Marriage is defined as a legal agreement between such a man and a woman in the UAE, with the goal of safeguarding the couple's and their children's rights.

The basic prerequisites for a successful/legal marriage:

• The bride's approval
• At least one of the parties to the contract of marriage (husband, wife, or wife's guardian) must have a UAE residency visa. Both the happy couple must be UAE inhabitants in other Emirates.
• A valid pre-marital screening certificate provided by the appropriate public healthcare institutes in the UAE for the couple.

The UAE hopes to stop the spread of contagious illnesses like AIDS by making pre-marital screenings mandatory.

Marriages between Muslims must meet certain legal conditions

• In the UAE, a marriage contract must be registered with a Sharia court.
• The legal marriage age is 18-Hijri years; otherwise, a judge must approve the marriage.
• A partner's age must not be more than twice that of the other; else, the judge must approve the marriage.
• A certificate of premarital screening is required.
• The couple's presence is necessary.
• The father of the bride or his proxy, as well as two male Muslim witnesses, must be present.
• The approval of a woman's guardian is required for her to marry.
• In the event that the father dies, the attendance of the next nearest male guardian, such as an elder brother, is necessary.
• Women who have been divorced or widowed must show documentation of their marital status.
• If indeed the bride is a Muslimah but her dad is not, she will require a document from her consulate or embassy stating that there are no objections.

In the United Arab Emirates, non-Muslims marry non-Muslims.

Non-Muslims can complete their marriage formalities at the following locations:

• respective country's embassy or consulate in the UAE
• or, depending on their religion, at a mandir or a church.

Some countries require nationals to file an intent to marry application with their consulate or embassy in the UAE. You should verify with your embassies and proceed as necessary. The marriage must be registered in both parties' embassies in the UAE.