Big changes in new personal status law in the UAE, Starting April 2025, UAE Women can get married without approval from a guardian. Earlier, An Emirati woman needed her guardian’s consent to Marry.
If her father has passed, the next male guardian, like her elder brother had to be present.
But now from April 2025, under the new personal status law in the UAE, UAE Woman (Emirati Citizen) can marry without guardian approval, empowering their independence,
The new Law aligns with International standards of Women’s right.
What is the Minimum Age to get Married for an Emirati Women?
The legal minimum marriage age was set at 18 for both genders.
Provisions of the Sharia law
Islamic marriages are conducted according to the Sharia provisions, which apply in the following cases, regardless of nationality:
- where both the groom and the bride are Muslims
- where the groom is Muslim and the bride is from ‘Ahl Al-Kitaab’; such as Christian.
While the law permits a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman, it does not allow a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man without proof of his conversion to Islam.
Key legal requirements for Muslim marriages
Here are the key legal requirements for Muslim marriages:
- Marriage contract needs to be registered in a Sharia court in the UAE.
- Legal age for marriage is 18 Hijri years; otherwise, the judge’s approval is required.
- A spouse’s age should not be twice the other; otherwise, the judge’s approval is sought.
- A premarital screening certificate is needed.
- Attendance of the couple is required.
- Divorced and widowed women must produce a proof of the status.
- If the bride is Muslim and her father is not, she needs a ‘No Objection’ letter from her embassy or consulate.
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