Banks in UAE freeze FD, salary, savings a/cs after account holder’s death: A practical guide for families of deceased expats to access funds

If you have worked in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a considerable amount of time, you may have saved a significant amount of money that has not yet been repatriated to your home country. In the UAE, where there is no personal income tax, many expatriates often keep a part of their assets in local bank accounts in the forms of fixed deposits (FDs), savings accounts, etc., to earn interest. Some keep these funds in the local bank accounts to buy properties in the UAE. However, all these financial plans can suddenly be interrupted in the unfortunate event of death, as banks in the UAE generally freeze an expat’s accounts upon notification of their passing.

However, after the death of the UAE expat, his family back home may require access to his funds and assets in the UAE. What steps should they take? One of the first requirements is to obtain a succession certificate from a court; without it, his bank accounts will remain frozen.

GR, Corporate Partner at a UAE based law firm, elaborates to ET Wealth Online on the situation in detail: in accordance with applicable UAE commercial and banking laws, once a bank is notified of a death—whether through an official death certificate, a court notice, or a government system update, it is required to do the following:

1. Freeze the relevant account in its entirety, and
2. Block all withdrawals, transfers, and closures. This applies to all types of accounts, including current, salary, savings, joint account and fixed deposit accounts.

Also read: Expat in UAE with assets but no Will? The 2026 amendment changes how your assets will be transferred to your legal heirs

According to Jahnavi Kohli, Head of Private Client Practice - ANB Legal, if a foreigner (not a UAE citizen but resides and works in the Emirates, i.e., an expat) dies intestate and without legal heirs, it is standard practice in the UAE for banks to freeze such an individual’s accounts, including joint accounts, as soon as they are notified of the account holder’s death.

How to unfreeze the deceased expat’s bank account in UAE?

An inheritance certificate or a court-issued Will execution order is required before such accounts/funds can be unfrozen in the UAE, according to Rogers. This rule also applicable to joint accounts.

GR says that in the UAE, banks keep accounts frozen until they receive a court order that identifies heirs or authorised representatives and instructs the release and distribution of funds. While the process may vary slightly in each emirate, it generally follows these steps:

• An application is submitted to the competent court in the relevant emirate (typically the Personal Status Court). Notably, Abu Dhabi has a dedicated circuit within its Judicial Department for non-Muslims.
• Applicants must provide supporting documents, especially those proving their relationship or kinship with the deceased.
• The court reviews and verifies the claim and accompanying documentation. Upon validation, a succession certificate or order is issued.
• If a Will exists, the court will issue an order to execute the will.
• The succession certificate, order, or Will-execution order is then presented to the bank, after which the accounts are released accordingly.

Kohli says that in case succession proceedings are initiated to obtain a certificate of succession, the court requires documents such as passport copies, birth and marriage certificates, and any other relevant evidence, along with the deceased’s Will if one exists.

Also read: Living in the UAE? How expats can create and register a Will in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and any other emirate

Kohli says: “Based on these documents, the court issues a certificate of succession specifying the distribution of the estate. Until such time as the final order is passed, the accounts and assets are frozen. The entire process can take 3-4 months.”