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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask you how easy it is to marry a Muslim guy from another country?

47 replies

ikeepchachachanging · 01/05/2015 12:40

My friend has falleñ in love with a guy from Dubai. She's English but needs to move back to UK. She says its frowned upon for non Muslims to marry other religions over there and they both want to settle in UK. She's worried this process is hard. Can they marry easily in UK or would they need to marry first in Dubai? She's unwilling to change her own religion.

Any advice appreciated.

Sorry, am posting here for traffic.

OP posts:
LittleMissRayofHope · 01/05/2015 12:43

My understanding is she is supposed to convert but it will depend on how strict the husband is.

When I married ExH he didn't insist on conversion. He wasn't even bothered that I am not religious at all. I was raised Christian so he told his family that but he himself didn't care.

We married easily in the UK. Went to a registry office and married. Simple as that. He didn't have a residence visa at the time but it made no difference at all. He had a short stay visa.

Original poster
ikeepchachachanging · 01/05/2015 12:47

When was this? Am wondering if rules have changed.

OP posts:
Original poster
ikeepchachachanging · 01/05/2015 12:48

Also did you feel the religion difference caused problems in marriage?

OP posts:
SavoyCabbage · 01/05/2015 12:49

She will have to meet the financial requirements to bring in a non EU spouse.

anon33 · 01/05/2015 12:54

As a muslim I can tell you that she is not required to convert.

Immigration rules are extremely tight now, it will likely be a lot of hassle on her part, so I would advise her that unless she 110% convinced then she should forget it.

Original poster
ikeepchachachanging · 01/05/2015 12:57

anon maybe not in this country but how about Dubai?

OP posts:
CaspoFungin · 01/05/2015 12:58

Immigration is tough for non EU. My sisters partner is from Brazil, they have just moved over from Brazil. He is only allowed in for 6 months at the moment for a tourist visa I believe. If he then wants to come back he can apply for a two year visa but I believe to do this you need a substantial amount of money in the bank and need to pass an English test.

scaevola · 01/05/2015 12:59

I don't think there is any religious barrier, for Muslim men are permitted to marry Christian and Jewish women (people of the Book).

I don't know what the law says in Dubai though.

To bring a non-EU spouse into UK, you need to apply for a spouse visa in country of the non-British spouse/fiancé, and fulfil all the usual requirements (which now include financial). The entry clearance officer needs to be satisfied the relationship is genuine, and the visa covers both someone you've already married or a fiancé you intend to marry in a UK ceremony (there's a time limit within which the wedding must take place).

Original poster
ikeepchachachanging · 01/05/2015 13:03

She is neither of those religions

OP posts:
anon33 · 01/05/2015 13:08

Well in theory UAE follows islamic law therefore should not make her conversion a requirement for marriage. However it may be discretionary from Imam to Imam (religious leader)

Even in some mosques here in UK want the woman to have converted (converted before marriage, convicted herself, not for marriage purpose) as there are often lots of problems when children come along otherwise.

My own mosque marry men to non-muslims, however they are expected to sign a declaration stating that children are to be raised as muslims.

Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 01/05/2015 13:08

As a non-EU spouse of a British citizen, it is extremely tough now to get a non-EU spouse into the country. I got in before the new rules, and now have ILR but in a nutshell, the UK citizen has to be earning over 18K (in the UK) or have something like 64K savings. It also takes 5 years now to become a permanent resident.

saltedcaramelcraving · 01/05/2015 13:14

If her DH is able to get a work visa over here, that is another route to allowing him to settle instead of the spouse visa. DH is from a non-EU country but we used the work visa route (he is highly qualified and his company transferred him to their London office) instead of a spouse visa. I wouldn't have been able to sponsor him as I don't meet the earnings requirements. It still took him 5 years to get ILR though but he has got UK citizenship now.

anon33 · 01/05/2015 13:21

If she is neither jew nor christian then I would assume then the marriage may pose problems. Men are permitted to marry "people of the book" (jews and christians) but not polytheist religions such as hinduism etc.

Original poster
ikeepchachachanging · 01/05/2015 13:49

Does the savings include assets?

OP posts:
MissSusanStoHelit · 01/05/2015 13:52

OP - no, the savings have to be actual cash in the bank, and he will have to show proof that he has the money readily accessible so shares etc don't count.

SavoyCabbage · 01/05/2015 13:58

No. And the income can't be overtime or from a casual job or similar. Part of the problem is it's over the national average and some people have no hope of earning it.

You can't count not having a mortgage or living rent free with your parents or anything like that. And you have to show the capital has been in your account for a certain period of time.

MissSusanStoHelit · 01/05/2015 13:59

Three months, I think, Savoy - that's what we had to do for XH when he came over here, albeit years ago so things will be even stricter now.

hennybeans · 01/05/2015 14:04

I was here on a student visa when I met my DH. We got engaged and I had to return to my home country (far away) and apply for a fiance visa at the British consulate and attend an interview and prove that DP and I were genuine, including showing bank statements that he could support me, letter from his employer,etc. In fact, DH's mum even flew out to come to the interview with me in case there were questions.

I returned to the UK and got married about 6 months later. Then I had to apply for a different visa that allowed me to stay and work. Then eventually, I applied for citizenship and had to take the test.

The first two visas were around £500 each IIRC. Citizenship was more.

If I had gotten married here on my student visa I was told I would be in big trouble and have to return to my country where the consulate 'might' allow me leave to remain and return to the UK. Basically, don't be sneaky and get married here if he's here as a tourist.

SavoyCabbage · 01/05/2015 14:06

Last June it all changed and the new rules came in. It might still be three months though for the capital. Although it wouldn't surprise me if it was three years!

Patapouf · 01/05/2015 16:26

Savings in the bank have to be more than 67k IIRC, annual income of 18.6k which will be difficult to prove as she hasn't been in the UK. Visa application itself is now more than 1000 and the financial requirements have to be met at several points for visa renewal. This may all change after the election, but I don't see it getting easier.
DH and I moved back to the UK last year and had an absolute nightmare sorting out visas etc. massive PITA.
He is Muslim, technically speaking, but he doesn't practice and I'm an atheist. We had a civil ceremony and he's European (non-EU) so culturally it might be different to your friends situation.

Patapouf · 01/05/2015 16:26

Ooh and its 6 months that the savings need to be in the bank, and it has to be theirs, not a loan.

fulltothebrim · 01/05/2015 16:33

My neighbour married a guy from Dubai 15 years ago. She visits him once a year. He has never been allowed into the UK.

Original poster
ikeepchachachanging · 01/05/2015 19:30

full she must love him very much to visit once a year for 15 years!

OP posts:
fulltothebrim · 01/05/2015 19:45

Ha ha!!

RedToothBrush · 01/05/2015 20:00

Its a financial commitment and something of a nightmare. The person I know who did it had so many issues with a visa they had to seek assistance from the local mp to help sort it out. Not for the faint hearted or anyone with doubts.

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