My Experience Getting Married in Abu Dhabi Non-Muslim Civil Family Court

Our original plan was to get married in a third country to avoid the long processing times and complicated document requirements for international couples. Luckily for us, we learned that the Abu Dhabi Family Courts are open for civil marriages for non-Muslims. This is the beginning of the year, which is 2022. The new policy saves us the hassle of traveling to another country and going through the process in unfamiliar conditions.

During the application process, in September this year, I was in the UAE on a visitor visa. I quit my previous job to study in the UAE – just finished my masters and my student visa expired. I’m wondering if this will be a problem since I haven’t found a job yet. However, the civil marriage process is as smooth and painless as possible for both residents and tourists. Proceed as follows:

I downloaded the civil marriage application from the Abu Dhabi Department of Justice (ADJD) website. You can access this form here: https://www.adjd.gov.ae/EN/Pages/Non-MuslimFamilyCourtforms.aspx

Select “Civil Marriage Application”.

The website will then provide you with an editable pdf form that you can fill out online. These are the details you will need to complete for husband and wife:

You will also need to check the relevant boxes for your current marital status:

Next, sign the Joint Affidavit on the next page. If you have a digital signature, you can attach it to the pdf. Otherwise, you can print the form and sign it yourself. Then scan and keep a digital copy for future use.

You will also need to have digital copies of the following documents ready:

You can then book your wedding ceremony by following the steps below:

1. Visit the ADJD Civil Family Court website – https://www.adjd.gov.ae/EN/Pages/CivilFamilyCourt.aspx.
Here you can choose whether you want to complete the service as a resident or visitor. I selected the second option and clicked “Apply for Service”.
2. You will then be asked to log in with your UAE Pass. I logged into my UAE Pass as a guest. Visitors to the UAE can also register for government services through the UAE Pass. To learn more about how to complete the process, click here.
3. You will then be directed to a page listing the terms and conditions of service.
4. Scroll down and click Next. Select Civil Marriage on the next page and click Civil Marriage Request.
5. Then an application form will drop down, which you need to fill out, which includes the personal information of the husband and wife, including full name, nationality, passport number, date of birth, gender, mobile phone number, email address and physical address.
6. Next, upload the required documents, including the civil marriage application form.
7. You will then need to check a box to confirm that the information you have provided is accurate.
8. Click Submit.

It took me less than an hour to browse the website, fill out the form, and submit the application.

Our application was approved within one business day and a link was emailed to us to proceed with payment. The total cost of the procedure is Dh300.

After payment, a member of staff contacted us within two working days to inform us of the next available time slot and we could choose a suitable date from the available time slots.

However, it is worth noting that due to the growing popularity of non-Muslim civil marriages in the Abu Dhabi Family Courts, available appointment dates may be far away. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with them early and plan ahead.

We then received an email informing us of the date, time, location and entry requirements. These are some requirements you should be aware of:

Due to the high number of approved applicants, there may be couples waiting in line at court. However, the waiting area offers comfortable seating, free beverages such as water and coffee, and snacks.

During the ceremony, a friendly judge welcomed us and briefed us on the process. Wedding vows are read by a judge. Wedding vows are pre-recorded and available in multiple languages. The couple can choose which language they prefer to have their wedding vows spoken in. Events may be taped with the judge’s permission.

After the vows were read, we signed the marriage certificate and the judge congratulated us.

Immediately after the ceremony, we received two copies of the marriage certificate.

If you are applying for a dependent visa in the UAE, you will need to prove this marriage certificate. To learn more about how to obtain supporting documents in the UAE, Read our detailed guide here.

Overall, our application process as an international couple was smooth and efficient. The friendliness and smiles of all the staff including the judges definitely made our day more memorable.