Apply In Person (Citizen)
Apply In Person (Non - Citizen)
National Registry of Persons - RENAP (Registro Nacional de las Personas)
Republica de Guatemala
Calzada Roosevelt 13-46 Zone 7
Phone: 2416 - 1900
Call Centre: 1516
Email Contact Form:
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Embassies of Guatemala in the World
Guatemalan law requires proof of legal capacity to enter into a marriage contract in the form of certification by competent authority that no impediment exists to the marriage.
Guatemalan authorities usually accept an affidavit written by the citizen stating that they are free to marry and notarized at the Embassy. This is called "libertad de estado."
The fee for the American consular officers notarization of the affidavit is $50 (payable in dollars or quetzales in cash only), and the affidavit can be signed and sworn to at the consular section Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon.
Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid. e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever
Please attach documents which can be used by people who would like to follow this procedure.
Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.
Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. Attach videos using the following tag <&video type="website">video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation. Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed. e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M".
Applications may be submitted to any RENAP offices.
Please also be aware that a standard Single Status Certificate or Certificate of No Impediment may be insufficient on its own to allow a marriage to take place in a foreign country. You may be required by the foreign authorities to comply with the following, so please ensure that you allow sufficient time for processing.
Following are procedures on how to apply for a singleness certificate.
A Singleness Certificate or Single Status Certificate also referred to as a No Marriage Affidavit, Certificate of Freedom to Marry or Certificate of No Impediment, is a sworn statement saying that you are eligible to marry.
Overseas marriage authorities often require further evidence that the party is free to marry. Such evidence may be a statement from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages that there is no record of the person having been previously married or a 'Single Status Certificate' or 'No Records Result'.
Through a sworn affidavit the applicant confirms that they are who they claim to be. The Single Status Letter or Affidavit says that they are able and free to marry among other things. Bear in mind that one fact about the Single Status Affidavit is that it is not a government document; rather, it is a letter from the affiant signed in front of a notary public. An interesting fact about this type of document is that there are many names given for it. For example look at this list: "Single Status Statutory Declaration" or a "Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage" or a "Single Status Certificate" or "Free-to-marry statement".
In order for non-nationals to marry in a foreign country you will most likely be required to produce legal documentation from your country of citizenship verifying single status and that you are free to marry. This is known as a 'Certificate of No Impediment', 'Certificate de Coutume', 'Certificate of Nulla Osta' or a 'Certificate of Freedom to Marry'.
If you are planning to marry in another country, you may be required to obtain a Certificate of Non-Impediment. This document has many different names such as Declaration of Non-Impediment to Marry, Statutory Declaration of Single Status, Affidavit of Intended Marriage, Statement In-Lieu of Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage Abroad, Certificate de Coutume, a Certificate of No Impediment, Certificate of Nulla Osta, Certificate of Freedom to Marry or just free to marry.
The Bride & Groom to be married must provide from their country of Citizenship, individual Certificates of non impediment or Certificate of Single Status/Sworn Affidavit, as proof that they are both indeed single and eligible to marry. This is also called an affidavit of single status or negative statement of marriage. This document can be obtained at the Bureau of Vital statistics in their city they reside.
Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage
This can be obtained from your local department of foreign affairs or your embassy in the country in which you are getting married.
Certificate of Single Status/Sworn Affidavit that you are free to marry
These are similar to a Certificate of No Impediment, but instead you have to swear you are single in front of a legal representative.