When an Expatriate Dies in the UAE: Frozen Bank Accounts, Probate and Estate Administration

Introduction

What happens to a deceased expatriate's UAE bank accounts and other assets, who can act for the estate, and how probate works in Dubai, the DIFC and Abu Dhabi.

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Last reviewed 17 October 2026 · 11 min read

In short

When an expatriate dies in the UAE, the family cannot simply use the money and property left behind. In Dubai, Law No. 15 of 2017 allows nothing to be done with a non-Muslim's estate, apart from funeral costs and the necessary expenses of dependants, until a court appoints an administrator or, where there is a will, orders it to be carried out. Under federal law, the deceased's share of a joint account is suspended until a successor is appointed. With a will registered at the DIFC Courts, once the court has the information it needs and the case is straightforward, a grant of probate is normally issued within a few weeks, and it is then enforced through the Dubai Courts for assets in Dubai outside the DIFC. Where the court appoints an administrator, the law sets deadlines for individual steps, such as an inventory within six months, rather than for the whole process.

What are the first official steps after a death in the UAE?

If someone dies outside a hospital, call the police on 999. The police complete an initial death report and move the deceased to the government morgue, and after a death in hospital the authorities do the same. The morgue issues a death certificate declaration, which the police stamp before issuing a no objection certificate (NOC). Separate NOCs may be needed to release the body, for embalming and to repatriate the deceased, and the official death certificate is issued once the NOC is produced.

For an expatriate, the family should also inform the embassy or consulate of the deceased's country in the UAE, which deals with further formalities. Depending on its use, the death certificate may need to be attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant embassy. Keep copies to hand: a DIFC Courts probate application, for example, starts with one.

Residence permits sponsored by the deceased also need attention. They are cancelled through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) or, in Dubai, the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai. ICP accepts an exceptional cancellation where the sponsor has died and, as of October 2026, its service page gives widows of residents a 180-day grace period after a permit is cancelled or expires, with shorter periods for other categories, and a fine of AED 50 a day once the grace period ends. GDRFA Dubai's cancellation page states a 60-day grace period. Families should check the position with the authority that issued the permit, and anyone who plans to stay should look at their own residence options early.

In the first days, the main tasks are:

  • report the death, calling 999 if it happened outside a hospital
  • obtain the police NOC and then the official death certificate
  • inform the deceased's embassy or consulate in the UAE
  • tell the bank about any joint account within 10 days of the death
  • find out whether the deceased registered a will, where, and who the executor is

Why are a deceased person's bank accounts frozen?

Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 applies to all wills and estates of non-Muslims in the emirate, including in the DIFC, and the DIFC Courts register wills only for people who are not, and have never been, Muslim. The Dubai rules in this guide therefore do not cover the estates of Muslims. Across the UAE, Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status also covers inheritance for non-Muslim residents, who have the option to follow the law of their home country instead, as our wills and inheritance guide explains.

Law No. 15 defines the estate as all the property and rights of the deceased, so money in an account in their sole name forms part of it. Apart from funeral expenses and the necessary expenses of family members who depended on the deceased, nothing may be done with the estate until a court judgment or order appoints an administrator (Article 21(b)). Where there is a will, it is carried out under a written order of the court if it was registered, or a court judgment if it was not (Article 18), and willed property passes to the beneficiaries by the court's order or judgment (Article 20).

Joint accounts follow a federal rule. Under Article 379(4) of the Commercial Transactions Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 50 of 2022, the other account holders must notify the bank no later than 10 days after a co-owner's death. From that notice, the bank suspends withdrawals up to the deceased's share of the balance on the date of death, and nothing may be withdrawn from that share until a successor is appointed. The law treats joint holders as having equal shares unless a different split was agreed and recorded with the bank, so where two people hold an account with no recorded split, half of the balance on the date of death is suspended.

A family whose rent and school fees run through the deceased's accounts can therefore face a shortfall. The Dubai law offers some relief. An administrator can pay an heir in need their necessary expenses once the court has set the amount, deducted later from that heir's share (Article 23(5)). The court can also hand heirs their shares temporarily against guarantees, where the estate does not need to be liquidated (Article 27(3)).

How is an estate administered in Dubai?

The court may appoint one or more administrators, either people the heirs agree on or anyone else it chooses, and the administrator becomes the estate's legal representative. Within the Dubai Courts, inheritance and estate applications go to a Probate Court established by Decree No. 25 of 2023. An estate file is opened at the request of a concerned party, and a reporting judge issues the certificates, decisions and orders, oversees the inventory and proposes a settlement where heirs disagree.

The main stages and time limits are:

  • Creditors: where there are claims against the estate, the administrator publishes an invitation in two local daily newspapers, one of them in English, and creditors have 90 days from publication to claim (Article 23(2)).
  • Inventory: within six months of the administration judgment, the administrator files an inventory of the estate's property and assets with their estimated value. The court can extend this by the same period, and anyone affected can contest the inventory within 90 days of being notified (Article 25).
  • Accounts: the administrator reports on the estate's accounts and spending every three months, or when the court asks (Article 26).
  • Debts first: funeral expenses, administration costs, the fees of executors and administrators, and the estate's debts are settled, in that order, before a will is carried out or the estate is distributed (Article 5).
  • Distribution: the court orders the estate to be distributed to heirs and will beneficiaries after its rights are collected and its obligations met, or earlier with part held back for debts, and it can extend the administration in special circumstances (Article 27).
  • Disputes: if a dispute among the heirs, or between heirs and others, goes to the Probate Court, the decree sets a limit of one year from registration to decide it, which the court's chief justice can extend (Decree No. 25 of 2023, Article 15).

How does probate work with a DIFC Courts will?

If the deceased registered a will with the DIFC Courts, the executor named in it applies to the DIFC Courts Wills Registry for a grant of probate. The executor sends the probate application form, a witness statement and a copy of the death certificate, and pays the fee, which the DIFC Courts' wills FAQ gives as USD 1,500 as of October 2026. A case progression officer reviews the papers, and the executor, or their lawful attorney, then attends in person to sign the application, with the original or a certified copy of the death certificate.

The executor gives the court a list of the deceased's principal assets, such as property, financial products, bank accounts and vehicles, for a schedule to the probate order. The DIFC Courts say that once they hold the information they need, and the case is straightforward, a grant of probate is normally issued within a few weeks. Executors do not need to live in the UAE.

For assets in Dubai outside the DIFC, the executor applies through the DIFC Courts for the probate order to be enforced by the Dubai Courts. The Dubai Courts' execution department then instructs the authorities concerned, such as the Dubai Land Department, free zone authorities and financial institutions, to distribute the assets under the will. An asset left off the list, or listed wrongly, needs a further order, and the DIFC Courts charge USD 300 for late identification of assets, so a complete list saves time. Further costs follow: enforcement at the Dubai Courts has its own application fee, and fees apply to the transfers themselves. The DIFC Courts give Dubai Land Department transfer fees of 0.125% to 4% of a property's value, depending on how closely the beneficiary was related to the deceased.

What happens in Abu Dhabi?

In Abu Dhabi, civil wills and inheritance are governed by Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021 and handled by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) through its Civil Family Court. Where the deceased had no registered will, an application for distribution of the inheritance is made to the court, with separate routes for applicants who live in the UAE and those who do not. The court notes that without a registered will, distribution can be delayed and can sometimes cause animosity within the family.

For UAE assets, wills notarised by the ADGM Courts are proved in the same system: ADGM does not offer probate, and probate applications are registered with the ADJD's Wills and Probate Office. For assets outside the UAE, ADGM says any grant of probate is made where the assets are located. For who inherits when there is no will, and how DIFC, ADGM and local wills compare, see our wills and inheritance guide.

How can you make things easier for your family?

Most delays come from missing authority or missing information, and both can be planned for:

  • Liquidity for dependants: a spouse with an account in their own name, holding several months of living costs, is not waiting on a court order, or on the deceased's suspended share of a joint account, to pay rent or school fees.
  • A registered will: the DIFC Courts register wills for people who are not, and have never been, Muslim. As of October 2026, a Financial Assets Will covers up to ten bank or brokerage accounts held at UAE branches in your sole or joint name, and costs AED 5,000, or AED 7,500 for mirror wills for a married couple registering at the same time. A Full Will covers your movable and immovable property in the UAE and, if drafted rather than made from the online template, can appoint guardians for minor children living in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah.
  • Records: keep an up-to-date list of banks, accounts, property, policies and company shares, and tell your executor where it is, because the probate order schedules the assets the executor lists.
  • Home-country tax: there is no inheritance tax among the taxes the UAE government lists, and it does not levy income tax on individuals, but your home country may still tax your estate. A long-term UK resident's overseas assets, for example, can be subject to UK inheritance tax for up to 10 tax years after leaving the UK, as our guide for UK expatriates explains.
  • Wider structures: larger or international estates may suit a trust or foundation, covered in our foundations guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can the surviving holder still use a joint account after a death?

Partly. Under Article 379(4) of Federal Decree-Law No. 50 of 2022, the bank suspends withdrawals only up to the deceased's share of the balance, and shares are equal unless another split was recorded with the bank. The surviving holder can use the rest in line with the account's signing instructions, because withdrawals follow the holders' agreement (Article 379(1)). The other holders must notify the bank no later than 10 days after the death.

How long does it take to release a deceased expatriate's assets in Dubai?

With a DIFC Courts will, once the DIFC Courts has the information it needs and the case is straightforward, a grant of probate is normally issued within a few weeks. For assets in Dubai outside the DIFC, the order is then enforced through the Dubai Courts before the Dubai Land Department, financial institutions and other bodies transfer the assets, and the DIFC Courts' guidance gives no timescale for those steps. Where the court appoints an administrator, Law No. 15 of 2017 sets deadlines for individual steps rather than for the whole administration: the inventory is due within six months of the administration judgment, which the court can extend, creditors have 90 days from the newspaper notice where there are claims, and the court can extend the administration in special circumstances.

Is there inheritance tax in the UAE?

There is no inheritance tax among the taxes the UAE government lists, and it does not levy income tax on individuals. Your home country may still tax the estate, as the UK can for long-term UK residents.

Who can deal with the deceased's bank accounts and property?

In Dubai, nothing may be done with a non-Muslim's estate, beyond funeral costs and dependants' necessary expenses, until the court appoints an administrator or, where there is a will, orders it to be carried out. With a DIFC Courts will, the named executor applies to the DIFC Courts for a grant of probate.

How Indigo Group can help

Indigo Group's Trust and Estate Planning team can help you plan for succession and probate, including how wills, trusts and foundations fit into your wider financial plan. We review your global assets, family position and residence status, and work with chartered tax professionals in the relevant jurisdictions. For an overview of how we work with expatriates, see financial advice for expats in Dubai. Indigo Group's regulated entity, Indigo Financial Analysis and Consultancy LLC, is licensed by the UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA), licence no. 706042.

Read more about our estate and succession planning in Dubai.

To talk this through, book a consultation or message us on WhatsApp.

Written by

Colin Lynam

Managing Director

Colin is an experienced wealth manager with extensive knowledge of the GCC.

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Last reviewed 17 October 2026. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Rules change, so please speak to a qualified adviser about your circumstances.

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