Click the following links to go to the appropriate section:

• Marriage Preparation Course/Seminar


• Marry in St. Joseph Cathedral


• Marry at another Catholic Church


• Certificate of No-Objection to Marriage


• Marriage Banns

ABOUT
"The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament." (CCC 1601, see also Mathew 19:5-6, Mark 10:7-12,Ephesians 5:22-32, Malachi 2:13-16).​

 

Our parish conducts Marriage Preparation Courses (MPC) regularly for couples who intend to get married. Click the link for information and requirements for Marriage Preparation Course/Seminar. 

The following procedure applies only to couples who are resident in Abu Dhabi city and the surrounding areas that are served by St. Joseph Cathedral parish (Musaffah, Al Ain and Ruwais/Barakah are not included).

All others, kindly contact the Parish Office as early as possible to find out procedure/ requirements.

Recommended: begin the steps below at least 3-6 months ahead of the date of the wedding in order to finish all requirements comfortably and in good time.

1. Register for the Marriage Preparation Course (MPC) [click here].
   Email the Parish Office in advance if Marriage Preparation Course (MPC) was done at a Catholic church outside UAE.


2. Collect all the Required Documents for Marriage
   Email the Parish Office if you have questions/difficulties or cannot obtain a requirement. We are happy to assist you. 
   
   REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR MARRIAGE


3. Once all Required Documents (aside from MPC Certificate) have been obtained, either bride or groom can bring them to the Parish Office. The Office will:
   • check all the documents and return them to you.
   • post the marriage banns on our website for 3 Fridays/Sundays. Couples should check the marriage banns to make sure all information is correct.
   • book an appointment with a priest for a short meeting (Pre-Nuptial Inquiry) after the Marriage Preparation Course is completed by both bride and groom.


4. After completing the Marriage Preparation Course (MPC), bring all the Required Documents (including your MPC certificate) for the scheduled appointment with the priest (Pre-Nuptial Inquiry).


5. After meeting with the priest, the wedding date can be booked at the Parish Office.
   • Give the names of two Catholic witnesses of legal age who will be present at the ceremony to the Parish Office.
   • Wedding arrangements such as choir, entourage, church decoration, booklets etc. are optional and the responsibility of the couple. The choice of readings and printing of booklets must be done in consultation with the priest.


6. 15 or more days before the wedding ceremony: Email the Parish Office with the Attendees List (names and IDs) needed for a Government Permit to hold the wedding ceremony. Without this list received in time, the wedding will  be cancelled. Kindly note that the Government of Abu Dhabi currently limits attendees to 10 persons only. 
   
   ATTENDEE LIST FOR PERMIT (DOC)
   ATTENDEE LIST FOR PERMIT (PDF)


7. One week after wedding ceremony: Either bride or groom can pick up the marriage certificate at the Parish Office. To be legally recognized, the marriage certificate must be attested/stamped by the UAE government (Ministry of Justice). To be recognized in your country, it must be stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Tas Heel center) and then registered/stamped at your embassy.

If you have been staying in Abu Dhabi (St. Joseph parish), but your marriage will take place in another Catholic church,  you will need some documents from St. Joseph Cathedral.  The exact documents you will require will depend on where your marriage paperwork is being prepared. 

MARRIAGE PAPERWORK PREPARED AT ST. JOSEPH

If you have been resident in Abu Dhabi for some time, the Catholic church where you wish to get married may require that your Pre-Nuptial inquiry (canonical interview) and marriage paperwork be done at St. Joseph Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. In such cases, please follow Steps 1-4 of the Procedure for Marriage above.

Your marriage paperwork will be sent by St. Joseph Cathedral to the church where your marriage will take place. This has to be sent officially via the Chanceries/Bishop's House of each area.

Please consider the time needed to courier documents, etc. It is recommended to start the process 3-6 months ahead of your marriage date to make sure that the documents will arrive on time. Please note that as a rule we do NOT hand over documents to the couple/person to carry to the church of marriage.

 

MARRIAGE PAPERWORK PREPARED ELSEWHERE
or CERTIFICATE OF NO-OBJECTION TO MARRY

In some cases, your Pre-Nuptial inquiry (canonical interview) and marriage paperwork may be done at another church even though you are currently staying in Abu Dhabi or were formerly living in Abu Dhabi. You may be asked to provide a "No Objection to Marry" certificate/letter from our parish. This certificate will state that you have not been married in the Catholic Church while living in Abu Dhabi (St. Joseph parish).

Please approach the Parish Office with a copy/scan of your recently-issued baptismal certificate in order for this "no objection" certificate/letter to be prepared.