The UAE’s latest round of legal reforms—Federal Decree-Law No 51 of 2024 and the Personal Status Law No 41 of 2024—took effect on 1 January 2026, codifying what happens when a foreign resident dies without legal heirs. Under the new framework, all “heirless” assets located in the UAE—bank balances, real estate and business shares—are automatically transferred to approved charitable foundations as a Waqf endowment .
Previously, such cases were handled ad hoc by local courts, creating lengthy freezes on bank accounts and uncertainty for creditors. The reform brings clarity for multinational employers that hold end-of-service gratuities or share-scheme payouts on behalf of staff. Finance departments must now verify whether deceased employees had registered wills; if not, funds will ultimately be redirected to charity once court procedures conclude.
If the new inheritance rules prompt employees or their families to reassess residency plans, VisaHQ can help navigate the necessary UAE visa formalities quickly and compliantly. Through its online platform and corporate support team (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/), VisaHQ offers real-time requirement checks, document preparation and application tracking—freeing HR and mobility professionals to focus on broader estate and benefits questions.
![New Civil Law Sends ‘Heirless’ Expat Assets to UAE Charities and Lowers Age of Asset Control to 15]()
Equally significant is the lowering of the age at which minors can petition a judge to manage inherited assets—from 18 (Hijri) to 15 (Gregorian) years. Legal advisors say the change reflects a surge in youth entrepreneurship and gives teenage heirs earlier access to family businesses, provided a court-appointed judicial assistant oversees decisions .
The law also cements gender-neutral inheritance shares for non-Muslim expatriates, allocating 50 % of an intestate estate to the surviving spouse and dividing the remainder equally among children, regardless of gender. Estate planners recommend that expats still register wills through the DIFC, ADJD or Dubai Courts to bypass account freezes and accelerate probate.
For global mobility teams, the takeaway is two-fold: update onboarding kits to include will-registration guidance, and review HR policies on final settlements to ensure compliance with the new charitable-transfer rules when no heirs are identified.
Previously, such cases were handled ad hoc by local courts, creating lengthy freezes on bank accounts and uncertainty for creditors. The reform brings clarity for multinational employers that hold end-of-service gratuities or share-scheme payouts on behalf of staff. Finance departments must now verify whether deceased employees had registered wills; if not, funds will ultimately be redirected to charity once court procedures conclude.
If the new inheritance rules prompt employees or their families to reassess residency plans, VisaHQ can help navigate the necessary UAE visa formalities quickly and compliantly. Through its online platform and corporate support team (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/), VisaHQ offers real-time requirement checks, document preparation and application tracking—freeing HR and mobility professionals to focus on broader estate and benefits questions.
Equally significant is the lowering of the age at which minors can petition a judge to manage inherited assets—from 18 (Hijri) to 15 (Gregorian) years. Legal advisors say the change reflects a surge in youth entrepreneurship and gives teenage heirs earlier access to family businesses, provided a court-appointed judicial assistant oversees decisions .
The law also cements gender-neutral inheritance shares for non-Muslim expatriates, allocating 50 % of an intestate estate to the surviving spouse and dividing the remainder equally among children, regardless of gender. Estate planners recommend that expats still register wills through the DIFC, ADJD or Dubai Courts to bypass account freezes and accelerate probate.
For global mobility teams, the takeaway is two-fold: update onboarding kits to include will-registration guidance, and review HR policies on final settlements to ensure compliance with the new charitable-transfer rules when no heirs are identified.
