Guatemala - Apply for Singleness Certificate / Single Status Certificate

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Procedure

Apply In Person (Citizen)

1. To Apply for Singleness Certificate / Single Status Certificate, the applicant has to approach the RENAP – link
2. An application form will be provided to the applicant by the concerned officer.
3. The applicant has to fill in all the necessary details in the application form. (Incomplete applications are not accepted)
4. Make sure that the applicant has attached all the necessary documents that are mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
5. The applicant has to attach the photocopies of the required documents along with the application form while submitting.
6. Submit all the documents with the completed form to the concerned office.
7. After receiving the application, the concerned authority will check the submitted application and document set. #If all are in place, the application will be accepted.
8. Then the application will be processed further. All the updates on the application status will be sent via SMS to the applicant’s mobile number.
9. Once the process gets completed, the applicant gets a call from the office regarding the application.
10. This entire process can be completed within 30 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

Apply In Person (Non - Citizen)

1. To Apply for Singleness Certificate / Single Status Certificate, the applicant has to approach the Ministry of Foreign Affair - link
2. The applicant has to visit the office and submit the affidavit of letter.
3. An application form will be provided to the applicant by the concerned officer.
4. The applicant has to fill in all the necessary details in the application form. (Incomplete applications are not accepted)
5. Make sure that the applicant has attached all the necessary documents that are mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
6. The applicant has to attach the photocopies of the required documents along with the application form while submitting.
7. Submit all the documents with the completed form to the concerned office.
8. After receiving the application, the concerned authority will check the submitted application and document set. #If all are in place, the application will be accepted.
9. Then the application will be processed further. All the updates on the application status will be sent via SMS to the applicant’s mobile number.
10. Once the process gets completed, the applicant gets a call from the office regarding the application.
11. This entire process can be completed within 30 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

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Required Documents

• National identity card or Passport.
• Proof of address.
• If divorced, Decree Absolute.
• If widowed, Death Certificate of previous spouse (and Marriage Certificate).
• If your name has been changed by Deed Poll, proof is necessary.
• The relevant fee.

Office Locations & Contacts

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:

http://www.renap.gob.gt/contactenos

Search for Office Locations:

http://www.renap.gob.gt/busqueda-de-sedes-y-horarios

Embassies of Guatemala in the World

Eligibility

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.

Fees

• Cost of Application: Q20.00

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Please attach documents which can be used by people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Processing Time

• Application Process: 8 business days

Related Videos

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". 
	

Instructions

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.

• Certificates may need to be translated.
• Certificates may need to be endorsed or exchanged for a locally acceptable version issued by your Embassy or Consulate in the country where you will marry.
• Certificates may need to be legalized i.e. stamped with an official stamp known as an Apostille.
• Certificates may require that witnesses swear an Affidavit stating that you are free to marry and that this is appended.

Required Information

• Date of birth
• Full name of the person
• Book, folio and the place of registration
• Nationality
• Statement
• Date
• Signature of the person who declares
• Signature of the witnesses

Need for the Document

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'.

Information which might help

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".

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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'.

External Links

• Request Certificate

http://www.renap.gob.gt/solicitud-de-certificaciones

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala

Government of Guatemala Links

National Registry of Persons

Others

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.