Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

[offshoretiggar]

hello there

If someone who has been in a similar situation could advise.

Myself and fiancee (both scottish) have been living in the UAE for 4 years, we have been engaged for 6 months, both in our early 30's.

By an unexpected joyful surprise, we are now expecting a baby. It will be due in feb and we are planning to move back to the UK in Apr (we want a scottish accent for the nipper).

We have been to the american hospital and had our first scan all is okay and no one asked to see a marriage cert.

The dilemma is, if we have the baby here, we obviously need to be married (we plan to get married this week). However when we go to register the birth cert, if the marriage cert is shown to be 9 months before the birth, can we be liable for prosecution (if so how likely would this happn and what action would be taken).

Also is this prosection irrespective of, if the marriage is untaken in the UAE or UK.

If this is case then its obviously better to have the baby in the UK and register the birth there and then come back to the UAE.

Hope some knowledgeable can help.

thanks

[Chocoholic]

To be perfectly honest, I would say you'd better either get married or get back to the UK before it becomes obvious that your fiance is pregnant.

Engaged or not, having a baby out of wedlock in the UAE is a big no no.

I would seriously talk to someone who has extensive knowledge of these things as you don't want to leave yourself open to prosecution, which in this country carries a prison sentence.

[offshoretiggar]

Thanks

We'll speak to the british embassy tomorrow and ask their advice. As I said we are getting married at the earliest oportunity, but our concern is when we go to register the baby if born here and it the marriage cert shows we got marriage after the conception.

regards

[I-No-Jack]

By an unexpected joyful surprise, we are now expecting a baby. It will be due in feb and we are planning to move back to the UK in Apr (we want a scottish accent for the nipper).

Get married yesterday in the UK and stay a bit longer in Dubai (the nipper won't have an accent for a while!)

[kanelli]

I know a woman who is going back to the UK to give birth because their marriage certificate also shows that they were married after the baby was conceived. They just want to be sure that they won't face prosecution so have chosen to do it that way.

[dbxsoul]

welcare hospital asked to see my marrige certificate straight off, american hospital only asked for it after a few months.

you do however need the certifcate to register the birth and have a birth certifcate issued - which has to be done within 7 days of the babies birth - the hospital notifies the department of health and you then have to follow up and present the nessisary paperwork.

the child will then need to have a residency visa issued under your sponsorship for the uae (and stamped in his/ her passport), this has to be done within 90 days of birth.

if you are planning on travelling back home then you will have to have a birth certificate issued in order to have a passport issued by your embassy! long story short - ulitmatly you need the marrige certificate to have the passport issued for your child

[zam]

Sorry dude but no other option for you but to marry her as soon as possible (so you would have papers and there's nothing to worry about) and then bring her to UK for the delivery.

Please bring her back to UK at her 7th month of pregnancy or so. It is not safe for her to travel right now. Even though everything is normal, and she is healthy,please dont take the risk.

If you insist that she give birth here, you both will be facing trials and GOD knows what could happen...

[sharewadi]

I believe the baby is used in court as evidence against you for having one out of wedlock, and you both end up in prison then deported.

If you get married before it's born, you might be ok - ask the hospital (American or Welcare, not the others).

http://www.expatgossip.com/ forum has lots of mums - ask there.

[offshoretiggar]

Hello All and Thanks for the Help

To close this out and help anyone in the future who may have a similar issues.

Firstly if you are pregnant and not married, and the local autorities find out about it, you can be prosecuted and imprisoned. If you are in this situation and do not or can not get married. The best thing is to go back to your own country as soon as possible.

If you are in my situation (you are with a long term partner but are not married and wish to have the baby here) you can do the following. This is all fact cause i have just been through this.

Firstly as soon as you know you are pregnant, get married as soon as possible! After you are married, a lot of problems go away.

Now as annoying as it is in the UAE there are no civil marriages, neither the dubai or abu dhabi embassy will perform a civil services. Does not matter if you are both british.

To get married in Dubai you need to do it in the Church.

To do this you need to do the following:

1. Go to the british embassy, get your wedding banns posted (costs 580dhs). The banns will be posted for 21 days. Brit embassy is open between 9am & 3pm. tel: 04 309-4444. Take both passports. You sign an affidavit stating that you are not married and have no legal reason why cannot be married. You pick the banns up after 22days, then you can get married.

2. Immediately after the banns are posted, speak to the Holy trinty (dubai) tel:043341544 or Christ Church (jebel ali) 048845436. You need to visit the holy trinity church (close to wafi) between 5pm & 7pm on a friday. Speak to the reverend, they are very sympathetic about this sort of thing. As long as your bans are okay (you have the embassies approval to marry). You can get married after that (next day after picking up the bans if need be). To get married costs 1000dhms, copy of passports, embassy approved wedding banns, copy of 1 persons baptism cert, two passport photos.

3. Go to the chuch on your wedding day and get married. Try not to drink too much at the reception (dads only of course!).

Once you have started the banns process the autorities recognise this and will leave you alone.

Now at the American Hospital, unofficially they do not mind if you are not married at the time of your antenatal stuff. But you will need to be married before the birth, to issue the notification of birth.

As for registering the birth, (this info is straight from the brit embassy) if the authorities notice that there is a large discrepency between the conception date and married cert date then they will be ackward about issuing the birth cert. You will not be locked up or prosecuted, they will just insist on extra paperwork (such as DNA tests, prints of the babies feet).

They will ultimately issue the cert, but be ackward about this. Birth embassy have dealt with 6 cases of this of far in 2006.

I think they do this to teach you a lesson about being in sexual congress outside of marriage. Hey i totally disagree with this but it's their country and their rules, if you don't like it go home.

The above only applies to my situation. Long term unmarried couples, both UK passport holders with UAE residency visas and christians.

Again thanks for all the help.

ta ta

[XRW-147]

Thanks for posting your info and feedback. Some useful info there for the next person willing to look for it.

[offshoretiggar]

A footnote to the above.

This month's UAE Diva Magazine (August Edition with Liv Tyler on the front), usually found in Spinneys, cost 10dhms. Has a really good article called "Why pregnant singles are fleeing Dubai!". The article is on page 102, it basically goes through all the myth and facts regarding single pregnancy in Dubai and the UAE.

It pretty much confirms what I have written above.

Just had the 12 week scan yesterday and all is tickly-bo, was great seeing my nipper moving about. I think it has my nose.

ta ta and thanks.

[kanelli]

We hope you stick around the forum offshoretiggar, thanks for the advice! Congrats!

[Smithster]

Thank you for such helpful information. It makes a change from the usual scaremonger stories you here!

Im currently 6 weeks pregnant and getting married in Dubai in 2 weeks. Both myself and my partner are British nationals in a long term relationship and engaged. The baby wasnt planned but we are happy with the news and dealing with our current predicament as best we can.

My only concern is medical insurance. I have had one very basic and general gynae visit at Medcare Hospital and the hospital registration form asked if I was married and I ticked the 'Yes' box. The specialist also asked quite casually how long Id been married and I fibbed and said 2 months. My medical insurer covers direct payments to the hospital so thankfully I dont have to pay anything and claim back.

However is it possible that come the time of birth the hospital can find out that I wasnt married before that first visit and then void my insurance claim for the entire pregnancy? It seems unlikely but Im not too sure how to find out. I will be married by my second visit.

A factual response would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Smithster

[bonk]

What does marriage have to do with your medical insurance? You're the one insured aren't you? Generally though, if you fib on an insurance claim form and they find out, claims aren't paid out and the insurance policy is cancelled.

Phone a different hospital and ask them what you should say when registering and how it affects your insurance.

[seardarren]

Is the hospital registration form the same as the insurance form? If so I would correct it, if they are seperate, you should be fine.

Dont lie on the insurance forms. If they are looked into Bonk is correct, they will not pay out for anything.