Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 05 April 2020: Following the Wills Service Centre (WSC) statement on 24 March 2020, the DIFC Courts can now confirm that it has developed a new system for the registration of wills via video conferencing.
The new system now allows the Testator and two (2) Witnesses to join in on the video conferencing call from different locations. The system also allows an approved Will to be directly uploaded on the system and to affix electronic signatures.
All Will registrations can be booked on the appointment portal. Upon booking the appointment, the testator will have to upload the following documents:
- Approved draft Will
- Clear copy of the Testators’ passport (and Emirates ID if applicable)
- Clear copy of the witnesses’ ID’s ( passport or any other form of ID; front and back if using Emirates ID)
- Signed and dated Guardianship Witness Statements (if applicable)
Please ensure to send the Will to be registered at least two (2) working days before the appointment. The only section of the Will that should remain blank are the signature sections (for Testator and Witnesses); all other information should already be complete (date, names and addresses for Witnesses) as you will not be able to add these once the Will has been uploaded to the system to be electronically signed during the video conferencing call.
Once the appointment is booked, an e-mail will be sent to the testator with the detailed information regarding the registration process and the links to the portal and skype meeting. A member of the DIFC Courts IT department will contact the testator twenty (20) minutes before the appointment to assist him/her with setting up the video conferencing call.
The Testator (and witnesses, if joining from another location) will be required to have a Windows PC/Laptop with stable internet connection for the Will Registration meeting.
Please note that mobile (3G or 4G) Internet connections will not support the virtual registration meeting. The testator will need to have another touch screen device on-hand to complete the electronic signature during the call, using either a stylus pen or just finger (e.g. an apple or android touch screen mobile phone or iPad).
For all template Will registrations (Property Will, Business Owners Will and Financial Assets Will), they will follow the same process for virtual registrations as they did prior to the work-from-home policy being implemented.
If you have any queries on the new process, please contact info@difcwills.ae or +971 4 404 8888.