As of 1 October 2026: issuing a death certificate in Abu Dhabi for the first time carries no base fee, read directly from TAMM’s own Department of Health service page. The costs that do apply are specific: AED 300 if you need Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation for use outside the UAE, and AED 50 per copy once you need a third copy or beyond.
What does this service actually cover?
A relative of the deceased, or someone else legally authorised, can apply for the death certificate, which registers and documents the death of a citizen or resident and carries the essential details of the deceased individual. TAMM describes it as a fundamental requirement for completing many other legal and administrative procedures afterward, from closing bank accounts to settling an estate, so getting it right the first time matters.
What does it actually cost?
The fee structure has two specific triggers rather than a flat charge on every application:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation: AED 300
- Application fee per copy, for the third copy and beyond: AED 50
The first-time issuance and the first two copies carry no listed fee at all. The MOFA attestation only applies if the certificate needs to be used outside the UAE, since international institutions typically require that extra layer of certification before accepting a UAE-issued document.
What documents does the application actually need?
Families dealing with this shortly after a loss should gather these documents as early as possible, since the application itself moves quickly once submitted, the delay usually comes from assembling the paperwork, not from TAMM’s own processing.
TAMM’s published list covers the deceased’s Emirates ID, passport and residency visa, an official document evidencing the death itself, such as a hospital-issued death report, and, where the applicant is not a direct relative, a power of attorney or an authorised letter establishing their standing to apply on the family’s behalf.
How fast does this actually move?
TAMM states the service takes 10 minutes once submitted with complete documents, a notably fast turnaround for a document tied to such a difficult moment. The process itself runs through UAE PASS: log in, submit the application and required documents, pay any applicable fees, and receive the certificate.
What if the certificate gets lost, or more copies are needed later?
This distinction matters because the fee only kicks in once a family genuinely needs extra copies, rather than being baked into the base cost of the service for everyone regardless of how many copies they end up requiring.
TAMM runs this as a separate service from first-time issuance, specifically for replacing a lost certificate or requesting additional copies after the fact. The same AED 50 per-copy fee for the third copy and beyond applies here too, so families who anticipate needing several certified copies for different institutions should request them together where possible rather than paying the per-copy fee repeatedly over time.
How does this connect to the rest of settling an estate?
A death certificate is usually the first document a family needs before anything else can move forward, closing accounts, notifying ICP to cancel the deceased’s residence permit, or beginning inheritance proceedings. It sits at the opposite end of the same life-events framework TAMM uses for registering a birth, both are foundational civil documents that everything else depends on.
Anyone handling an estate in Abu Dhabi should also understand how UAE inheritance actually works for expats, our guide to DIFC wills covers how non-Muslim expats can determine who inherits, which becomes relevant immediately once the death certificate itself is in hand. Anyone also managing a sponsored family member’s status in the wake of a death should read our UAE family visa sponsorship guide, since dependent residence status is directly affected once a sponsor passes away.
What is the short version?
A first-time Abu Dhabi death certificate and its first two copies carry no base fee through TAMM, with AED 300 only if MOFA attestation is needed for use abroad, and AED 50 for every copy from the third onward. Processing takes 10 minutes once the application and required documents, including an official death report and the deceased’s identity documents, are submitted.
Last updated: 1 October 2026. Primary source: TAMM, Issue Death Certificate.
