What is Affidavit of Single Status
You may have found the person of your dreams, but, if you plan to marry a foreign citizen or want to have your official marriage in another country, it’s going to take a lot more than love. In fact, you will find out that overseas marriages entail a lot more than dresses, flowers, and seating charts. To start with, you need to prove that you are who you say you are (birth certificate apostille) and are not already married.
The Single Status Affidavit otherwise known as a Single Status Statutory Declaration, Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage, Free-to-Marry Statement, No Record of Marriage Certificate, or Certificate of No Impediment for Marriage, is a certified declaration that you are not currently married or planning to marry anyone else. This document is required before most foreign countries will issue a marriage license and may need to accompany other paperwork regarding the impending marriage. If you were married before, you may also be required to provide a divorce decree apostille or death certificate apostille.
Drawing a Marriage – Free Affidavit
One of the things that sets the Single Status Affidavit apart is that it is not a government document, and there are no national or international marriage databases. The Single Status Affidavit is simply a sworn statement made before a notary public. The country in which you will be married determines what information must be provided in the statement. Many countries only require a single sentence stating that, under oath, you swear that you are not married. Some countries, like China, require specific information about you and your fiance. Other countries, require documentation proving your engagement was listed in your and your fiance’s hometown paper to prove you were not trying to hide a marriage. Once you have determined the proper text and supporting documentation, the affidavit can be obtained from your local county clerk, court registrar or state registrar based upon your residence.
Apostille on Certificate of Non- Impediment
Once you have your Single Status Affidavit notarized, you will need to obtain a document apostille, since most foreign governments will only accept documents that have been authenticated. The acceptable authentication process varies depending on the country in which you will be married. Member countries of the Hague Convention of 1961 (currently 80 countries, 79 states, and one Regional Economic Integration Organization) require a stamp of authenticity known as a “document apostille”. Other countries require a Certificate of Authenticity from the U.S. Office of Authentications or U.S. Department of State, but may also require further stamps and seals including Consular certification by your embassy and theirs.
To obtain a Single Status Affidavit apostille, you must send your documents to the designated Competent Authority in the state where the document was issued. No state can apostille a document issued by another state, and the U.S. Department of State will almost never issue an apostille for any state issued documents; however, they will provide a Certificate of Authenticity if your document is not going to a Hague Convention country.
Translating Affidavit in to required language
Next, you will need to have both the apostille and your affidavit translated. Most countries will not consider documents “legal” unless they are written in the language of the country in which they will be presented. Accepted translations must meet stringent certification and notarization requirements.
If you are already living overseas and need to receive document apostilles, the process can be time-consuming and troubling. Time differences, mailing costs, and other obstacles can often make the process seem impossible. If you find yourself in this situation, you may want to consider using a document retrieval service.
To ensure your documents are processed properly and in time (many certified documents are only considered valid for an apostille for 6 months), you should seriously consider using a professional apostille company. Tight timelines, inconsistent application procedures, and varied requirements based on your destination country or countries add to the frustration of the apostille and translation process, but professional apostille companies navigate these waters daily, and you can’t afford to have these services performed improperly.
Why hire Apoling for Affidavit of Single Status preparation
Apoling Solutions is a full-service apostille, translation, and document retrieval service. This means that from one location, Apoling Solutions draws a certificate of Non – Impediment, orders certified copies, apostilles and authenticates documents, translates, certifies translations, and will get your documents back to you. Once you let Apoling Solutions know your plans, they will work with you to obtain your Single Status Affidavit apostille from any of the 50 U.S. states and/or the U.S. Department of State depending on your needs. If you live overseas, Apoling Solutions will retrieve your documents and apostilles for you.
With Apoling Solutions, you need to contact just one agency regardless of where you live or how many documents you need. Even better, you have peace of mind knowing that your documents will be legal, accepted, and not require any additional services because they are guaranteed to align with all international and domestic requirements.