or land in India, the registry fee buys a will for your UAE assets. Immovable property in India is governed by Indian law wherever you live, so for you the cost of making a will in Dubai is the UAE registry fee plus a separate Indian will for the Indian assets.

Where this page sits

If you are still choosing between the three registries, the comparison of DIFC, ADJD and Dubai Courts wills sets out how each one works, and the guide to will registration in Dubai takes you through the appointment itself.

Related guides:

• Can an NRI make a will in India?
• Guardianship will in the UAE
• What is probate in the UAE?

How Much Does It Cost to Make a Will in Dubai?

A registered will in the UAE costs AED 950 at the ADJD and from AED 5,000 to AED 15,000 at the DIFC Courts, and the Dubai Courts set their own fee. You pay the fee to the registry. A lawyer's drafting charge is separate, and the DIFC Courts say it varies between the draftsmen on their register and has no connection with the registry fee.

For a married couple, the cost of making a will in Dubai at the DIFC is AED 15,000 for mirror Full Wills, against AED 10,000 for one person's Full Will.

What Does a DIFC Will Cost, Form by Form?

A DIFC will costs AED 10,000 for a single Full Will and AED 15,000 for a mirror pair, and the narrower forms cost less, as set out in the DIFC Courts fee schedule. Mirror wills are for a married couple registering at the same time, and each spouse still has a separate will.

The Property Will covers up to five UAE properties, the Business Owners Will up to five UAE companies, and the Financial Assets Will up to ten UAE bank or brokerage accounts. Where your assets go beyond those limits, the Full Will covers all moveable and immoveable assets.

DIFC Courts will registration fees are not subject to the 5% VAT.

You can register a DIFC will if you are at least 18, are not and have never been Muslim, and own assets in the UAE or have minor children living with you there. You do not need UAE residence or a visa.

What Does an ADJD Will Cost?

An ADJD civil will costs AED 950, the fee stated on the ADJD Civil Family Court sheet. The Civil Family Court sheet lists no separate fee for mirror wills or for changing a will later.

You or a representative holding a legal power of attorney make the request on the ADJD website. The ADJD reviews the request. You then pay the fee and attend a video-conference appointment, and if the will is approved it is certified and notarised.

This route rests on Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021, which applies to non-Muslim foreigners in that emirate. Article 11(1) lets a foreign testator leave a will to whomever they choose over all their assets in the UAE. Where there is no will, Article 11(2) gives half the inheritance to the husband or wife and divides the other half equally among the children.

What About a Dubai Courts Will?

The Dubai Courts offer an Arabic-language notarial route for non-Muslim wills in Dubai. Dubai Courts set the fee for this route, so confirm the current figure with them before you book.

What Else Can You Pay: Booking, Changes and Drafting?

Apart from the registration fee, the DIFC Courts charge a booking fee, fees for later changes, and a refund charge if an appointment is cancelled.

The booking fee in the form table is deducted from the registration fee. You lose it if the appointment is cancelled, rescheduled more than three times, or moved to a date more than 90 days after the previous one.

At the DIFC you may draft your own will, use the online template for a Property, Business Owners or Financial Assets Will, or instruct a lawyer and pay the lawyer's drafting fee. If you use a lawyer, the Wills Service accepts wills only from lawyers registered as Wills Draftsmen, and their charges vary between one practitioner on the register and another.

Does a Dubai Will Cover Your Property in India?

Your flat or land in India passes under Indian law, including when a Dubai will names it. The DIFC Courts say foreign assets may be included in a Full Will, though carrying out the will outside the UAE is subject to the laws of the country where the assets are, and their template forms cover UAE assets only.

Section 5(1) of the Indian Succession Act 1925 states that succession to immovable property in India "shall be regulated by the law of India, wherever such person may have had his domicile at the time of his death."

The Consulate General of India in Dubai describes one option open to expatriates: a UAE will that states it covers only the UAE assets, and a separate will for the Indian property. Registering the Indian will with a Sub-Registrar in India is optional, and the NRI will guide explains how registration works for an NRI. Probate is also no longer compulsory for a will made abroad that covers property in Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata, because section 213 was omitted from 20 December 2025.

The DIFC Courts place no restriction on making another will in another country, but they warn that a second will could invalidate the DIFC will if it is not correctly drafted. Your Indian will should therefore cover only your Indian assets and should not revoke the will you registered in the UAE.

WillJini, India's No. 1 Succession Services Company since 2014, has served NRIs in 32+ countries, and it drafts the Indian will to cover only your Indian assets so that it does not revoke your UAE will.

What Does It Cost Your Family After a Death?

After a death, your family pays for a probate application and then for any property transfer. At the DIFC Courts the application for a Grant of Probate costs USD 1,500, and like every DIFC Courts order, the probate order is then executed at the Dubai Courts as a standard formality.

Dubai Land Department fees for transferring a property range from 0.125% to 4% of its value, depending on how closely the beneficiary was related to the deceased.

FAQs

How much does a DIFC will cost?

A DIFC Full Will costs AED 10,000 for one person and AED 15,000 for a mirror pair registered by a married couple. The Property Will costs AED 7,500 single and AED 10,000 mirror, and the other four forms cost AED 5,000 single and AED 7,500 mirror, according to the DIFC Courts fee schedule.

How much does an ADJD will cost?

An ADJD civil will costs AED 950, according to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's Civil Family Court sheet.

Is there VAT on DIFC will fees?

DIFC will registration fees are not subject to the 5% VAT, and all DIFC Courts fees are exempt from VAT.

Do I need a lawyer to make a will in Dubai?

You can make a DIFC will without a lawyer by drafting it yourself or by using the online template for a Property, Business Owners or Financial Assets Will. If you do use a lawyer, the DIFC Wills Service accepts wills only from lawyers registered as Wills Draftsmen.

Are there any hidden costs when making a will in Dubai?

The DIFC Courts charge AED 550 to modify a will, AED 375 to inspect it, and AED 200 to refund a cancelled appointment. You also lose the AED 500 to AED 2,000 booking fee if you cancel, reschedule more than three times, or move the appointment more than 90 days. After a death, a DIFC probate application costs USD 1,500 and a Dubai property transfer costs 0.125% to 4% of its value.

Does my Dubai will cover my flat in India?

Your flat in India is governed by Indian law, under section 5(1) of the Indian Succession Act 1925, whatever your Dubai will says. The Consulate General of India in Dubai describes making a separate will for Indian property, and registering that Indian will with a Sub-Registrar is optional.

Can I make a will in India if I already have a DIFC will?

You can make a will in India after registering a DIFC will, because the DIFC Courts place no restriction on a will made in another country. They warn that the second will could invalidate the DIFC will if it is not correctly drafted, so the Indian will should cover only your Indian assets and should not revoke the UAE will.