Using a UAE Death Certificate for UK Probate

The UK Probate Registry Accepts Foreign Death Certificates — With Conditions

When a British person dies in the UAE, the UK-based estate still needs a grant of probate (or letters of administration) from the Probate Registry to access UK assets — bank accounts, property, pensions, investments. The Probate Registry accepts a UAE-issued death certificate, but it must arrive in a specific form.

Getting this wrong means the application is returned, adding weeks to an already slow process.

What the Probate Registry Needs

For a personal probate application, prepare:

1. The original UAE death certificate, attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA stamp)
2. A certified English translation by a UAE Ministry of Justice–licensed translator, physically bound to the original
3. Form PA19 — the GOV.UK foreign death certificate form used when the translation is not accompanied by a certificate from a licensed translator's company; it records the translator's qualifications and declaration

The certificate and translation must form a single bound document. A separate translation, even if certified, creates verification complications.

Form PA19 — How It Works

PA19 is a short GOV.UK form used when you do not have a licensed translator's company certificate. The translator completes it, confirming:

• Their name and qualifications
• That the translation is accurate and complete
• Their signature confirming the information and translation are correct

The completed PA19 is submitted alongside the death certificate and translation as part of the probate application (form PA1P for deaths with a will, PA1A for intestacy).

If you used a UAE-based translator who does not provide a licensed-company certificate, they complete PA19 in the UAE and you send it with your UK probate application. If a licensed translator's company provides its certificate, PA19 is not necessary.

Registering the Death in the UK (Optional but Useful)

Registering the death with the FCDO creates a permanent record at the General Register Office. Once registered, you can order UK-format certified death certificates from the GRO at any point in the future.

This is not required for probate when the Probate Registry has the required death certificate and translation evidence; PA19 is one way to provide the translator's declaration. A GRO-registered death simplifies future dealings with UK institutions (banks, insurers, pension providers) that may be unfamiliar with foreign-issued certificates.

To register, the next of kin contacts the FCDO and provides the attested, translated UAE death certificate. The FCDO transfers the record to the GRO within 12 months.

Tell Us Once — Notify Multiple Agencies at Once

The UK government's Tell Us Once service lets you report the death to HMRC, DWP, DVLA, the local council, and HM Passport Office in a single notification. For overseas deaths, the local registrar may require the UAE death certificate to be verified before issuing the unique reference number needed to access the service.

This verification may involve the UAE Embassy in London confirming the certificate's authenticity and can add processing time.

Dual-Jurisdiction Estates

If the deceased held assets in both the UAE and the UK, the family faces two parallel estate processes:

• UK probate handles UK-based assets (property, bank accounts, ISAs, pensions)
• UAE succession proceedings handle UAE-based assets (bank accounts, property, DIFC investments, employment gratuities)

A UK grant of probate does not unlock UAE assets, and a UAE succession certificate does not unlock UK assets. Each jurisdiction processes its own estate independently. The UAE estate may be handled through the DIFC Wills Service Centre (if a DIFC will exists) or the local Personal Status Court.

The Full Estate Workflow

The British Person Dies in the UAE — Family Emergency Guide covers both jurisdictions — the UAE bank freeze and succession process alongside the UK probate pathway — with document checklists, a financial asset register, and a timeline showing how the two processes run in parallel.