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UAE: Step by step guide on how non-Muslims can get married in Dubai

A KT reader wants to know the formalities in place before tying the knot

Published: Sun 5 Jan 2025, 9:00 AM

Updated: Mon 6 Jan 2025, 7:57 AM

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Question: I am a non-Muslim living in Dubai. I plan to get married in the UAE. How does the process work? Do I have to take care of the court formalities before hosting the wedding party? If so, how is that done? Please advise.

Answer: In the UAE, non-Muslim individuals may apply the provisions of UAE Personal Laws for Non-Muslims if they intend to marry in the UAE.

This is by Article 1(1) of the Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil personal Status, which states, “The provisions of the present Decree-Law shall apply to non-Muslim citizens of the UAE, and to non-Muslim foreigners who reside in the State unless one of them invokes the application of their respective law, about matters of marriage, divorce, estate will and proof of affiliation, without prejudice to Articles 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 of the reference Federal Law No. 5 of 1985”.

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Furthermore, non-Muslim individuals (bridegroom and the bride) who wish to marry in the UAE through the respective Personal Status Court, must be at least 21 years of age, a bridegroom and a bride need to expressly declare before the judge his and her consent to marriage and both need to sign the disclosure form. The conditions related to civil marriage of non-Muslims in the UAE are mentioned in Article 5 of the UAE Personal Laws for Non-Muslims.

Additionally, the procedures of civil marriage for non-Muslims in the UAE are mentioned in Article 6 of the UAE Personal Laws for Non-Muslims, which states:

“Procedures for civil marriage contract and its certification

1. Civil marriage procedures may take place before the certification judge in the competent court, by filing an application using a form prepared to this effect, and subject to the other conditions and procedures outlined in the present Decree-Law and its implementing regulations.

2. Marriage shall take place by filling out the form prepared to this effect by both spouses before the certification judge. Spouses may agree on the conditions of the contract, and the contract shall, as between them, prevail in terms of the rights of spouses during marriage and post-divorce rights, especially the joint custody of children.

3. The marriage contract form shall include the disclosure by the spouses of any prior marriages along with the date of divorce, if any, and a declaration by the wife that no marriage is still effective. The husband must submit this declaration if the law of his home country does not permit polygamy. In any event, the husband must disclose any existing marriage relationship before the certification judge.

4. The contract must include an indication of the consent of each of them, verbally or in writing.

5. The implementing Regulations of this Decree-Law shall specify the approved bilingual contract form for civil marriage.

6. After verifying the fulfilment of all the conditions of a civil marriage contract, and after completing the procedures stipulated in this Article, the certification judge shall ratify the marriage contract and the contract shall be entered in the register maintained for this purpose.”

Based on the aforementioned provisions of law, you and your partner may consider marrying before a judge in the Personal Status Court of Dubai upon fulfilling the aforementioned requirements mentioned in UAE Personal Laws for Non-Muslims. Based on the religion of you and your partner, you may also consider marrying at a church, Hindu or Sikh temple in Dubai which is licensed and approved by the Community Development Authority of Dubai.

According to your nationality, you may confer with your embassy or the respective Consulate General in the UAE if it provides services for conducting marriages for non-Muslim residents of the UAE.

For any additional information on the procedure, you may avail legal advice from a legal counsel in the UAE.

Ashish Mehta is the founder and Managing Partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates. He is qualified to practise law in Dubai, the United Kingdom and India. Full details of his firm on: www.amalawyers.com. Readers may e-mail their questions to: news@khaleejtimes.com or send them to Legal View, Khaleej Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai.

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