The establishment of the first Personal Status Court for non-Muslims is just one of the many legal reforms established at the end of 2021 in the UAE. The bilingual court, which opened in Abu Dhabi in November of last year, will hear cases covering divorce, inheritance, paternity and marriage under the new family law introduced as part of one of the biggest overhauls of the legal system in years. Before these changes, only couples of the same faith could get married and those wanting to get a civil marriage often travelled to nearby countries such as Georgia and Cyprus to say their I-dos.

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The New Civil Marriage Law –

Moving away from the country’s traditional Shari’ah law, the personal status court can conduct a lawful union between a non-Muslim man and woman resident and tourist alike in a civil contract. The new bilingual court holds ceremonies in both English and Arabic, allows for a prenuptial agreement and no longer requires a religious ceremony, a guardian’s approval or a medical test. This covers all those whose country of citizenship is not a member of The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, or those who are from a member country of the Arab National League with the possibility of presenting official documentation showing their religious status.

3 Steps to Civil Marriage in the UAE

Bride Club is thrilled to bring its readership the news and are on hand for advice on how to get it done. We thought we’d offer a step-by-step guide for all of the happy couples looking to ‘tie the knot’ without the mention of God.

First, you will need to submit a registration application online, attaching a passport copy, residency visa, Emirates ID, declaration of no existing ongoing marriage and other official documents. The application costs 500AED and payment is made online.

• STEP 1: Download the application form here: https://www.adjd.gov.ae/AR/Documents/Courts%20Form/1_Marriage_Application%20M1.pdf
• STEP 2: Complete the form and gather your supporting documents.
• STEP 3: Submit your Application

Along with your supporting documents, submit your application via the Interactive Case Registration, ICR service. Select “Non-Muslim Personal Status Applications” in the ICR service, then select the type of application “Civil Marriage”.

Once you have successfully submitted your application to marry within the Personal Status court of Abu Dhabi, someone from the court will contact you to arrange an appointment date to complete the ceremony. Both you and your partner will need to be present on that date to sign the marriage certificate before the judge and can do so in person or online.  Once all of the above is complete, you will receive a digital marriage certificate at the cost of 100AED to print and hang above the fireplace at will.

Now that’s all sorted, you might want to book in a photographer, find a venue for the wedding and of course, sort yourself out with some special marriage attire for the signing. Be sure to check Bride Club’s Vendor Directory for all of the above and more to get your licensed, vetted best in the biz for all of your bridal and wedding needs. Congratulations to all the couples who have found their happy-ever-after through the new Personal Status Court for non-Muslims under the patronage of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. For our brides and grooms just starting this journey, you can find out more information here, or email the court directly for further enquiries: [email protected].