Getting Married in Egypt

Cant help you out … but I am curious… if you will humor me.

Where did you meet your future wife?
If in Egypt, what are the cultural norms when it comes to dating between an expat and an Egyptian?
I imagine religion makes a big obstacle… but maybe not…

Any ways would like to get your feedback…
Thanks.

congratulations 4 ur marriage

Dear,

First of all congratulations!

You can contact your embassy they know exactly what to do and what kind of papers you need, i can always inform you what we did but each country handles different procedures.

congratulations.

congratulations!!!I will be going to Egypt to get married at the end of these year, and i will be living there..if you go to the Embassy they will help you with everything you need..

Thanks all for the congrats

I went to the embassy and here are the requirements just for the refrence
1. Authority letter from your embassy, Since my Embassy works in English and unfortunately Egyption officials cant read english so will have to translate it into Arabic from Ministrry of Justice, Keep in mind that your Authority Letter/ No objection Letter should also be attested from Egyption Foreign Ministry

2. The girl must have a NO Objection letter signed from her parents and attested from Foreign Ministry

3. At Ministry of Justice the guy work permit / Visa shoudl be valid at the time of marrage if its not then they suggest to go and get 1 week extension which is cool

4. both should have couple of pictures as they will be requireing it


If any one have any other feedback its always welcome

rkenevan wrote:

Cant help you out … but I am curious… if you will humor me.

Where did you meet your future wife?
If in Egypt, what are the cultural norms when it comes to dating between an expat and an Egyptian?
I imagine religion makes a big obstacle… but maybe not…

Any ways would like to get your feedback…
Thanks.

Well we work in the same office, we both are engineers by profession , And yes I agree it wasnt really easy as we have cultural difference but LOVE is more powerfull then land boundries We fighted , we faced alot of issues and now we are togather ... Everything is small if you love someone with determination

i was told i didnt need it translate it into Arabic well online i read it...if you find out anything else can you please post thank you!!!

Dear mspice,

All papers need to be translated by an official translator and those addresses you can get with your embassy too.

rkenevan wrote:

Cant help you out … but I am curious… if you will humor me.

Where did you meet your future wife?
If in Egypt, what are the cultural norms when it comes to dating between an expat and an Egyptian?
I imagine religion makes a big obstacle… but maybe not…

Any ways would like to get your feedback…
Thanks.

A man is allowed to get out with a girl only after they are engaged. They are of course some exceptions, but these are not available for girls from good families.She is prohibited to go out alone or with a boy, only with family members, or to go to school.If you could join her for a walk just you must stay at distance, not any touch.
You could marry a Muslim girl only if you become Muslim, it is not allowed to marry a Muslim girl if you are Christian.
Many of Muslim boys explain that they accepted to engage or to marry for allowance to go out with their girl friend. Most of very young men are already engaged for this reason.
And you ll ask maybe, how it s choose him, or how could you choose her? From the relatives, it is used to marry a cousin, the marriage being arranged by parents, brothers or sisters, or in the happiest case from neighborhood, or school mates.
As a Christian you could meet a Christian girl outside house but around the same conditions, both of you keep a distance, no kissing in the street or another gesture, affectionate one.
That s why a lot of Egyptian boys try to make connections with foreigners, cause outside " no girls!"
Why none of these Egyptians don t explain you exactly how are rules?
Living in Alexandria , around one year ago at Christmas time, I talk with someone that were in Paris at that time. Asking her " How is Paris?" she said " Oh, amazingly, all people walk hand in hand and kiss each other in the street!".
When she asked me how Alexandria is, I replied: " Here people stay in a distance, at least half meter, and about kissing... oh, never could you see something like this!"

mspice wrote:

i was told i didnt need it translate it into Arabic well online i read it...if you find out anything else can you please post thank you!!!

Well I was under the same impression, But YES you must translate any document required into Arabic, and for that they have their official translator in the Buiding of Ministry of Justce

Thanks Valibic.
That was the cultural insight I was looking for.

I'm am very excited about moving to Egypt in Aug (after a two month vacation: the US, Canada and the UK). And all little cultural relevationa prior to arrival are very helpful.

Rayhana wrote:

Congratulation ^ ^

Thanks Rayhana

Congratulations for all whom will be getting married soon

Could anyone explain to me why marriage, or going to be married here in Egypt especially, is a reason of congratulation ?

well I believe in any case its enough reason to congrats someone

I am american and I married my egyptian husand in Cairo in october 2009. this is what we did.

1. go to the US embassy in cairo go downstairs to American citizens services tae a number from the machine and wait till your number appers on the screen. go in they will give you some papers to fill out in Eglish and arabic. your fiancee can help with the arabic part. Go to the counter behind the waiting area and pay the $30 fee take that reciept and the papers back to the ladies in the window. wait till the call your number again. they will have verified you are free to marry and ask you some questions at that time they will give you a notorized affidavit saying you are free to marry in Egypt. you dont have to have anything translated they will give you what you need.

2. take a taxi to one of the Egyptian ministry of affairs. Either in Mohandessi, abbasia or Maryland gardens. the first is the closest. they will notorize it also and place some stamps on it for small fee. Sat- thurs 9am-3pm

3. go to any post office and ask for a family stamp I believ is cost 40le put that on the affidavit also.

4.Go to Egyptian Ministry of Justice downtown Cairo I believe Abdine. Sat- Wed 9am-1pm & 3pm-5pm  Bring 3copies of your passport your fiancee's Id and 5 passport pictures of each of you also bring your passport and ID's of coourse. if its your first time in Egypt you may need to take it to and office down the street to put a time  stamp on your entry visa which is ridiculous since youe visa says right on it when it expires..lol they will then draft up like 5 copies of a marriage cert they will ask about any conditions you want tp include in the contract its simalair to a prenup in US. then they will call you into a  room again and ask a bunch of questions and if you both concet to the marriage. you will need 2 male  witnesses try to bring your own. but my husband and I just asked one of the other grooms to be one our witnesses. you will both have to put your finger print on your photo on each copy of the marriage and you both and your witnesses will have to sign each copy..and thats it your now married it takes up to 10 days to recieve your copy of marriage cert.

ps. they dont give you anything saying you are married in those first 10days so you may have trouble if you plan to stay in a hotel.. but you can draft an orfi contract(paper marriage) and get it notorized to use until you get the original marriage cert. im sure your fiance will help you with that my husband and I honeymooned in Sharm and it took us like 6hrs to find a hotel that would accept us without a marriage cert..lol good time

hope this helps

Very complicated!!
So many ways to be done, and time to lose, and finally, which is the gain?
I keep my opinion: " Too much noise for nothing!"
The final is the same: after one year or two years or... years they find " a real love" or another real love, cause Egypt allow men to have 4 real loves with paper!
Don t you ask yourself why these men want to marry American girls? Think twice, and cut once!

valibilic said ..."When she asked me how Alexandria is, I replied: " Here people stay in a distance, at least half meter, and about kissing... oh, never could you see something like this!"
obviously u neber been ot alex on valentine's day whether nobemver 4th or feb 4th
itwas like a kissing and hugging festival

" Kissing and hugging festival" in Egypt?
I don t think so! Sure ! Alexandria is more traditional than Cairo.
And I lived in Alexandria more than 1 year and I met all type of people there. Do you mean people kiss and hug in the street? Because this was the point! Maybe they do it, but not in public places.

Thanks ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT that was really helpful, and sure will save allot of time for me. I will be going probably this month to the ministry of justice.

I can wait for 10 days though because  I bought an apartment here.  Once again thanks for the descriptive reply really appreciate it

I'm sorry to say , But I have noticed that for every post on this forum your comments are always contradictory. Why you always take the negative part. She already got married whats the point of making such comment ! It doesn't make any sense to me .. and after all its her life she can make the best decision.


   

valibilic wrote:

Very complicated!!
So many ways to be done, and time to lose, and finally, which is the gain?
I keep my opinion: " Too much noise for nothing!"
The final is the same: after one year or two years or... years they find " a real love" or another real love, cause Egypt allow men to have 4 real loves with paper!
Don t you ask yourself why these men want to marry American girls? Think twice, and cut once!

This " negative part" as you name it, it is a " bell" for waking up when emotional side of a human being cover the reality.
I saw during a long time many people that were induced in error, and controlled for other interests.
For example my embassy allows only unmarried man to marry an European woman, and if it is so, they could do it. But after this marriage, according to Egypt law, the Egyptian husband of any other nationality woman has the right to marry again and again after that, and they are not punished for this, and the wife suffers. I know a lot of wives of this type that were " in fire" for their Egyptian love, and being a sensitive person I really understand this, and I suffer for them considering they were tricked!
Please say if I m not right!

Well Yes I totally agree with you on this, But my point was.. this is useful advice for someone who is planning to get married. however in the above case the girl is married already so its kinda hurting  someone emotions. However the overcome this I think the easy solution is while marrying girls should have a signed contract that in case if the guy marry another girl he will have to pay huge amount of money ....well this is just what I think ..I dont know if that will work or not

valibilic wrote:

This " negative part" as you name it, it is a " bell" for waking up when emotional side of a human being cover the reality.
I saw during a long time many people that were induced in error, and controlled for other interests.
For example my embassy allows only unmarried man to marry an European woman, and if it is so, they could do it. But after this marriage, according to Egypt law, the Egyptian husband of any other nationality woman has the right to marry again and again after that, and they are not punished for this, and the wife suffers. I know a lot of wives of this type that were " in fire" for their Egyptian love, and being a sensitive person I really understand this, and I suffer for them considering they were tricked!
Please say if I m not right!

Thank you for understanding the point and my ideas!
Some Egyptian husbands don t care about money and money can t cover the suffer and a woman life destroyed, sometimes.
I had a Romanian colleague,in Alexandria, married with an Egyptian. She s alone, her husband lives with other wives of him, cause she has no children, and if only was not enough this handicap for her, she s given to live without nobody. It s treated as an Egyptian, having a poor salary, crying almost time, but who cares?  His family blame her and...
Another Romanian is in Dubai now living with her daughter under 7 year old, she s crying that when her daughter is 7 her husband will take her by force, as the other 2 children of her were taken.
She had 10 years marriage, 3 children, she sold 2 houses in Europe before and gave money to husband for business. After a period of living in Alexandria, they moved to Riyadh in KSA. He took the elder children away from her and moved her to Dubai. She wants a job, being a lawyer, but has no experience cause husband didn t allow her to work, even they changed her name, she can t demonstrate that she s Mihaela cause in her paper is Amira, she s controlled and has no right...
I could say more, but my good sense don t allow me to say!
Very sorry, these are women near I was and I am, and that s why I am " negative"
These happen anywhere not only here, the problem is that if you don t agree here with the behavior of husband, you have not a chance to continue your life!

backtothesuture wrote:

valibilic said ..."When she asked me how Alexandria is, I replied: " Here people stay in a distance, at least half meter, and about kissing... oh, never could you see something like this!"
obviously u neber been ot alex on valentine's day whether nobemver 4th or feb 4th
itwas like a kissing and hugging festival

Valentine s Day is on February, the 14th, and it is the day when Saint Valentine, a Christian, was beheaded.
For his faith he was put in jail, and people, especially children used to visit him staying outside the jail under his window. Valentine threw them cards represented his love for them.
That s why people use to send love cards to people they love and care, and celebration was improved with presents and other signs of loving.
In November, on the 4th Thursday of the month, not on 4th day, it is celebrated Thanksgiving Day, as a thanking for help that " Indians" gave to immigrants that settled there, in America in 1621. After one year of suffering, dieing, diseases, they decided to help them to survive, and since then, people use to thank on this day, all those who bring them rise, family friends....

Im glad you got a chance to read my message. I really hope it will help you. I realized after I wrote it that you are not american..Im sorry i assumed that :S but I think your embassy will tell you the first steps and the remaining steps will be very simalair for everyone.

I just wrote of the process I took in getting married to my husband. I agree everyone should be careful to think logically and with the heart when choosing a marriage mate. There are positives and negative in every culture or religion. and too many marriages throughout the entire world are failing these days with or without the ability for the man to marry more then one. I love trust an respect my husband. that he will not go off and marry another, besides it would be more then impossible for him to afford to do such a thing. and besides I am a young and more then capable woman. If my husband ever chose to betray me in such a way. I wouldn't hesitate to pick myself off the ground and move on find a new life and maybe even a new husband. This is life good and bad will happen to all and we must not allow the hurts or wrongs of others to define us or to break us

and about Alex. my personal experience is My husband took me the the garden that is down on the Mediteranian  across the street from the Sheraton hotel. and I was shocked!!! My husband and I we like the only married couples yet everywhere we look were young Egyptian couples sitting in all the benches kissing and fondeling eachothers breasts n asses.. but this is highly unusual to see in the street.. O.o

alimirza I like your idea about the husband having to pay large sum of money as stated in the marriage contract if the husband chose to marry another. I actually discusses something like this with my husband just in general conversation after we were married. and his point of view was. 1. if your husband really loves and cares for you he will not do it without your acceptance. 2. The laws in Egypt are vastly motivated to favor men and since it is his right according to the law to marry another wife they wont really enforce this payment. 3. Even the government did try to enforce this payment the man could easily disappear anywhere in Egypt as the government is very disorganized in this case the wife would kind of be stuck without option of remarrying since she is still married..lol
so I agree in theory with you but my opinion is if your husband is a good guy he will take care of you and respect you no mater what is in your contract. and if not then I guess you just have to move on and have faith god will take care of you and provide better for you

Very nice and good logic, I could say!
Ok! If the husband marry again or disappear, you should arrange your life, divorcing or marrying again, you as a wife, but the problem is compare with other parts of the world, here divorcing gives more rights to husband and less to wife:
1.Man could divorce just going to a lawyer and sending a paper to wife.  If in one month time he get the wife back the divorce is null, if not is as a sentence.
Woman could divorce in some conditions, having evidence, and the process sometimes lasts a lot of time.
2.Wife has not a right for her children that are over 7 years old. In this case a wife stands the bad behavior of her husband just to be with her children!
So, could you compare this with divorce in another part of the world?

At the beginning of the marriage my friends were very young and clever, having a career, strong...and they were very happy, like in paradise, never thinking a disaster could be.
After some years, 10, or more, husbands start to show their real face, this is the culture, so you can t fight with it!
We have in my country some sayings:
" The habit in blood being, has no cure!"
and " What is born by a cat,  it is eaten mice!"
Really, do you consider A MAN BORN AND EDUCATED IN THIS CULTURE, COULD BE CHANGED?

CONGRATULATIONS



CONGRATULATIONS

Why nobody say anything concerning with what I said?? All what I said has relation with the topic, so " What happens with women , girls that marry in Egypt?" Who warn them that in Egypt marriages are sometimes only contracts, and mostly they are interests, personal or family ones?
Is it for an Egyptian husband this kind of marriage " a ticket to another part of the world" or " the seat for another status"?
Or...?

congratulations and good luck ..

So, you could see! And just guess the way of thinking and reacting of most Egyptian man.
How they do? An account in an expats forum, they study here or there women that post, and after that they start to send private messages to meet them without any other reason but just to find one. Some of them are connected by internet, and they start directly with " I love you!", women are scared and start to complain, and so the topic " We are not a dating forum!" appeared.
And this topic appear in this way too!
Maybe meeting people online and in real life after that it s not too bad! But the difference is that these people jump to some steps of a relation directly to " I love you!"

Hi Valibilic,
Did you have such a bad experience as the one you are describing that you are just hammering down your point of view in this disccussion?
Of course people getting into an intercultural marriage should be aware of the difficulties which might be ahead of them, moreover when it is a interreligious marriage which is even more difficult such as a non-muslim marrying a muslim! Having lived 9 year approx. in KSA I know a little bit how binding such a marriage can be so I personally would never advise such a marriage.
But pleeeeease stop hammering it down every 2 messages. People have understood your point of view, I believe.
Thanks
Arlette

valibilic wrote:

Thank you for understanding the point and my ideas!
Some Egyptian husbands don t care about money and money can t cover the suffer and a woman life destroyed, sometimes.
I had a Romanian colleague,in Alexandria, married with an Egyptian. She s alone, her husband lives with other wives of him, cause she has no children, and if only was not enough this handicap for her, she s given to live without nobody. It s treated as an Egyptian, having a poor salary, crying almost time, but who cares?  His family blame her and...
Another Romanian is in Dubai now living with her daughter under 7 year old, she s crying that when her daughter is 7 her husband will take her by force, as the other 2 children of her were taken.
She had 10 years marriage, 3 children, she sold 2 houses in Europe before and gave money to husband for business. After a period of living in Alexandria, they moved to Riyadh in KSA. He took the elder children away from her and moved her to Dubai. She wants a job, being a lawyer, but has no experience cause husband didn t allow her to work, even they changed her name, she can t demonstrate that she s Mihaela cause in her paper is Amira, she s controlled and has no right...
I could say more, but my good sense don t allow me to say!
Very sorry, these are women near I was and I am, and that s why I am " negative"
These happen anywhere not only here, the problem is that if you don t agree here with the behavior of husband, you have not a chance to continue your life!

I have posted this, and I think it is enough to create in my brain an opinion about how some marriages work here!
So, still I didn t have any bad experience by myself but was enough what I saw!

Well Valibilic personally I really respect what you are saying, But five fingers are not always equal , your emphasize on your point started giving me a feeling that somehow you are not comfortable with the idea of inter cultural marriages. But to my understanding when people make such decisions they are mature, they do understand the risk and complications of it and  its solely their own decision with no force involved .. The point that you are saying is there and Valid. But its like getting not married into another culture is simply not the solution for this

My warning, or something like " take care and don t trust everything is told to you" was mainly for women, girls that sometimes they trust all what is said to them.
As a sign that I m right sometimes, one of the lady member of our forum, after I explain her the situation informed herself better, and found that her real love that was to marry him, was not a good person, just a scammer!
But you have right, people have brain to judge for themselves. What I could notice, it is that too easily, a girl or a woman trust online men!

Hey guys ..got a news to share, Today finally I got married to the Egyptian girl I love here. Everything went very fine with no issues. Appreciate All you support and suggestions

it really helped me big time ...Thanks allot I really owe you big time for this complete howto of paper work for ministry of justice

Im SOooo Happy for you both Marbrook(congrats) rbna  ytmm ala khyr!!(I hope god comepletes your marriage in good way(rough translation I think its much better in Arabic)  I translated cuz otherwise I think others would wonder what I met hehe.. marbrook again hope your very happy together and a long marriage