Civil Marriage in Abu Dhabi

Yes. The court states plainly that you do not need to be a resident of the UAE to marry there; couples who live abroad apply online and then travel to Abu Dhabi for the ceremony. Among the conditions the court publishes: you are both at least 18, neither of you is married to anyone else, and you are not closely related. Whether anything else in your case needs attention is what we check in the consultation, before anything is filed. The court’s civil marriage service A celebration in Dubai around the court date A celebration in Abu Dhabi itself

Yes. The Abu Dhabi court concludes civil marriages irrespective of religion or nationality; the one exception its own page names is Muslim citizens of the UAE. That sets Abu Dhabi apart from Ras Al Khaimah, where both partners must be non-Muslim. How your home country treats the marriage is a separate question, and we look at it with you before you apply. Who the court’s civil marriage is open to

The court’s list is short. It asks for copies of both passports, Emirates IDs if you live in the UAE, and its own application form, on which you each declare that you are not married to anyone else. If either of you was married before, the divorce judgment or death certificate is added. No premarital medical certificate is needed, and no separate proof of single status. Documents in English or Arabic need no translation; whether one issued abroad needs attesting first depends on the document, so we check each one before the application goes in. The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court’s requirements

Because the two routes differ in the date; in our experience the court handles both applications at much the same pace. On the regular route it then offers a date subject to availability, and regular dates are currently booking about three months ahead. On the express route you choose the date and time yourselves, which is why, once your documents are ready, it can be completed in one to two working days. Express marriage when the date cannot move

The court charges its own fee, paid once your application is approved. When we prepare the marriage with you, that fee is included in our package price, which we set out after the consultation, before you commit to anything. If a document issued abroad needs attesting first, we tell you what that adds in the same conversation.

Only if both of you live in the UAE and hold valid Emirates IDs; you can then join from wherever you are, even while abroad. The court allows attendance by videoconference where all parties are UAE residents; couples who live abroad come to Abu Dhabi in person. Either way the ceremony is brief — the court aims to complete it within fifteen minutes — and you do not need to bring witnesses. Marrying by video while living in Dubai

The court issues a bilingual marriage certificate, in Arabic and English, once the ceremony is complete. For use outside the UAE it is attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Whether your home country accepts it, and on what terms — directly, or only once its own embassy has legalised it as well — is that country’s decision, which is why the court tells couples to ask their embassy. We take the certificate through the steps your country asks for. Having the certificate attested by MOFA Attestation and recognition in your home country