Foreigners getting married in Egypt (process)

Updated 1 October 2012

Civil Marriages in Egypt

THE FOLLOWING NOTES ARE NOT COMPREHENSIVE AND ARE INTENDED ONLY AS A GUIDE. FURTHER ADVICE SHOULD BE SOUGHT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE NOTARY PUBLIC OR A LAWYER.
The onus of ensuring that you are free to contract a marriage rests with the parties themselves. Consular Officers cannot issue any document, which will facilitate a marriage, which will not be valid in Britain. Additional Documentation may be requested in order to satisfy the Consular Officer to issue a Statutory Declaration.

 

BRITISH COUPLES
British couples wishing to marry in Cairo have to satisfy the Egyptian authorities that they are free to marry.
They should, therefore:
(1) Come to the Consular Section of the Embassy in Cairo to make statutory declarations, before a consular officer, that they are free to marry.
The documents required by the consular officer are the following:
• Passports as proof of identity
• Documentary evidence of the termination of any former marriage(s). For example, divorce (decree absolute) certificates and change of name Deed or, if appropriate the death certificate of a deceased spouse   see also further advice below.
• Consular fees no 2(i) (Sterling £ 45.00) and 4 (Sterling £ 55.00) are payable in Egyptian Pounds at the current rate of exchange for each declaration.
PLEASE NOTE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS MUST BE PRODUCED  PHOTOCOPIES CAN NOT BE ACCEPTED
(2) Statutory declarations have to be taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Ahmed Orabi Street, Mohandessin, Giza (Tel: 03 33033450), for the consular officer's signature and stamp to be legalised (the fee is approximately 22 Egyptian pounds per document).
(3) The couple can then go to the Notary Public's Office at Ministry of Justice Annex, Lazoghly Square, 4th Floor, Cairo, for a civil marriage.
The documents required by the Notary Public Office are the following:
• Passports
• 5 photographs each (size 4x6)
• Evidence of termination of any previous marriage or change of name (as described above)
• 2 male witnesses (with proof of identity)
• A registered interpreter (the proceedings will be conducted in Arabic)
• Medical certificates for both parties from a government hospital to the effect that both parties are qualified physically for marriage
• A stamp from the post office called the family rights stamp
• 2 photocopies of all documents provided
MARRYING AN EGYPTIAN/NON BRITISH MAN OR WOMAN
When a British citizen wishes to marry an Egyptian man or woman.
(1) The British party only needs to make a statutory declaration at the Embassy.
The documents required by the Consular Officer are the following:
• Passports as proof of identity
• If appropriate, documentary evidence of the termination of any former marriages - decree absolute certificates and change of name deed. If appropriate, the death certificate of a deceased spouse
• The Egyptian party will also need to present his/her current Egyptian ID card and
• show that they are not in any existing marriage i.e. are single, widowed or divorced. In Egypt there are varying degrees or types of divorce. The only one acceptable to a consular officer is an irrevocable divorce. Where either party has been married more than once they must show termination of each marriage.
• Consular fees no 2(i) (Sterling £ 45.00) and 4 (Sterling £ 55.00) payable in Egyptian Pounds.
PLEASE NOTE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS MUST BE PRODUCED  PHOTOCOPIES CAN NOT BE ACCEPTED
(2) The statutory declaration has to be taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Ahmed Orabi Street, Mohandessin, Giza (Tel: 03 33033450), for the consular officer's signature and stamp to be legalised (the fee is approximately 22 Egyptian pounds per document).
(3) The couple can then go to the Notary Public's Office at Ministry of Justice Annex, Lazoghly Square, 4th Floor, Cairo, for a civil marriage.
The documents required by the Egyptian civil registry office are as follows:
• Passports (The Egyptian party will also need to present his/her current Egyptian ID card)
• 5 photographs each (size 4x6)
• Evidence of termination of any previous marriage or change of name
• 2 male witnesses (with proof of identity),
• A registered interpreter (the proceedings will be conducted in Arabic)
• Medical certificates for both parties from a government hospital to the effect that both parties are qualified physically for marriage
• A stamp from the post office called the family rights stamp
• 2 photocopies of all documents provided
The above proceedings may normally be completed within 2 or 3 working days (i.e. not Fridays or Saturdays or public holidays). There is no residency requirement but the parties must have valid immigration conditions in their passports.
DIVORCED OR WIDOWED WOMEN
Under the Egyptian law, a divorced or widowed woman   of whatever religion or nationality   must observe a period of waiting (known as the Eddah) before she may marry again. Hence, a Notary Public, before performing a civil marriage, is required to satisfy himself that a period of at least 3 months has elapsed in the case of a divorced woman since the termination of the previous marriage. In the case of a pregnant divorcee, however, the period is terminated by the birth of the child. A widow wishing to marry again must observe a minimum period of waiting of 4 months and 10 days.
NOTE: Notary Public Offices in Egypt may refuse to accept the validity of a divorce between a woman and a Muslim man when the marriage has been terminated by a non Muslim authority, e.g. a British court. Those affected should seek legal advice.
VALIDITY OF FOREIGN LAW MARRIAGES
The validity under English law of foreign law marriages is not a matter on which the Embassy can give authoritative advice. It is a matter for British courts to decide. Should you wish further advice on this point, or any other point of law, a solicitor should be consulted.
DEPOSIT OF FOREIGN LAW MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES
Once the Egyptian marriage has taken place, the original Arabic marriage certificate and an English translation (with no corrections) may be deposited with the Embassy by the British party or parties and, on payment of Consular Fee No 15 (Sterling £ 35), the documents are forwarded to the Registrar General in the United Kingdom so that certified copies can subsequently be obtained in the United Kingdom. It should be clearly understood that there is no legal obligation to have a marriage recorded in the United Kingdom in this manner. The parties may take advantage of these facilities if they consider that it would serve some useful purpose to have their marriage recorded in the United Kingdom, but neither the formal nor the essential validity in English law of a marriage contracted in a foreign country is in any way affected by its having been, or not having been, thus recorded.
CONSULAR FEES
All Consular Fees are collected in Egyptian currency at the prevailing Consular Rate of Exchange.
IN LINE WITH THE EGYPTIAN REGULATIONS, THE STATUTORY DECLARATION IS ONLY VALID FOR ONE MONTH FROM THE DATE OF ISSUE.
Applications to be handed during our opening hours Sunday-Thursday from 10:00 to 13:00 hrs
Collections will be scheduled on Wednesdays between 10:00 to 12:00 hrs

Consular Section
British Embassy
Ahmed Ragheb Street
Garden City
Cairo
www.ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk/en