Do you need to register your marriage in UAE ?

05 May 2019

Do you need to register your marriage in UAE ?

The answer depends on where you got married : Any marriage that takes place in the UAE must be registered at the relevant UAE Court.  If the marriage in UAE is not registered, it will not be recognised in UAE or in any other country.  If you marry through the Court system, the marriage will automatically be registered.  If you marry in a Church or Temple, usually they will ensure that the marriage has been registered with the Court however you should not take this for granted and it is always best practice to check with the Church or Temple that  they have registered the marriage at Court or whether you are required to do this. 

For marriages that take place outside UAE, as long as the marriage is valid in the Country you marry in and you obtain the official marriage certificate, it will be recognised by the UAE however there are a number of steps that you would need to comply with :

In the Country of the marriage :

1. you will need to have the marriage certificate attested by the Foreign Office.
2. you will need to have the marriage certificate attested by the UAE Embassy.

Upon coming to UAE

1. you will need to have the marriage certificate attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is mandatory to follow the above steps as you will need your marriage certificate through various stages during your time in UAEi ie :  for Visa purposes especially if you are sponsoring your spouse; for registering the birth of any child born in UAE; for filing a divorce in UAE.    

If certified copies of your marriage certificate or other documents are required, our Legal Consultants/ Solicitors are able to verify and certify the documents.     

For further information or advice, please contact our Family Department on family@jamesberrylaw.ae.