Guardianship of Children in a UAE Will

Why guardianship needs to be addressed locally

If you have children under 18 living with you in the UAE, a registered will lets you name who should care for them if something happens to you and your partner. Without this named in a locally registered document, the decision is far less certain, which is why guardianship is one of the most common reasons non-Muslim parents make a UAE will, alongside protecting assets, as we cover in our guide on how to make a will in the UAE.

What you'll need to decide before registering

• Who your primary named guardian would be
• A backup guardian, in case the first choice is unable to act
• Whether the guardian is in the UAE or abroad
• Any specific wishes about how children are raised or supported financially

Registering guardianship through DIFC or ADJD

Both the DIFC Wills Service Centre and Abu Dhabi's ADJD accept guardianship instructions as part of a standard non-Muslim will, it isn't a separate document. If you're unsure which registry to use, our comparison of DIFC vs ADJD wills explains the difference.

If you and your partner are both parents

Couples often want matching guardianship instructions in both of their wills, so there's no ambiguity about the intended outcome. This is one of the main reasons couples choose mirror wills, registering both parents' wishes together, consistently, in one process.

Documents and next steps

Alongside your passport and Emirates ID and a list of your assets, you'll be asked to confirm your guardian's full details. DocuGulf's all-in service fee for drafting and registering a will covering guardianship starts from AED 5,900, typically taking 2–4 weeks, with government fees shown separately at cost.

Key takeaways

A note on scope: DocuGulf is a documentation facilitation service. All kinds of work is performed by licensed notaries, translators and approved typing centres. Reach us at info@docugulf.com or +971 58 569 3628.