Civil Marriage in Abu Dhabi: Requirements, Steps and Fees

Civil Marriage in Abu Dhabi: The Short Answer

Yes, you can marry in Abu Dhabi in a civil ceremony with no religious formalities, whether you live in the UAE or are visiting. The rules are in Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021 on Civil Marriage and its Effects and in ADJD Chairman Decision No. 8 of 2022 (the “2022 Regulation”). The marriage is concluded at the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court, formerly the Non-Muslim Family Court.

• Who. Foreigners of any religion and non-Muslim UAE nationals. UAE citizens who are Muslim cannot use it.
• Age. Both spouses at least 18 (Article 4 of the Law, Article 8 of the 2022 Regulation).
• No extras. No witnesses and no pre-marriage medical certificate (Article 5 of the Law, Article 8 of the Regulation), and a guardian is not among the conditions.
• Cost. AED 300 for the standard service or AED 2,500 for the urgent one, according to the ADJD civil marriage service page.

What Does Civil Marriage Mean in Abu Dhabi?

A civil marriage is a marriage concluded and registered under the law without regard to any religious law (Article 7 of the 2022 Regulation). Article 1 of the 2021 Law defines it as the marriage of a man and a woman, on a permanent basis, governed by that Law. The couple consents before a court officer and the court issues a bilingual Arabic and English certificate, recorded in the ADJD’s electronic civil marriage registry (Article 9(4) of the Regulation).

It is a full legal marriage, not a symbolic ceremony; any religious or cultural celebration is separate. The ADJD’s 2023 guide to the law says the vows are read in a pre-recorded voice-over available in seven languages, and couples may exchange rings and their own vows. According to ADJD figures reported by Gulf News in January 2026, the court registered about 19,000 civil marriage contracts in 2025 and around 53,000 since the law took effect.

Who Can Have a Civil Marriage in Abu Dhabi?

Any man and woman aged 18 or over who are free to marry can have a civil marriage in Abu Dhabi, unless one of them is a Muslim UAE national. Article 8 of the 2022 Regulation lists the conditions, and the ADJD Chairman may add others.

Residents and tourists

You do not need to live in Abu Dhabi, or anywhere in the UAE. Article 2 of the Regulation tells the court’s attestation officer to conclude and register civil marriages “for visitors and residents in the UAE”, and the ADJD’s Civil Family Court page says you can apply from anywhere in the world through its online portal. Video ceremonies, though, are only for couples where all parties are UAE residents, so visitors travel to Abu Dhabi to sign.

Muslims and UAE nationals

The ADJD’s service pages and its 2023 question-and-answer guide say civil marriage is available regardless of religion or nationality, with one exclusion: UAE citizens who are Muslim. A Muslim who is not an Emirati can therefore apply. Non-Muslim UAE nationals are within the 2021 Law (Article 1), and the ADJD civil marriage page says they are exempt from the nationality restriction, but other ADJD and UAE Government portal pages say neither party may be a UAE national. If one of you is Emirati, confirm with the court before you pay.

Requirements for Marriage at the Abu Dhabi Court: Documents Checklist

For a civil marriage at the Abu Dhabi court you need the bilingual application form, each partner’s passport, an Emirates ID if you have one, and proof that any earlier marriage has ended. That is the full list on the ADJD civil marriage page.

Foreign divorce decrees and death certificates

If your proof of divorce or a former spouse’s death certificate was issued abroad, plan for legalisation early. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille on its own is not how foreign documents are accepted here. The usual chain is certification by the issuing country’s foreign ministry, then attestation by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, then attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) once the document is in the UAE. The ADJD pages list proof of divorce without saying whether the court insists on that full chain for a civil marriage, so ask the Civil Family Court before you start.

Language is less of a hurdle here: Article 44 of the Regulation exempts expatriates from translating documents from English into Arabic, and the department’s own translation section can translate other documents for a service fee.

How to Get Married in Abu Dhabi: Step by Step

You apply, the court checks the file, you pay, the court gives you a date and you sign at the ceremony. Article 9 of the 2022 Regulation sets out the legal steps.

1. Choose standard or urgent service

   Standard costs AED 300 and the ADJD quotes up to 10 working days. Urgent costs AED 2,500, is handled within one working day and lets you pick the ceremony date and time, subject to the court’s availability.

2. Submit the application

   Apply through the ADJD website (with separate routes for UAE residents and tourists), an approved typing centre or an approved law firm. Complete the bilingual form, including the disclosure, and attach your documents.

3. The court reviews the file

   The court checks that every condition is met (Article 9(2)). The ADJD says the section either approves the application or rejects it with reasons.

4. Pay the fee

   The current service page says you pay once the application is approved. Fees are refundable only in very limited circumstances, so check names and dates before paying.

5. Receive your ceremony date

   The court confirms the date and time by email. Article 9(3) says the court contacts an approved couple within three working days of submission to fix a date, though the service page’s timings are the practical guide.

6. Attend the ceremony

   Both of you attend at the Civil Family Court in the ADJD main court building next to Zayed Sports City, or by video if all parties are UAE residents.

7. Sign and receive the certificate

   The marriage attestation officer certifies the marriage and issues a bilingual certificate recorded in the electronic civil marriage registry (Article 9(4)). The ADJD says you receive it after the ceremony and its digital authentication.

Fees and timing at a glance

On the day

• The Civil Family Court page lists ceremony times of Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 1:30pm, and Friday, 9:00am to 11:00am, in 30-minute slots, with times that can change during Ramadan.
• The court aims to finish within 15 minutes, so arrive early with your original passport or Emirates ID.
• Guests and photographers are welcome.
• If you cannot attend, tell the court at least 24 hours ahead. Without that notice you need a new application.

Can You Sign a Prenup With a Civil Marriage in Abu Dhabi?

Yes. Article 5(2) of the 2021 Law lets spouses agree the terms of their marriage, which then become their reference for the rights of husband and wife during the marriage and after divorce. The ADJD notarises a prenuptial agreement for AED 950, in person or, where all parties are UAE residents, by video.

This matters most for money. Article 8 of the Law says that if the marriage contract is silent on alimony or other financial claims, the judge decides them at their discretion using a list of factors. Put the other way round, terms you have written into the contract are the starting point.

The ADJD sends an approved template once you apply. Its 2023 version keeps separate the property each of you owned before the marriage or receives by gift or inheritance during it, splits jointly owned assets equally unless you both declare otherwise in writing, allows a review of the terms after ten years, and chooses Abu Dhabi law and courts for any dispute. A custom agreement must be legally translated into Arabic and English. The template itself recommends independent legal advice, which is sensible: a clause that looks fair at 30 can look very different after 15 years and two children.

You can also fill in a will registration form when you sign the marriage contract (Article 13(2)). That is worth considering because, without a will, Article 11 gives half of an estate in the UAE to the surviving spouse and divides the other half equally between the children. What a UAE prenup can and cannot protect is covered in our guide to prenuptial agreements in the UAE.

Marriage Certificate in Abu Dhabi: Attestation and Recognition Abroad

Your marriage certificate comes from the court on the day: bilingual, digitally authenticated and recorded in the ADJD civil marriage registry. The UAE Government portal says there is no further action to take once it is issued.

To use it abroad, have it attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs first; both the ADJD and the UAE Government portal recommend this. MOFA’s FAQs put the attestation fee for personal status documents at AED 150 and say the service accepts digital documents carrying a QR code. Because the UAE is outside the Apostille Convention, many countries also want the document legalised by their own embassy or consulate in the UAE before a registry at home will accept it.

Recognition is decided by the other country, not by the ADJD, whose FAQ advises asking your embassy. Before the wedding, ask it three things: whether it recognises a UAE civil marriage, which attestations it wants, and whether you must register the marriage at home by a deadline. The same document chain applies if a marriage ends; see divorce certificate attestation.

Civil Marriage in the UAE Outside Abu Dhabi

Outside Abu Dhabi’s own system, civil marriage for non-Muslims runs under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022, in force since 1 February 2023, and the best-known service is Dubai Courts’. Its rules are stricter on age, religion and residence.

The portal’s summary of the federal conditions adds legal capacity, explicit consent, a bar on marriage between close relatives and a rule that the husband discloses any existing marriage. Where you later divorce depends on where you live and work, which our Dubai vs Abu Dhabi divorce comparison explains.

Muslim Marriage at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department

A Muslim marriage in Abu Dhabi is a different contract under a different law: Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024, the Personal Status Law in force since 15 April 2025. It is also documented through the ADJD, but none of the civil rules above apply. In short:

• Offer and acceptance, plus the guardian if the wife is Muslim. A non-citizen Muslim wife whose national law does not require a guardian is exempt (Articles 18 and 26).
• Both spouses 18 or over. Documenting a contract for anyone younger needs a court permit, as does a marriage to a virgin fiancée where the age gap is over 30 years (Article 19).
• The bride’s consent, with proof of it in the contract (Article 21(4)).
• Two witnesses: sane adult men who heard and understood the offer and acceptance, Muslim if the husband is Muslim (Articles 26 and 27).
• A dowry, which belongs to the wife (Article 45).
• Documentation in court, with the documents and medical reports that legislation requires (Article 41).

The ADJD FAQ describes the process as an online application, payment once approved, an appointment with a marriage registrar, the contract concluded by video or with a notary in person, and a certified contract you can download. For what it means on divorce, see the mahr and 2024 law guides below.

Civil vs Muslim Marriage in Abu Dhabi: Side by Side

The biggest differences are who may marry, what the contract requires and what happens if the marriage ends.

Can a Muslim and a Non-Muslim Marry in Abu Dhabi?

Under the ADJD civil marriage service, yes, provided neither of you is a UAE national who is Muslim. The ADJD’s 2023 guide says that if one spouse is Christian and the other Muslim, religion is not a consideration. Under the Muslim personal status law, the answer depends on which spouse is Muslim.

For UAE citizens, the 2024 law applies whenever one spouse is Muslim (Article 1(1)), which is why Muslim Emiratis are outside the civil service. For everyone else, three cautions before a mixed-faith civil wedding:

• The texts are worded differently. Article 1 of the 2021 Law speaks of non-Muslim foreigners or UAE nationals, while the 2022 Regulation covers “foreigners or non-Muslim citizens”, and the ADJD applies the wider reading. If your eligibility matters to you, ask the court in writing before you pay.
• Home-country recognition. A country that applies religious family law to its citizens may not register a civil marriage involving a Muslim spouse. Ask the embassy of each of your countries.
• Children. In Abu Dhabi, a civil marriage brings any later divorce under the civil law (Article 5(4) of the Regulation), with joint custody. Under the 2024 law, by contrast, a custodian must share the child’s religion unless the custodian is the mother and the court decides otherwise (Article 113).

Interfaith marriage in Dubai is narrower: Dubai Courts’ civil marriage service requires both partners to be non-Muslims, while Abu Dhabi’s service needs no residence in the emirate.

Does a Civil Marriage Affect Divorce Later?

Yes: in Abu Dhabi, a civil marriage means the civil law governs any later divorce, custody and money claims. Article 3(1) of the 2021 Law says that if a marriage takes place under that Law, the Law applies to its effects and its dissolution, and Article 5(4) of the Regulation brings any marriage concluded under the civil marriage provisions within the civil law. In practice:

No-fault divorce at the first hearing

Either spouse can ask for a divorce without giving a reason, proving harm or blaming the other (Article 6 of the Law; Article 12 of the Regulation). There is no Family Guidance stage (Article 15 of the Law). The application fee is AED 5,000 (Article 13 of the Regulation), and the hearing is set at least 30 days after the application is approved (Article 14(1)). Our guide on how to file for divorce in Abu Dhabi walks through the forms.

Joint custody until 16

Custody is a joint and equal right of both parents until the child turns 16, after which the child chooses (Article 16(4) of the Law; Article 25 of the Regulation), and the court records joint custody automatically in the divorce ruling (Article 26). Either parent can object, ask the court to settle a disagreement or apply to remove the other from joint custody on the grounds the Regulation lists. See child custody in Abu Dhabi.

Money: alimony, compensation and housing

After the divorce, a wife can claim alimony on the post-divorce claims form. If the marriage contract says nothing on the subject, the judge decides using factors such as the length of the marriage, the wife’s age and each spouse’s finances as found by an accounting expert (Article 8 of the Law). The Regulation adds a list of factors for a lump-sum compensation (Article 16), a guide of no less than 25% of the husband’s last monthly income multiplied by the years of marriage, which the court may raise or lower (Article 18), and a housing allowance during joint custody (Article 19). A judgment on post-divorce financial rights below AED 500,000 is final as soon as it is issued (Article 49).

Where a divorce would be heard

The Civil Family Court hears cases where a party lives, works or has worked in the emirate, and keeps jurisdiction over a foreign respondent with no base in Abu Dhabi in listed cases, the first being disputes about civil marriages concluded in the emirate (Article 4 of the Regulation). If you later move away, check which court is right before anyone files.

None of this is a reason to avoid a civil marriage. It is a reason to consider a prenup if one of you has much more in assets or income, and to keep your certificate attested and safe. The full picture is in our non-Muslim divorce guide.

Common Mistakes Before a Civil Wedding in Abu Dhabi

Most problems come from paperwork and timing rather than the ceremony itself.

• Applying before an earlier divorce is final. Article 8(5) of the Regulation bars anyone still bound by a marriage, and a pending case is not proof that it has ended.
• Leaving legalisation late. Foreign ministry and embassy steps abroad run on their own timetables.
• Visitors expecting a video ceremony. Video is offered only where all parties are UAE residents.
• Missing the 24-hour notice. A missed ceremony then means a new application, and fees are rarely refunded.
• Assuming the marriage registers itself at home. Attestation, legalisation and home registration are separate steps.
• Signing a template prenup unread. The ADJD template says it should be amended to fit your circumstances.

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