Filipinos in UAE: Getting Married 101

Getting Married 101

By Sherry Tenorio

Do you want to be a June bride? Well, before picking the dates in your calendar, we suggest that you take note of the following guide on how to get married in the UAE. Marriage in the UAE is not as easy as 1-2-3, and we’re certain that you would need to allot a longer leadtime to finally say “I Do.” So here we note down the important processes that you need to go through before scheduling tying the knot.

Notify the Philippine Embassy or Consulate General of your intentions to get married

Couples should first coordinate with the Philippine Embassy before anything else. In this manner, you would save time and effort in going back and forth. Remember, marriage outside the country entails lots of paperwork. But, as long as you adhere to these documentations, you’re assured that your marriage is legally recognized in any part of the world.

 

So, what do you need to present to the Embassy? Here’s what according to the Consulate’s website:

 

(outbox)

Case A

For Filipinos Planning To Get Married at the Consulate General’s Premises

2 Marriage Application Forms for License

1 Joint Affidavit Form

1 Marriage Announcement Form

1 Marriage Contract [fill up clearly & legibly]

1 Report of Marriage Form [fill up clearly & legibly]

Required Enclosures

DFA – Authenticated NSO CENOMAR or Singleness

Passport Copies of Groom, Bride, and two Witnesses

2 each recent passport-size photos of bride and groom

DFA – Authenticated Advice of Parents for applicants aged 21-25

DFA – Authenticated Consent of Parents for applicants aged 18-21

 

Case B

For Filipinos Planning To Get Married In Other Venues Recognized by the UAE Government

2 Marriage Application Forms for Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage

1 Joint Affidavit Form

1 Marriage Announcement Form

1 Report of Marriage Form [fill up clearly & legibly]

Required Enclosures

DFA-Authenticated NSO CENOMAR or Singleness

Passport Copies of Groom, Bride, 2 Witnesses

2 each recent passport-size photos of bride and groom

DFA-Authenticated Advice of Parents for applicants aged 21-25

DFA-Authenticated Consent of Parents for applicants aged 18-21

For Filipino Muslim males already married, DFA-authenticated Consent of First Wife

 

 

Case C

For a Filipino Planning To Marry a Foreigner

2 Marriage Application Forms or Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage

1 Joint Affidavit Form

1 Marriage Announcement Form

1 Report of Marriage Form [fill up clearly & legibly]

Required Enclosures

For the Filipino Applicant

DFA-Authenticated NSO CENOMAR or Singleness

Passport Copies of Groom, Bride, 2 Witnesses

2 each recent passport-size photos of bride and groom

DFA-Authenticated Advice of Parents for applicants aged 21-25

DFA-Authenticated Consent of Parents for applicants aged 18-21

For the Foreign Applicant

Certificate of Civil Status from the Applicant’s Embassy or Consulate in the UAE

If already married Muslim [for Males only], written Consent of First Wife authenticated by applicant’s Embassy or Consulate in the UAE

FOR UAE NATIONALS only: written consent from parents notarized by a local lawyer and, if already married, written Consent by First Wife, also notarized by a local lawyer

2 new passport photos and 2 copies of valid passport

Certificate of Good Moral Character from the UAE Police

Certificate of No Objection to Marry from the employer TO INCLUDE information on Salary, years of service or employment

Joint Affidavit of 2 witnesses of the same nationality as applicant

 

*Note: If you’re marrying a non-Filipino national, ensure that he/she contacts his/her own consulate or embassy. Also, only Filipino citizens are allowed to get married at the Philippine Consulate General office.

 

 

Decide on where to get married.

Since Philippine Consulate permits marriage only to Filipino citizens then it is necessary to look for other wedding venues if you’re marrying a foreigner. Church weddings are allowed as long as you are both Christians. When you get in touch with the churches, be ready to enquire for how much they charge on performing the marriage. Then, afterwards, you can start worrying on the dress, reception party, flowers, cake, photography, etc.

Filipinos Planning To Get Married in UAE

 

Christians who would like to get married in hotels or other venues may do so. If they prefer their churches to recognize the marriage then they still must adhere to the terms and conditions of the churches. This is totally dependent on the way of life their religions follow.

 

For Muslim weddings, the marriage ceremony is performed in the Islamic Courts within the marriage section. It is necessary that the couple are citizens or holding residence visa, and that the groom must be Muslim. Also, it is important that you have two male Muslim in attendance as witnesses. The couple usually celebrate their union by hosting a reception party after the wedding ceremony.

 

Attend pre-nuptial classes.

Your need to attend marriage counselling sessions and pre-wedding rehearsals utterly depend on your religions. Normally, Catholic churches provide counselling services to the couple before they finally decide to walk on the aisle. Certificates are given to those who’ve successfully attended the premarital sessions. These certificates must be taken to the officiating priest or church for pre-nuptial requirements. Catholics need to fill out forms in the church, and submit birth and baptismal certificates, original passport and passport copies, and an NOC from your parish priest in your home country. If you’re a non-Catholic marrying a Catholic, you’ll need an NOC from the embassy stating that you are legally free to marry. Also, if previously married, copy of death certificate or divorce certificate is required. Once submitted to the church, intent to marry would be posted on the public noticeboard for three weeks. If objections are not heard then the wedding pushes through.

 

Although Catholic churches ask for more documentation, almost the same application process goes in other Christian churches. Nuptial forms and NOCs to legally marry are also required in the other churches.So better attend your classes to know it all.

 

Prepare for the pre-wedding health certificates.

It is said that anyone (locals and expats) marrying in the UAE must have a medical fitness certificate on hand to prove that they’re free of infectious diseases. Aside from the medical check-up, it is necessary that the couple must submit to blood test for further screening. These tests and certificates must come from Ministry of Health affiliated hospitals and medical clinics. Only if a person is proven HIV-carrier, the certificates issued by the health authority may be used to stop the marriage in court where it has to be registered.

 

Make sure that your marriage is registered.

After the wedding ceremony there comes another set of paperwork. If wed in an English-speaking church, the marriage certificate would have been in English, naturally. So, in order to register this, it should be translated into Arabic. After getting the translated certificate, you need to submit it to the Notary Public Office at the Dubai Courts for certification. There’s a fee for this as well as the translation. Then, you need to go to the Ministry of Justice to authenticate the certification, and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get the said authentication authenticated. Once done, you’re finally set to go back to the Philippine embassy (if both Filipinos) or to your respective embassies to authenticate the certificate that was authenticated from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All these documentations are required in order to ensure the legality and validity of the marriage in the Philippines or your respective countries.

Arabic translation aside, these steps must be followed in registering the Islamic marriage.

Planning to Get Married in UAE

Ask questions.

If you’re lost in the whole marriage-outside-the-country hullabaloo then don’t hesitate to ask questions. There’s no harm in bothering friends who’ve been married here, or even seeking advice from wedding planners, church people or legal aides. The only way to get through these processes is by having someone to guide you.

47 Comments

  1. Hi There!

    Ask ko lang po, pwede ba magpakasal ang couples na isa samin may residence visa and isa naman po is on tourist visa. And I am currently 01 month pregnant.

    Please need an answer po. Salamat!

  2. hi po, am a filipina and working in saudi arabia, my bf (egyptian natinal) a muslim man, is now a resident of uae and were
    planning to marry in dubai, what will be our process and where to marry?

  3. Hello ..pwede po ba consanguinity marriage sa uae bale mag girlfriend po kmi ng pinsan ko then nbalitaan po nmin na pwede po ang cousin marriage khit anong degree po.. Applicable po din ba sa filipino..

  4. Hi everyone,
    It’s very urgent for me to know if is it possible to get married in the uae even if the girl is already 3 months pregnant? Please reply because i really need to know the answer..
    Thanks and best regards.

  5. Hi tanong ko Lang po Kung pwedi ba kumuha nang cenomar sa Abu dhabi?at anong tamang proseso pag magpakasal ka sa count pareho po kaming pilipino..,thank you

  6. agatha inquirer says:

    good day.. i have a question po.. i have a bf who’s working now in UAE (sharjah).. he just went there last august this year.. we have a son but were not yet married.. is it possible for us to get marry in UAE though wala pa siyang 1 year above of stay dun.. 2 years ang contract niya sa work.. and if kung sakali pwede kmi magpakasal dun eh can pwede po ba akong balik balikan in UAE and is it possible for me to look for a job there after our marriage though visit visa or tourist or what visa is better? loooking forward for your response po..

  7. Kasal poh ako sa pilipinas,pero nong ng apply poh ako ng work going here in abu dhabi uae nakalagay poh sa status ko single,it is possible poh b n pwede poh akong mag pakasal ulit dito,but in another man, and same nationality?.

    1. kasal po kayo pinas… CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage / Certificate of singleness) is standard requirement bago ikasal.. So impossible po un na makasal kayo ulit sa uae…

  8. Dear Sir,
    i am indian national and hindu by caste. i am married in india. i have girl friend here in uae she is from philippince, catholic by caste. she is a single mom.
    we both are wish to getting married here in uae and live together.
    please assist us to know the possibility and rules regulations of marriage as per the uae low.

  9. naeem uddin says:

    sir i have my gf is here in Dubai she is Philippine so please inform me how much expensive marriage here in uae im Pakistani and how much salary expect in both .

  10. May Gretchen Delantar says:

    Hi! My fiance and i are currently here in abu dhabi. We are planning to get married her. My problem is that we have a cenomar authenticated in the philippines last year of aug. is it stil valid and can we use it here?

  11. Hii am from india and my gf from philipines that she widow.i would like to her here in dubai.which is the easy procedures for our wedding .my reliegion is hindu and she is christian.plese help

  12. Teresa Jacinto says:

    Hi, I wanted to inquire about my sister’s case regarding her unfaithful husband, I wanted to file a case against her husband with his mistress, my sister’s husband been lying to him for more than 8 years and I just found out a couple of days ago base on the mistress’s account on Facebook, all those years of not going home we just found out that he has 3 children to the mistress, what possible should I file for them coz I want them to be deported as soon as possible, my brother in law and his mistress both working in same hospital and they’re living in same roof.. I need your advice and help regarding this matter with your utmost guidance how to start..if you could send me via email it would be great.. Thank you very much xx

  13. please my fiance would be coming to me from Philippine and if we can married here in Ghana,if yes what are the procedure?

  14. Good Day!

    May I please inquire what are the procedure in reporting marriage?

    My husband (Indian national) and I (Filipino national) recently got married at Indian Consulate Dubai UAE, we have one (1) original Marriage Certificate from the Indian Consulate Dubai (english).

    May I please ask what are the next steps in submitting the Report of Marriage in Philippine Consulate Dubai? Where do I go first?

  15. Hello,

    I (filipino) and my husband (indian) got married in the indian consulate here in dubai. We need our marriage certificate attestted for report of marriage in philippine consulate dubai. Where do I go first? What do I do first?

  16. Muhammad Imran Faisal says:

    I am already married i am interested for 2nd marriage my age is 46 i am looking a women about age between 35 to 40.

  17. I am From pakistan my Gf from philippine. Me and my gf working here in UAE. we want marry so please tell me the easy method how to marry please..

  18. Hi please its Urgent i from pakistan i want to marry Filipino girl what’s the simple method to marry.please reply me.

  19. Patrick Gamboa says:

    Greetings to everyone,

    My gf is currently working in uae and I’m here in PH. Is it possible for her to sponsor me a Visit Visa even though the law forbid unmarried couples to live together in the same house.

    We plan to get married in UAE so that we can legally stay together whenever I visit. The other reason why we wanna get married there is because we have a son.

    If we get married me and my son can visit her whenever we can and stay all together without breaking any law.

    I hope you guys can give me some suggestions.

    Thanks!

  20. Hi Everyone,

    I’ve read the article and I gotta say thank you for those very useful information.
    However I have a few questions that you might be able to help me with.

    My girlfriend is currently working in UAE and we decided to get married there so that I can freely visit her anytime without getting in trouble since unmarried couples are not allowed to stay together in the same house due to the law and tradition of the UAE government.

    What visa do you think I should apply for? Tourist Visa or is it possible for her to sponsor me a Visit Visa?

    Thanks in advance!

    1. Hello did you visit your wife already? I would like to ask if what are the questions of the immigration during your interview

  21. Hi there! PLEASE HELP! I need your advice.

    I’m married with a different man here in Philippines on 2009, but then life with him didn’t turned out to be what every woman wants. Then years after I met my boyfriend. He works in Dubai and he would like to bring me there. He wants us to get married, but we both know that it’s kind of impossible. He suggested for us to get married there. Can this be even possible? Even if I’m married here in Philippines, can we get married there? Without me getting an annulment? Annulment is really expensive and we’re both figuring out if we can have other options just to get married. Can anybody give me some suggestions?
    Thanks guys!
    -Mikhaela

    1. Hi Mikhaela.
      Not an easy situation to be in. We sympathize with you.

      However, to get married in the UAE, you still have to apply at the Philippine Embassy and get your legal documents from the Philippines proving that you are single. So that’s not really an option.

      There are some Filipino lawyers who say that it is possible to get a divorce from your original spouse in other countries abroad (including the UAE). Your divorce will be recognized wherever divorce is legal (which is mostly everywhere), except in the Philippines (and The Vatican). That is still the better option because your marital status with your new husband will be recognized. We therefore suggest you consult a lawyer to get full details on this.

      Good luck!

  22. Hi, Me and my Lebanese husband got married in Seychelles and got the marriage certificate and as well as the certificate of attestation of the marriage contract. We even went to the Embassy of Seychelles in Abu Dhabi for the final stamp and signature.

    Then I went to Philippine Consulate here in Dubai para ipa-register ung marriage contract namin. But the staff says we need to send the documents to the Embassy of Nairobi in Kenya.

    Does anyone knows about that procedure, kase hindi clear ung information and details from the consulate.

    Appreciate your kind assistance.

      1. ask ko lan po if pwede po po vah magpakasal sa consulate kahit buntis na? at pwede rin po vah ikasal sa consulate kahit iba lahi ang bf?

        1. I would like to ask this too
          As far as the info i gathered hinde allowed other nationals sa consulate natin for both filipinos lang.

    1. Hi fatima. Did u used agency for Seychelles marriage? Which agency? I want to make sure if this is true and not scam bec.its our 2nd option in marrying and bit pricey than marrying here at dubai courts. I made an inquiry about this and this is what they sent me.

      “Note for Filipino nationals:
      When you are Filipino national and you get married outside Philippines your marriage has to be registered
      at the Philippines Embassy which is in charge for the country you got married in.
      If you get married in Seychelles, the competent authority is the Philippines Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.

      We can do all the procedures with the Embassy, this includes an extra set of attested documents from Seychelles,
      postage of all files to Kenya and payment of all expenses. Once the marriage is registered there, it will be submitted to
      Philippines NSO, all Philippines Embassies etc.
      Afterwards you will receive the Marriage Certificate approved by the Embassy (it will be mailed by DHL from Kenya to you).
      Then the Philippines Embassy in Dubai will accept your marital status and you can apply for new Passport etc.
      This procedure costs 295 USD (including extra set of documents, all governmental fees and courier fees).

      Of course you can do the registration on your own, too.
      We can supply the extra set of documents for the Philippines Embassy at a rate of 65 USD.

      Hope this information is helpful for you. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to ask 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Daria
      Wedding Planner
      Direct Bookings”

  23. Kristine pearly andres says:

    Ask ko lang po ilang months ang validity ng authenticated nso cenomar?me and my bf we’re planning to get married here in abu dhabi…thanks

  24. I got married April 2014 at the Philippine Consulate. Do I have to report the marriage, or was that done already by the Consulate in our behalf? Unfortunately, contacting the Consulate either by phone or email is almost futile since I haven’t gotten a response from anyone.
    If I have to report it myself, what are the implications of delayed report of marriage since its been more than a year already?

  25. sayed zubair says:

    Can I asked you a question I have fiancee here in UAE and I want to marry her but the problem she already married when she was a Catholic even we didn’t met her she already converted in Muslim last March 12,2013. She already separate to his husband its 5yrs w/out any communication what I will I do so I can marry her I’m from Pakistan and she’s from Philippines hope U can help me to my problem thanks Alot…

    1. Hi There Sayed! I just want to ask if your concern was addressed? I just wanna ask cause I have a fiancee to in UAE and I’m here in Philippines. Can we married Filipina get married there without having an annulment here in Philippines?

  26. vangeline abobot says:

    Hi vangeline here

    Pwedi po mag ask elang araw po ba makukuha ang cinumar? I’m recently residents of dubai.

    thanks

  27. pls help me what i have to do i want to convert into muslim because i have plan o marry to the muslim people if ever i will be convert mapalitan ang name ko what about my status iin the philipines? pls help me thanks

    1. Just go in nearest court in personal status section, just tell u want to convert, then that time u will make shahada then they will give u the certificate, nothing will change ur name but need to choose ur muslim name that will be written in the certificate of convertion.,

  28. Hi Ms. Sherry, Friends,

    Please help to give your opinion how to get an NOC/ legal capacity to get married. I intend to get married in Italy with my Italian fiancé and the Phils. consulate advised me to get the said cert. here in Dubai as my residency is here.
    Also, after the wedding and once I have the marriage certificate what do I need to do next/ or the next step?
    Thanks a lot. Awaiting for your kind response.
    Vernie

  29. dahlia quinonez says:

    Want to marry hir in uae but my groom to be is from india der is also a court wedding

Comments are closed.