What is a Single Status Affidavit and why does it need an apostille?

Used to prove eligibility to marry abroad in countries that require it since the US has no national marriage registry. It receives a state apostille from the state where notarized – any state that notarizes documents (often where you live, at a bank, UPS store, or courthouse).

Does a Single Status Affidavit need a state or federal apostille?

A state apostille – not federal. The state where it was notarized issues it – we handle all US states.

Where do I get a Single Status Affidavit notarized?

Any state that notarizes documents – typically where you live, at a bank, UPS store, or courthouse – the affidavit is a simple document stating you're unmarried or legally free to marry (without necessarily listing specific names).

How much does a Single Status Affidavit apostille cost?

State fees range from $1 to $50 per document, depending on the issuing state (median $10 per apostille), plus the $100 service charge per order.

What is the difference between a Single Status Affidavit and a Certificate of No Impediment?

They serve similar purposes but are different documents. A Single Status Affidavit is a US-issued sworn statement by the individual. A Certificate of No Impediment is a government-issued document, typically from a state vital records office or the US Department of State. Some countries accept either; others specifically require one or the other.

Do I need a Single Status Affidavit if I was previously married and divorced?

Some countries accept an apostilled divorce decree in place of a Single Status Affidavit. Others require both – the affidavit to confirm current status, and the divorce decree to confirm prior marriages were dissolved. Check the destination country's specific requirements.

How recent does my Single Status Affidavit need to be?

The state issuing the apostille does not enforce a recency rule on the notarization itself. However, the destination country often requires the affidavit to have been issued within the last 3 to 12 months at the time of use. Confirm with the receiving authority before notarizing.

Single Status Affidavit Apostille

⚠ Notarization required first: This document must be notarized by a commissioned notary public before it can receive a state apostille. The apostille is issued on the notary's signature, not the document itself. Make sure your notarization is current – some states impose time limits on how old a notarization can be before the apostille is refused.

⚠ County step may apply: Some states require county clerk certification of the notary's commission before the Secretary of State will issue the apostille on notarized documents. This is separate from the standard apostille process for vital records. Check your state's page in the Apostilles section for state-specific requirements, or contact us and we will confirm before you mail anything.

What Is a Single Status Affidavit Apostille?

A Single Status Affidavit apostille is a state-issued authentication certificate attached to a notarized Single Status Affidavit, certifying the document’s authenticity for use in any country that is a signatory to the Hague Convention of 1961. The apostille is a standardized international form – a square stamp or printed certificate roughly 9 cm on each side – that is recognized in all 120+ Hague member countries without further authentication.

A Single Status Affidavit (also called an Affidavit of Single Status, Affidavit of Marital Status, or Certificate of No Impediment) is a sworn statement declaring that the affiant is legally free to marry – that is, not currently married to anyone else and not subject to any legal impediment to marriage.

Why Apostille a Single Status Affidavit?

Because the United States has no national marriage registry, there is no single government document that proves a US citizen is unmarried. Foreign governments that require proof of marital eligibility accept an apostilled Single Status Affidavit as that proof.

Common situations that require an apostilled Single Status Affidavit include:

Marriage abroad – many countries require proof of single status before allowing a US citizen to marry in their jurisdiction
Foreign marriage registration – establishing that the marriage is legally valid in the destination country
Spousal visa applications – proving eligibility to sponsor a fiancé(e) or spouse from a country that requires it
Divorce and remarriage abroad – establishing that prior marriages were dissolved and the applicant is free to remarry
Dual citizenship applications – sometimes required as part of family lineage documentation
Adoption proceedings abroad – proving marital status as part of an adoption application
Property and inheritance matters – establishing marital status for inheritance claims in foreign jurisdictions
Foreign employment – some employers require proof of marital status

State Apostille, After Notarization

A Single Status Affidavit is a notarized document, not a vital record. It must be notarized first, then apostilled by the Secretary of State in the state where the notarization took place.

Because the document is purely a sworn statement (not a government record), there is no “issuing state” in the same way that birth certificates have an issuing state. Instead, the state of notarization determines which state issues the apostille.

This means you can typically have the affidavit notarized in whatever state is most convenient – usually the state where you live. The notary public who witnesses your signature and administers the oath can be in any US state.

Step 1: Draft the Affidavit

There is no single mandated form for a Single Status Affidavit. The document should be a clear, sworn statement containing:

Affiant’s full legal name (the person making the statement)
Affiant’s date of birth
Affiant’s place of birth
Affiant’s current address
Statement of single status – for example: “I, [name], being duly sworn, hereby state under oath that I am not currently married, and I have no legal impediment to entering into a marriage.”
Statement of any prior marriages and their dissolution (if applicable)
Affiant’s signature (signed in the presence of the notary)
Notary block – venue, notary signature, commission expiration, and seal

Some countries require specific wording or additional elements. Check the destination country’s requirements before drafting – a country-specific form may be provided by the foreign registrar or consulate.

If you were previously married and divorced, include language like: “I am not currently married. I was previously married to [name] and that marriage was legally dissolved by divorce decree dated [date] in [jurisdiction].”

If you were never married, the statement is simpler: “I have never been married, and I have no legal impediment to entering into a marriage.”

Step 2: Sign and Notarize the Affidavit

Once drafted, the affidavit must be signed in the presence of a notary public. The notary:

Verifies your identity (typically with government-issued photo ID)
Witnesses your signature
Administers an oath or affirmation that the statements are true
Completes the notarial certificate
Applies the official notary seal
Records the venue (state and county) of notarization

You can have a Single Status Affidavit notarized at:

Banks – most banks offer free notary services to account holders
UPS Stores – typically a small fee per notarization
Shipping centers (FedEx Office, PostalAnnex, etc.)
Courthouses – some courthouses have notary services available
Law offices – most law firms have a notary on staff
Real estate offices
Insurance offices
Some public libraries

You do not need to use a specific form or template – the notary will accept your drafted affidavit as long as it contains the necessary elements.

Step 3: Submit to the Secretary of State

Once notarized, the affidavit is submitted to the Secretary of State in the state where the notarization took place. Apostille50 handles this entire step for you – you mail your notarized affidavit to us, and we submit it to the correct state.

The Secretary of State verifies the notary’s commission against their records, then affixes an apostille certificate to the document.

Which State Apostilles My Single Status Affidavit?

The apostille is issued by the state where the document was notarized – that is, the state where the notary was commissioned and where the notarial act took place. This is true even if:

You live in a different state
You will be married in a third country
The notary has since moved to a different state

The notary’s notarial certificate includes the venue (state and county) of notarization. That state – and only that state – issues the apostille.

Document Requirements

To apostille a Single Status Affidavit through Apostille50, you need to provide:

The original notarized Single Status Affidavit (the sworn statement, signed in front of a notary)
Trackable return shipping envelope if you are not within the continental US
Order confirmation showing the destination country

Photocopies of notarized affidavits are not eligible for apostille. The original notarized document must be submitted.

If you need multiple apostilled copies of the same affidavit (for example, for multiple uses), Apostille50 can apostille multiple originals – but each requires its own notarization and apostille.

Common Rejection Reasons

The Secretary of State will reject a Single Status Affidavit submission if:

The notary’s commission has expired
The notary’s seal is missing, illegible, or not the official seal
The notarial certificate is incomplete or missing
The affidavit was not signed in the presence of the notary
The notary was not commissioned in the state issuing the apostille
The document has been altered after notarization
The affiant’s identity was not verified by the notary

If your submission is rejected, Apostille50 will contact you and recommend next steps. In most cases, having the affidavit re-notarized by a currently commissioned notary resolves the issue.

Processing Time

Single Status Affidavit apostille processing times vary by state:

Same-day to 3 business days – a few states offer expedited or in-person service
5 to 10 business days – typical for most states processing mailed-in requests
2 to 4 weeks – slower states, or during peak seasonal volume

Engagement season (late fall through Valentine’s Day) typically drives higher apostille volume for Single Status Affidavits.

Pricing

Single Status Affidavit apostille pricing through Apostille50:

Component	Amount
Service charge (per order)	$100.00
State fee (per notarized signature)	$1 to $50
Return shipping (US)	Included

For a single-signature single status affidavit, the total cost ranges from $101 to $150 depending on the state where notarized (median $10 per signature). See the Order tool for the exact fee in your state.

Common Destination Countries

While any Hague Convention country accepts an apostilled Single Status Affidavit, certain countries see especially high demand:

Mexico – marriage registration
Italy – marriage registration, particularly for foreign fiancé(e)s
Spain – marriage registration
France – marriage registration
Germany – marriage registration
Greece – marriage registration
Portugal – marriage registration
Dominican Republic – marriage registration
Jamaica – marriage registration
Philippines – marriage registration
Costa Rica – marriage registration
Bahamas – marriage registration
Cayman Islands – marriage registration

The exact requirements vary by country. Some countries have specific forms that must be used; others accept a standard Single Status Affidavit.

Special Cases

Affidavit for Previously Married Applicants

If you were previously married and divorced, some countries require the Single Status Affidavit to specifically reference the prior marriage and its dissolution. The apostille process is the same – only the document’s content differs.

Some countries additionally require an apostilled divorce decree alongside the Single Status Affidavit to prove the prior marriage was legally dissolved. See our divorce decree page.

Widowed Applicants

If your prior spouse is deceased, include language about the prior marriage and the spouse’s death in the affidavit. Some countries additionally require an apostilled death certificate of the prior spouse.

Affidavit for Foreign Fiancé(e)s

If you are sponsoring a foreign fiancé(e) for a K-1 visa or marriage abroad, the Single Status Affidavit is one of several documents that may be requested. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the destination country’s consulate may have specific requirements. Confirm with both before drafting.

Country-Specific Forms

Some countries provide their own Single Status Affidavit forms (sometimes called “affidavit of freedom to marry,” “certificate of no impediment,” or “declaration of marital status”). If the destination country provides a form, use that form rather than drafting your own – the apostille process is the same once the form is notarized.

Recency Requirements

The state issuing the apostille does not impose a recency rule on the notarization itself. However, the destination country often requires the affidavit to be recent – typically issued within the last 3 to 12 months at the time of use. This means:

Do not have the affidavit notarized more than 12 months before you plan to use it
Some countries require the affidavit to be issued within the last 3 months
If your plans change or are delayed, you may need to redo the notarization and apostille

Confirm the recency requirement with the destination country before notarizing.

Affidavit Used Outside of Marriage Contexts

Single Status Affidavits are sometimes used for purposes other than marriage, such as:

Adoption applications
Property and inheritance matters
Immigration applications
Foreign employment verification

The apostille process is the same regardless of the document’s intended use. The destination country’s specific requirements (including any required wording) may differ by use case.

How to Order

To order a Single Status Affidavit apostille through Apostille50:

1. Add the state where the affidavit was notarized to your order on the Order page (one entry per notarized signature) 2. Select your destination country (this confirms Hague status) 3. Complete checkout – you’ll receive an order confirmation email 4. Mail the original notarized single status affidavit to:

Apostille50
PO BOX 160
Germantown, MD 20875

5. Once we receive your document, we submit it to the correct state and return it apostilled by trackable mail

State Apostille Service overview – covers the apostille process for all notarized documents
Divorce Decree Apostille – required for previously married applicants in many countries
Marriage Certificate Apostille – for the marriage itself, once you’ve apostilled your single status
All 50 state apostille pages – state-specific fees and processing times