Dubai: Residents and those investing in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. who have registered a will online, will now receive complimentary verification services, the DIFC Wills & Probate Registry announced on Wednesday.
The move follows a partnership with VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, and comes after the recent introduction of ‘The Law for Administration of Non-Muslim Estates in Dubai and Execution of their Wills’.
Now combined with VFS Global, asset-owners can make use of the enhanced security features including e-authentication, verifying the identity of the testator and e-witnessing that ensures that the will was drafted and witnessed with no third party influence.
“Through our global network, testators will be able to conveniently verify their identity as an extra security measure to fortify their wills, which they register online in Dubai. We are confident the identity verification services provided on behalf of our honourable client will help achieve the key objectives of reducing the risk of will disputes and provide testators with the peace of mind of knowing that their will will not be questioned over authenticity of identity,” said Sumanth Kapoor, Head of Identity and Citizen Services — Middle East, VFS Global.
The world’s first virtual registry enables eligible investors living outside of the UAE to create, register, witness and store a will for Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah assets from anywhere in the world.
Individuals utilising the online facility will have the option to use the free VFS Global service to verify their identity within 30 days.
“This is a pivotal stepping stone for the registry as we extend our services to a wider network of people, who will be safe in the knowledge that their Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah based assets cannot be legitimately challenged on the grounds of either the authenticity of the identity of the testator or the integrity of the registration and witnessing,” said Sean Hird, Director, DIFC Wills & Probate Registry.
Eligible asset-owners in the UAE can verify their identity by visiting the VFS Global application centre, or set up an appointment for a VFS Global employee to complete an identity check at home or office, if located within approximately 50km of an application centre.
VFS Global will then verify the identity of the owner checking a government issued identification card or passport. The identity credentials will then be passed on to DIFC WPR in a secure manner and kept on an encrypted server.
For more information on registering a Will with DIFC Wills & Probate Registry, visit www.difcprobate.ae
