How Quickly Can You Get Married in Dubai?

Dubai offers not only smooth but also fast-track marriage services, particularly under its civil marriage system for non-Muslims. Introduced to cater to the growing expatriate and tourist community in the emirate, if you meet the eligibility criteria, it is possible to get married in as little as 24 hours after initiating the process. Here is all you need to know about how quickly you can get married in Dubai. The Dubai civil marriage service follows Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2022 concerning the Civil Personal Status for Non-Muslims, which regulates family affairs of non-Muslim residents of the UAE.

Understanding the Marriage Process in Dubai

Marriage services in Dubai are available in the form of Sharia marriage for Muslim couples and civil marriages for non-Muslims. Each of these has a separate list of requirements and procedures.

Sharia Marriages for Muslim Couples

Sharia marriages for Muslims take place under Islamic law through Dubai Courts. A Muslim couple should necessarily follow Sharia law for their marriage to be legally recognized in Dubai. Some of the key steps and requirements include the following:

Eligibility: The bride and groom have to be at least 18 years of age. If one of them is below 18, then special permission from a judge is required.

Residency Requirement: One of the parties shall be a citizen or resident of Dubai.

Personal Appearance and Legal Representation: The parties or their legal representative shall appear in person and they have to submit the Power of Attorney of the representative (if any)

Documents Required: The following documents will be needed:

Emirates ID

 Valid passport

Certificate from Pre-marital health screening by a DHA-approved center

Witnesses: Two male Muslim witnesses are needed

Marriage Contract: The marriage contract must be recorded with the Dubai Courts.

Civil Marriages for Non-Muslim Couples

Non-Muslim couples can be married through a civil marriage. This marriage is quite straightforward, including, among other things, the following provisions:

Eligibility: The couple must be aged at least 21 years and not related to each other by consanguinity.

Documents: The general documents to be submitted are as follows:

Valid Passports

Emirates IDs

A Private Attested Power of Attorney in PDF format; in case there is an agent

An attested marital status certificate for the parties to marriage by the Embassy of their country of origin

How to Apply: The application should be submitted to Dubai Courts or through an accredited service center.

Approval: If approved, the marriage can be solemnized within 24 hours.

Eligibility Requirements for a Civil Marriage

To qualify for civil marriage in Dubai, couples must meet the following conditions:

One of the parties shall be a resident of Dubai.

The age of the engaged parties must be 21 years old.

The parties or their legal representatives shall appear in person and they have to submit the Power of Attorney of the representative (if any), and the concerned party shall submit their original ID to ratify their identity details.

All documents shall be submitted in soft copies in PDF format, provided that they shall be submitted in legal Arabic translation stamped by the Ministry of Justice in UAE, and if issued from outside the country, they shall be certified by the official authorities:

 o The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the concerned country

o The UAE embassy in the concerned country and

o The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, UAE

Conditions for Civil Marriage in Dubai

For a civil marriage contract to be established, the following conditions shall be met:

That both the husband and wife have attained at least twenty-one (21) Gregorian years.

That the married couple shall have the legal capacity necessary to undertake legal actions.

The civil marriage shall be executed between a male and a female.

That the married couple explicitly express their consent to marriage.

Marriage shall not take place between brothers, sons, grandchildren, paternal uncles, maternal uncles, or relatives up to the third degree.

The marriage shall not take place between the adopted child and the father or mother in the alternative family or any of their natural children.

Never get married to two sisters, a wife and her mother, maternal aunt, paternal aunt or grandmother, if the legislation to which the husband is subject permits polygamy.

The Civil Marriage Process in Dubai

Commencement of the Process: Appear in person at the service center of Dubai Courts or apply online, using an electronic form.

Consent Verification: A designated employee at the court shall be responsible for verifying the fulfillment of all conditions for marriage and the completion of all documents and forms.

Electronic Signing: Both parties must sign the application for a civil marriage electronically.

Judges' Approval: The application shall be admitted and referred to the authentication judge at the competent court after the required conditions are met and the fees are paid.

The authentication judge shall authenticate the marriage contract when they verify that there is nothing that legally impedes the validity of the consent of the married couple and after verifying proof of their signatures.

Certificate Issuance: The competent court shall issue the civil marriage document in Arabic and English whenever necessary, taking into account the nationality of the parties and shall hand over a copy of the marriage document to each of the married couple.

Issuance of Certificate: The marriage certificate, upon approval, is sent to the applicant via SMS and email.

The entire process can be completed within 24 hours, provided everything is in order and correctly submitted. The couples get an electronically issued international marriage certificate.

Costs and Other Considerations

The total fee for obtaining a Marriage certificate in Dubai is AED 220. However, Marriage certificate issuance fees exclude the fee of the Marriage Official.

It is further to be added that under the new rules, there is no longer any requirement for witnesses, further streamlining the process for couples.

How Dubai Court Marriage Can Assist

Marriage in Dubai is quite straightforward, but the requirements for documents and the procedures at the courts can sometimes be quite difficult. Our Marriage lawyers at Dubai Court Marriage provide full service, allowing all formalities to be concluded in comfort. From paperwork and translations to legal formalities, their highly qualified and experienced lawyers will ensure that all formalities are smoothly completed with no hassle.

For a speedy and hassle-free marriage, call today to Dubai Court Marriage and let our marriage lawyers help you get your marriage certificate in the shortest possible time!