Rwanda - Obtain Certificate of Celibacy / Single Status Certificate

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Procedure

Apply online

1. To Obtain Certificate of Celibacy / Single Status Certificate, the applicant has to use the following link – link
2. The applicant has to click Under Family, click on the “Certificate of Being Single”.
3. The applicant has to click the “Apply” button.
4. Fill in the Applicant Details and the details will be retrieved and displayed at the right side of the page.
5. Complete the process and click the “Next” button.
6. Verify that the information, enter a phone number and/or email address, check the verification box, and click on “Submit”.
7. To generate for payment option, the applicant has to click the “Pay” button.
8. Pay the fee amount of RWF - 500
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. The applicant can download the certificate from online.
12. This entire process can be completed within 5 – 10 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

Ministry of Justice
Tel: +250 252 586398, +250 252 586561
Fax: +250 252 586509
P.O. Box: 160 Kigali - Rwanda
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.minijust.gov.rw

Local Government Contacts
Local Government Websites
Embassies Abroad
Honorary Consulates
Search for Rwandan Embassies Abroad

Eligibility

This procedure is available to all citizens of Rwanda.

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'.

Fees

Consular fees varies. Please contact Rwandan Diplomatic Mission in the country you are currently residing for more information regarding the amount, form of payment and whom to address your payment.

• In Switzerland:

The consular fee is of 10 Swiss Francs for every certificate, payable in advance to the Embassy's bank account.

EMBASSY BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS:

Beneficiary: Embassy of Rwanda in Switzerland

Bank name: UBS S.A.

Account Number : 279-HU105113.4

IBAN: CH86 0027 9279 HU 10 5113 4

SWIFTCODE/BIC: UBSWCHZH80A

POST CODE : 80-2-2

N.B: No cash payment is accepted.

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

Please explain the processing your application.    

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

Certificates of Celibacy are issued by Rwandan Embassies and Consulates abroad.

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'.

Required Information

• Full Name
• Passport or ID number
• Place and Date of Birth
• Nationality
• Statement
• Date
• Signature of the person who declares
• Signature of the witnesses

Need for the Document

Certificate of Celibacy, is a document stating the applicant's marital status. This document is one of the requirements a citizen of Rwanda needed to submit if he/she is planning to get married abroad.

Following are procedures on how to obtain certificate of celibacy.

Information which might help

Notary Services

Notary services are decentralized with one notarial office at each district, Ministry of Justice and at Rwanda Development Board (RDB/Business).

The public notary exercises the following powers in discharging duties:

• Authenticating documents by their signing;
• Legalizing signatures found on documents;
• Issuing copies of its own affidavits;
• Drafting contracts;
• Executing court orders when so required by law;
• Advising/counseling customers on its own services.

However for deeds to be used abroad, signatures from districts notaries shall be legalized by the National Notarial Offices notaries. Deeds drafted by notaries from districts and by the Notary in the Government department in charge of Investment Promotion are valid all over the whole country.

More details can be found in the Presidential Order N 29/01 of 05/07/2005 in Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda n 15 of 1er August 2005.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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.

External Links

• Embassy of Rwanda in Switzerland:

http://switzerland.embassy.gov.rw/content/blogcategory/16/58/

Official Website of the Government of Rwanda

Rwanda Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation

Ministry of Justice

Government Ministries

Useful Links

Contact details - Obtain marriage certificate

Others

These certificates vary in the length of time they are valid for, which can sometimes only be a few months. Certain countries require that certificates be no older than 2 or 3 months at the time of your wedding. Therefore, it is important to check the requirements which apply to your circumstances and pay particular attention to timelines when you apply for a Certificate of No Impediment.