Getting married in the UAE: UK documents you need and how to legalise them
The UAE is one of the most popular destinations for UK couples getting married abroad, but it requires more document preparation than most European destinations. Unlike Hague Convention countries where an apostille is the final step, the UAE requires an additional stage of embassy attestation. Here is exactly what is involved.
The UAE is not a Hague Convention member
This is the single most important fact to understand before you start. Because the UAE has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention, an FCDO apostille alone is not enough. Every document that needs to be used for a UAE civil marriage must go through three stages: solicitor or notary certification where required, an FCDO apostille, and then attestation by the UAE Embassy in London followed by MOFA digital attestation in the UAE.
Documents typically required
The UAE marriage authority will typically require a Certificate of No Impediment, your birth certificate, and proof of any previous marriages ending - either a Decree Absolute or a Death Certificate. If either partner has a name discrepancy across documents, an Affidavit may also be needed. Each document must be processed through the full three-stage legalisation chain separately. Bundled apostilles are not accepted by the UAE Embassy.
The Certificate of No Impediment
The CNI must be the registrar-signed original. It cannot be a photocopy or a scan. It is subject to a 28-day notice period at a UK register office before it will be issued - this waiting period cannot be shortened. Once issued, it must be apostilled by the FCDO and then attested by the UAE Embassy in London. CNIs are generally valid for three months from the date of issue, so time the application carefully against your wedding date.
Birth and Marriage certificates
Birth certificates and any existing UK marriage certificates must be an original or a certified copy issued by the GRO, a local registry office, the National Records of Scotland, or the General Register Office for Northern Ireland. After the apostille, they must be submitted to the UAE Embassy for attestation. Official personal documents including birth and marriage certificates must be submitted in their original form to the UAE Embassy - copies are not accepted for personal documents at this stage.
Plan the timeline early
Between the CNI notice period, FCDO apostille processing and UAE Embassy attestation - which typically takes eight to ten working days and has no expedited service - the full legalisation process for UAE documents can take four to six weeks. Allow considerably more time if translations are also required. Call our team on +44 203 957 9800 and we will confirm the full document list for your specific circumstances and manage the legalisation process from start to finish.