How to Get Married in Dubai: Requirements, Process, and Costs

To get married in Dubai, you pick one of two legal pathways, prepare a specific set of attested documents, complete a mandatory premarital health screening, and register the marriage with Dubai Courts. Muslim couples marry through the Sharia courts under UAE Personal Status Law. Non-Muslim couples marry under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022, the civil personal status law. The ceremony itself is quick. The paperwork is where couples lose time.

Choose the Right Legal Pathway

Your religion decides which route you take. Islamic marriages are handled by the Sharia division of the Dubai Courts and officiated by a Sharia judge in the presence of two witnesses.¹ A Muslim man may marry a Christian or Jewish woman, but a Muslim woman generally cannot marry a non-Muslim man unless he converts.

Civil marriage is available only to non-Muslim couples, under the framework created by Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022.² Dubai runs its own civil marriage service under that law, and Abu Dhabi runs a separate one with different rules.

One boundary to be clear about before you plan anything: same-sex marriage is not recognized anywhere in the UAE. Consensual same-sex relations are criminalized under Dubai’s Penal Code with penalties of up to 10 years in prison. There is no legal path around this.

Age and Eligibility Rules

For Islamic marriage in the UAE, both parties must be at least 18.¹ For a civil marriage performed in Dubai, both parties must be at least 21.³ Abu Dhabi’s civil marriage service accepts non-Muslim couples from age 18, which is why some couples under 21 opt for that route.

Dubai’s civil marriage service also requires that at least one party be a resident of the emirate. Abu Dhabi’s service is open to non-Muslim couples where neither party is a UAE national, regardless of residency, so tourists typically use it.²

Both parties must prove they’re legally free to marry. If you’ve never been married, you need a certificate of no impediment (sometimes called a single status certificate) from your home country. If you were previously married, bring the final divorce decree or, for a widowed party, the death certificate.² Under Article 5 of the civil law, both parties must also express consent before an authentication judge and cannot be related by first or second degree.³

Gather and Attest Your Documents

Whichever pathway you use, expect to bring:

Original passports and copies for both parties
Emirates ID copies (residents)²
Birth certificates
Certificate of no impediment, or a divorce decree or death certificate if previously married²
Premarital medical screening certificate from an approved Dubai Health center⁴

Any document issued outside the UAE has to travel through an attestation chain before Dubai Courts will accept it. The document is first attested by the issuing country’s foreign affairs ministry, then stamped by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country. Once in the UAE, it needs further attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC). Anything not in Arabic then needs a certified translation stamped by the UAE Ministry of Justice.²

This is where couples underestimate the timeline. Start attestation four to six weeks before your planned wedding date, especially if documents have to be shipped from your home country.

Complete the Premarital Medical Screening

Every couple marrying in the UAE has to complete a premarital medical screening that tests for infectious and hereditary conditions. UAE nationals receive additional genetic testing.⁴ The screening is offered at more than a dozen government health centers across Dubai, including Al Barsha, Al Mamzar, Al Mankhool, Umm Suqeim, and Al Qusais.

Dubai Courts will not process your application without the resulting certificate, and results can take several days, so book early. If either party tests positive for a flagged condition, the couple is counseled on the risks but is generally still permitted to marry.

Register the Marriage With the Court

The Islamic Ceremony

Book an appointment through the Dubai Courts portal. At the appointment, a Sharia judge verifies documents, confirms consent from both parties, and registers the marriage. The mahr (dowry from groom to bride) is agreed upon and written into the contract. The court issues the marriage certificate at the end of the process. The bride’s guardian (wali) traditionally participates, though the updated Personal Status Law has removed that consent requirement for non-citizen Muslim women where their home country’s law does not require it.

The Civil Ceremony in Dubai

For a Dubai civil marriage, both parties (or legally authorized representatives) must appear with original identification and proof of single status.² Both must sign a disclosure form, and anyone previously married must disclose that relationship and prove it ended.³ The authentication judge confirms all conditions are met and registers the marriage. The government has advertised the ability to issue a civil marriage license within 24 hours, but that timeline assumes your documents are already attested and ready.

The Abu Dhabi Alternative

If you’re under 21, not a Dubai resident, or want a simpler tourist-friendly option, Abu Dhabi’s service through the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) is worth considering. Applications go through the ADJD website or an ADJD typing center. The regular service is AED 300 with up to 10 working days for approval. The express service is AED 2,500 and processed within one working day. Once approved, the court schedules the ceremony within five working days. The ceremony itself takes about 15 minutes, vows are read via pre-recorded voiceover available in seven languages, and both parties sign the certificate.²

What It Costs

Fees vary by pathway and speed:

Abu Dhabi civil marriage, regular: AED 300 (about $82).²
Abu Dhabi civil marriage, express: AED 2,500 (about $680).²
MOFAIC attestation: AED 150 per document for certificates issued within the UAE.⁵
Certified Arabic translation and additional attestations: several hundred dirhams per document, depending on language and length.

Dubai Courts publishes its own fees for Islamic marriage registration and the Dubai civil marriage service through its portal. Check the current schedule before you book.

Get Your Certificate Recognized Back Home

Your Dubai Courts marriage certificate is legally valid in the UAE, but to use it in your home country you’ll need more attestation. The certificate must first be attested by MOFAIC at AED 150 per document.⁵ Your home country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE then verifies it.

U.S. citizens who need the certificate authenticated for use in the United States pay $20 per document to the U.S. Department of State’s authentication service.⁶ Once home, record the foreign marriage with your county clerk and update Social Security records if you changed your name.

Sponsoring Your Spouse’s Residency Visa

If you’re a Dubai resident and your new spouse isn’t, you’ll usually need to sponsor their residence visa. The sponsor must earn at least AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 if the employer provides housing. You’ll also need a registered tenancy contract (Ejari) and a recent utility bill as proof of adequate accommodation.

Applications go through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).⁷ Health insurance is mandatory for all UAE residents, so you’ll need to arrange coverage for your spouse. The sponsored visa is typically valid for two or three years and is tied to the sponsor’s own residency. If yours lapses, so does theirs.

1
The Official Portal of the UAE Government. Marriage as per the Sharia Law
2
The Official Portal of the UAE Government. Personal Status Affairs for Non-Muslims
3
UAE Legislation. Federal Decree-Law No 41 of 2022 On the Civil Personal Status
4
Dubai Health. Premarital Screening
5
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Attestations Guide
6
U.S. Department of State. Request for Authentications Service DS-4194
7
The Official Portal of the UAE Government. Residence Visa for Family Members