Planning to take your vows with your overseas loved one? You may require two type of documents if you wish to marry abroad (given one or both spouses have different nationalities from their birth countries).
Many foreign governments need the ‘Single Status Affidavit’ or the ‘Letter of No Record of Marriage Apostille’ to ensure that you are not already married in your country of birth.
The ‘no record of marriage document’ varies from state to state. Also called ‘single status statement’, ‘single status letter’, ‘failure to find marriage record’, ‘certificate of non-impediment’, etc., it is the single most important document if you wish to marry abroad.
No Record of Marriage Certificate
USA unlike most other countries, does not have a federal database for marriages that occur, or do not occur, in the country. Some countries therefore require US residents seeking to marry a resident of that country to provide an affidavit, in which the US resident swears that he/she is not already married.
This affidavit must generally be signed in the presence of a notary. If the country is a signatory of the apostille convention, an apostille must be issued for that affidavit. If the country is not a signatory of the apostille convention, the affidavit document has to go through a certain legalization process in which authentication certificates would have to be obtained from both the state and federal government, before the country’s respective embassy or consulate issues a legalization stamp or certificate.
Note:**It will be required to make arrangements in advance and determine whether the nation you desire to wed is a signatory to the 1961 Hague Convention. Countries that adhere to the 1961 Hague Convention will employ a system of documentation that will make filing papers for an individual easier. Your certificate must be apostille-ed in order for it to be used in these countries. However, if the nation where your wedding will take place is not, additional methods will be required. For instance, there are at least three different degrees of verification for a Certificate of No Record of Marriage in a non-Hague Convention jurisdiction. Unfortunately, this procedure takes longer.
How to Get the No Record of Marriage Apostille
On the other hand, in the states of California, Arizona and Minnesota, the letter of no marriage can only be obtained from your county of residence. Similarly, New York City keeps its own records separated from the NY state.
In most cases, the duly legalized affidavit must also be translated into the country’s official language. In other countries, an official certificate issued by the governments is also required. *Depending on your state, you would need to obtain this either from the state or the county. Take for instance, in the states of Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, you would need to obtain this letter of no record of marriage certificate from these state’s respective Health Departments.
The price for the certificate of no record of marriage usually depends on the number of years the record has to be searched for. For instance, most states require you to present a record of no marriage for all the years since you turned 18. On the other hand, some other states would require you to present a ‘no record of marriage’ since the day you divorced if you were previously married before.
As you can see, getting a record of no marriage certificate can be quite daunting for many and may require you to go through different authentication, legalization and notarization processes in order to get an apostille. You may be required to deal with local states, county clerks and in some cases federal and consular government agencies.
At Apostille Near Me, we have got your back for you! Just fill up the apostille form and mail us the documents. Our expert apostille lawyers will do all the work for you and mail you your required documents directly to your given address.
DOWNLOAD THE APOSTILLE FORM HERE