Marriage conditions in the UAE

Marriage conditions in the UAE

The UAE and the city of Dubai have grown very fast in the last few decades. The economic and business conditions of this country have made many foreign nationals choose the UAE as a place to work and live. In terms of the life quality in the UAE and especially in the city of Dubai, it should be mentioned that it is a unique place to live. The schools of this country have a very high quality level. Many individual and cultural freedoms are available in this country without any restrictions.

There are different ways to get residency in this country. Residence in the UAE through marriage is one of these methods.

Residence through marriage

Those foreigners who intend to obtain UAE residency must meet some legal requirements in their marriage.

In the marriage of a foreign woman with an Emirati man, she receives UAE residency if at least 7 years have passed since their official marriage and they have one child. This period increases to ten years if the couple does not have children. In other words, a woman can obtain UAE citizenship after at least ten years of their life together.

It should be noted that having a child in the UAE is not the only compelling reason to obtain UAE residency, as they follow jus sanguinis laws. Of course, there are exceptions for newborns.

Those people whose child was born in the UAE have one month to register their child’s birth in the UAE. The child citizenship depends on the citizenship of the father.

All marriages performed in temples or churches in the UAE must be officially registered in the courts of this country. Otherwise, such marriages will not be approved not only in the UAE, but also in any other country.

Birth certificates and documents must be obtained from hospitals or health centers in the UAE and delivered to the appropriate authorities in case the child is born in the UAE.

Requirements before marriage

To get married in the UAE and the city of Dubai, the following documents need to be submitted to the legal authorities of this country, regardless of gender and nationality:

• Emirati birth certificates of each party
• Provide valid passports
• Clarity of the person’s visa status
• A valid visa for each of the parties who, as a foreigner, marries a resident of the UAE
• Providing bad background certificate
• Obtaining a health certificate before marriage through health institutions. The cost of this certificate is around AED 260. Also, keep in mind that your marriage application will most likely be rejected if the screening result is negative.

Marital requirements for Muslims

Some legal conditions are required for those Muslim immigrants who intend to get married in the UAE:

• Having at least 18 years of age for each of the couples. Necessary permission must be obtained from the judge handling the case if each of the parties has not reached the legal age.
• Mandatory presence of husband and wife in competent authorities
• The presence of the wife’s father or his representative in the legal authorities handling the case
• The presence of at least two Muslim witnesses
• Obtaining the guardian’s consent for a Muslim woman who marries in the UAE
• Presence of legal guardian (brother or uncle) in the court if the wife’s father is not alive
• Having documents related to the woman’s widowhood to determine the her marital status
• Carrying out all the steps of a person’s legal marriage in the Sharia court

Is it possible to obtain citizenship by marrying a foreign man with an Emirati woman?

Emirati citizenship is not possible if the foreigner is male and marries an Emirati woman.

How much does it cost to get married in Dubai?

The marriage cost in Dubai is about 200 UAE dirhams at a Sharia court. The marriage fee for non-Muslims varies from one embassy to another.