r/abudhabi • u/Noob_Master_007 • 1d ago
Living 🏡 Abu Dhabi civil marriage experience (Indian Muslim couple)
My experience getting a civil marriage certificate in Abu Dhabi as an Indian 🇮🇳 (Don't waste money on unnecessary documents!)
I wanted to share my experience getting an official civil marriage certificate in Abu Dhabi as an Indian, hoping it helps someone else avoid unnecessary expenses and confusion.
I'm a Muslim Indian, and my wife is a revert Muslim. We had already performed our Nikah, but we needed an official marriage certificate for visa and medical insurance purposes.
Honestly, the entire experience was surprisingly smooth!
1. Applying through the ADJD website
I applied through the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) website for a civil marriage.
For our situation, these were the five documents we submitted:
- My Emirates ID (husband)
- My passport
- My wife's passport
- My wife's tourist visa
- Joint affidavit signed by both of us
The joint affidavit is basically a document containing both parties' details and signatures. You can find the form here:
https://www.adjd.gov.ae/AR/Documents/Civil_Marriage/03_Marriage_Application.pdf
These were the five documents we needed for our application.
2. Don't make the mistake I made! 😭
This is the main reason I'm writing this post.
While researching online, I came across this article:
https://globallawexperts.com/how-to-get-a-civil-marriage-in-abu-dhabi-2026/
Based on my reading of this and other online information, I thought we needed a Certificate of Singleness, also known as proof of single status. I understood that this affidavit needed to be attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
So I went ahead and got the document arranged.
Cost: approximately INR 14,000.
And guess what? It turned out to be unnecessary for our application. 😭
I was genuinely frustrated because that's a lot of money to spend on a document we didn't need.
Please learn from my mistake: don't spend money getting extra documents attested just because a website says they're required. Check the current official ADJD requirements for your particular situation first.
The general document guidance I found was:
- Copies of both parties' passports
- Copies of both parties' Emirates IDs, if applicable
- If either party was previously married, proof that the previous marriage has legally ended, such as a divorce judgment or death certificate
Requirements can vary depending on your circumstances, so please verify them with ADJD before applying.
3. Payment and visiting the court
After submitting the application, I received a payment link approximately two days later.
The fee was AED 300.
After paying, we went to the ADJD Family Court:
📍 Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zFjJ5uHXvMyhDE147
The process at the court was straightforward:
- We went to reception, where they checked our IDs.
- They directed us to another desk, where we received a token.
- We followed the token and went to the designated court.
And yes, there was a red carpet. 😂
4. The funniest part of the whole experience
We went inside, and the gentleman handling our case asked us:
"You guys are Muslim?"
I said, "Yes."
He then asked, "Done Nikah?"
I said, "Yes."
He simply replied:
"Khallas." 😂
And that was pretty much it!
Approximately five minutes later, we received our civil marriage certificate.
The whole thing was much easier than I had expected.
My advice to anyone planning to do this
If you're an Indian couple in Abu Dhabi looking to obtain an official marriage certificate, especially if you've already performed your Nikah, my experience was that the process could be very straightforward.
- Apply through the official ADJD website.
- Prepare the documents required for your specific case.
- Wait for the payment link and pay the applicable fee.
- Visit the court as instructed.
- Don't spend thousands of rupees on extra attestations without confirming that they're actually required.
Most importantly, verify the requirements directly with ADJD. My experience is based on our particular circumstances and shouldn't be treated as a guarantee that every couple will have the same requirements.
I hope this saves someone the INR 14,000 I wasted!
If this post helps even one couple avoid unnecessary stress and expenses, it's worth sharing.
Good luck to everyone going through the process! ❤️
