What Lowering the Age of Majority to 18 Means for Families in the UAE (2026): Practical Guide for Parents, Expats & Lawyers

The age of majority in the UAE is now 18 Gregorian years, a landmark shift introduced by Federal Decree‑Law No. 25 of 2025, the new Civil Transactions Law, which took effect on 1 June 2026. Under the previous 1985 Civil Code, full legal adulthood did not arrive until 21 lunar years (roughly 20 years and four months on the Gregorian calendar), meaning thousands of residents between 18 and 21 were still treated as minors for civil purposes. The 2026 changes touch virtually every area of family life, custody, contracts, banking, marriage consent, travel permissions and inheritance administration, and they carry immediate compliance obligations for parents, expatriate families, employers and legal practitioners across all seven emirates.

Key takeaways at a glance:

• The lowered age of majority in the UAE means an 18‑year‑old can now sign contracts, open bank accounts, manage inherited assets and marry without guardian consent in most circumstances.
• Custody and guardianship orders may lapse earlier than families expected, parents with ongoing court proceedings should act urgently.
• Expat families face specific issues around dependent status, travel consent and cross‑jurisdictional enforcement of parental authority.

This guide walks through every practical consequence, provides numbered checklists for parents and lawyers, and answers the most common questions about UAE family law in 2026. Read the full article, then consult a qualified UAE family lawyer for case‑specific advice.

What Changed, Legal Basis and Quick Facts on the Age of Majority in the UAE

Federal Decree‑Law No. 25 of 2025, formally titled the Civil Transactions Law, was issued on 1 October 2025 and entered into force on 1 June 2026. It expressly repeals Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 (the former Civil Code) and comprehensively recodifies onshore civil law across the United Arab Emirates. Among its most consequential provisions is the reduction of the civil age of majority from 21 lunar years to 18 Gregorian years.

In practical terms, this means that every person who has completed 18 full years on the Gregorian calendar is now considered a legal adult for all civil purposes. The earlier standard, 21 lunar years, relied on the Islamic Hijri calendar, where a year is approximately 354 days. The switch to 18 Gregorian years therefore lowers the threshold by roughly two and a half years in real terms and aligns the UAE with the international norm observed by most jurisdictions worldwide, consistent with the standards reflected in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Key Statutory Provisions

• Age of majority fixed at 18. A person who has completed 18 Gregorian years has full legal capacity for civil transactions.
• Discerning minor protections preserved. The law retains safeguards for minors aged 7–17 who enter transactions; guardians retain a right to seek annulment of certain dispositions within one year from the date of knowledge.
• Marriage capacity aligned. The legal marriage age now sits at 18, with judicial avenues preserved where guardian consent is refused or disputed.
• Pre‑contractual good faith duties introduced. Enhanced disclosure obligations apply to all civil transactions, strengthening protections for newly‑adult contracting parties.
• Repeal of 1985 Civil Code. The former code ceased to apply on 1 June 2026; all civil matters are now governed by the new law.

At‑a‑Glance Practical Implications for Families After the Lowered Age of Majority in the UAE

Yes, 18 is now considered an adult in the UAE for all civil and legal matters. That single sentence carries wide‑ranging consequences for different stakeholders. Industry observers expect the practical effects to ripple through banking, education, real estate and family courts throughout 2026 and into 2027 as institutions update their policies and procedures.

Quick Checklist for Different Stakeholders

Parents should pay particular attention to any existing arrangements, court orders, trust structures, insurance policies, that reference the old age of majority. The likely practical effect will be that many of these instruments now expire or trigger earlier than originally anticipated, requiring proactive legal review.

Custody and Guardianship: What the Age of Majority Change Means for UAE Family Courts

Lowering the age of majority to 18 directly affects child custody jurisdiction. Once a person reaches 18 Gregorian years, UAE family courts may decline to exercise custody jurisdiction because the subject of the proceedings is no longer a “child” in civil law terms. This is one of the most urgent implications of the 2026 changes for separated or divorcing parents.

Under the previous regime, custody disputes could continue, and courts could make orders, until the child turned 21 lunar years. That window has now shortened significantly. For parents with children between 16 and 18, the remaining time to obtain or modify custody orders may be measured in months rather than years.

If Custody Proceedings Are Pending and the Child Is Approaching 18

Parents should take the following steps without delay:

1. File urgently. If a custody application has not yet been filed and the child is approaching 18, submit the application immediately. Courts may decline jurisdiction once the subject of the proceedings reaches majority.
2. Request expedited hearing dates. Explain the jurisdictional urgency to the court and request priority listing. Both Dubai Courts and the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department have mechanisms for urgent family applications.
3. Preserve existing orders. If a custody order is already in force, confirm with your lawyer whether it survives the child reaching majority or whether it automatically lapses. Orders that specify “until majority” will now expire at 18 rather than 21.
4. Seek transitional provisions. Where the child is still in education or financially dependent, explore whether the court can make financial maintenance or support orders that extend beyond 18, particularly where the child is enrolled in university.

Post‑Majority Parental Role and Guardianship for Incapacity

Once a child turns 18, parental guardianship in the civil law sense ends automatically. However, guardianship may continue or be re‑established in specific situations, most notably where the young adult lacks mental capacity to manage their own affairs. In such cases, parents or other relatives can apply to the court for appointment as guardian over the incapacitated adult, a process governed by the new Civil Transactions Law’s provisions on persons of diminished capacity.

Early indications suggest that families with special‑needs dependants should not wait until the child’s 18th birthday to begin this process. Filing a guardianship application in advance allows the court to issue orders that take effect seamlessly on the date of majority, avoiding any gap in legal protection.

Cross‑Jurisdictional Cases, Expat Parents

Expat families face an additional layer of complexity. Where parents hold different nationalities or where the family is based in the UAE but has connections to another jurisdiction, questions of applicable law arise. The new Civil Transactions Law includes modernised conflict‑of‑laws rules, but the practical position will depend on whether the child’s home country also recognises 18 as the age of majority. Parents in cross‑jurisdictional situations should obtain legal advice in both the UAE and the relevant foreign jurisdiction to ensure that custody, support and guardianship arrangements are mutually recognised and enforceable.

Legal Capacity at 18, Contracts, Banking, Travel, Marriage and Medical Decisions

An 18‑year‑old in the UAE can now make most legal decisions without parental consent. This section breaks down the key areas where 18‑year‑old legal rights in the UAE have expanded and identifies the safeguards that remain.

Contracts and Property

At 18, a person has full capacity to enter binding contracts, sign lease agreements, purchase and sell property, and administer inherited assets. Previously, transactions entered by persons under 21 lunar years could be challenged as voidable on grounds of minority. That risk is now confined to persons under 18. The Civil Transactions Law preserves the concept of the “discerning minor”, a person aged between 7 and 17 who can enter certain beneficial transactions, but makes clear that transactions by persons aged 18 and over stand on a fully enforceable footing.

Parents concerned about a young adult entering imprudent contracts should consider discussing financial literacy early and, where both parties agree, establishing a limited power of attorney that allows parental oversight of major transactions while preserving the young adult’s legal autonomy.

Banking and Financial Accounts

Banks across the UAE now onboard 18‑year‑olds as independent account holders. Standard KYC and AML due‑diligence requirements apply without modification; the key change is that no guardian co‑signature or counter‑party consent is needed for account opening, credit applications or investment products. Parents who previously held joint accounts with children aged 18–20 should review whether those arrangements still reflect the family’s intentions now that the young adult has independent banking capacity.

Travel and Passports

From an immigration and travel perspective, 18‑year‑olds are now treated as adults. Airlines and immigration authorities will no longer require parental consent documentation for UAE residents aged 18 and above. However, for families travelling internationally, some destination countries may still require evidence of parental consent for travellers under 21. It remains advisable, though no longer strictly necessary under UAE law, for parents to carry a consent letter when travelling with young adults, particularly to jurisdictions where the local age of majority differs.

Marriage and Consent

The Civil Transactions Law sets 18 as the legal marriage age, and the law provides that women may marry without guardian consent at majority. Where guardian consent is refused, the prospective spouse can appeal to a judge. This represents a meaningful change from the earlier framework and aligns with broader UAE family law 2026 reforms aimed at expanding individual autonomy while retaining judicial oversight.

Parents who wish to discuss marriage timing with their children should be aware that, once the child turns 18, parental consent is no longer a legal prerequisite, though cultural and family consultation remains important in practice.

Practical Checklist for Parents and Expat Families, Top 10 Actions

The following numbered list provides a prioritised set of actions for parents and expat families with children aged 16 to 18. These steps address the most common compliance gaps arising from the lowered age of majority in the UAE.

1. Inventory documents and assets. List all documents, bank accounts, property titles and insurance policies that reference your child or name you as guardian. Identify anything that expires or changes at majority.
2. Review ongoing family court matters. If custody, guardianship or maintenance proceedings are active, contact your lawyer to assess jurisdictional deadlines and file any urgent applications.
3. Update wills and guardianship directions. Wills registered with the DIFC Wills Service Centre or notarised locally may contain guardianship clauses that assume majority at 21. Amend these to reflect the new threshold.
4. Discuss financial literacy. Before your child turns 18, introduce them to budgeting, banking products and the legal obligations of signing contracts.
5. Speak to your employer or HR department. Check whether dependent benefits (health insurance, housing allowance, school fees) continue after a child turns 18 or whether policy terms need updating.
6. Revisit school consent forms. Schools should update medical, travel and data‑sharing consent forms for students who have turned 18, the student, not the parent, is now the consenting party.
7. Check passport and travel documents. Ensure your child has their own valid passport and understand that parental travel consent letters, while advisable for international travel, are no longer legally required under UAE law at 18.
8. Consider a limited power of attorney. If your young adult consents, a durable POA can allow continued parental involvement in financial or property matters without undermining the young adult’s legal autonomy.
9. Understand the new marriage consent rules. Be aware that parental consent for marriage is no longer legally required at 18, though judicial appeal mechanisms exist where disputes arise.
10. Consult a UAE family lawyer. Every family’s circumstances differ. A qualified lawyer can review your specific arrangements and advise on transitional steps.

Sample notification statement for banks and schools: “Please be advised that [Child’s Name], date of birth [DOB], has attained the age of 18 Gregorian years and is now legally an adult under Federal Decree‑Law No. 25 of 2025. Please update your records accordingly and direct all future correspondence regarding their account/enrolment to them directly, with a copy to the undersigned parent where the account holder consents.”

For Lawyers and HR Professionals: Litigation and Compliance Checklist

Legal practitioners and HR professionals managing expat families in the UAE need to adapt quickly to the implications of the lowered age of majority. The following checklist addresses the most pressing issues.

• Jurisdictional risk assessment. For any family law matter involving a client’s child approaching 18, evaluate whether the court will retain jurisdiction after the child’s birthday. File urgent applications or interim remedies before the jurisdictional window closes.
• Contract drafting updates. Review template contracts, particularly employment agreements, tenancy agreements and consumer contracts, to ensure age‑of‑contracting clauses reference 18 rather than 21. Where the counterparty is a young adult, consider including a parental guarantee clause as an additional safeguard.
• HR and benefits compliance. Audit employee benefit programmes for dependent eligibility thresholds. Many UAE employer policies previously extended dependent coverage until 21 or even 24 for students. Confirm whether these thresholds are contractual or tied to the statutory definition of majority, and amend accordingly.
• Custody litigation strategy. Where custody cases involve children aged 16–17, adopt a litigation strategy that accounts for the possibility that the child may reach majority before final judgment. Consider seeking interim orders that survive majority or financial maintenance orders that extend into adulthood for educational purposes.

Suggested Clause Language

“For the purposes of this agreement, ‘minor’ means a natural person who has not completed 18 Gregorian years of age as defined under Federal Decree‑Law No. 25 of 2025. Where the contracting party is aged 18 or above, this agreement is binding without requirement for guardian consent, co‑signature or ratification.”

Timeline and Comparison Table, Key Dates and the Age of Majority in the UAE

The following table summarises the legislative timeline and its practical implications for families, practitioners and institutions affected by the UAE family law 2026 reforms.

Conclusion, Protecting Your Family After the UAE Age of Majority Reform

The lowered age of majority in the UAE represents one of the most significant civil law reforms in four decades. For families, whether Emirati or expatriate, the three most important actions are: first, review all existing court orders, wills and guardianship arrangements for references to the old majority threshold; second, take urgent steps in any pending custody or guardianship proceedings where a child is approaching 18; and third, consult a qualified UAE family lawyer to ensure your specific circumstances are addressed.

Every family’s situation is different, and the interaction between federal law, local court practice and cross‑jurisdictional rules means that general guidance can only go so far. Professional legal advice is essential for anyone navigating these changes.

This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice tailored to your circumstances, consult a qualified legal professional licensed to practise in the United Arab Emirates.

Last reviewed: 19 July 2026.

Sources

1. UAE Federal Legislation Portal, Federal Decree‑Law No. 25 of 2025 (Civil Transactions Law)
2. UAE Government Official Portal (u.ae)
3. UAE Ministry of Justice
4. Abu Dhabi Judicial Department
5. Dubai Courts
6. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child