A Complete Guide to the UAE's New Marriage Law 2025
The UAE's new changes to its federal personal status law will be implemented from April 15th, 2025
20 February 2025
Clarice
Here's everything you need to know if you plan to get married in the UAE.
Starting Tuesday April 15th, 2025, there will be new changes to the UAE's federal personal status law, which includes key provisions for the age of consent to get married, permissible age differences between the couple to be wed, reclaiming engagement gifts, getting married without needing a legal guardian or custodian, and more.
The provisions of the federal decree are "characterised flexibility, simplification of procedures, and the unification of concepts and legal durations", as per the UAE government.
In this guide, we cover what are the updates to the UAE's marriage law, so you can keep up to date with what is and is not allowed in the emirates.
What is the UAE's new marriage law as of 2025?
Effective from April 2025, here's what you need to know about the UAE's marriage law, which includes some decrees that have remained the same, while others have been updated, and the introduction of new provisions.
Legal age of consent to get married in the UAE
The marriage law stipulates that the legal marriage age in the UAE is 18 years old.
Permission from parent(s) or guardian
If a person of legal marriage age (18 years old) wishes to get married in the UAE but his or her parent/guardian refuses the union, the individual has the right to appeal to a judge.
The legal right to choose your spouse
Women have the right to marry the partner of their choice, regardless of whether her parent or custodian approves - if a non-UAE citizen Muslim women do not require consent from their parents or guardians if her nationality's law does not require it for marriage.
Age difference between man and the woman intending to wed
If the man and woman's age gap exceeds 30 years between them, then the couple can only get married with the permission of the court.
Marital homes in the UAE
In the UAE, the wife shall reside with her husband in a suitable marital home unless otherwise stipulated in the marriage contract.
If both the husband and wife share ownership of the marital home or its lease or provision, neither may have anyone else reside with them without the consent of the other party.
The husband may reside with his wife in the marital home with his parents and his children from other marriages, provided he is legally responsible for their financial support, and if this arrangement does not harm the wife.
The wife may reside with her children from another marriage in the marital home if the children have no other guardian or if they would be harmed by her separation, or if the new husband agrees to arrangement. The husband has the right to withdraw if he is harmed by this living arrangement.
How the UAE law perceives engagements
Engagements are legally not considered as marriage in the UAE, and it is only perceived as the proposal for marriage and a promise of it.
If an engagement has been called off in the UAE, then the engagement gifts can only be reclaimed if:
- These were given on the condition of the marriage being finalised.
- Are not inherently consumable.
- The value exceeds AED 25,000.
If the engagements gifts meets the above criteria, then it can be returned either in kind or based on their value at the time of receipt.
