The Beginner’s Guide to Marriage Rules in Sharjah

UAE as a country is extremely safe and hence expats love getting a job here and getting settled here with wife and children. As a resident one must be aware of the rules that are applicable for marriage in Sharjah. Sharjah Courts are the place where one can get their marriage validated and hence acceptable in the UAE as well as in the home country.

Marrying in Sharjah or any other emirate is not an easy task unless one is aware of all the paperwork. In this article, the general rules and procedures of weddings in Sharjah are going to be explained. So, keep reading if you are a resident here and have any plans of marrying in the emirate in the near or far future.

Requirements for marriage in Sharjah

The marriage in Sharjah requires the following things to be there-

1. Both bride and groom should have attained the marriageable age i.e.18 years
2. There should be no relationship between the bride and the groom
3. The bride’s father or closest relative must be present
4. 2 witnesses shall be present
5. Identity proof of bride, groom, witness and guardians must be presented

The process and the documents required for making a marriage legal in the UAE are different for all nationalities, hence one must consult a lawyer who has expertise in marriage rules in the UAE must be consulted.

Residency requirements for marriage in Sharjah

A residency or residence visa is not mandatory to get married in Sharjah. Even a person on a tourist or visit visa can apply for getting married in Sharjah. The process undoubtedly involves a lot of paperwork and formalities and hence one must consult the legal consultants based in the UAE for the marriage to be conducted without any problem and to avoid any issues later on like marriage application being rejected, unavailability of any required documents etc.

Documents required for marriage in Sharjah

The general documents that are needed for applying for a wedding in Sharjah are as stated below-

1. Birth certificate of the bride and the groom has been attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. Passports and attested copies of passport of both bride and groom
3. Passport and attested copies of passport of the 2 male witnesses
4. Medical fitness certificate issued at a UAE medical centre that has been attested by the ministry of health
5. Medical centre has undertaken a blood test report
6. Sworn affidavits stating that both bride and groom are free to undertake marriage in Sharjah
7. Former marriage certificate if applicable along with annulment and divorce papers
8. Death certificate, if applicable of the deceased husband/wife in case either of the contracting party is widowed

The process to obtain a marriage license in Sharjah

In order to get a marriage license or marriage certificate in Sharjah, one must fulfil all the document requirements so that the marriage gets approved by Sharjah courts and hence get validated.

Non-Muslim couples can get their marriage conducted in the local courts. All the documents must be arranged and presented to the authorities. If the language used during the ceremony is English then the certificate of marriage will also be issued in English only. This has to be then translated to Arabic with an official translator for it to get validated in the UAE. 

Once both the versions of the certificate are ready, it must be taken to a notary public for attestation. After this, the ministry of justice further authenticates the marriage certificate. Once the marriage certificate is authenticated by the ministry of justice, it gets forwarded to the ministry of foreign affairs in the UAE. the document is then finally taken to an applicable embassy for attestation, and then it can be used outside the UAE.

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Marriage of Emiratis in Sharjah

For the Emirati marriage to be validated, the bride and the groom, are to be present in the court along with their guardians and witnesses. They have to present the above-stated documents and also the pre-approved medical certificate issued by a government clinic or hospital. This is the requirement for completing the marriage formalities and in completing the marriage contract ceremony. The health certificate or the medical certificate rules out the possibility of any diseases such as HIV/AIDS or thalassemia.

Marriage formalities of an Emirati with a non-Emirati in Sharjah

There are certain terms and conditions that are applicable in the case of the marriage between an Emirati with a non-Emirati. If the bride is Emirati, the bride’s father has to provide his consent and both the bride and groom have to be Muslims. The guardian has to give permission for the marriage to take place.

To further understand the rules and procedure of getting married in the UAE or any other emirate, get in touch with the lawyers at Dubai Court Marriage, and we will assist you with all the formalities.