The huge changes also include the legalisation of surrogacy and egg-freezing in the UAE… 

Unmarried, non-Muslim couples can now have IVF treatment in the UAE thanks to a new law, according to The National. This change comes as part of the UAE’s efforts to update its laws to meet the needs of all its residents.

According to Article 8 of the new ruling published in the Official Gazette, non-Muslim individuals without a marriage certificate can now request permission from the health authority to start IVF, providing they agree to register the child under both their names.

Muslim couples, on the other hand, still need to prove that they are married.

To start the IVF process, the couple must first provide a declaration confirming that the child is biologically one of their’s. This declaration must be approved by the relevant authority in the home country of either spouse, and the child would also take on the nationality of that country. Once everything is approved, they can begin the IVF process in the UAE.

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The new law has made some other significant updates. One of the changes is that it’s no longer illegal for couples to get help from another woman to carry their baby (use a surrogate).

Before, the law said it was not allowed to use “external insemination,” but this rule has been taken out, leaving it up to each emirate to regulate the rules for surrogacy itself.

The update also covers how embryos and eggs can be used. In the past, freezing embryos was not allowed in the UAE, but this is no longer the case. A sufficient number of eggs can now be fertilized and stored, for up to five years, for future use.

As of now, it is still against the law to use a sperm donor (who is not the husband) or an egg donor (who is not the wife).

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