Why a sworn statement and not a certificate
Many countries issue an official single status certificate. The United States does not: no federal or state office certifies that someone is unmarried nationwide.
What is accepted instead is an affidavit, a statement you swear is true before a notary. The notary administers the oath and completes a jurat, and the apostille then authenticates that notarization for the destination country.
How it usually goes
The consulate or the registry office abroad tells you what the statement must say, sometimes on a form of their own. You bring it unsigned. I verify your identity, administer the oath, witness your signature and complete the certificate.
Then the document goes to the Florida Department of State for the apostille, and often to a translator afterwards. I can handle the notarization and the translation, and guide the apostille filing.
What the statement normally includes
- Your full legal name, date and place of birth.
- Your current marital status and, if you were married before, how that marriage ended.
- Your address and nationality.
- The name of the person you intend to marry and the country where the marriage will take place, when they ask for it.
Divorced or widowed
If a previous marriage ended, most countries want the divorce decree or the death certificate as well, and those need their own certification: a certified copy from the court or the vital records office, then an apostille. A notary cannot certify a copy of those records.
Ask the destination what they require before you start, because assembling the package in the wrong order is what causes the delays.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this the same as a certificate of no impediment?
- It is the American equivalent of what many countries call that. Since no U.S. office issues one, a notarized sworn statement with an apostille is what is generally accepted.
- Can I sign it online?
- Yes. The oath can be administered in a remote online session, and the apostille follows afterwards.
- Does it need a translation?
- Usually, into the language of the country where you will marry. I prepare English–Spanish translations; for other languages you will need a translator.
- How long is it valid?
- Many countries only accept it if it is recent, often within three to six months. Check the deadline before you sign, so the apostille does not outlive the document's usefulness.