For an expat family in the UAE, a will is one of those documents people mean to sort out and often only confront under pressure, when an asset has to move, a bank account has to be released, or a court asks for the paperwork. At that point a practical question surfaces that has nothing to do with what the will says and everything to do with what language it is in: will a UAE court or the land department accept this document as it stands, or does it need a certified Arabic version first?
This article covers only the document and translation side. Whether a will is valid, which law applies to your estate, how shares are divided, and where to register the document are matters for a lawyer and the courts. What Arkan handles is making sure the will and the documents around it are translated so the court, the land department, or the bank can act on them.
Which Forum Handles the Estate Usually Decides the Language
Unlike most cross-border documents, where the first question is which direction it is travelling, with a will the first question is which forum will deal with it. Two common routes in Dubai pull in different directions on language.
- Through the Dubai Courts - the local courts work in Arabic, so a foreign will and its supporting documents generally need a certified Arabic translation before they can be filed and acted on.
- Through the DIFC Wills Service Centre - this operates in English under a common-law framework, so a will registered there is generally in English, and the will itself may not need translating to be administered within that framework.
The catch is that the two are not sealed off from each other. An estate registered as a DIFC will can still reach into matters the Dubai Courts or the land department handle, and a foreign will with no DIFC registration usually lands with the local courts by default. Which forum your matter belongs to is a legal question for your lawyer. Once that is settled, the translation requirement follows from it, and our guide to DIFC versus the Dubai Courts explains why the two systems read documents so differently.
It Is Usually More Than the Will
In practice, an estate matter rarely turns on the will alone. A cluster of documents travels with it, and each may need certified translation depending on where it is going. Based on how these cases tend to run, the common ones are:
| Document | Why it often needs Arabic | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| The will itself | Filed before a court that works in Arabic | Certified legal translation |
| Death certificate | Opens almost every estate step | Death certificate translation |
| Foreign grant of probate or court order | Relied on by UAE courts and the land department | Foreign judgment translation |
| Power of attorney | Often used to let someone act on the estate | Power of attorney translation |
| Heirs or succession certificate | Identifies who may inherit, for institutions to act | Document route check |
The real estate point catches people out. Where the deceased owned property in the UAE, the land department typically needs the foreign order and the supporting documents in Arabic before it will amend a title deed, even when the family dealt with everything else in English. That is a translation requirement, not a legal opinion on who inherits the property, which stays with the courts.
Who Is Qualified to Certify It
- Arabic to English is MOJ-certified directly under License #701.
- Other major pairs are MOJ-certified through contracted licensed translators, each under their own licence.
- Rare pairs with no MOJ translator in the UAE are issued under Arkan company certification.
For something as consequential as a will or an estate order, where assets and title are moving, a certified translation is what courts and institutions expect. Our guide to MOJ-certified legal translation explains what the certification means and why it matters here.
Translation and Attestation, Kept Separate
Translation converts the document; attestation proves the original is genuine. A will or court order drawn up abroad usually needs both before a UAE authority will act, and the order depends on the destination. A foreign document coming in is typically attested in the country of origin and legalized through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the certified Arabic translation slotted into that chain. Confirm the sequence before starting, our attestation guide walks through it, so a step is not done out of order and wasted.
If There Is a Hearing
Most estate paperwork is handled on the documents alone, but some matters reach a hearing before the Dubai Courts, which is conducted in Arabic. If you or a family member needs to attend and does not speak Arabic, that is a separate need from the written translation, a court interpreter rather than a document. We cover that under legal and court interpretation; the two are booked separately and serve different parts of the same matter.
These Matters Reward Getting Ahead of the Paperwork
Estate steps can stall when a single document is in the wrong language for the institution holding things up, and families are often dealing with grief and distance at the same time. The practical move is to identify early which documents each forum and institution needs, and in which language, so the translations are ready when they are asked for rather than becoming the thing everyone waits on.
Holding a will or estate documents that need translating? Tell Arkan what you have and where it needs to go, and we confirm the translation and attestation steps and prioritize anything time-sensitive. Start with certified legal translation or run a free document route check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a will need to be translated in the UAE?
Often, yes, and it depends on which court system handles the estate. A foreign will used before the Dubai Courts generally needs a certified Arabic translation, because that court works in Arabic. A will registered with the DIFC Wills Service Centre is commonly accepted in English, though supporting documents such as a death certificate or probate grant can still need certified translation. The receiving court or authority sets the exact requirement, so confirm it before translating.
Which documents around a will commonly need translation?
Beyond the will itself, the documents that often need certified translation include the death certificate, a foreign grant of probate or court order, an heirs or succession certificate, and the title or account papers an institution relies on. Where the estate touches UAE real estate, the land department typically needs the foreign order and supporting documents in Arabic. Exactly which documents apply depends on the courts and institutions involved.
Does a DIFC will need an Arabic translation?
Not always for the will itself. The DIFC Wills Service Centre operates in English under a common-law framework, so a will registered there is generally in English. But if the estate or an asset is dealt with outside that framework, for example through the Dubai Courts or the land department, a certified Arabic translation of the will and supporting documents is commonly required. Whether your matter stays within DIFC or moves to the local courts is a question for your lawyer, not the translator.
Who can certify a will translation in the UAE?
For official use, the translation should be certified by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. Arabic to English is MOJ-certified under License #701; other language pairs are handled by contracted MOJ-licensed translators; rare pairs with no MOJ translator in the UAE are issued under company certification. For something as consequential as an estate document, a certified translation is what courts and institutions expect.
Is translation the same as attestation for a will?
No. Translation converts the document into the required language; attestation or legalization is the chain of stamps proving the original is genuine. A will or court order drawn up abroad usually needs both before a UAE authority will act, and the order depends on the destination, often attestation in the country of origin and legalization through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs around the Arabic translation. Confirm the sequence first so a step is not wasted.
Can Arkan advise on how my estate will be divided?
No, and that line matters. Arkan handles the document and translation side, rendering the will, the court orders, and the supporting papers into certified Arabic or another required language. How an estate is divided, which law applies, whether a will is valid, and how it is registered are matters for a lawyer and the courts. Keeping the two separate is what keeps the translation clean and the legal advice with the people qualified to give it.
Next Steps
An estate is rarely simple, but the document side is at least solvable in a clear order. Settle with your lawyer which forum handles the matter, identify which certificates, orders, and papers each court or institution needs, and in which language, and the translations line up behind that. Mapping it early keeps the paperwork from becoming another source of delay.
Tell Arkan what you are holding and where it needs to go, and we confirm the steps and prioritize anything urgent. Start with certified legal translation, or run a free document route check.