Getting married is a big decision for any relationship. With that said, getting married while living abroad and if you are pregnant is a whole new level, especially if your partner is from another country or has a different religion. There are quite a few factors that play a role in wedding planning when you live in the UAE or any other GCC country.

We have had many clients who also wish to inquire about what to do with an unexpected pregnancy if you are a single woman living in the UAE and hopefully the article resolves some of your doubts.

Factors, that can influence your wedding plans if you live in the UAE

1. Pregnancy

According to the new UAE law, it is allowed to live together as a couple and up until very recently to give birth to a child you still need to have a wedding certificate.

2. Getting UAE residency visa

One of the options of getting the UAE resident visa is a spouse sponsorship. It cannot be done if the couple does not have a marriage certificate

3. Applying for a visa in other countries

Immigration to any other country usually takes some time as well. Practice shows it goes much easier for married couples than for single individuals.

4. Nationality of the partners in the couple

If you are from the same country – congratulations, your life as a couple in the UAE will be slightly easier. After all, you can always fly home and get married there.

If you two are from different countries, the process of getting married will involve at least 2 different embassies and 2 sets of documents. And it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

5. Religion of the partners in the couple

Partners of the same religion are on the lucky side and the process is slightly easier for them. While a bride and a groom-to-be of different nationalities will face a whole new set of rules and documents if they decide to get married.

6. Family consent

In some cultures, your family members have to approve your choice and your wedding and one simply can’t proceed without their agreement. What does it usually mean? Correct, more documents.

What is the process of getting married in the UAE once you know your situation?

In a perfect world, two people fall in love, form a relationship, and get married. In real life, there is paperwork and laws. Every embassy and ministry involved in the process has a certain procedure that might take quite some time.

Different countries request different documents. While sometimes it might be something easy to get, usually it involves a lot of communication with your home country and shipping the documents back and forth, which is obviously time-consuming as well.

Constantly changing and evolving laws is another matter to be taken into consideration. A wedding certificate perfectly valid today, tomorrow might need another stamp to function.

How to overcome all the obstacles on the way to getting married in the UAE?

• Play safe. Talk to a professional before you decide to take the first step.

• Google is everybody’s best friend but when it comes to legal issues you need to be 100% sure.

• Oddly enough, many couples have chosen to tie the knot in other countries; where the laws are less taxing; Georgia being one of them. It is most preferred by UAE and GCC residents because the wedding can be legalized fast and travel to Georgia is about 3 hours and visa free for most residents.

• Our team quite often receives requests from the customers, who tried to solve their paperwork by themselves and it got stuck in the bureaucratic machine because they need more translations, stamps, or something else.

And there is very little we can do in that situation as the process has already started.

That’s why we strongly recommend talking to our team before you start the process. The consultation won’t cost you a thing but you will have a clear vision of your situation.

Do you know anyone who is planning to get married soon? Share this article with them to make their life easier.