Marriage procedures for Muslims in Dubai
Marriage in the UAE is the only bond under which the relationship between man and woman and having children are established. Following the applicable Shari’a law, the UAE Federal Law No. 28 of 2005 prohibits a man from living with a woman whom he is not married nor sharing a living with. This act is penalized according to the UAE Penal Code, where the penalty may include imprisonment and deportation
Marriage in Islam is a legal contract between a man and a woman aimed at protecting the rights of the couple and their children. The marriage contract must be registered in the Sharia court in the UAE, which ensures that the marriage meets the legal requirements. In cases of marriage of non-Muslims, the couple must contact their church or embassy and follow the laws of marriage applied there. Today we will be talking about the following points:
- Procedures to be followed to complete marriage in Dubai.
- The conditions for the marriage of those who want to convert to Islam from another religion.
- Additional documents to be submitted by divorced women.
- Documents to be submitted by widows
- the entities through which the documents related to marriage are to be ratified, and whether they should be translated into the Arabic language
let’s know more about the procedures that should be followed to complete marriage in the Emirate of Dubai:
To complete the marriage in Dubai courts following Islamic law, the following conditions must be met:
Firstly :(Registration of the marriage contract) online on Dubai Courts website. The sender then receives a reference number on his email to go to the courts on a certain date and immediately commence the necessary procedures to complete the contract
Secondly: At least one of the parties of the marriage contract (husband, wife or wife’s guardian) must have a work or residence visa in Dubai. Both spouses must present their ID cards and passports to prove their identities and visa status.
Thirdly: A spouse’s age should not be twice the other; and in case that one party is under 18 years, the approval of the president of personal status court is sought
Fourthly: The couple must present a pre-marital screening certificate issued from a governmental hospital/clinic that verifies the absence of diseases such as Thalassemia and AIDS/HIV.
Fifthly: Both couples must be present along with the bride’s father or his proxy and two male Muslim witnesses. The couple must be dressed properly, and the wife must wear modest clothes and never to reveal any part of her body except what is necessary. In case of father’s death, a death certificate must be present, and the presence of the next closest male guardian i.e. (adult son, brother, cousin, nephew) is required. If the wife’s father is alive but is unable to be present in person, he can authorize a guardian by proxy (of the same religion of the wife’s father) to complete the marriage procedures through an officially adopted proxy.
Sixthly: The marriage contract fee in the Dubai Courts ranges between AED 60 and AED 500, depending on the procedure. The marriage official authorized by Dubai Courts determines the value of this fee.
special conditions for marriage of converters to Islam:
In addition to the conditions given above, there are other special conditions for newly converted Muslims. Newly converted female Muslims should submit ‘certificate of embracing Islam’ and other certificates from any Islamic Centre approved by the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments.
Today we’ll clarify the additional documents to be presented by divorcees
In addition to the above-mentioned conditions, divorcees should submit official certificate / divorce decree/.
documents to be submitted by Widows/Widowers
In addition to the above-mentioned conditions, widows and widowers should submit death certificate of their late spouse.
To learn where to ratify marriage documents and the necessity of translation to Arabic
All certificates not issued in the UAE, as well as Power of attorney and other certificates issued from a country outside the UAE, should be legally translated into Arabic, certified from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of that country, and the UAE Embassy in that country. All the documents should also be ratified from UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UAE Ministry of Justice.
Dubai Courts has hired more than 20 authorized marriage officers (Mazoons) to perform marriage ceremonies, to regulate the marriage contracts and check all documentation. Couples can also use a decorated stand in the marriage hall at Dubai Courts to take a few photographs to memorize their special day before they proceed to their wedding.