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Getting Married in Dubai and UAE
taken from Dubai FAQs http://www.dubaifaqs.com/marriage-in-dubai.php
Expat as well as Emirati couples can and do get married in Dubai. The rules and procedures vary depending on nationality and/or religion.
Generally, two people of the same religion can marry without difficulty. People of different religions may face some problems. A common situation is when a Muslim man and Christian woman wish to get married. That's ok (cultural and/or family considerations notwithstanding) but a Christian man will have to convert to Islam before marrying a Muslim woman.
Emirati men sometimes marry non-emirati women but the reverse is rare (although not completely unknown).
The Dubai Courts oversee procedures and regulations pertaining to marriages. Their website is mostly in Arabic and it is difficult to find relevant information in English. The marriage section tel is +971-4-3347777. The court will not perform a civil service for marrying Christians - you have to go to a church or your embassy or both.
29 December 2007 update - pre-marriage certificates from government hospitals only
From 19 November 2005, anyone getting married in the UAE (expats and nationals) needed a medical fitness certificate to prove they were free of infectious diseases, which could be issued at private and government hospitals and medical clinics. From the end of January 2008, you'll have to do this test at Ministry of Health affiliated government hospitals and medical clinics, according to a Khaleej Times report 29 December 2007.
25 September 2007 update - compulsory blood tests
Emirates Today newspaper reported that both Emiratis and expats must have a blood test before getting married in Dubai as of 09 September 2007. The Dubai Health Authority says screenings will be introduced in other emirates also. The blood test costs AED 260 for expats, nothing for UAE nationals with a health card. Results take a week and are apparently kept confidential and not included in the certificate issued by the Dubai Health Authority for use in court (where a marriage has to be registered). The blood test screens for Aids, sexually-transmitted diseases, and hereditary diseases such as thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia (common genetic disorders in the UAE). Only an HIV-positive result can be used to stop a marriage, but health officials will outline the risks of the other conditions.
Christian Weddings
Do something like this (it will vary depending on nationality):
1 Go to your embassy and find out what the procedure is. You'll need to bring passports and sign an affidavit to say you're not already married and there is no hindrance to getting married or something similar, you may need to bring witnesses. It may be possible to get married at your embassy, otherwise you'll have to go to a church.
2 If you're both of different nationalities, you'll need to contact both your respective embassies to find out what the best or correct procedure is.
3 UK citizens need to post wedding banns. This will cost several hundred dhs and you'll have to wait 3 weeks or so before you can collect the banns and go to a church to get married.
4 US citizens need to get married by a pastor (phone one of the churches to make this arrangement).
5 Indian citizens can apparently get married at their embassy in Abu Dhabi.
6 If you make a date with one of the Christian churches to get married, expect to pay fees of about 1000 dhs plus additional costs for flowers, photography, dress, suit, cake, air fares for friends and families, and all the usual accoutrements.
7 If you were married in an English speaking church, you will receive a marriage certificate in English. This needs to be translated into Arabic by a court approved translator for your marriage to be valid in the UAE. Fees should be less than 100 dhs.
8 You then need to submit both documents to the Notary Public Office at the Dubai Courts for certification (another 100 dhs fee). You may need to have UAE residence visas to be able to do this.
9 Then you need to go to the Ministry of Justice to get the certification authenticated.
10 Then you need to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get the MoJ authentication authenticated.
11 Then you need to go back to your embassy to get the MoFA authentication authenticated so that your marriage certificate is authenticated for validity in your home country. If you are of different nationalities, you'll have to go to both your respective embassies.
Islamic Marriages
1 You both need valid UAE residence visas (if you're not UAE citizens).
2 Go to the Marriage Section of the Dubai Court with:
3 The bride's father or guardian or his attorney.
4 Two male Muslim witnesses.
5 Passports and copies and identification papers for the guardian and witnesses.
6 Proof of divorce or death of husband for the bride (if applicable).
7 If the bride is Muslim and her father is not, she needs a no objection letter from her embassy (or consulate) in Arabic (or translated into Arabic and attested by the Ministry of Justice) and attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
8 100 dhs for fees (take some more just in case).
9 You'll receive a UAE marriage license.
10 To authenticate it for validity in your home country, take it to the Ministry of Justice, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then your embassy (or consulate) for authentication at each stop. Bring a few hundred dhs for processing fees.
Mixed religion weddings
1 If the bridegroom is Muslim and bride is not, contact the Marriage Section of the Dubai court. You may be able to get married there. See the procedure for Islamic marriages above.
2 If the bride is Muslim and the bridegroom is not, you cannot get married in Dubai until the bridegroom becomes Muslim. Then see the above section about Islamic marriages.
3 For religions other than Islam or Christian, contact your respective embassies to find out what the best procedure is.
4 Christian churches will usually only marry a couple if both are Christian.
Contact details
1 Al-Diwan (Legal Translation Division), Office 209, Modern Pharmacy Building, Nassar Square, Al Maktoum Street, Deira. Tel +971-4-2232189.
2 Arabian Translation Center, PO Box 6549, Sharjah. Tel +971-6-5615552.
3 British Embassy, Dubai. Tel +971-4-3094444.
4 Christ Church (Anglican), Jebel Ali. Tel +971-4-8845436.
5 Consulate General of India, Dubai. Tel +971-4-3971222 or +971-4-3971333.
6 Dana Translation, PO Box 7992, Dubai. Tel +971-4-3935702.
7 Diamond Legal Translation, Office 07, Block C, Golden Fork Restaurant Building, Rigga Road, Dubai. Tel +971-4-2273133.
8 Dubai Courts Marriage Section. Tel +971-4-3347777.
9 Eman Translation Services, Modern Pharmacy Building, Office 104, Nasser Square, Al Maktoum Street, Deira. Tel +971-4-2247066.
10 Embassy Of India, Abu Dhabi. Tel +971-2-4492700.
11 Emirates Baptist Church International (Southern Baptist). Tel +971-4-3491596.
12 Holy Trinity Church, Oud Metha Road, Dubai. Tel +971-4-3370247.
13 Ministry of Justice, near Garhood Bridge. Tel +971-4-2825999.
14 St Mary's Church (Catholic), Oud Metha Road, Dubai. Tel +971-4-3370087.
15 St Francis of Assisi Church (Catholic), Jebel Ali. Tel +971-4-8845251.
16 United Christian Church of Dubai (Interdenominational). Tel +971-4-3442509.
Marriage in Dubai
taken from Consulate General of the United States http://dubai.usconsulate.gov/dubai/citizen_services/marriage_in_dubai.html
The following is an unofficial explanation of how to be married in Dubai. Only the UAE government can give authoritative answers to all questions concerning marriage. For more detailed information please contact the Dubai Courts at 04-334-7777 or www.dubaicourts.gov.ae
Christian Marriage
STEP 1: Choose a minister (below is a list of several local ministers). Certain documents may be required (divorce decrees, birth certificates, etc.). Some ministers will only marry members of their denominations and none of the ministers will perform the marriage if one party is a Muslim.
Father Daniel Cherofolini (Catholic): Tel: 04-337-0087 or 04-335-8504, 8 A.M. – 12 P.M., 4 P.M. – 7:30 P.M., not available on Tuesdays
Reverend Canon Stephen Wright, Christ Church (Anglican): Tel:04-884-5436
Pastor Leonardo A, Castro Jr. (Interdenominational): Tel: 04-297-6645 or 050-455-9372
Pastor Daniel Spletts, United Christian Church of Dubai (Interdenominational): Tel: 04-344-2509
Emirates Baptist Church International (Southern Baptist): Tel: 04-349-1596, E-mail:ebci@emirates.net.ae.
STEP 2: After the marriage ceremony, the minister will give you a marriage certificate in English, which must be translated into Arabic by a court-approved legal translator. Translation fees range between 40 to 50 UAE Dhms per page. Below is a list of several court-approved translators (a complete list can be obtained from the Dubai Ministry of Justice, Tel: 04-282-5999):
Al-Diwan (Legal Translation Division), Modern Pharmacy Building (near Nassar Square), 2nd floor, Office #209, Al-Maktoum Street, Deira, Tel: 04-223-2189 E-mail:aldiwan@emirates.net.ae
Eman Translation Services, Modern Pharmacy Building, 1st Floor, Office #104, Nasser Square, Al Maktoum Street, Tel: 04-224-7066 E-Mail: ets@emirates.net.ae
Arabian Translation Center, P.O. Box 6549, Sharjah, UAE, Tel: 06-561-5552 E-Mail:raadtrns@emirates.net.ae
Diamond Legal Translation, Rigga Road, Golden Fork Restaurant Building, Block C, Mezzanine Floor, Office #07, Dubai, UAE, Tel: 04-227-3133, E-mail:dlt@emirates.net.ae
Dana Translation, P.O. Box 7992, Dubai, UAE, Tel: 04-393-5702, E-mail:danatran@emirates.net.ae
STEP 3: Submit the original English marriage certificate and the Arabic translation (keep copies of both) to the Notary Public office at the Dubai courts. They will certify the documents for a fee of 80 UAE Dhms.
STEP 4: Take your documents to the Ministry of Justice (04-282-5999) near the Garhoud Bridge to authenticate the signature and the Notary Public seal. Then take the documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to authenticate the seal of the Ministry of Justice.
STEP 5: Finally, bring all your documents to the US Consulate General for authentication of the seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your marriage certificate will then be legal for use in the US.
Islamic Marriage
Islamic Marriages are performed at the Marriage Sections of the Dubai Courts (Tel: 04-334-7777 or http://www.dubaicourts.gov.ae
No prior appointment is necessary. Please note that the Islamic court will NOT marry Christians, so the procedure below does NOT apply to non-Muslims.
STEP 1: Both the bride and groom must hold valid UAE residence visas issued by the Emirate of Dubai.
STEP 2: The bridegroom, bride, guardian of the bride (i.e. father, or the legal guardian upon father’s death, or his attorney), and two male Muslim witnesses must be present on the day of the marriage. The following documents must also be presented:
If the bride’s father is deceased, a Certificate of Death or Sharia’a Declaration of his death by the bride.
The couple’s original passports and copies, (nationality document of UAE bridegroom if the bride is a UAE national), and identification documents of the guardian and witnesses.
If the bride is divorced or widowed, proof must be presented. If the divorce was made upon court judgment, evidence must be presented to ensure that this judgment is not under appeal in a court of appeal or a court of cessation.
If the bride is Muslim and her guardian is non-Muslim, a no objection letter from the bride’s Embassy or Consulate is required, in which her marital status and the name of the person she intends to marry must be mentioned. The no objection letter must be attested by UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and must be legally translated into Arabic and attested by the UAE Ministry of Justice. As the US Consulate cannot provide such a letter, American citizens who want to marry should write their own statement, which the US Consulate will notarize for a fee of 111 UAE Dhms. Notary services are performed between 11:30 am and 2:00
All documents issued outside the UAE (i.e. birth/death certificates, divorce decrees, etc) must be translated into Arabic and attested by the UAE Ministry of Justice and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
STEP 3: After the wedding ceremony is complete, you will receive a UAE marriage license upon payment of a 50 UAE Dhms processing fee.
STEP 4: Take your documents to the Ministry of Justice (04-282-5999) near the Garhoud Bridge to authenticate the signature and the Notary Public seal. Then take the documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to authenticate the seal of the Ministry of Justice.
STEP 5: Finally, bring all your documents to the US Consulate General for authentication of the seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your marriage certificate will then be legal for use in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
taken from Dubai Courts e-Services Portal http://www.dubaicourts.gov.ae/portal/page?_pageid=53,72555,53_72571:53_93421:53_123425&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
I am a UAE female who wants to marry an Arab expatriate .What are the required documents to ratify the contract at the court?
According to Semitic instructions issued by His Highness the President of the UAE ,the UAE female national is not allowed to marry a foreigner in order to protect the public interest.
What are the procedures and the required documents for ratifying marriage between a Muslim expatriate male residing in the UAE and a Muslim expatriate female who was previously married ?
Your presence ,the women and her father with two witnesses to the registration section-attestations division in Department of Justice accompanied by all your passports ,along with the women's divorce document from her previous husband provided that this document should be authenticated by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translated into Arabic . In case the woman's father couldn't present then he may retain another person by an official authenticated proxy ratified for the purpose of attending the contracting and signing on the contract in his capacity as the attorney of the guardian(a specimen for the power of attorney is also available).If the woman's father wasn't a Muslim so in this case there is no need for his attendance and the woman is asked to get a permission for marriage from the British Embassy or Consulate .You may review all requirements from the users manual.
I am a UAE female coming from a rich family who agreed upon my marriage to a rich UAE man .Our families decided that my dowry shall be one million dirhams and I want to know if this amount is allowed?
Complying with the provisions of dowry limitation the dowry shouldn't exceed the amount of 50.000 Dirhams.
Legally permitted persons move to houses in order to precede marriage contracts and they could be pictured during the incident of ratifying marriage contract .Can I with response to humanitarian motives and to record my marriage for remembrance picture?
To preserve the respect of the court and judiciary its impermissible to picture the marriage court tacks in the court.
I am a Muslim expatriate .I agreed to marry a Christian expatriate and I want to know where can we ratify our marriage contract?
This marriage is void because it's forbidden in the Quran text and no direction in the UAE in Dubai could precede this contract as it's forbidden by law also.
I am a Muslim expatriate .I agreed to marry a Christian expatriate and I want to know where can we ratify our marriage contract?
This marriage is void because it's forbidden in the Quran text and no direction in the UAE in Dubai could precede this contract as it's forbidden by law also.
MARRIAGES IN DUBAI
taken from British Embassy, Abu Dhabi
http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1196173574031
INFORMATION FOR BRITISH NATIONALS INTENDING TO GET MARRIED
Marriage in the UAE
Marriage in the Church
British nationals who are resident in Dubai and are Anglican Christians may be able to marry at Holy Trinity Church (Tel = 04 337 0247), or Christ Church, Jebel Ali, (Tel = 04 884 5436)
Roman Catholics may be able to marry at St Mary's Church, (Tel = 04 337 0087)
The Churches will provide details of documentation, fees and other requirements.
This may involve making a sworn affidavit and posting Notice of Marriage at the Embassy in Dubai.
A Date for the marriage must be obtained before posting Notice.
Pre-requisites for Anglican Marriage
1 At least one partner is Anglican
2 Neither partner is Muslim
3 At least one partner is resident in Dubai, (unless prior permission is obtained from the Church and all necessary legalities met in both partners places of residence in the UK.)
4 The ceremony must take place in the Church; (Blessings only may be possible at other locations by arrangement with the Reverends).
5 Official attested proof from the Embassy that the British partner is free to marry.
6 Minimum age = 18
Pre-requisites for Roman Catholic Marriage
1 At least one partner is Roman Catholic
2 Neither partner is Muslim
1 At least one partner is resident in Dubai.
2 Official proof from the Home church that each partner is not married.
3 Minimum age , Female = 18, Male = 21
After the ceremony has taken place in either the Anglican or Roman Catholic church, in order to ensure that the marriage is recognised in Dubai, the couple must take a signed copy of the entry in the Church Marriage register for accreditation to:
i. The Dubai Courts, near Maktoum Bridge and Rashid Hospital
ii. The Ministry of Justice
iii. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Muslim Marriage
A marriage between two Muslims can be conducted in the Sharia'a Court in Dubai, as can a marriage between a Muslim man and a non-Muslim woman. However, the court will not allow a non-Muslim man to marry a Muslim woman. The man must first convert to Islam. More information on this can be obtained from the Sharia'a Court (Tel = 04 303 0406).
Pre-requisites
1 Groom is Muslim
2 Bride is Muslim or Christian
3 At least one partner resident in Dubai
4 Approval of Bride's father or closest male relative has been given
5 Proof Groom is Muslim, i.e. Birth Certificate or Conversion document
The father or relative must either be present, or give official approval
i.e. Power of Attorney or approval in writing which must be attested and names of bride and groom clearly mentioned in the document.
If the bride has no Father or brothers, an application will need to be made to the judge at the Sharia'a court to allow the marriage to proceed.
Although officially a Muslim man can marry a woman whose religion is 'from the Book' (the Bible), the local courts strongly encourage the bride to convert to Islam first.
If the bride does not wish to convert, there will be many hurdles to overcome, particularly in terms of paperwork.
If the Bride is a British Citizen she may be required to provide a letter stating she does not need the permission of any UK authority to marry overseas. This can be provided by the British Embassy in Dubai.
Marrying a non British Citizen
British citizens marrying a non British citizen should have their partner verify with their own Embassy/Consular as to the validity of the marriage in their own country.
Marriage at the British Embassy
A marriage at the British Embassy can only be conducted under very exceptional circumstances and will require additional permission from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Anybody who is unable to return to the UK to marry or cannot marry in the Church or Sharia'a Court should contact either the Consular Section for further information about marrying at the Embassy.
The information in this document on marrying in Dubai is provided as a general guide and is based upon information provided to the Embassy by the relevant local authorities. The information in this leaflet is therefore only up to date and accurate to the extent that such authorities provide us with timely and accurate information. Accordingly the FCO and the British Embassy does not guarantee that this information is accurate and will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information. British nationals wishing to obtain information about marriage must also contact the relevant local authority to be sure of the requirements that they need in order for their ceremony to go ahead.
List of Churches in the UAE
Dubai:
- Holy Trinity Church
- Saint Mary's Catholic Church
- United Christian Church of Dubai
- Emirates Baptist Church Int'l
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints
- The Deira Brethren Assembly
- Mar Thoma Church
- Mar Ignatius Church
- Miracle Hands Ministry
- New Covenant Church Dubai
Jebel Ali:
- St Francis of Assisi Church
- (Christ Church of Jebel Ali) The Church of the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf
- Dubai Mar Thoma Church Jebel Ali
Sharjah:
- Saint Martin's Church
- Saint Michael's Catholic Church
- CSI Parish
- Congregation of the Church of South India
- Miracle Hands Ministry
Fujairah:
- Church of our Lady of Perpetual Help
Umm Al Quwain:
- Miracle Hands Ministry
Ras Al Khaimah:
- St Mary's Orthodox Church
Abu Dhabi:
- Arab Evangelical Church.
- Evangelical Community Centre
- St George Orthodox Church
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
- Saint Andrew's Church
- Miracle Hands Ministry
Al Ain:
- St Mary's Catholic Church
- Anglican Church Services
- Evangelical Church of Al Ain
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