Getting married in Saudi Arabia vs. Georgia: a guide for foreigners

Every couple from the Middle East who comes to me has a unique story, but many face very similar bureaucratic challenges. If you live in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – whether you are an expat couple of different faiths or a Saudi citizen marrying a foreign national – you have probably already experienced just how strict the local legal framework can be. To help you save time and avoid unnecessary stress, this guide will walk you through the key legal aspects of getting married in Saudi Arabia and show you why Georgia has become one of the simplest and most convenient alternatives for officially registering your marriage.

In short: getting married in Georgia is considerably simpler and faster, with a much more straightforward document process.

We will go through all the legal requirements, rules, and restrictions in detail below. But first, here is a clear comparison of the key differences between getting married in Georgia and Saudi Arabia:

As you can see, even when compared across the most important practical requirements, Georgia offers a much simpler process. In Georgia, you can have your marriage officially registered in as little as 24 hours, enjoy a wonderful trip, and return to Saudi Arabia – or your country of residence – with your marriage documents fully prepared and legalized.

If you would like to learn more about getting married in Georgia as a foreign couple, get in touch with me. I’m Wedding planner Elina, and I can not only advise you on the legal and practical aspects of the process, but also organize your marriage registration in the shortest possible time.

For foreigners who live in or are staying in the Kingdom, the marriage registration process depends directly on their religion. Saudi Arabia does not provide for secular (civil) marriage, so the legal process is divided into two main categories.

Marriage for Muslim expats

Marriage between Muslim foreign nationals is registered through the Family Court or an authorized marriage registrar (Mazoon). The process is fully digitalized and handled through the Saudi Ministry of Justice’s Najiz government portal using the Issue Marriage Contract service.

Key mandatory requirements:

• Residency status. Both spouses (or at least the groom and the bride’s guardian) must have a valid residence permit (Iqama) and be legally residing in the country.
• Guardian (Wali) consent. The bride’s guardian – her father or the closest eligible Muslim male relative – must be present and provide official consent to the marriage as required by law.
• Witnesses. Two Muslim male witnesses with valid identification documents must be present.
• Premarital medical screening. Both parties must undergo mandatory genetic and infectious disease screening at laboratories accredited by the Saudi Ministry of Health. The results are automatically uploaded to the Najiz system.
• Proof of marital status. Foreign nationals must provide a notarized certificate confirming that they are not currently married (Single Certificate), translated into Arabic and authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Marriage for non-Muslim expats

Sharia courts and the Saudi Ministry of Justice do not register marriages between non-Muslims.

How this category of foreign nationals can get married:

• Marriage through an embassy or consulate. Non-Muslims can generally register their marriage through the embassy or consulate of their country in Riyadh or Jeddah, provided that the diplomatic mission is authorized to register marriages of its citizens abroad.
• Religious restrictions. A Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man. For such a marriage to take place legally within Saudi Arabia, the man would have to formally convert to Islam and obtain the relevant certificate.
• Getting married abroad. In practice, many non-Muslim couples travel to countries with more flexible civil marriage laws, such as Georgia, to register their marriage. They can then have the marriage certificate legalized through the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) for use in Saudi Arabia, including for family visa purposes.

Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia’s marriage laws are not limited to strict requirements for foreign nationals. Saudi citizens also face a range of legal, social, and administrative requirements. Even when both partners are Saudi citizens, marriage cannot simply be registered automatically or within a couple of days.

Marriage between two Saudi citizens (Saudi man + Saudi woman)

Even when both partners are Saudi nationals, the process involves several mandatory steps:

• The institution of the male guardian (Wali). Under the Personal Status Law, the bride’s guardian – her father, or, in his absence, her brother or paternal grandfather – remains a formal legal requirement. If the guardian refuses to give consent without a valid legal reason, the woman may have to file a court case (Adhl) to have guardianship transferred to a judge.
• Mandatory genetic screening. Both prospective spouses must undergo Premarital Screening through the Ministry of Health’s Sehhaty platform. If screening identifies a risk of serious hereditary conditions, such as sickle cell disease or thalassemia, or detects certain infections, the couple may receive a medical incompatibility assessment and be required to undergo additional counseling and legal procedures before the marriage contract can be notarized.
• Financial and contractual terms. The Ministry of Justice’s Najiz system officially records the amount of the mahr (marital gift) and any individual terms included in the marriage contract (Shurut). These terms must be agreed upon before the contract can be registered.

Mixed marriage: Saudi citizen + foreign national

If a Saudi man or woman decides to marry a foreign national, the process becomes considerably more complicated:

• Ministry of Interior approval (MOI Approval). A marriage between a Saudi citizen and a foreign national generally cannot be registered without prior official approval from the Ministry of Interior. The application is submitted through the relevant Emirate/Najiz electronic system and may be subject to extensive security and social eligibility checks.
• Legal restrictions for certain categories. Under the relevant Ministry of Interior regulations, certain categories of Saudi citizens – including members of the military, employees of the Ministry of Defense or Ministry of Interior, diplomats, and certain senior government officials – are prohibited from marrying foreign nationals.
• Requirements for the foreign partner. The foreign spouse may be subject to strict requirements concerning the age difference between the couple, criminal record, financial circumstances, and legal residency status.

If you have already realized that officially registering a marriage in Saudi Arabia can be a complex bureaucratic process for virtually every category of couple – whether they are foreign nationals, Saudi citizens, or a Saudi–foreign mixed couple – it is worth looking at a more accessible alternative.

Let’s take a closer look at how marriage registration works in Georgia and why this route has become a practical solution for couples in each of these situations.

As an expert in arranging marriages for foreign nationals in Georgia, I can confidently say that Georgia has some of the most straightforward marriage requirements in the world. Unlike the highly bureaucratic system in Saudi Arabia, the marriage registration process in Georgia involves just a few simple steps.

Let’s take a closer look at how the process works for each category of couple traveling from Saudi Arabia.

Marriage between two foreign nationals (expats living in Saudi Arabia)

A civil marriage between two foreign nationals residing in Saudi Arabia can be registered in Georgia through the Public Service Development Agency (Public Service Hall), regardless of their religion, residence permit, or residency status.

Required documents and key legal details:

• Passports: Both partners must have valid passports that have not expired.
• Notarized translation: The passport pages must be translated into Georgian and certified. This can be arranged locally in Tbilisi and usually takes 2–3 hours.
• Certificate of marital status: In the vast majority of cases, third-country nationals are not required to provide a certificate of marital status. An exception may apply in rare cases where the Public Service Hall requests additional information about a previous marriage. In such situations, a divorce certificate with an apostille may be required.
• Witnesses: Two witnesses must be present at the marriage registration ceremony, regardless of their nationality. If you are traveling to Georgia as a couple, I can provide official witnesses for the ceremony.

Marriage between a Saudi citizen and a foreign national

For couples where one partner is a Saudi citizen, getting married in Georgia allows them to obtain an internationally recognized marriage certificate without first waiting for approval from the Saudi Ministry of Interior (MOI Approval).

Required documents and key legal details:

• Saudi citizen’s passport: A valid Saudi passport, together with its notarized translation into Georgian.
• Foreign partner’s passport: A valid passport, together with its translation into Georgian.
• No Wali consent requirement: Georgian law does not recognize the system of male guardianship. A woman – whether she is a Saudi citizen or a foreign national – is legally competent to enter into marriage independently and signs the marriage documents personally.
• Marriage certificate: The certificate is issued in Georgian and contains a unique registration code issued by the Georgian Ministry of Justice.

Marriage registration for two Saudi citizens

For a Saudi couple, Georgia offers a fast civil marriage registration process without the Sharia-based restrictions or medical screening requirements that apply in Saudi Arabia.

Required documents and key legal details:

• Documents: Valid passports of both Saudi citizens, together with notarized translations.
• Medical certificates: Genetic disease screening, which is mandatory in Saudi Arabia, is not required under Georgian law.
• Religious status: Religion is not recorded when a marriage is registered at the Public Service Hall. However, if the couple would also like to have a Nikah ceremony, this can be arranged at the Tbilisi Juma Mosque, with an official religious certificate issued afterward.

Need help registering your marriage in Georgia?

The registration process requires careful coordination with the Georgian Ministry of Justice, accurate preparation of name and surname translations, and subsequent legalization of the marriage certificate for use in Saudi Arabia.

As Wedding planner Elina, I take care of the entire process:

1. I review your passports in advance and arrange their notarized translation in Tbilisi.
2. I assist with submitting the application to the Public Service Hall and book the exact ceremony time.
3. I provide two witnesses.
4. I arrange the legalization of your Georgian marriage certificate for use in Saudi Arabia.

Get in touch with me to discuss your situation and reserve your marriage registration date.

A Georgian marriage certificate is an official document issued under Georgian law. Since Saudi Arabia joined the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention in December 2022, the multi-step consular legalization process involving visits to embassies is no longer required.

The process consists of two straightforward steps:

1. Obtaining an Apostille in Georgia. An international Apostille is affixed to the original marriage certificate issued by the Georgian Public Service Hall. The Apostille can be obtained through the relevant Georgian authorities.
2. Certified translation in Saudi Arabia. Since Saudi government authorities and the MOFA system may require documents to be accompanied by an Arabic translation prepared by an approved local provider, the apostilled marriage certificate can be translated into Arabic by a certified translation office after you return to Saudi Arabia.

You do not need to worry about the legalization process for your marriage certificate. I will handle it as quickly and efficiently as possible, as this service is already included in my wedding packages. You can return home knowing that your document has been properly prepared and is ready for the required local translation in Saudi Arabia.

Get in touch with Wedding planner Elina, and I’ll answer all your questions and take care of the entire process from start to finish.