Guide to Civil Marriage in Dubai [Requirements, Process, Cost]

Introduction

A civil marriage in Dubai can take place within 24 hours.

The announcement of UAE Federal No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status Law along with its implementing regulations under Cabinet Decision No. 122/2023 have had a varied impact on the registration of marriages, divorces and wills.

In this publication we concentrate on how the registration of civil marriages in Dubai has been impacted following the legislative updates.

Prior to the entry into force of these regulations the Abu Dhabi jurisdiction (Civil Family Court in Abu Dhabi) was sought for the registration of civil marriages given that Abu Dhabi required less documentation and preparation than Dubai did. Dubai is not aligned with Abu Dhabi in terms of the information being requested as the only document that needs extra digging is the evidence of being single including evidence of having dissolved a previous marriage if had existed.

Abu Dhabi still allows the marriage of a couple of tourists whereas Dubai requires that at least one be a resident. Abu Dhabi has an express and standard options. The cost is about 8 times more when express. If you submit a civil marriage (strongly recommended) together with your application there will be an additional fee of AED 950 for the notarization of the Agreement.

Abu Dhabi is more transparent and easy to use up to today and we do invite you to access the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s information available in this respect in this link.

Below we address the information that will be required along with the expected process in Dubai.

What documents are necessary for marriage?

In order to be able to get married in Dubai under the new civil marriage option, the following will need to be met:

• Both parties must be non-Muslims.

• At least one of the parties must be a resident of Dubai.

• The age of the couple must be at least 21 years old

• The couple or their legally authorised representatives must appear in person.

• Original IDs are required to prove the identity details.

• Proof of being single must be provided via an attested marital status certificate for the parties to marriage by the Embassy of their country of origin.

What is the process of court marriage in Dubai?

Both parties or the representatives (under power of attorney) of the marrying couple will need to attend the Personal Status Court with their original IDs.

The Dubai Courts only requires original IDs, we however recommend carrying original passports along with the Original copy of Certificate issued by Embassy of their country of origin confirming that they are both single, legalized (bearing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Stamp) and translated (by translator registered with the Ministry of Justice).

These documents will also need to be readily available in electronic PDF versions as all will need to be uploaded at the time of their visit to the Personal Status Court. If documents are issued abroad will likewise need to be legalized for use in the UAE. This is the reason why documents are the respective Embassies will need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translated into Arabic.

As of the date of drafting this publication no pre-booking is available but we do encourage to verify in advance.

During the visit, the Parties will fill in a digital form and the in charge employee from the Service Center will verify the Parties’ IDs and consent and will take signatures from the marrying couple upon which it will be sent to the judge for approval. The confirmation of marriage via civil marriage contract will be sent to the couple via email and sms for due record.

Can Foreigners marry in Dubai?

Yes. Non-Muslim foreigners can legally contract a civil marriage in Dubai under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022, provided capacity / age / documentation requirements are satisfied. Important to stress the need for one of the two contracting parties to be a Dubai resident.

This is different from Abu Dhabi that celebrates civil marriages between tourists.

Can a Dubai (UAE) citizen marry a foreigner?

Yes — but both parties must meet personal-status legal capacity and documentary requirements.

For Emirati nationals, proof of consent and compliance with capacity / age / guardian requirements may still apply depending on gender and personal status framework. The competent court will check compliance on registration.

How Much does a Civil Marriage Cost in Dubai?

The expected costs of a civil wedding in Dubai are the following:

*These fees are approximate and subject to change by authorities. They do not include legal fees.

What is the Cheapest Option for a Wedding?

Today the cheapest option is Abu Dhabi (AED 300). Dubai is not far off but the fact that the Emirate requires proof of bachelorhood, as opposed to an undertaking and confirmation of it makes Abu Dhabi the cheapest and fastest option.

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We hope this publication will help you understand the concept of Civil Marriage in the UAE and remain available for any questions regarding this post of general application.

For more information published in English you can visit all our publications at this link as well as the videos in English of our Partner Maria Rubert.

*The information on this page is not intended to be legal advice. This article is intended to provide an initial introduction to the concept of Civil Marriage in the UAE.