If you are thinking about moving to the United Arab Emirates, you need to take a very serious approach to the study of all aspects of life in this state. The UAE is definitely not strange, life in which for most people will seem familiar and understandable.
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What is the main difficulty for foreigners in the Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates is a Muslim country, where almost everything is controlled not only by state law, as it is in most countries of the world, but there are also religious laws that are binding on everyone. Even if you don’t practice Islam or are a tourist and citizen of another country.
While in other countries many religious norms are observed by personal initiative, in the Emirates they are strictly monitored and their violation can lead to serious problems.
So, once again, if you are a foreigner, especially one who does not practice Islam, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules of the country before you immigrate.
Rules regarding family and marriage in the UAE
According to the law, the only legal form of relationship between a man and a woman who are not related is marriage.
That is, if a couple came to the Emirates with citizenship of another country and practiced a different religion, they still could not live together. If someone suspects that the couple is not married, they can file a police report. Law enforcement will have to investigate and if it is proven to be true, you can expect a fine, criminal liability, or deportation.
In addition, you should keep in mind that it is complicated to rent an apartment if you are not legally married, as landlords are likely to refuse you because of personal religious beliefs or fear of the police.
As for the hotel, you may be offered to rent two separate rooms.
The laws of the United Arab Emirates control all aspects of the couple’s life, imposing the need for marriage, controlling the process, and, of course, controlling the rest of their family life. So, be prepared that it is quite difficult to feel free in the UAE.
How to get married in the UAE?
As you already understand, if you want to immigrate to the Emirates with a partner, marriage is the only option available to you.
Also a very important point: the legislation of the United Arab Emirates does not recognize same-sex marriages in any form. If you are homosexual and it becomes known, you could face a prison sentence – 10 years in Dubai, and 14 in Abu Dhabi.
If you are not a Muslim, you can get married:
- At the embassy of the country of which you are a citizen.
- In a temple or church, depending on your religion.
- At the non-Muslim court in Abu Dhabi.
- Getting married in another country.
Muslims can get married in one of the local courts under Sharia law. That said, you must keep in mind that a Muslim man can take a woman of another religion as his wife. However, if a Muslim woman wants to marry a member of another religion, this is only possible if he accepts Islam and there is proof of this.
General rules for marriage in the United Arab Emirates
- Both partners are required to have a resident visa in the UAE.
- Passing a medical screening, which determines genetic, transmissible and chronic diseases is a prerequisite before marriage. You must inform your partner about the results of the screening.
- The age difference between future spouses should not be twice that.
- If one of the partners is under the age of 18, you need special permission from a judge to get married.
- Of the documents you will need: birth certificate, original passports, certificate of marital status.
Most expats get married in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah.
With the exception of Abu Dhabi, where the registration of marriage for foreigners is now the easiest of all the Emirates, the process of marriage everywhere is about the same.
- When getting married at the embassy of your country, you have to apply to them for a list of necessary documents and agree on the process of marriage registration. Depending on the country, the list of documents, the procedure, and the timeframe for registration may differ.
- The same goes for the church or temple. You can find out the procedure for getting married on the spot. You may need a birth and baptismal certificate, a marriage license from the church where you lived, and attend a few lectures about the marriage. There is an option for such a marriage at home.
- Getting married at the local courthouse. This requires filing a marriage application, gathering all the documents, and showing up on the appointed day with two witnesses and the bride’s guardian.
- Wedding in another country. This solution is chosen by many couples who want to save time and get married in the shortest possible time. In order to get married in 24 hours with a minimum of bureaucratic requirements, you can come to Georgia and contact the wedding agency “Shu Wedding“.
If you have an out-of-court marriage, you will need to register your marriage in a local court. If the marriage was concluded in another country, you need to legalize it with the local authorities.
Getting married in the UAE requires knowledge of the local law and all possible options for the wedding. If you do not want to waste time on this, and the deadline for immigration is getting closer, then we recommend considering Georgia as an opportunity to quickly and inexpensively solve this issue and move to the Emirates on his life being in a legal marriage.
The UAE Government expects to fabricate and keep a steady and merged Emirati family and to brace the Emirati social and segment structure, by empowering Emirati men to wed Emirati ladies. In 2016, the substance Marriage Asset was disintegrated and its degree was brought under Service of Local area Improvement.