Living in Dubai

Marriage

When living in the UAE under Shariah law, marriage is the only legal bond for a man and a woman to establish a relationship and have children. It is illegal to live together as a couple if you are unmarried and you cannot have children out of wedlock. 

If you’re Christian, you can marry in a church; if you’d prefer a non-religious marriage, you may be able to tie the knot at your embassy. Muslim weddings take place before a Shariah court; the man must be a Muslim while the woman can be non-Muslim; however a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man in the UAE. Hindu marriages are conducted at the Hindu Temple in Bur Dubai.

Whatever your nationality, you should contact your embassy to notify them of your intent to get married and find out the exact process and paperwork necessary. Once wed, you will need to register the marriage with your home country to get it validated internationally. 

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