How Filipinos can get married in Dubai

The marriage for expats in the UAE is required to undergo certain rules and procedures for them to be valid. The pandemic has changed the scenario of marriages to a great extent as many expatriates are bound to get married in the emirates themselves due to travel restrictions and job commitments. Dubai court marriages are thus playing a vital role in establishing a marriage for different nationalities of the world for them to get valid in the UAE as well as in their home countries.

The Filipinos form the third largest population of the expatriate community in the UAE as per a report published by The National News. They are working in many sectors in UAE and also form a major workforce in UAE and without any doubt are contributing economically to the UAE in a very significant way.

While it may sound difficult to conduct a civil marriage in pandemic times, this is possible if proper steps and procedures are followed. In this article, we will discuss, how Filipinos can apply for their marriage in the UAE along with the steps required for the marriage to get validated in the UAE.

Requirements of a Filipino marriage in UAE

To get married, Filipinos just like other nationalities need to have all the necessary documents in place. The documentary requirements for a marriage in Dubai are very vast but if the documents are in place the wedding can be planned and can be carried out without much difficulty.

The Filipino embassy approves the marriage of a Filipino to another Filipino only. For all other marriages in which a Filipino and another nationality are involved, the procedure is different as the embassy does not allow marriages of other nationalities on its premises. In such cases, the couple has to search for other possible venues for their marriage and the document and procedures varies in such cases. Expert knowledge may be required to know different procedures for Filipino as well as non-Filipino marriages that are going to be conducted in the UAE

There is some specific document requirement for Filipinos and one must ensure the proper requirement of documents for the marriage before applying for it.

The list of requirements in Dubai court marriage for Filipinos are:

A marriage application form from each of the spouses
Marriage announcement form
One joint affidavit form
Marriage report

You may want to know: Marriage for Filipino and Nepali in Dubai

Enclosures that are to be presented for Filipino marriage in UAE

Recent passport size photos of bride and groom
NSO CENOMAR certificate with DFA authentication
Parents’ consent authenticated by DFA
Original passport and passport copies
Visa and Emirates ID of both bride and groom
Parents’ advice authenticated by DFA
Civil status certificate from the consulate or embassy for the applicant living in Dubai
Pre marriage certificate certifying the health of the bride and groom.

For Filipinos and other nationalities, the residence visa must be there for the applicants. It can be a tourist visa also. A lawyer may be approached to help a couple obtain a resident status to start the procedure of marriage in UAE and register the same in the courts.

Fee for Filipino marriage in Dubai

In general, the cost of Filipino weddings in Dubai varies between AED 50 to 500 depending upon the venue, nationality and other factors. Marriage specialists can give you better guidance on the fees and other procedures for a Filipino marriage in the UAE.

Also know: How to Get Married in Dubai for Filipino and American

Approval of a Filipino marriage in UAE courts

The marriage of a Filipino and any other national in UAE will be held by a local marriage officer called as Mazoon. The Mazoons are authorized by the government for conducting marriages in the UAE. The married status is given in the UAE by a judge. Once the fee is paid and application for the marriage is submitted, the application is reviewed by the judge. If the information in the application is found to be wrong or if any document is missing, then the marriage is cancelled and will stand void. If approved, the couple will be provided with a decision and a certificate will be granted to them.

Difficulty for a Filipino marriage in UAE

A lot of Filipinos face difficulty in getting married in Dubai because divorce is forbidden in Filipinos and cancellation of wedding is also not allowed in Filipino culture. This eliminates the removal of the spouse’s name from the passport which is mandatory for a marriage to be valid in the UAE.

Therefore, to validate such marriages, one should approach the appropriate bodies like Dubai Court Marriage who have the knowledge and experience to smoothen the process of marriage in Dubai and other emirates.

Get in touch with us to solve all your queries regarding marriage procedure in UAE across all nationalities.

Hazim Darwish

Hazim Darwish Practicing law for almost a decade, he has in-depth knowledge on UAE legislation with particular expertise on family law, and regulatory compliance for business organizations. Hazim Darwish also provides counsel on legal rights and obligations in the UAE to clients, including individuals and businesses subject to investigation or prosecution under Criminal Law by major regulators.