Marrying in the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is one of the few countries in the Gulf where a visiting, non-Muslim couple can marry under civil law. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's Civil Family Court marries foreign couples whether or not they live in the Emirates, and the application is made online. What most couples then ask is where to hold the celebration, and that answer is wider than the court's: any of the Emirates' hotels, resorts and desert camps can host the day.
The settings fall into four groups. Abu Dhabi, the capital, brings the palace hotels, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island and the dunes of the Liwa region. Dubai brings the beachfront resorts of Jumeirah and the Palm, the marina and the desert reserves. Ras Al Khaimah, to the north, has the beaches of Al Marjan Island and the Hajar mountains at Jebel Jais. Between them lies the desert, where camps and conservation reserves take the whole party for a night.
The season follows the heat. The cooler months are the time to plan an outdoor ceremony; from May the days are very hot and weddings move indoors or to the evening. Ramadan and the two Eids move earlier each year, and the dates for the next two years are calculated on this page. Dubai and Abu Dhabi each have an international airport, and a second Dubai airport, Al Maktoum, and Ras Al Khaimah's own airport widen the choice.
The seasons
- Best
- Shoulder
- Best avoided
- Quieter
5 Star view Our reading of the wedding year, from the months below.
- Best months
- December, January, February and March
- Shoulder season
- November and April
- Best avoided
- June, July, August and September
The climate chart shows the shape of it: mild, dry winters and a long, severe summer. The cooler months suit an outdoor ceremony and a garden or beach reception. May to October is the heat. Ramadan and the two Eids move earlier each year, and their dates are calculated on this page, with the usual caveat that the start depends on the sighting of the moon.
The weather, month by month
Lower row: average rainfall in the month, mm
Lower row: average rainfall in the month, mm
Reference Dubai: climatological normals 1974 to 1991, The National Center of Meteorology, through the WMO World Weather Information Service. Abu Dhabi: climatological normals 1982 to 1991, The National Center of Meteorology, through the WMO World Weather Information Service. Read 5 October 2026.
Daylight and sunset
The bar runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month. A ceremony is usually timed an hour or two before the sunset shown.
Calculated From the coordinates of Dubai, local time, for 2027.
Ramadan and Eid
For couples and guests who observe them, the dates to plan a wedding around.
| Year | Ramadan | Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 8 Feb to 8 Mar | 9 Mar | 16 May |
| 2028 | 28 Jan to 25 Feb | 26 Feb | 5 May |
Calculated From the Umm al-Qura calendar. The observed dates follow the sighting of the moon and can fall a day either side.
The areas of the United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi
The capital: palace hotels, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the museums of Saadiyat Island and the Corniche. The Civil Family Court that marries visiting couples is here, so a couple can marry and celebrate in the same city.
Dubai
The Jumeirah coast, the Palm and Dubai Marina for the beachfront resorts, the creek for the older city and the desert reserves inland. The largest choice of hotels and planners.
Ras Al Khaimah
The northernmost of the main wedding emirates: the beaches and resorts of Al Marjan Island, the Hajar mountains at Jebel Jais and the desert behind the coast.
The desert
Camps and conservation reserves among the dunes, inland from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and around Liwa, for a wedding that takes the whole site for a night.
What venues are like
Counted The United Arab Emirates venues by kind, counted from the venue records when this page loaded.
Beachfront resort
The large resort hotels on the Gulf coast, with a ceremony on the sand or lawn and a ballroom for the reception.
City and palace hotel
The grand hotels of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with ballrooms, gardens and rooms for the guest list in one place.
Desert camp and reserve
Tented camps and conservation reserves in the dunes, for an evening ceremony under the sky.
Island and marina
Hotels on the man-made islands and around the marinas, for a ceremony with the water behind it.
Mountain and coast
Ras Al Khaimah's mountain terraces and quieter beaches, for a smaller wedding away from the cities.
How large a wedding the United Arab Emirates collection takes
Counted Counted from the venue records when this page loaded.
For a large or private celebration
- Take 300 guests or more
- 6 of 9 venues
- Whole venue to yourselves
- 1 of 9
- Your own caterer welcome
- 0 of 9
- Largest
- Jebel Ali Golf Resort, up to 2500
Counted Counted from the venue records when this page loaded.
Halal catering, service without alcohol, a private celebration for the ladies and a prayer room are arranged venue by venue: ask when you check your date. See the United Arab Emirates venues for 300 guests or more.
Airports and transfers
- Dubai International (DXB) The main airport for Dubai and the closest for most of its resorts.
- Al Maktoum International (DWC) Dubai's second airport, south-west of the city.
- Zayed International (Abu Dhabi) (AUH) Abu Dhabi's airport, for the capital and the court.
- Ras Al Khaimah International (RKT) The airport for Ras Al Khaimah's coast and mountains.
Each emirate has its own airport and the main ones are international. A wedding party usually flies into Dubai or Abu Dhabi and transfers by road.
Marrying legally in the United Arab Emirates
A visiting couple marries in a civil ceremony at the Civil Family Court of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Neither partner needs to live in the Emirates, the application can be made online, and the ceremony itself takes about fifteen minutes. Dubai's civil marriage service is built for residents of Dubai, so the celebration is usually held in Dubai or elsewhere after the legal ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
- 1Before you travel
The documents
The passport of each partner, and evidence of divorce or the former spouse's death certificate where either applies. A British national may be asked for an affidavit or affirmation of marital status, which the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the British Consulate in Dubai issues by appointment.
- 2Up to ten working days before
The application
Made on the Judicial Department's website, through an approved typing centre or through an approved law firm. A standard application takes up to ten working days and an urgent one is available.
- 3The day
The civil ceremony
Held at the Civil Family Court in the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's main building beside Zayed Sports City. The court aims to complete the ceremony in about fifteen minutes, rings and personal vows are allowed, and the marriage certificate is issued afterwards with digital authentication.
- Residency
- none required
- Legal form
- civil ceremony in Abu Dhabi
- Application
- online, typing centre or law firm
- Ceremony
- about 15 minutes
Already married at home?5 Star view
Many couples complete the legal marriage at home or at the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court and hold the celebration in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah or elsewhere in the Emirates. A celebration with no legal effect needs none of the steps above: the venue and the planner confirm what the setting allows.
Who needs a visa
Travelling from the United States
American citizens are issued a visa on arrival and need not apply in advance. The United Arab Emirates raised the stay for American passport holders to 90 days in any 180-day period from September 2024; the passport must be valid for at least six months from arrival.
Travelling from the United Kingdom
British passport holders are given a visitor visa free of charge on arrival and need not apply in advance. It allows a stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and the passport must be valid for at least six months after the day you arrive.
Travelling from the Gulf
Citizens of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman need no visa and no sponsor to enter the United Arab Emirates; a passport or a national identity card is accepted at the border. A resident of the Gulf who holds another passport follows the rule for that passport.
Other nationalities
Many nationalities are issued a visa on arrival and others need an entry permit arranged before travel. Check the Immigration and Citizenship Authority's list or the Emirates' embassy in your country.
The visitor visa covers a wedding trip. A visiting couple does not need a residence permit to marry in Abu Dhabi.
Reference Abu Dhabi Judicial Department: civil marriage (adjd.gov.ae). gov.uk: United Arab Emirates entry requirements; affidavit and affirmation of marital status forms, UAE; notarial and documentary services guide for the United Arab Emirates. Fragomen: United Arab Emirates, longer durations for visas on arrival. Khaleej Times: how expats and tourists can marry under Abu Dhabi's civil family law (February 2022). Checked 5 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the authority that will marry you before you book.
At the table
Emirati cooking is the cooking of the Gulf coast and the desert, and the cities' kitchens add Lebanese, Persian and South Asian traditions.
Machboos and harees
Spiced rice with lamb, chicken or fish, and the slow-cooked wheat and meat dish served at celebrations.
Gulf seafood
Hammour and other fish from the Gulf, grilled or baked in spice.
Arabic coffee and dates
Cardamom coffee poured from a dallah, served with dates on arrival.
Luqaimat
Small fried dumplings drizzled with date syrup, a dessert for the end of the meal.
What planners tell couples
The legal ceremony is in Abu Dhabi
A visiting couple's civil marriage is held at the Civil Family Court of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. The celebration is arranged separately and can be in any emirate, with the venue and the planner.
Ask the venue before you choose it
What a setting allows, from where a ceremony may be held to the music finish time and the drinks service, varies by emirate and by venue. Each is confirmed by the venue; none is stated on this page.
Plan around the heat
From May to September the days are very hot; the climate section gives the monthly highs. An outdoor ceremony is planned for the cooler months or the evening.
Ramadan and the Eids
Their dates move earlier each year; they are calculated for the next two years on this page. Ask the venue how it operates in those weeks.
What venues here charge
1 of the 9 United Arab Emirates venues publish a starting price. A price is only comparable with another quoted on the same basis, so they are shown by basis.
| Quoted | Venues | Lowest start | Highest start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per guest | 1 | AED 350 |
Counted Starting prices as the venues publish them, counted from the venue records when this page loaded.
What each price includes is on the United Arab Emirates wedding venues page.
