Making a will in Abu Dhabi: start online in minutes
The ADGM and ADJD routes for expats are explained below. Both courts accept applicants from across the UAE.
Clear, upfront pricing
Launch price AED 1,050 + court fee
was AED 1,500code LAUNCH26, applied automatically at checkout. Limited to the first 50 customers.
- No payment until you download
- Arabic translation included
- Free edits until you download
- Step-by-step court registration handoff
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- Run by Quick Wills FZE LLC, licensed in the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone. About us
- Built on the published law: ADGM registry, Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021
- Read a full bilingual will first. Open the sample (PDF)
Why does Abu Dhabi have two will routes?
Abu Dhabi has two separate court routes for expat wills: the ADGM Courts' Notary Public and Wills Office, and the ADJD Civil Family Court's civil wills route. Both courts accept applicants from across the UAE. Use the eligibility checker to confirm your route. QuickWills UAE prepares wills for both.
The ADGM Courts' Notary Public and Wills Office is a non-Muslim wills service delivered in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Separately, ADJD runs its own civil wills route through the Civil Family Court, created under Law No. 14 of 2021. Both are administered in Abu Dhabi, but they differ on who is eligible, what assets they cover and how you sign. There is no single "Abu Dhabi will." It is a choice between the two courts.
Do you have to live in Abu Dhabi to use an Abu Dhabi court?
No. Both courts accept applicants from across the UAE. Abu Dhabi is where each court is administered, not where you must live.
Which Abu Dhabi route fits you?
Consider ADGM
If you are a non-Muslim (you must never have been a Muslim), aged 21 or over, and own assets in the UAE. Read the ADGM wills guide for UAE expats for the route-specific deep dive.
Consider ADJD
If you are an expatriate of any religion (not a UAE or GCC national). ADJD's civil will route is for non-Muslim residents, and in practice has also been accepting registrations from non-Emirati Muslim residents, confirmed case-by-case.
What does an Abu Dhabi will cost?
There is the QuickWills UAE platform fee, and a separate court fee. Court fees differ by route and you pay them directly to the court.
- QuickWills UAE platform fee
- AED 1,500 + court fee, identical across both routes. Includes guided document preparation, Arabic translation and court-registration guidance.
- ADGM court/government fee
- Approximately AED 1,520, paid directly to ADGM. Court fees can change.
- ADJD court/government fee
- AED 950 for a single will (AED 1,900 for mirror wills for couples), paid directly to ADJD. Court fees can change.
See the full UAE will cost guide for a route-by-route breakdown.
How will registration works in Abu Dhabi
You prepare the will online with us, then register it with ADGM or ADJD yourself. Both courts hold the appointment remotely: a virtual notary meeting for ADGM, a video call for ADJD.
- 1
Prepare your will online
Answer guided questions in plain English. You can change any answer, free, until you download.
- 2
Pay when you are ready to download
The platform fee is AED 1,500 + court fee. Arabic translation is included.
- 3
Register the will with the court
You book the court appointment and sign there. We give you a step-by-step court registration handoff.
- 4
Pay the court fee
You pay the court fee directly to the court: approximately AED 1,520 for ADGM, AED 950 for a single ADJD will. Court fees can change.
ADGM registration
Document submission is digital, and the appointment is a virtual meeting with the Notary Public, but you still attend a scheduled appointment and sign in wet ink.
ADJD registration
ADJD's process is fully remote: you file through the ADJD portal and confirm at a video-call appointment.
You sign at the court. We give you the checklist and the appointment steps.
What happens if you don't make a will in Abu Dhabi?
Official ADJD guidance describes default distribution rules under Article 11(2) of Law No. 14 of 2021 for someone who dies without a registered will, for example a surviving spouse receiving half the estate, with the remainder divided among children. Read our full guide on dying without a will in the UAE for more detail.
Abu Dhabi wills vs Dubai/DIFC wills
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts run a separate Dubai-based route with its own Wills Service and registry, distinct from both ADGM and ADJD. See the ADGM vs DIFC comparison guide for the detail.
Check which Abu Dhabi route fits your circumstances
Start with the eligibility checker, compare ADGM and ADJD in detail if you want the full breakdown, or read about preparing a will fully online.
Abu Dhabi wills FAQs
What are the will options in Abu Dhabi for expats?
Two separate court routes: the ADGM Courts' Notary Public and Wills Office, and the ADJD Civil Family Court's civil wills route under Law No. 14 of 2021. They have different eligibility, asset scope and process. QuickWills UAE prepares wills for both routes, and the eligibility checker shows which one fits you.
Do I need to live in Abu Dhabi to make an Abu Dhabi will?
No. Both courts accept applicants from across the UAE. The eligibility checker confirms your route.
What is the difference between an ADGM will and an ADJD will?
ADGM is for non-Muslims (you must never have been a Muslim), aged 21 or over, who own assets in the UAE. An ADGM will can cover UAE assets and, with probate caveats, non-UAE assets. ADJD is open to expatriates of any religion (not UAE/GCC nationals) and covers UAE-situated assets only. See the full side-by-side comparison for the complete breakdown.
Can Muslims make a will in Abu Dhabi?
ADJD's civil will route is for non-Muslim residents, and in practice ADJD has also been accepting registrations from non-Emirati Muslim residents, confirmed by the court case-by-case. ADGM is limited to people who have never been Muslim.
Can I make an Abu Dhabi will online?
Yes. You prepare your will online with QuickWills UAE. Then you sign at the court: ADGM uses a virtual notary appointment with a wet-ink signature, and ADJD is fully remote (filed through the ADJD portal and confirmed at a video-call appointment). We give you the checklist and the appointment steps.
How do I know whether ADGM or ADJD fits me?
Answer a few questions in the eligibility checker at /eligibility. It shows the route that fits your answers.