If you’re a Filipino citizen and you intend on marrying a foreigner, you should determine what the religious or civil authorities require for the marriage to take place in Dubai. In these cases, you should contact a marriage lawyer in Dubai. An attorney can tell you the exact documents that you need, depending on your situation and whether they have to be authenticated.
A foreign national, most especially one that isn’t a UAE national, has to ensure that there is proper documentation that applies to him or her in order for the intended wedding ceremony to go as smoothly as possible.
It is imperative for a couple, regardless of nationality and status in Dubai, to consult with a marriage lawyer in Dubai prior to submitting the requirements to the Consular section of the Philippine Embassy.
Requirements for marriage in Dubai
In Dubai, Filipino citizens have to provide proof that they have the legal capacity in contracting marriage. In order to substantiate the declaration under oath, these are to be submitted to Consular section of either the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Philippine Consulate in Dubai:
- Philippine passport (proof of citizenship in Philippines)
- Birth certificate that is issued by NSO or National Statistics Office (on security paper, authenticated by Dept/Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- CENOMAR or Cert of No Marriage Record from Philippines (CENOMAR is issued by NSO with authentication from DFA)
- Application for marriage (completed with correct entries)
- Two identical passport size pictures (has to be taken within the previous six months, has to have a white background, should be showing the entire front view of the face of the applicant, applicant should be in decent attire with sleeves and collar, no earrings for male applicants, without glasses if possible)
Additional requirements for marriage in Dubai (for special cases)
- Court decision regarding annulment of a contracting party that was married previously and whose marriage subsequently got annulled by a court in the Philippines (copy of the court’s decision with a marriage contract registered with NSO containing marginal note related to annulment; also has to be DFA-authenticated)
- Affidavit of consent given by the mother, father, guardian, or surviving parent of a bride or groom that is between 18 to 21 years old, pursuant to Family Code of Philippines Article 14
- Death certificate for the deceased spouse of any of the contracting party that is now a widower or widow (death certificate of the deceased spouse has to be authenticated by the DFA and issued by NSO)
- Affidavit of guardian/parental advice from legal guardian or parent of a contracting party that is between 21 to 25 years of age pursuant of Family Code of Philippines Article 15
For a foreign contracting party:
- Photocopy of national identification card or passport
- Document attesting to foreign national’s legal capacity in contracting marriage, should be issued by relevant civil authority and authenticated by the Dept/Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Embassy or Consulate of the foreign national
- Two identical passport size pictures for the foreign contracting party
- Written consent of the first wife, for a foreign national that is Muslim and previously married, duly authenticated and notarized by Dept/Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Embassy of the foreign national located in Dubai or anywhere in UAE
If the Filipino that is a party to an intended marriage has already complied all requirements that were specified above, the legal capacity certificate for contracting marriage can be obtained by following the steps listed below:
- The affidavit on legal capacity for contracting marriage should be executed;
- Submission of requirements to the Consular section f or the contracting party that is a foreign national, as specified above;
- Consular section of Philippine embassy will post the Filipino’s particular and request for a legal capacity certificate for contracting marriage on the Embassy’s bulletin board for ten consecutive days;
- Following the publication period of ten days, if there isn’t any information that is received regarding potential disqualifications or impediments, the Consular section will issue a legal capacity certificate for contracting marriage
Take note that the legal capacity certificate for contracting marriage will only be valid for 120 days from the date of issuance and shall be considered null and void following this period.
The Philippine missions in the UAE will then send a report of marriage to the PSA or Philippine Statistics Authority and annex the documents. It will take approximately six months to have a Philippine Marriage Certificate available. Also, a report of marriage form has to be completed. This form should be filled out neatly, without any erasures as this will be a permanent record. Processor can reject applications for marriage if there are wrong entities or erasures.
The best way to ensure that you are free of the hassle and stress from having to comply with the marriage rules and regulations in Dubai for Filipinos and foreign nationals is by consulting with family and marriage lawyers like HHS Lawyers.
