Couples in the Emirates are usually not marrying in Seychelles for the beaches. They are marrying there because Seychelles does not care about nationality, religion or race, and because they need a certificate that MOFA will accept. This page is about the second half.
Why Seychelles, for Gulf residents
A civil marriage in Seychelles is unaffected by your nationality, your religion or your race, the process is fast, and it requires very few documents. For mixed nationality and mixed faith couples living in the UAE, that is not a selling point on a brochure, it is the reason the trip exists.
There is also no visa requirement. Seychelles issues a visitor's permit free on arrival for up to three months regardless of nationality, provided your passport is valid for at least six months beyond departure. For couples used to visa friction that alone removes a month of anxiety.
What Seychelles asks you for
The Seychelles half is the same for everyone. Two foreign nationals need a valid passport and an apostilled birth certificate each, plus an apostilled divorce certificate if either has been married before or a death certificate if widowed. The banns run for eleven days. The government fee is SCR 3,000 on Mahe, Praslin or La Digue. Two witnesses must be present and we provide them. The certificate is issued within twenty four hours of the ceremony.
The attestation chain, in order
This is the part that has to be right. Each step will refuse you if the previous one is missing.
| Step | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Notarisation | Seychelles | Arranged alongside the certificate |
| 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Seychelles | The Letter of Authentication |
| 3. UAE Embassy attestation | Seychelles | Allow 10 to 14 working days |
| 4. MOFA | United Arab Emirates | The stamp and sticker on the back of the certificate |
How long it really takes, and whether you have to wait for it
The marriage certificate itself is issued within twenty four hours of the ceremony, and documents can be ready within about two days if the attestations are expedited. The UAE Embassy step is the long pole, at roughly ten to fourteen working days.
You do not have to sit in Seychelles for it. The documents can be couriered on to you, which is what most couples do. Indicative costs we have seen are around 15 euro per apostille stamp and 25 euro by registered post or 70 euro by courier, though those move.
What the certificate is then good for
This is worth stating because couples plan around it. Once MOFA has attested it, the certificate is accepted for a spouse residence visa, a family visa, a tenancy contract where a landlord asks for proof, immigration matters and, if it ever comes to it, a divorce filing.
Inside the UAE, foreign documents also need a certified Arabic translation and attestation by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a consulate. Attesting the marriage before the UAE courts is what secures rights such as maintenance, inheritance and filiation, so it is worth doing properly rather than stopping at the visa.
A note for Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf
The shape is the same, with your own country's embassy in place of the UAE one. Tell us which Gulf state you need the certificate to work in before the wedding, not after, because the embassy step happens in Seychelles and is far harder to arrange once you have flown home.