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Are You planning a Christian Wedding in Dubai? Here is What You Should Know!

Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world, and it is also a perfect place to live and settle down. The weather is usually warm, housing options are enormous, education quality is of a higher standard, and there is a lot of freedom of religious and cultural expression. In fact, many ex-pat families are living there for a long time and consider Dubai as their home. Thus, it is no surprise that many ex-pats are getting married in Dubai.

Even though the UAE is an Islamic nation, Christian ex-pats have the freedom to tie the knot in a typical Christian way. Having a Christian wedding is pretty easy in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE; however, you need to fulfill a few requirements to become eligible for having a marriage in one of the churches situated in the UAE.

Requirements for Church Wedding in Dubai, UAE

At least one spouse must be Roman Catholic and one of them must be a resident in Dubai. The minimum age of marriage for a woman is 18 years and for a man is 21 years.
To get married in the UAE, you and your fiancée will need to provide the following documentation:

  • Birth certificates
  • A certificate of marital status – stating whether you are single, divorced, or widowed
  • Your passports
  • Passport-sized photos

The certificate of marital status must be approved / attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of your home country or by the consulate representing your home country in the UAE. However, the church usually carries out this check for you.
Some countries, including the UK, require their citizens to submit marriage applications to their embassy or consulate in the UAE at least two months before the scheduled date of the wedding. So, you should find it out if your home country also poses this requirement on marriage applicants. For this, visit your embassy’s website and book an appointment by following instructions. You will need the scheduled date of your wedding ceremony before making an appointment.
In case you are an ex-pat hoping for a UAE wedding, either the bride or groom must hold a valid UAE residence visa.
What about the Christian wedding ceremony in the UAE???
Reverends are legally allowed to marry couples within the church only. Thus, even if you have decided on a beautiful location for your wedding, you will need to have an official ceremony in the church ahead of that day. It is mandatory to go through the official process.
Ex-pats are required to have two witnesses present at the wedding ceremony and these witnesses need not be your relatives, they could be your friends too.
Following your special day, you are also required to register your marriage with your embassy or consulate in the UAE.
The whole service lasts around 45 minutes and is managed by the Reverend – who will be the one to tell you – what to do and when. So, there is no need to panic that you will walk or say something at the wrong time. Catholic Churches in Dubai are registered at Dubai Courts. Thus any documentation they issue is considered legal. Booking your wedding at any of these churches is easy and all of the information along with application forms can be found on their websites.
Once your official Christian wedding completes and you get your marriage certificate, make sure that you apply for Church Marriage attestation. However, the attestation process alone can be tiresome and overwhelming especially for a new couple who is recently married. Thus, you can hire a reliable service provider to complete the process of Church marriage attestation while you get busy spending quality time with your spouse.

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