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ADJD Civil Will Registration

A will speaks only if the right register holds it. In Abu Dhabi, that register is the Civil Wills Section of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, under Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021, as amended — applications filed online, probate appointments held by video conference, and the certified will kept on the official record.

SRAG Wills prepares the file end to end — checking eligibility, assembling the documents, filing the application, and following the case through the probate appointment until the will is on the record. ADJD’s fees are published; our advisory fee is quoted clearly before work begins.

How registration works

Document check

We check your draft, identity documents, and asset proofs against the ADJD checklist before anything is submitted.

Application filed

We file the application through the ADJD portal, track the review, and handle the fee step.

On the record

At the probate appointment the will is certified and notarized onto the ADJD record — you keep the certified copy with your signed draft.

Disclaimer: SRAG Wills is a wills consultancy, not a law firm or government body. Registration is completed with the DIFC Courts Wills Service or ADJD; estate and inheritance cases are filed with the Dubai Courts.

Register your will with ADJD

Draft in hand? We take it from there — application, fee, appointment, and follow-up.

Chat with Our Advisor Contact Us

We respond within one business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ADJD?

ADJD is the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. It registers wills in Abu Dhabi. We prepare the draft and support the ADJD process — paperwork, appointment, and follow-up — the same way we do for DIFC.

Who can register a civil will with ADJD?

Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021, as amended, frames the route for non-Muslim foreigners and UAE nationals whose estate is in the UAE. ADJD's own civil wills office states more broadly that non-UAE citizens may register regardless of religion. The two statements do not fully agree — we check your position against both before you apply, so there is no surprise at the appointment.

How does registration work?

Four steps, per ADJD. The application is submitted through adjd.gov.ae — by you or a representative holding a power of attorney limited to making wills. The department reviews the application. The fee is paid. You book a probate appointment, held by video conference as standard, where the will is certified and notarized and placed on the official ADJD record.

What does registration cost?

ADJD publishes two registration fees, as of October 2026 — AED 950 for a regular will and AED 2,500 for a special will. The department does not publish a definition of the special tier, so we confirm which one applies to your case with the Civil Wills Section before you pay. Our advisory fee is separate and quoted at consultation.

What documents do I need?

Your Emirates ID and passport — original and copy. The drafted will, with copies for all parties and one for the record. And proof of ownership of the bequeathed assets — property deeds, account statements, share certificates. Documents not in Arabic must be translated by a Ministry of Justice-certified office; foreign-issued documents must be attested. We assemble the set against the current checklist before filing.

Do I need to be in Abu Dhabi to register?

The application is filed online, and the probate appointment is held by video conference as standard, so distance is rarely the obstacle. An in-person option exists at the Wills Registration Office, and presence requirements for the video route can change — we confirm the current position at booking.

What does registration NOT do?

Registration puts your instructions on the official record; it does not distribute the estate by itself. Distribution runs through the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court, which can appoint an estate administrator and issue the distribution orders. Anything contradicting UAE public order can be set aside, and interested parties may raise claims before the court.

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