How to Get a Single Status Affidavit

Imagine marrying in a beautiful backdrop of sparse, luscious landscapes of Spain, lush beaches of the Caribbean, mountains cape of Switzerland or the vineyards of Italy. Today, working as expats and marriages abroad have become very commonplace – yet, hundreds of couples face the dilemma of waiting long, sometimes weeks or more often years, to get the permission from the embassies to join their spouse. If you are a citizen of United States, no matter what your destination, if you plan on marrying abroad or if your spouse is living or working abroad, you will need to make sure that all your paper work is in order before you go there.

Why do you need a single status affidavit?

In order to be eligible to marry overseas, you’ll need to be able to show proof that you are single and free to marry – so if you’re going to marry in a country signatory to the Hague Convention Apostille, you will need to show a ‘single status affidavit’.

How to Get a Single Status Affidavit?

A single status affidavit is not a government document, it is a public legal document issued by the Secretary of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. or at any US Embassy or US Consulate office, from all 50 states. To get a single status affidavit, you will need this letter (as affiant) to be signed in front of a public notary in your state. Single status affidavit is also called “Single Status Statutory Declaration” or a “Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage” or a “Single Status Certificate” or “Free-to-marry statement”. Some other countries may refer to it as:

• No Record of Marriage
• Certificate of No Impediment for Marriage
• Affidavit of Single Status
• Certificate of No Public Record
• Certificate of Freedom to Marry
• Certificate of No Record – Marriage
• Affidavit of Single Status
  

You only need to contact your County Clerk to provide you with an affidavit listing the statement that you are free to marry and are not currently married/are single. You will need to sign the document in front of your local notary.

*In case you’re outside the United States you may contact the US Consulate or US Office in the country of your stay to arrange a single status affidavit for you and also having it signed and notarized.

Once your single status affidavit is notarized, you will need it to be Apostilled.

**In case the country requesting your single status Apostille is not member of Hague Apostille Convention, then your documents will need further verification through the Department of State in Washington DC or your local US Consulate or Embassy.

Whatever the status of your single status affidavit, getting an Apostille can be a complicated process and should not be left to non-professionals. This may cost you lost money and long delays in the paperwork or a straight away rejection of your application.

Whether you need all paperwork Apostilled or legalized, you can seek our services directly at Apostille Near Me or download the Apostille form here. You will simply need to fill up the form and mail it to us. Your Apostilled or legalized documents will be returned back to you. You can call or email us for any queries.