Children of unmarried expatriate couples can now get birth certificates in Abu Dhabi. The birth certificate will be issued by the court on special application. However, Muslims from Muslim countries do not receive such a certificate.
The UAE last year decriminalized unmarried couples living together. However, the legal status of the children born to them remained unclear. It is in this context that the new system for birth certificates of such children has been introduced.
Couples must first swear that they are the guardian of the children. Later, the birth certificate will be issued by the court through the law department. But Muslim expatriates from Muslim countries are not allowed to do this. Birth certificates can be issued to children only if Muslims are married. However, Muslim couples from countries where Islamic law does not apply are exempt.
The new family law, announced in January this year, made it a fundamental right to issue a birth certificate to a parent, whether married or not. At present, Sharia law in the UAE does not apply to non-Muslims in personal civil matters such as marriage, divorce and property rights. These can be done in accordance with the law approved by one’s own faith.