Are you an expat and wondering how to get married in Dubai? You’re in the right place. Dubai’s safe, welcoming and family-friendly environment makes it the top choice for foreigners to build a future. The UAE offers abundant housing, schools and the freedom to practice one’s culture and religion which is why so many foreigners decide to settle here and tie the knot here.
If you are an expat and planning to commit to the love of your life? You are in the right place. This guide explores everything you need to know about getting married in Dubai as a foreigner.
How to Get Married in Dubai? – Guide for Expats
Getting married in Dubai as a foreigner is possible, however there are few important points to understand:
- You must legally register your marriage with the courts and relevant embassies.
- Non-muslim foreigners can get married in Dubai according to the rules of their respective countries.
Dubai Marriage Requirements for Foreigners – How to Get Married in Dubai?
- Pre-martial
- Muslim expats
- Non-muslim expats
- Court marriage
Foreigners getting married in Dubai need to fulfill some procedures and requirements. These requirements are procedures differ based on the couple’s:
- Residency status
- Nationality
- Religion
- Citizenship
Let us look at the procedures for Dubai expat marriages separately.
General Pre-marital Requirements in Dubai – How to Get Married in Dubai?
Regardless of who you are and your country’s origin, these are the pre-requirements and documents needed for the civil marriage process in Dubai.
- Approval of the bride
- Couple’s Emirates IDs.
- Valid passports.
- Visa status of both parties.
- At least one person (groom, bride or bride’s guardian) must have a valid residence visa of UAE in the marriage contract.
- A positive pre-marital health screening document provided by DHA healthcare centers for both bride and groom.
Pre-marital medical tests in Dubai are necessary for getting married in Dubai and have a cost of AED 260. The PHC-pre-medical test is done to prevent the risk of spreading infectious and inherited diseases.
The medical consultation takes about 12 minutes. Your marriage application may be rejected if the medical screening certificate is negative.
Islamic Marriage Procedure for Muslims in Dubai for Foreigners
If you are planning to get married in Dubai according to the Shariah law you must fulfill the following requirements.
- The groom and bride must be 18 years old. If one or both of them does not meet the legal age requirement in the UAE, they must get a special approval from the judge.
- A spouse must not be twice the age of the other. If they are, they must get approval from the judge.
- The couple must be in attendance.
- The bride’s father or his designated personal must be in the ceremony.
- Two Muslim male witnesses must be present.
- Muslim women getting married in Dubai must get her guardian’s consent.
- Divorced or widowed people must provide proof of their marital status.
- If a Muslim bride has a non-Muslim guardian/father, she must obtain an “NOC” from her embassy or consulate in the UAE.
The couple needs to register their marriage contract in a UAE Shariah Court for it to become valid.
Requirements for Non-Muslim Foreigners Getting Married in Dubai
Non-Muslim expats can also get married in Dubai and register the marriage contracts at their home country’s embassies or consulates. Christian foreigners can get married at one of the churches in Dubai and register the marriage contract at their embassies or consulate.
Registration of marriage contracts for non-Muslims in Dubai is possible if they fulfill the following criteria:
- The age of bride and groom must be 18 or above.
- Have two witnesses for the marriage ceremony.
Additionally, the church or embassy may also have other requirements for getting married in Dubai. The requirements may vary depending on each church’s own requirements. However, in most cases, the embassy or church may ask for additional documents such as:
- Copies of groom and bride’s passports.
- Birth certificates of both.
- Valid Identity cards of witnesses.
- Proof of divorce or death of a previous spouse (where required).
Some embassies in the UAE may ask the couple to submit additional documents such as application for “intention to marry”. Another example is the embassy of the Philippines, which requires a CENOMAR in the UAE to legitimate the marriage.
Therefore, it is necessary to plan an expat wedding in Dubai, as it requires lots of documents and approvals. Make sure to get in touch with the local embassies to understand the whole process and requirements.
Requirements for Court Marriage in Dubai for Expats – How to Get Married in Dubai?
Court marriage is another convenient option for foreigners to tie the knot in this multicultural city. For example, if the man is Muslim and the woman is non-Muslim, the couple can opt for court marriage in Dubai/UAE. However, a Muslim woman is not allowed to marry a non-Muslim man in Dubai unless he converts to Islam.
If both the man and woman are non-Muslim, they can apply for marriage at their own countries’ embassies in the UAE.
On that note, here are is the list of requirements for Dubai court marriage for foreigners:
- Original birth certificates
- Original passport copies
- Proof of residence in the UAE (guardianship or self)
- Valid Emirates ID
- A medical fitness certificate for marriage
- Certificate of proof of marital status for both parties whether they are single, married or divorced). The certificate must be certified from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the applicant and the consulate of UAE if the certificate was issued from outside the country.
- A local proof of marital status certificate can also be issued by the applicant’s consulate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE.
Who Supervises/Officiates the Marriage Ceremony for Foreigners in Dubai?
All nationals and foreign residents are allowed to get married in the UAE, if they meet the eligibility criteria.
Islamic Marriages in Dubai
In Dubai and other emirates of the UAE, Muslim marriages for locals and expats are conducted according to the Shariah Law that are necessary despite the nationality of the couple.
Islamic marriages in the UAE take place when:
- Both bride and groom are Muslim.
- The groom is Muslim, and the bride belongs to Ahl Al-Kitaab (People of the Book).
Islamic marriages in Dubai are conducted by the Shariah courts or through authorised marriage officers (Masoons) which are appointed by the Ministry of Justice.
The ministry also offers a comprehensive eMarriage service for couples who wish to get married in the UAE. The system allows you to book an appointment with an authorised officer, pay the required fees and reserve your intended marriage date online. As the system is linked with the Emirates ID, you don’t need paperwork or identification documents.
Muslim foreigners tying the knot in Dubai must remember that:
- The UAE does not allow a Muslim woman to marry a man who has another faith, unless he converts to Islam and presents its proof.
- Muslim men are allowed to marry non-Muslim women in Dubai.
Non-Muslim Foreigners Marriages in Dubai – How to Get Married in Dubai?
For foreign marriages in Dubai where both spouses are non-Muslims, the marriage ceremony takes place at:
- The embassy or consulate of the couple’s country of origin is the UAE.
- A temple or church according to the religion of the couple.
What are the Requirements for a Filipino to Marry a Nepali or an Indian?
If the foreigner couple tying the knot in Dubai is from two different countries, both of them must register the marriage in their embassies in the UAE for it to be legal.
If the couple is Muslim or one of them is Muslim, the requirements will be slightly different.
Can a Pakistani and Filipino Marry in Dubai?
If the man and woman are Muslims, they can choose the court marriage in Dubai and officiate the marriage process according to Shariah laws in the United Arab Emirates.
It is important to note that a CENOMAR is needed for all Filipino marriages in Dubai.
24-hour Marriage Service – How to Get Married in Dubai?
Non-Muslim couples can also choose the 24 hours marriage service in Dubai. They can also get their marriage certificate within 24 hours if they fulfill the criteria listed below:
- Both applicants are non-Muslim
- One applicant must be a resident of Dubai.
- Both men and women must be at least 21 years old.
- An attested marital status certificate from the embassy confirming both of them are single.
- Applicants need to be present on the day of ceremony or send their representative power of attorney.
- Original ID and electronic documents in the PDF format.
- Original Emirates ID, passport and a copy of their Dubai residency permit.
- All documents must be legally translated into Arabic by an agency of UAE’s Ministry of Justice and UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Applicants must visit the Courts service center in Dubai for this service: the cost is AED 482.
Final Words
In the end, we hope this article helped you understand “How to Get Married in Dubai”.The multicultural nature of Dubai allows both Muslims and non-Muslims expats and residents to get married. As long as all the requirements of the court and civic marriage laws are fulfilled, you can easily tie the knot in the city. Make sure to understand the legalities of the type of wedding you are choosing, so that you get approval smoothly.
Contact Al Riyady to completely understand the marriage legalities for Muslims and non-Muslims. We can help you with the Golden Visa in UAE, Business Setup in the Mainland and Free Zones, Licenses and more.
