MARRIAGE IN EGYPT

(AS OF JULY 1, 2009)
The only legal marriage for foreigners in Egypt is a civil ceremony performed at the local marriage court, which is in accordance with Islamic practice. Persons wishing a religious ceremony may arrange for one separately, but it is the civil ceremony that establishes the legal marriage.

Americans wishing to marry in Egypt must take the following steps in order to marry:

Step 1: Visit the American Citizen Services, U.S. Embassy

Address: 5, Tawfik Diab Street (formerly Latin America Street), Garden City, Cairo. Hours: Sunday through Thursday 8:00-11:00 a.m., except the last Tuesday of each month.
At American Citizen Services, you will sign a marriage affidavit that will be notarized by the U.S. Embassy. This affidavit includes your biographic data and your religion. Interfaith marriages are permitted by Egyptian law except in the case of a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man. The affidavit also mentions that you are free to marry and that the Embassy has no objection to the marriage. Please bring the following:
Your valid American passport
Proof of termination of your last marriage, if you were married before. An original or certified copy of the last divorce decree or death certificate must be submitted. There is no need to get this document authenticated or translated into Arabic for the purpose of marriage. The authentication and translation by the Egyptian embassy or consulate in the U.S. may be required later for other purposes. Please note that if you are a female American citizen previously married, you may only remarry in Egypt at least 90 days after your divorce or 130 days after the death of your former spouse. If you are pregnant, you can only remarry after the birth of the baby.
If your fiancé(e) is an Egyptian citizen, it is mandatory that you accompany him/her with their Egyptian ID and/or passport as well as a copy of his/her telephone, electricity or gas bill showing his/her place of residency as indicated on the their Egyptian National ID.
If you are a female under the age of 21, you are required to either be accompanied by your father, a guardian, a person in loco parentis, or a written consent from any of the above. The consent should be in English and Arabic. It should be notarized by the Egyptian Embassy or an Egyptian consulate in the U.S. and by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt.

NOTE: If two American citizens are getting married, they each need separate statements.

Step 2: After obtaining the notarized statement from the U.S. Embassy, you must visit one of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Authentication Offices.

Addresses: Mohandessin (5 Ahmed Orabi Street); Abbassia (Ahmed Said Street); or Sabak Street next to the Maryland Gardens in Heliopolis. The office hours are Saturday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will certify the statement for a fee of 11.00LE.

Step 3: After obtaining the certification from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you must visit the Egyptian Ministry of Justice.

Address: Egyptian Ministry of Justice Annex (Office of Marriage of Foreigners), 4th floor, Lazoughly Square, Abdin, Cairo. Open Saturday through Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Ministry of Justice will register your marriage. Forms to be completed at the marriage court can only be obtained on the wedding day or the day before. The following are required:
Proof of identity (a passport) for both parties, a photocopy of the passport data page, the Egyptian entry visa and the residency stamp if you obtained one.
Egyptian I.D. (Egyptian passport or the National ID) and a photocopy of it if one of the parties is Egyptian
Five personal photos for each party.
A 50.00LE “Ta’meen Igtimaei” stamp (purchased at any Egyptian post office)
Two male witnesses with identification documents (passport or I.D. card) must be present to sign the marriage documents. It is preferable to bring your own witnesses, such as friends or travel agents.
Original proof of termination of previous marriage if you were married before. No authentication or translation is required.

A routine physical exam performed by an Egyptian doctor is sometimes required if the person appears unhealthy.

It will take at least ten business days for a marriage certificate to be issued by the Ministry of Justice. The marriage certificate must be picked up by one of the parties.

Fees to complete the marriage at the Ministry of Justice:
If both parties are Muslim, the fee is two percent of the dowry (a minimum of 40LE).
If both parties are Christians, a dowry is not required, the fee is 35.00LE.

To use the marriage certificate in the U.S., it should be translated into English by the Egyptian Ministry of Justice Translation Office (the fee is 40.00LE). It takes 4-7 days to receive the translation, which must then be authenticated by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (11.00LE) and authenticated by the American Citizen Services Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo (171.00LE or $30.00). The Ministry of Justice's Translation Office is located at the Ministry of Justice Building, 13th floor, Lazoughly Square, Abdin, Cairo.

If you have any questions, please send an email to the US Embassy at consularcairoacs@state.gov or call us at (202) 2797-2301.

Americans wishing to apply for immigration visas for their spouses must take the following steps:

If you reside in the United States, please start the petition process by filing a Form I-130, “Petition for Alien Relative.” The I-130 is available on the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) website at www.uscis.gov under “Immigration Forms.” Please note: USCIS processes the Form I-130 as a visa number becomes available. Filing and approval of an I-130 is only the first step in helping a spouse immigrate to the United States. The fee is $355 and you may file online or send in the paper application to the appropriate U.S. address (listed on the website).

If you are a resident of Egypt, you may apply for an immigrant visa for your spouse at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. You, the petitioner, must have maintained continuous residency in Egypt a minimum of the preceding six months in order to demonstrate residency to the Consular Officer. Please call 0900-70600 to make an appointment for an interview. Feel free to browse our website at http://egypt.usembassy.gov/consular/iv.htm for more information.