# Re: Unmarried Couple in Dubai



## Superstylo (Jul 15, 2015)

*Re: Unmarried Couple in Dubai*

Hi all,

First off, thank you so much for taking a moment to consider my question. I have done a lot of research on this issue so far and think I have a pretty good grasp of things but I also wanted to run some more specific questions by all of you to see if I am missing anything. 

Basically, my girlfriend and I (currently unmarried) are considering making a move to the UAE (specifically Dubai) as a result of an offer of employment. We are both currently citizens and residents of Canada. She will move with me in hopes of finding a job when we land in Dubai.

My understanding so far is that unmarried couples cannot live together in Dubai. If they do, and, in the rare situation that that is revealed, they may be subject to jail time and deportation. 

Can you please tell me the following:

1. What are the penalties exactly of this? 
2. What are the risks of this actually happening? 
3. If we want to get married just to deal with this legal technicality in the UAE, is there a place where we can do this easily, cheaply and without any bureaucratic hindrances? 
4. What other options do we have available? 


Thanks again.

(If you would be so kind to respond to my other thread regarding salaries and expat packages that would be awesome too.)


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

1. Prison and deportation.
2. Impossible to tell. Happens regularly but not in great numbers.
3. Its the UAE - bureaucracy is the foundation. Get married in Canada before you come - it'll be less hassle.
4. None - either marry and be safe, or take a risk.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

1. What are the penalties exactly of this? 
Are you white and not muslim? If so the penalties aare not as great as if you're not, but you're still looking at at least a month and deportation.​2. What are the risks of this actually happening?
Highly unlikely, but it does exist​3. If we want to get married just to deal with this legal technicality in the UAE, is there a place where we can do this easily, cheaply and without any bureaucratic hindrances? 
Yes, you can do it quickly and easily at either St Mary's Church (if non-muslim) or the Court if you are​4. What other options do we have available?
I don't get what you mean by this, you could take the risk and keep your noses clean, or get married.​
Also your gf would have to do visa runs every 39 days as you wouldn't be able to sponsor her. She couldn't get a bank account, a residency visa (unless she opened her own company), a driving license, she can hire a car but can't drive the one you buy. All in all, not ideal.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
By the way it's not a "legal technicality" as you put it - it's simply the law.
Cheers
Steve


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

Superstylo said:


> 1. What are the penalties exactly of this?
> 2. What are the risks of this actually happening?
> 3. If we want to get married just to deal with this legal technicality in the UAE, is there a place where we can do this easily, cheaply and without any bureaucratic hindrances?
> 4. What other options do we have available?



1. Jail and deportation 
2. Just be cafeul what you say and do around here. You significant partner is your husband in public, wear a wedding ring. Be careful with all information you tell people here, because all it requires is one phone call to the police. 
3. It will be alot easier in Canada than here (i know a couple of people who got married legally in their home countries before they came here. I am for one, I am married - yet no ceremony with family etc) 
4. Get married in Canada, Risk it here, don't come here

My opinion of UAE law is if you don't rattle the cage you won't wake the bear. Don't break any laws, don't start fights, don't do drugs etc etc and no one will care.


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

How serious is your relationship? Do you want to spend the rest of your lives together? 
I personally don't think it's worth the risk to live together unmarried in UAE. Everything is so much easier if married.
Something to bear in mind is that some landlords might require a copy of the marriage certificate when signing the tenancy agreement. 

You could always do a a quickie wedding in Vegas since you're not that far away from there.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

QOFE said:


> How serious is your relationship? Do you want to spend the rest of your lives together?
> I personally don't think it's worth the risk to live together unmarried in UAE. Everything is so much easier if married.
> Something to bear in mind is that some landlords might require a copy of the marriage certificate when signing the tenancy agreement.
> 
> You could always do a a quickie wedding in Vegas since you're not that far away from there.


Or just not tell the landlord. 

Literally, this is such a none issue. So many people do it here. Its all about what you feel comfortable with. I got married, though I don't consider it more than a peice of paper. Like, she would never dare ask for access for joint names on my bank account or houses I own :argue:

Anyway it's like a candy shop here, if you don't like your partner (i love mine) you can find a younger more attractive model here :eyebrows: :spit:


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Another thing to bear in mind is how your company will react, it's unlikely you'll get health insurance cover for your partner unless you're married.


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

iggles said:


> Or just not tell the landlord.
> 
> Literally, this is such a none issue. So many people do it here. Its all about what you feel comfortable with. I got married, though I don't consider it more than a peice of paper. Like, she would never dare ask for access for joint names on my bank account or houses I own :argue:
> 
> Anyway it's like a candy shop here, if you don't like your partner (i love mine) you can find a younger more attractive model here :eyebrows: :spit:


Sad, very sad indeed. Enjoy your candy shop, you will need it at some point. Be prepared to cough up for it though and I hope your car model is up to scratch.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

QOFE said:


> Sad, very sad indeed. Enjoy your candy shop, you will need it at some point. Be prepared to cough up for it though and I hope your car model is up to scratch.


Mine's the best in UAE :first:


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

iggles said:


> Mine's the best in UAE :first:


Those little Galants, great ain't they, proper magnet, especially with the golden plastic tissue box and the carpeted dash board...


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

iggles said:


> Mine's the best in UAE :first:


Yes, she might the best for you at the moment. What guarantees do you have of it lasting though? 
You might see it as a "candy shop" here but do bear in mind that the shopping works the other way around too. 

AND :focus:

OP, what jobs might your partner be thinking of doing? A lot of jobs advertised requires the woman to already have her residency sponsored by her husband. It's cheaper for the company to just get the labour card.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

The Rascal said:


> Those little Galants, great ain't they, proper magnet, especially with the golden plastic tissue box and the carpeted dash board...


Nahhh I got a keeper  She just spends to much of my money 

(and don't do a football reference...)


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

QOFE said:


> Yes, she might the best for you at the moment. What guarantees do you have of it lasting though?
> You might see it as a "candy shop" here but do bear in mind that the shopping works the other way around too.


This is me we are talking about - no one even close :boxing:


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

iggles said:


> This is me we are talking about - no one even close :boxing:


Well if you'd take someones hand of for AED52/month package - she can't be all that....


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

If you marry your girlfriend, you'll be able to sponsor her for a residence visa until she finds a job (which can take a long time, though networking can speed it up). That is a big, big advantage, and she can begin being a resident by having a bank account, driver's license. 
In addition, married people sometimes qualify for more generous packages (e.g. more housing allowance). 
That said-couples living together is common (though I obviously wouldn't call it a non-issue due to the potential legal consequences) and some non-white Muslim people do it.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

Is there an echo in here?


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## notdave (Jul 11, 2015)

iggles said:


> My opinion of UAE law is if you don't rattle the cage you won't wake the bear. Don't break any laws, don't start fights, don't do drugs etc etc and no one will care.


Generally the case... but the cage often doesn't take much rattling...

Jay walking (crossing the road at a non-designated area...)
Speeding 
(though these are usually dealt with in a relatively summary way ("just pay the fine at the machine/police station" )

Being drunk in public
Driving with more 0.00% blood alcohol and getting caught.
Raising your middle finger at motorists or people.
Swearing or shouting at people. (it is often a struggle not to...)
Posting pictures of badly parked cars on your private facebook page...

Once rattled... the entire book is usually thrown at the rattler... (to mix a metaphor or two)

Also... if you do get married outside the UAE... you may need to get an apostille, or other "certification"... which may be relatively simple to do in your home country for 20 bucks here and there... This *can* usually be done from the UAE... but will probably cost you somewhere in the region of 4-500 USD

Check the requirements for attestation of your marriage certificate... as this is another little bureaucratic hoop you will have to just through... followed by handing over another 1-200 AED for the local attestation...

Alternatively your partner may get a job here and get her own visa... I have heard tell of people that do this. I some cases she nominally rents a small apartment in some less fashionable area for "not a lot", for official purposes... Or just not bother at all... 

I know a few that take the risk... and none that have been caught... yet... but people do, now and again, usually as a result of something else... And the consequences can be a bit of a "nuisance". (If you consider a month in a prison in the desert and deportation a nuisance)

It depends on you attitude to risk... and how much you want to be here/together or here and together.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

notdave said:


> Posting pictures of badly parked cars on your private facebook page...
> .


This concerned me, but we don't know what she wrote. All the radio said was some "bad words"

Anyway, bad to original point. What do you feel comfortable with doing. You've been given advice on how we have dealt with unmarried couples (ie I got getting married) or others who've just winged it.


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## Superstylo (Jul 15, 2015)

So, first of all, thank you all for your thoughtful responses. For reference, we would only have been together for 5 months by the time we move, neither of us are religious but she has a European background (blond hair) and I have an Iranian background (not blond hair). I do like her but my issue is that "marriage" in Canada brings with it a whole host of other complications. 

Here are some other questions I have:

1. If we don't get married in Canada, where (outside of Dubai), is it the easiest, quickest and cheapest to get married just for the purpose of living together in Dubai?

2. Do you think it is best that I arrive in Dubai on my own first just to get a lay of the land and then make plans to have her come out? 

3. As a married woman, do you think she will have any issues finding a job? She is fluent in English and has been working as a dental assistant in Canada for years. Are those types of jobs available for someone like her in the Dubai area?

4. I will be working in downtown Dubai as a corporate lawyer. Is anyone here able to comment on the offer that I am receiving?

Thank you again.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Superstylo said:


> Is anyone here able to comment on the offer that I am receiving?


Hi,
You have only made two posts - both in this thread.
Where do you think you asked about your package?
Cheers
Steve


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## Superstylo (Jul 15, 2015)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> You have only made two posts - both in this thread.
> Where do you think you asked about your package?
> Cheers
> Steve


I haven't yet put out any details. I was wondering if anyone had any context with respect to the legal profession and jobs in Dubai to comment on it. And then I was thinking of sending a private message.

(Stevesolar - are you able to send me a PM directly? I can't because, as you noted, I only have a few posts so far).


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Superstylo said:


> I haven't yet put out any details. I was wondering if anyone had any context with respect to the legal profession and jobs in Dubai to comment on it. And then I was thinking of sending a private message.


Well - two of my friends are barristers in Dubai - fire away!


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

Hang on a minute - here we have a lawyer asking the general public for advice on how to get around a legal matter 

If you wish to stay true to your profession, then get married - surely it would be easiest to do it in the country where you are both currently legally resident. Doing it in a third country would lead to further complications such as the inability to get your certificate attested correctly.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

I got mine done with the degree. All in one.

BOGOF!!


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## cfposi (Jun 12, 2015)

Errr...I would not suggest a marriage of convenience after only 5 months dude...gut feeling that it might not turn out very well!

Sounds like the sensible option is to move out and get settled in...then fly her out after a while for visits and see if she can land her own job with her own visa. Maybe by the time all that is sorted out you guys will know whether marriage is the right call. 

Do you really want to move to a country where living together out of wedlock is illegal after only 5 months? What if things go wrong...things could get awkward.

As a fellow soulless corporate lawyer, I can pretty much guarantee you'll be able to afford to fly her out!!

Just my $0.02


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

To be brutally honest, DON'T get hung up on the whole living together unmarried thing. Unless you really p*ss someone off, or do something really stupid, no one is going to care. Heck I even know an Emirati who's lived with his European GF for 15 years - it's definitely not just a 'western' couple thing.

It would be unlikely that any of the churches would marry you in Dubai after being together for such a short amount of time - unless your GF was expecting. They make you go through couples sessions etc beforehand. Most people if they need a quickie marriage disappear to Cyprus.

But honestly, don't make a big deal out of it or get hung up on this.

Come here on your own first and get the lay of the land, then bring your GF and see if she can get a job and she can do visa runs for the time being.


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## aleleeson (Jun 10, 2015)

this is such a sweet question. On marrying after 5 months I think if you two love each other you should. There is always a risks that marriage will fail..the time in between meeting and marrying is not really the deciding factor in my opinion. Admittedly I knew my husband for years before getting married but we also got married for the same reason as you probably will...legally it was impossible for us to live together without marriage. We were long distance and both of the countries that we lived in either required marriage or a job for the other person to move..so without jobs in the other person's country and with wanting to live together we got married. And my brother and his wife also got married for the same exact reason so it is common. She tried to stay with him without marriage but immigration then threatened to deport her so they married. I think it is really something sweet to marry simply to live together. It is also sweet to marry for love but this way shows that when tested you choose each other and take the risk rather than letting fear get the better of it. When I got married I had no idea what it would be like to live with my husband and he had no idea what it would be like to live with me. We were both very scared on the day, I remember being scared but not knowing if he was as well, later I found out that he was as well. It was a risk, but it was worth it. If you trust her and you love her then risk being hurt or whatever your marriage related fears are because if you dont you will never know if you were right to trust her in the first place. And trust builds trust, it has to start somewhere. Ah well that is just what I would do. It is really up to you and how you think/feel.. but know that sometimes or rather pretty often leaps like this do work out. Of course sometimes they also dont so yea  Good luck, I'm hoping you two get married because that sounds really romantic but it's up to you two.. dont be too afraid the worst that can happen is that you get hurt..and with or without marriage all relationships carry that risk.


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## Superstylo (Jul 15, 2015)

Hi all,

It seems that my options are really quite limited: get married (and assume the consequences of that) or don't get married and assume the risks of that.

The more I think about it, the more I would like to arrive, get settled in, and then see if she can find her own employment (ideally with its own accommodation benefits). 

So, my previous question is quite relevant, do you think that she would have any issues finding a job with her experience? She is fluent in English and has been working as a dental assistant in Canada for approximately 10 years. Does anyone here work in the medical field? Are those types of jobs available for someone like her in the Dubai area? Is there a placement agency that assists with that?

Thanks in advance for your help.


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## iggles (Jan 4, 2015)

Superstylo said:


> Hi all,
> 
> It seems that my options are really quite limited: get married (and assume the consequences of that) or don't get married and assume the risks of that.
> 
> ...


I think you should get married. op2:

And if you don't work out she will only take 50% of your earnings, houses, cars, life, and future earnings. No biggie. :welcome:


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## Superstylo (Jul 15, 2015)

Yes, a pre-nuptial agreement may be able to address the above concern. I just need to know her chances of finding her own role.


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