How to Get Married for Filipinos in Abu Dhabi

There are many Filipinos who are currently living and working in Abu Dhabi. Inevitably, quite a number of them happen to fall in love and decide to get married! Notably, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi facilitates solemnization of marriage and related services.

It must be noted, however, that the Embassy solemnizes marriages between Filipino nationals only. For those who are getting married to non-Filipinos or foreigners, a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage is issued instead. Also, bear in mind that the Philippine Embassy has jurisdiction over the emirate of Abu Dhabi, including Al Ain, whereas the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Dubai has jurisdiction over Dubai and the northern emirates.

How to Get Married for Filipinos in Abu Dhabi

Guide to Getting Married in Abu Dhabi for Filipinos

In this article, we will be discussing the Philippine Embassy’s requirements and procedures in applying for marriage, report of marriage, delayed registration of marriage, and marriage between Filipinos and non-Filipinos/foreigners.

NOTE: When setting an appointment with the Philippine Embassy, don’t forget to send an email to civilregistry_auhpe@yahoo.com first, as part of the Embassy’s health and safety measures.

A. Applying for Marriage

For Filipino nationals who are planning to get married in Abu Dhabi, below are the requirements and fees that they need to prepare, as well as the procedure.

Requirements:

  • Birth Certificate issued by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) (1 original, 2 photocopies)
  • Transcription copy of Birth Certificate from Local Civil Registrar in the Philippines (if PSA-issued certificate is not clear or readable) (1 original, 3 photocopies)
  • Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) issued by PSA (1 original, 3 photocopies)
  • Passport copies of the contracting parties (biodata page) (3 photocopies)
  • Copies of the contracting parties’ Abu Dhabi or Al Ain visa page (3 photocopies)
    Affidavit of Parental Consent with Certificate of Authority for Notarial Act (for those age 18-21 years old) (1 original, 3 photocopies)
  • Affidavit of Parental Advice with Certificate of Authority for Notarial Act (for those age 22-25 years old) (1 original, 3 photocopies)
  • PSA-issued Death Certificate of parents (for those age 18-25 years old and whose parents are deceased) (1 original, 3 photocopies)
  • Passport-sized pictures of the contracting parties (1 copy each)
  • Marriage Counseling Certificate (marriage counseling may be requested from a church or pastor while processing for requirements)

Fees:

AED 100 – Marriage License
AED 240 – Solemnization of Marriage

Procedure:

  1. Go to the Philippine Embassy to submit the above requirements in applying for a Marriage License. Both contracting parties must appear personally at the Embassy.
  2. Upon application, a marriage banns or announcement will be posted at the Philippine Embassy premises for ten (10) working days, after which you may obtain your Marriage License.
  3. Return to the Embassy on your scheduled date to claim the Marriage License. At the Embassy, get a queue number from the Information Counter at the Consular Section.
  4. Wait for your number to be called, and then proceed to the Civil Registry Counter. Based on availability, you may now set the date of your wedding.
  5. Proceed to the Cashier to pay AED 240 for the solemnization of marriage. Return the receipt to the Civil Registry Counter.
  6. Return to the Embassy on your scheduled wedding date. Be sure to arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
  7. You will receive a copy of your signed Marriage Contract after the solemnization of marriage.

B. Report of Marriage

After getting married, applying for a Report of Marriage comes next. Be sure to prepare the following requirements and fees.

Requirements:

  • Accomplished Report of Marriage Form with signature (4 copies) (entries must be written in capital letters and using black ink pen only)
  • Marriage Contract attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1 original, 3 photocopies)
  • Passport-sized photos of contracting parties (4 copies each)
  • Passports of contracting parties (3 photocopies each)
  • Other documents that may be requested by the processor to determine proof of citizenship, identity, or eligibility for registration of marriage under Philippine Laws

Fees:

AED 100 – Attestation
AED 100 – Report of Marriage

Personal appearance of both contracting parties is required. Upon submission of the above requirements, the Report of Marriage may be claimed after five (5) working days. Keep in mind that at the Embassy, processing time is from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, while releasing time is from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

How to Get Married for Filipinos in Abu Dhabi

C. Delayed Registration of Marriage

If, for some reason, your registration of marriage is delayed, don’t worry because you can still apply for Report of Marriage by preparing these requirements and fees.

Requirements:

  • Accomplished Report of Marriage Form with signature (4 copies) (entries must be written in capital letters and using black ink pen only)
  • Marriage Contract attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1 original, 3 photocopies)
  • Passport-sized photos of contracting parties (4 copies each)
  • Passports of contracting parties (3 photocopies each)
  • Affidavit of Delayed Registration (if applicable)
  • Negative Certification of Marriage Record from PSA (if applicable)
  • Other documents that may be requested by the processor to determine proof of citizenship, identity or eligibility for registration of marriage under Philippine Laws

Fees:

AED 100 – Attestation
AED 100 – Report of Marriage
AED 100 – Affidavit of Delayed Registration

Personal appearance of both contracting parties is required. After submitting the above requirements, the Report of Marriage may be claimed after five (5) working days. Take note that processing time at the Embassy is between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon, while releasing time is between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm.

D. Marrying a Non-Filipino or a Foreigner

As mentioned earlier, the Philippine Embassy solemnizes marriages between Filipino citizens only. Nevertheless, if a Filipino plans to marry a non-Filipino or a foreigner, he/she may apply for a Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage instead. Below are the requirements and fees involved, for the Filipino citizen and the non-Filipino fiancé/fiancée.

Requirements (for Filipino citizen):

  • Accomplished Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage Form
  • PSA-issued Birth Certificate authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila
  • PSA-issued CENOMAR authenticated by the DFA in Manila
  • Copy of Passport (1 photocopy)
  • Passport-sized photos (2 copies)
  • PSA-issued Advice of Parents authenticated by the DFA in Manila (for applicants age 21-25 years old)
  • PSA-issued Consent of Parents authenticated by the DFA in Manila (for applicants age 18-21 years old)

Requirements (for non-Filipino fiancé/fiancée):

  • Birth Certificate issued at the applicant’s home country; authenticated by his/her respective Embassy or Consulate in the UAE and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
  • Certificate of Civil Status issued at the applicant’s home country; authenticated by his/her respective Embassy or Consulate in the UAE and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
  • If the applicant is a married Muslim male, a written, notarized Consent of the First Wife (and other wives, if applicable) authenticated by his respective Embassy or Consulate in the UAE and/or by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
  • Copy of Passport (1 photocopy)
  • Passport-sized photos (2 copies)

NOTE: If any of the the above documents are not in English, these must be legally translated into English.

Fee:   AED 100

NOTE: After paying the fee at the Cashier, the yellow receipt copy must be returned to the Civil Registry Counter.

Upon application, there will be a marriage bans or announcement, which will be posted at the Philippine Embassy premises for fifteen (15) working days. After this period, the applicants may return to the Embassy to claim their Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage. Releasing time is from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. After getting married outside the Embassy, the couple may now apply for Report of Marriage at the Philippine Embassy.

DISCLAIMER: The above guide is presented for general information-sharing purposes only. To learn more about the requirements, fees, and procedures for getting married in Abu Dhabi, please visit the official website of the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

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