The main routes
- Civil marriage for non Muslim residents and visitors, available through dedicated civil family courts, with an English language certificate issued.
- Sharia marriage through the relevant court, applicable where at least one party is Muslim, with its own witness and guardian requirements.
- Embassy or consulate marriage, where the couple's own mission is authorised to solemnise marriages for its nationals.
- Registering a marriage that already took place abroad, so that UAE authorities will accept it.
Civil marriage, what is usually required
The civil route is deliberately light on paperwork compared with the older process, and the appointment itself is short. The documents that slow couples down are almost always the ones about a previous marriage.
- Valid passports for both parties, with UAE entry stamp or residence visa.
- Emirates ID where the parties are residents.
- A declaration that neither party is currently married, in the form the court accepts.
- Proof of the dissolution of any previous marriage, meaning a divorce decree or death certificate, attested and translated.
- Both parties must be over eighteen.
Registering a foreign marriage in the UAE
Obtain the original certificate
A certified original from the issuing authority. Church or ceremonial copies without civil registration are not enough.
Certify in the issuing country
Notary or issuing registry, then that country's foreign ministry.
UAE Embassy in that country
The UAE mission confirms the foreign ministry stamp.
UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MOFA confirms the embassy stamp once the document is in the UAE.
Legal translation into Arabic
By a Ministry of Justice licensed translator, after the stamps are complete.
What the certificate is then used for
- Sponsoring a spouse for a residence visa.
- Adding a spouse and children to health insurance and school records.
- Registering the birth of a child in the UAE.
- Joint property purchase and gift transfers between spouses.
- Supporting a will, guardianship appointment or inheritance matter.
Points couples commonly miss
- A ceremonial certificate without civil registration in the country of marriage cannot be attested.
- Name spellings on the certificate must match the passports, including middle names.
- Divorce decrees need the same full attestation chain as the marriage certificate.
- A translation obtained before attestation will not cover the stamps and will need redoing.
- Some authorities ask for a certificate issued within a recent window, so a very old original may need a fresh certified copy.
Frequently asked
Can non residents marry in the UAE?
The civil marriage route is open to visitors as well as residents in the emirates that offer it, subject to the same identity and prior marriage requirements.
Do we need witnesses?
Requirements differ by route. Civil marriage appointments are straightforward and the court will confirm what attendance is needed when the slot is booked.
Is a UAE civil marriage recognised abroad?
It is a government issued certificate and is widely recognised, though the receiving country may require attestation and translation in the usual way.
How long does registering a foreign marriage take?
The UAE stages take a few working days. The stages abroad depend on that country's authorities and commonly add two to six weeks.