Difference between revisions of "United States - Single Status Certificate / Affidavit of Single Status"

Revision as of 04:14, 9 March 2018

Procedure

Single Status Affidavit may be called differently by various agencies and individuals: Affidavit of Single Status, Letter of Freedom to Marry, Single Letter, Statement of Freedom to Marry and so forth. However, all of the above are the same document. The main idea of the Single Status Affidavit is that it is your own statement taken under oath, in which you attest that you are who you claim to be and that you 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 have a professional prepare one for you. Before you do it on your own however, please consult someone competent to ensure that your affidavit does not need to contain any additional details. (Many Asian countries require information about your fianc/fiance to be included into the document, while others may require a statement that you are not related).

• Visit the nearest American Consulate or Embassy in the country where you are. For a full list of addresses, phone numbers and websites for each consulate, visit the embassy section of the website of the U.S. Department of State at usembassy.gov.
• Schedule an appointment online at the appropriate U.S. embassy. All Citizen Services must be scheduled by appointment, walk-ins are not accepted at the door.
• Attend your appointment and bring your passport. At the appointment the U.S. consular officer will ask you for your passport and for the names of your parents (full names as they appear on your birth certificate) and your own. They will write the affidavit and have you sign it. It is valid once the consul signs and stamps it.
• The fee for the certificate is $30 U.S. dollars and can be paid in USD in the form of cash, credit card or traveler's checks.

Required Documents

• Passport
• Valid Driver's License
• Birth Certificate
• Social Security number
• If divorced, Decree Absolute.
• If widowed, Death Certificate of previous spouse (and Marriage Certificate).
• The relevant fee.

Office Locations & Contacts

Division of Vital Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Rd
Hyattsville, MD 20782
1 (800) 232-4636
Contact CDCINFO
Where to Write for Vital Records

U.S. Embassies and Consulates

Eligibility

If you are a U.S. citizen or legal resident planning to marry outside of the country, you may need a single status affidavit. This document affirms that you are not already legally married and are free to marry under the laws of the country that requires the affidavit. Single status affidavits need to be signed before a notary.

Fees

The fee for the certificate is $30 U.S. dollars and can be paid in USD in the form of cash, credit card or traveler's checks.

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. 
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Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation.
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e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M". 
	

Instructions

An affidavit is a written statement that is sworn to by the affiant, the individual making the statement. A single status affidavit states that you are free to marry. A U.S. court may have blank affidavits; as an alternative, you may create one on your own or use an official form provided by the country that requires it.

A single status affidavit must carry a statement that you have either never been married, or are currently free to marry after a legal divorce. If you have been divorced, a copy of the final decree issued by the court presiding over the divorce should be attached to the affidavit. The country requiring the affidavit may require that its own agent or official must witness or certify your signature.

• Access the website of the nearest American Consulate or Embassy in the country where you are. For a full list of addresses, phone numbers and websites for each consulate, visit the embassy section of the website of the U.S. Department of State at usembassy.gov.
• You can obtain your single status certificate by contacting either Embassy or Consulate in the country where you are.

Required Information

• Family name
• Given Names
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Age at present
• Mothers Full Name
• Fathers Full Name
• Citizenship
• Residential Address
• Marital status declaration
• Affirmation/Oath

Need for the Document

Affidavit of Single Status is a sworn statement in which the affiant attests that they are single and may marry freely.

If you are planning to get married outside your country of origin, and you are not a citizen of this country, proper documentation must be provided. Among this documentation is a single status Certificate. This certificate, stating that you are currently unmarried, might be required prior to receiving a marriage license. Each country has separate laws regarding the single status certificate.

Information which might help

A notary witnesses your signature and then verify your identity with a current and valid form of identification. The notary then signs the document and either stamps the paper near the signature or affixes an official seal. This stamp or seal reveals the state in which the notary is licensed and in some cases the expiration date of the notary's commission. A notary, or a court clerk serving as a notary, usually charges a fee for this service.

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.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

This document will most likely be required as a supporting document if you are getting married in a foreign country.

This document can also be required for employment in a foreign country.

External Links

VisaJourney.com How to obtain a Single status certificate in US http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/299915-how-to-obtain-single-status-certificate-in-us/

Apostille US Single Status Affidavit http://www.apostille.us/Documents/single_status_affidavit.shtml

National Vital Statistics System

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal

American Hometowns Cities, Counties, and Towns

Federal Judicial Branch

Others

Authentication Documents which are destined to be presented in a foreign country must undergo a procedure of authentication. If the target jurisdiction is not party to The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, then foreign authentication is a must. The procedure is a multi-level process which involves cooperation of local authorities, state authorities, federal government and the consulate or even the embassy of a foreign country.

Each country sets forth their unique rules and requirements for authentication, legalization and attestation procedures. Depending on the type of documents in question such procedures may vary significantly in terms of form of the document, processing time, certification levels and the fees.

Authenticating, legalizing and attesting documents for foreign use is an intricate procedure that must be managed properly on each step of the entire process. To successfully perform such task it is crucial to have all the required information well beforehand. Many consulates and embassies require official certified translation of the documents to be presented with the originals, while others may require an appointment for document submission.

Another caveat is that even though your target country does not require legalization by the embassy, the foreign authorities may still require attestation from the consulate. This is a normal procedure and may embassies will perform the services.