How to convert a nikahnama in Delhi, India

Dear all,

I am getting married in Delhi in October. I am a UK citizen and my wife is Indian. In order to get her UK visa processed, I understand we need to convert the Urdu nikahnama to some official English document.

Can anyone please advise on how I would go about doing this in Delhi?

Thank you

I am not an expert on Indian marriage law, but I think that as one partner is a foreign citizen (you), you will need to get married under the Special Marriage Act, not under Sharia Law. You will therefore need to undergo a civil marriage in addition to a nikah and should therefore get a judicial marriage certificate in addition to a nikanama. You can use the marriage certificate as proof of the marriage rather than the nikah nama.

I am not certain of this and I would suggest that you get legal advice from an Indian lawyer on this point. It would be great if you post back on the advice that you receive.

I'm currently in the process of researching this.

So far, I gather that getting married under Special Marriage Act is NOT mandatory as this is mainly for couples residing in India. Obviously it would be the 'gold standard' for any couple but for someone in my situation it may not be needed. Also, it's a rather inconvenient method for a non-Indian resident like me because it involves either staying in India for 30 days or giving notice on day 1 and then returning after 30 days or so.

I will be discussing with a Delhi lawyer and will of course post any update here.

Thanks

Why don't you simply apply fora fiancee visa and when she comes to the UK, just carry out our a Civil Marriage in the Registry Office and then simply carry out a Islamic nikkah in a mosque.

batleykhan wrote:Why don't you simply apply fora fiancee visa and when she comes to the UK, just carry out our a Civil Marriage in the Registry Office and then simply carry out a Islamic nikkah in a mosque.

Yes, that is one method and one that I initially did consider. However, to save the hassle of having to register the marriage in a UK court, we have opted for the spousal visa.

Update to my original post:

I have found out the contact details for Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, who are apparently the Islamic hub that helps deal with political and legal issues relating to being a Muslim in India.

I am including their contact details at the end of this post.

I phoned them and they said they are able to provide a list of registered qazis to perform the nikah. Apparently using a registered qazi is enough in itself for the nikahnama to be accepted for a UK visa. However, to be doubly sure, the nikahnama can be translated into English and attested by a lawyer. The Jamiat people are also able to provide contact details for lawyers.

I haven't followed through on their information yet, as my wedding isn't until 1 month. But so far, it seems like a good place to start.

JAMIAT ULAMA I HIND
1- Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002
Telephone: 00 91 1 123311455 / 00 91 1 1123323438