Can you get married in Dubai despite having different religions?

With the rapid growth of foreigners coming to the UAE, famously being an Islamic country, the rise of interfaith relationships has gone up. Dubai, which follows Islamic Law, is quite keen about expats following the laws of the city, so we’re here to provide information if you and your partner want to get married with different faiths.

What does the law say about different religion marriages in the UAE?

By Islamic Law (see official website from the Dubai government), a Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman provided she is “of the book”. This means that religions such as Christianity or Judaism are accepted. However, if the woman is not “of the book”, in order for the marriage to be valid she has to convert to Islam. 

If a non-Muslim man decides to marry a Muslim woman, then the man has to convert to Islam for the marriage to be approved.

Does my family have to approve of interfaith relationships before getting married?

Most people in this world would tend to agree that the support of your family is utmost, but none is this clearer than an Islamic family that is under Islamic Law. Because of the prerequisites needed for interfaith relationships to marry, provisions are required as stated above. One of the requirements for interfaith relationships is a legal representative of the bride which is normally the parents or guardians. Without the approval, then they cannot proceed.

It is best for anyone deciding for a mixed religion wedding to call lawyers or legal experts in the country you are residing in to get the best advice on what to do. Asking about it with your respective embassy is an option.

Another option is to get married somewhere where regulations are not as uptight about what is needed for marriage. Countries such as Georgia or Seychelles are great for anyone who just wants to be married to the love of their life as hurdles such as religion would not be an issue.

And probably the most reasonable option in 2020 is to marry online through power of attorney. No traveling and no crazy paperwork. We have helped a lot of people with sorting out this issue so feel free to contact us if you need any help.

So to answer the question, can you marry in Dubai if you’re from different religions?

Yes, you technically can marry in Dubai despite having different religions provided you abide by the prerequisites. However, if you do not want to change your personal preferences then it is next to impossible to marry.

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