What is Certificate of Non-Impediment
Certificate of Non-Impediment
If you intend to marry in another country, you may be required to obtain a Certificate of Non-Impediment. and submit it with the foreign Civil Registry Office along with other documents (U.S. passport, birth certificate, application for marriage etc.)
A Certificate of Non-Impediment is an official Certification issued in confirmation that the City Clerk’s Office has no information that it would be an “impediment” to your getting a Marriage License in the City of New York or any other city if the U.S.
If a Certificate of Non – impediment to marriage is available* it is produced in the City Clerk’s office and you can obtain it in person. Usually, a fee is applied. To qualify for a Certificate of Non-Impediment, you must provide a proof that you reside within a city (including the City of New York) and must not presently be married.
The Certificate of Non-Impediment is valid for the period of six months from the date of issue. Also, to be valid in a foreign country, it shall be authenticated, bear Apostille and must be translated into the language of the country the document is meant for. If you receive the said certificate but fail to get it legalized by Apostille, foreign authorities will not accept it.
If you reside in the country or city where the document discussed above is not available, the only option you have is obtaining an Affidavit of Single Status and apostilled.
Affidavit of Single Status
Affidavit of Single Status, also called Certificate of Single Status, Free – to-marry Letter, Single Status Letter, and so forth, is your own statement taken under oath, in which you attest that you are who you claim to be and that you are presently not-married (single, divorced or widowed) and may marry freely. Many countries have their own unique requirements when it comes to the contents of such statement; however, the basic information is always the same.
You may draft your own single status affidavit or you may hire a Notary Public who will professionally prepare one for you. Before you do it on your own however, please contact someone competent to ensure that your affidavit does not need to contain any additional details (some Asian countries require information about your fiancé/fiancée to be included into the document, while others may require a statement that you are not related).
If you have any doubts on how to prepare yourself for a marriage in a foreign country, contact us – we have been assisting people for years in making their dreams come true.
*in some cities in the USA it is not issuable because does not exist.