Getting Married in Dubai for Foreigners: Civil Marriage, Documents and Costs (2026)

Two expats, two passports, one question: can you actually get married in Dubai without converting, without a religious ceremony, and without flying home? Since 2023 the answer has changed completely. The UAE now runs a full civil marriage system for non-Muslims, and Dubai issues civil marriage licences in as little as 24 hours. Here is how the process really works.

Direct answer. Yes — foreigners can get married in Dubai and the wider UAE through a civil (non-religious) marriage, governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status and its Executive Regulations (Cabinet Resolution No. 122 of 2023), with a separate route under Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021 through the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD). This guide covers who qualifies, the Dubai Courts civil marriage service, the Abu Dhabi alternative, interfaith combinations, documents, witnesses, fees and registration.

Who can have a civil marriage in the UAE?

A civil marriage in the UAE is open to non-Muslim couples who meet the conditions set out in the Executive Regulations of the federal civil personal status law. According to the official UAE Government portal (u.ae), Article 2 of the Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 requires that:

• Both husband and wife are at least 21 Gregorian years old.
• Both have the legal capacity to undertake legal actions.
• The marriage is between a male and a female.
• Both parties explicitly express their consent to the marriage.
• The parties are not related within the prohibited degrees (up to the third degree of kinship).
• Neither party has an existing marriage that bars the union, and any existing marital relationship must be disclosed.

The key point for expats: civil marriage does not apply to Muslims. If either of you is Muslim, the civil route is closed and the marriage follows the Sharia-based route instead — concluded and registered through the competent Sharia marriage procedure. For everyone else — Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, atheists, and every other non-Muslim combination — the civil contract is available regardless of nationality or religion.

It also helps to know where civil marriage sits in the wider system. Family matters for non-Muslims are handled by dedicated family courts and circuits; our overview of UAE family court jurisdiction and process explains which court hears what, from marriage to divorce to custody.

Civil wedding in Dubai: how the Dubai Courts service works

Dubai runs its own civil marriage service through Dubai Courts, and it is built for speed — the emirate advertises a civil wedding licence in as little as 24 hours. According to u.ae, the Dubai service operates under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 and requires that:

• Both parties are non-Muslims.
• At least one of the parties is a resident of Dubai.
• Both parties are at least 21 years old.
• The couple (or their legally authorised representatives) appear in person.
• Original IDs are presented to prove identity.
• Proof of being single is provided.

Documents are submitted as soft copies in PDF format. Anything not in Arabic needs a certified Arabic legal translation stamped by the UAE Ministry of Justice. Documents issued outside the UAE must also be attested through the full chain: the foreign ministry of the issuing country, the UAE embassy in that country, and then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If attestation is new to you, start with the attestation definition in our legal dictionary and our step-by-step guide to the UAE attestation process — the same legalisation chain applies to most foreign civil-status documents.

The exact Dubai Courts fee schedule for civil marriage is set by Dubai Courts and can change; confirm the current fees on the Dubai Courts website or with a licensed UAE lawyer before you apply.

The Abu Dhabi civil marriage route (ADJD) — and when to choose it

Abu Dhabi pioneered civil marriage in the UAE and remains the most flexible route, especially for couples where neither partner lives in Dubai. Under Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021 Regarding Civil Marriage and its Effects (as amended), the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) conducts civil marriages with lighter conditions, as summarised on u.ae:

• Both parties consent to the marriage.
• Both parties are at least 18 years old (compared with 21 under the federal civil route).
• The parties are not related in the first or second degree.
• Neither party is currently married to someone else.

The route was built with foreign residents and visitors in mind. Whether UAE nationals can use the Civil Family Court is fact-specific — Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021 has been amended since its introduction — so UAE nationals should confirm eligibility directly with ADJD before applying.

Two practical advantages stand out. First, ADJD accepts applications from residents and visitors alike — u.ae lists a dedicated civil marriage application for visitors — so tourists can marry in Abu Dhabi. Second, the published service tiers are fast: according to u.ae, the regular service costs AED 300 with applications processed within 10 working days, while the express service costs AED 2,500 and is processed within 1 working day, letting the couple pick their ceremony date. Fees are set by ADJD and can change; confirm the current schedule with ADJD (adjd.gov.ae) before applying.

The ceremony itself is short — the court aims to complete it within about 15 minutes. Vows are read in a pre-recorded voiceover available in several languages, couples may bring guests, rings and photographers, and the marriage certificate is issued at the end of the ceremony.

Interfaith marriage in Dubai: which combinations are possible

Whether an interfaith couple can marry in the UAE depends entirely on which of them, if either, is Muslim. The rules split into three scenarios:

• Two non-Muslims of different religions (for example a Christian and a Hindu): the civil route is fully open. Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 is secular — it does not ask about religion beyond confirming the parties are non-Muslims, so any non-Muslim interfaith combination can conclude a civil marriage in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
• A Muslim man and a non-Muslim woman: the civil route does not apply, because civil marriage does not apply to Muslims. Under the Sharia-based route, a Muslim man may marry a Christian or Jewish woman; the marriage is concluded and registered through the Sharia marriage procedure before the competent court.
• A Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man: this combination cannot be concluded under the Sharia route, and the civil route excludes Muslims. In practice such couples cannot marry inside the UAE under the standard procedures. ADJD has published guidance on narrow exceptions for some foreign Muslim applicants whose home-country law is not based on Sharia — eligibility is fact-specific, so confirm directly with ADJD or take advice from a licensed UAE family lawyer before planning anything.

Religion recorded in official documents matters here. Courts look at the religion stated in your identity and civil-status documents, not private belief, so get advice early if your documents are ambiguous.

Documents you need (and how to prove you are single)

Every civil marriage application stands or falls on documents, and the single-status certificate causes the most delays. Based on the published ADJD and Dubai requirements, prepare:

• Passport copies of both parties (and Emirates IDs where applicable).
• Proof of single status — a certificate of no marriage record from your home country. Filipino applicants use the CENOMAR issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority; our dedicated guide to the CENOMAR certificate in the UAE explains how to obtain and attest it.
• If either party was previously married: proof of dissolution, such as a final divorce judgment or the former spouse's death certificate.
• Certified Arabic translations (Ministry of Justice-stamped) of any document not issued in Arabic — required for the Dubai route.
• Full attestation of foreign documents: issuing country's foreign ministry, UAE embassy there, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On witnesses: for the Abu Dhabi ceremony, u.ae states witnesses are not required — the marriage notary acts as the witness. For the Dubai Courts ceremony, witness requirements are set by the court; confirm current practice when you book.

Give yourself lead time. Attestation of a foreign single-status certificate routinely takes longer than the marriage application itself, especially if the document must travel through an embassy abroad.

How to register a marriage in Dubai

Registering a marriage in Dubai means either concluding a new marriage before the competent court or recording an existing one so it has legal effect in the UAE. The main paths:

• New civil marriage: apply through the Dubai Courts civil marriage service (if at least one of you is a Dubai resident) or through ADJD in Abu Dhabi. The certificate issued at the ceremony is your registered proof of marriage, valid across the UAE.
• New Muslim marriage: conclude the contract through the Sharia marriage registration route before the competent Sharia court.
• A marriage concluded abroad: a foreign marriage certificate is generally recognised in the UAE once it is legalised — attested in the issuing country, by the UAE embassy there, and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs — and translated into Arabic by a certified legal translator. You will need the attested certificate for residence visa sponsorship, birth registration and inheritance matters.

After a UAE civil ceremony, u.ae notes there is no further mandatory step, but most couples have the certificate attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs so it can be used abroad, and then register the marriage with their home-country embassy or consulate. If your plans include sponsoring a spouse's visa or buying property together, the attested certificate is the document every authority will ask for.

Marriage also changes your legal position on divorce, inheritance and custody. Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 sets civil rules for all of these, and the general personal status framework was renewed by Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024. If the relationship later breaks down, our guide to divorce for expats in the UAE explains how civil divorce works, and our guide to child custody after divorce in the UAE covers how custody is decided.

Fees and timelines at a glance

Costs are modest by international wedding standards, but they differ by route. As published on u.ae at the time of writing:

• Abu Dhabi (ADJD) regular service: AED 300, processed within 10 working days.
• Abu Dhabi (ADJD) express service: AED 2,500, processed within 1 working day, with the couple choosing the ceremony date.
• Dubai Courts civil marriage: licence advertised within 24 hours for eligible couples; the exact fee is set by Dubai Courts and can change — confirm the current schedule with Dubai Courts or a licensed UAE lawyer.
• Translation and attestation: charged separately by translators, embassies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; budget for these per document.

All government fees are set by the relevant authority and can change; treat the figures above as the published starting point, not a quotation.

What to do next

If you are ready to marry in the UAE, work through this order: confirm both of you qualify for the civil route (non-Muslim, age threshold met), obtain your single-status certificates early, start the attestation chain, then file with Dubai Courts or ADJD depending on residency and timing. The official u.ae page on civil marriage and the ADJD portal are the authoritative starting points.

If your situation involves an interfaith combination, a previous divorce, documents from multiple countries, or a prenuptial-style agreement on property, a short consultation saves months. You can find a verified family lawyer on LEXAI — you contact and pay the lawyer directly, and LEXAI simply lists and verifies practitioners. For a quick orientation before you speak to anyone, you can also ask our AI legal assistant to point you to the relevant rules.