New UAE law: Dubai residents can now get marriage licences in 24 hours

New UAE law: Dubai residents can now get marriage licences in 24 hours

The decree lists out the conditions, requirements a non-Muslim couple needs to meet before they can get married in the emirate

Published: Fri 3 Feb 2023, 6:01 PM

Non-Muslim couples getting married in Dubai will be able to get their civil wedding licenses in just 24 hours, as part of a new federal decree-law that came into effect on February 1. “If the applicants have their documents in PDF, duly attested and have their original IDs, they can get a licence in 24 hours,” confirmed Emirati lawyer and legal consultant Diana Hamade, founder of Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law.

“Dubai Courts announced the launch of the ‘Civil Marriage for Non-Muslims’ service, to regulate family matters for non-Muslim foreigners, by applying civil principles in regulating family cases, according to certain requirements,” she added.

The new Federal Personal Status Law of 7 pages covers marriage, divorce, and inheritance of non-Muslim nationals and expats residing in the UAE. It will regulate marriage conditions and the procedures of contracting and documenting the marriage before the courts and specify the procedures of divorce that can be initiated jointly or unilaterally.

The new decree-law also organises the procedures for settling the financial claims after divorce, and the arrangement of joint custody