The United States does not issue a single status certificate, so when a foreign authority asks for one, what you actually produce is a sworn affidavit stating you are free to marry, notarized and then authenticated for international use. Learning how to get a single status certificate in the USA really means learning which version of that affidavit your destination country will accept, where to sign it, and what to attach to it before you send it abroad.
The reason for the workaround is structural. Marriage records in the U.S. are held by counties and states, not by any federal registry, and the State Department says plainly that the U.S. government cannot attest to your marital status.1U.S. Department of State. Marriage Foreign registrars know this and accept a sworn statement instead. The document goes by several names depending on the country asking: affidavit of single status, affidavit of eligibility to marry, certificate of no impediment, or certificate of freedom to marry. The label matters less than the content, which is a signed, sworn declaration that you are not currently married and are legally free to marry.
Before you prepare anything, contact the civil registry in the country where you plan to use the document. Requirements for wording, format, freshness, and supporting papers vary, and a rejected document usually means starting over under time pressure.
Three Ways to Get the Document
You have three practical paths. Which one fits depends on whether you are currently in the U.S. or abroad, and on what the destination country will accept.
Sign an Affidavit at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate
If you are already overseas, the standard route is to execute an affidavit of eligibility to marry at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. You write the sworn statement, appear in person with valid identification, and sign in front of a consular officer who notarizes it.2U.S. Department of State. Notarial and Authentication Services at U.S. Embassies and Consulates Do not sign the affidavit ahead of your appointment.
Some posts publish a template geared to the host country’s rules; others expect you to bring your own. The consular fee is $50 per notarial seal.3eCFR. Title 22, Chapter I, Subchapter C, Part 22 – Schedule of Fees for Consular Services A few countries also require witnesses to sign their own affidavits confirming you are free to marry, and each of those signatures may need its own seal.
Request a No-Record-of-Marriage Search
If you are inside the U.S., some county clerks and state vital records offices will search their records and issue a letter or certificate confirming they have no marriage on file for you. This tends to look more official to foreign authorities than a self-drafted affidavit.
The limit is jurisdictional: the search only covers marriages recorded in that county or state. If you have lived in several states, no single office can certify you are unmarried nationwide. Some foreign registrars accept this readily, others do not. Ask before you rely on it.
Draft and Notarize an Affidavit Domestically
You can also write your own affidavit of single status and take it to a U.S. notary public. The affidavit typically includes your full legal name, date of birth, place of birth, current address, and a sworn statement that you are not currently married. If you were previously married, state how that marriage ended. Sign in front of the notary, who verifies your identity and witnesses the signature.
This is the fastest and cheapest option, but foreign authorities frequently want more than a domestically notarized affidavit on its own. Plan on adding an apostille or authentication certificate, which is a separate step covered below.
Documents to Have on Hand
- A valid government-issued photo ID. A U.S. passport is best if you are abroad; a driver’s license is generally fine for domestic notarization.
- Your birth certificate. Some foreign registrars require it alongside the affidavit, and you may need it to fill the affidavit out accurately.
- Proof that any prior marriage has ended: a certified copy of the divorce decree or the former spouse’s death certificate. Many foreign authorities require this even when the affidavit says you are single.
Names must match across every document. A discrepancy between your birth certificate and your passport, for example, is a common reason foreign registries reject the file.
Authenticating the Document for Use Abroad
A notarized affidavit alone is usually not enough. The extra step depends on whether the destination country belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
Apostille for Hague Convention Countries
The Hague Apostille Convention has 129 contracting parties and replaces the older multi-step legalization chain with a single certificate.4HCCH. Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents If your destination is a member, you attach an apostille to your affidavit. For a document notarized in the U.S., the apostille comes from the Secretary of State’s office in the state where the notary is commissioned. For federally notarized documents, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications issues it.5U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications You can confirm a country’s status on the HCCH site.6HCCH. Apostille Section
Authentication and Legalization for Non-Hague Countries
If the destination is not a Hague member, you need two steps. First, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications issues an authentication certificate for $20 per document.7U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services Then you take the authenticated document to that country’s embassy or consulate in the U.S. for legalization.8U.S. Department of State. 7 FAM 870 Authentication of Documents
Timelines at the Office of Authentications run about five weeks for mailed requests and roughly seven business days for walk-in drop-offs. Same-day emergency appointments are limited to life-or-death situations.5U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications Build the wait into your wedding schedule.
Translation
If the destination country’s official language is not English, expect to need a certified translation of the affidavit and any supporting documents. A certified translation includes a signed statement from the translator confirming competence in both languages and the accuracy of the translation.9eCFR. 8 CFR 1003.33 – Translation of Documents Some countries accept any qualified translator; others insist on a sworn translator licensed locally. Check first, because a translation done in the U.S. can be rejected on that ground alone.
What Costs to Expect
- Domestic notarization: roughly $2 to $25 per signature, depending on the state.
- Embassy or consulate notarization: $50 per seal.3eCFR. Title 22, Chapter I, Subchapter C, Part 22 – Schedule of Fees for Consular Services
- State apostille: varies by state, starting around $15 per document.
- Federal authentication (non-Hague countries): $20 per document.7U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services
- County or state records search: usually a few dollars up to about $20.
- Certified translation: varies widely by language and length.
Why Documents Get Rejected
Rejections are usually technical rather than substantive. Foreign officials have refused apostilles that were not securely and permanently attached to the underlying document, that used laser-printed seals and signatures instead of embossed seals and wet ink, or that departed from the traditional square-sided box format.10U.S. Department of State. Department of State Message Re Apostille Issues A simple staple is a common failure point, because staples can be removed and refastened without leaving obvious traces.
Other frequent problems: names that do not match across documents, an affidavit that is older than the destination country’s validity window allows, missing detail about a previous marriage, and notarization by someone the foreign authority does not recognize. Each rejection restarts the clock.
False Statements Carry Real Consequences
The affidavit is a sworn document. Swearing you are unmarried when you are still legally married is perjury under federal law and can carry a prison sentence of up to five years. Marrying while still married to someone else is bigamy, which is a crime in every U.S. state.
The fallout goes beyond criminal exposure. A bigamous marriage can be voided in either country, which can undo immigration status, property rights, and inheritance claims that depended on the marriage being valid. If there is any doubt about whether a prior marriage was fully dissolved, take that question to a family law attorney before you sign anything.