How Do NRIs Apply for Single Status Affidavit?

Single status affidavit is the legal evidence issued by the district magistrate (DM) or sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in India. It is also called the Single Status Certificate, Certificate of No Record, Certificate of No Impediment, Certificate of Nulla Osta, Single Statutory Declaration and Certificate of Legal Capacity of Contract Marriage.

This proof is necessary to submit with the embassy and immigration authority when you are likely to solemnize marriage with a foreigner abroad.

How to Apply?

To know about how to apply for the single status affidavit, let’s get through the entire procedure that you, being an NRI, need to follow:

Visit the court where you are from in India. Or, you can ask in embassy for the affidavit.
Provide all necessary details to the attorney or your relative/friends if you are getting it from your native place. Else, you need to fill the form providing all details like passport number, address, date of birth and other details.
Get it notarized from the court.
At the background, the authority will get the stamp from Sub district magistrate or District magistrate or Court.
Then, one needs to contact the outsourcing agencies, which are just four in the entire India. You can get their details from the official website and Services 2NRI.
The outsourcing agent will get it attested from the home department of the Ministry of External Affairs or Apostille.
Enclose a demand draft worth INR 50 for the postal order.
Submit it to the Indian embassy or to other foreign embassy where you want to solemnize marriage.

Attestation of this affidavit is the most tedious task. And, the substantial thing is that you cannot get it done by yourself. The Ministry of External Affairs does not accept any request for attestation of this affidavit in person. You need to raise a request with the authorized outsourcing agent.

The foreign authority may require parent’s affidavit also. The procedure for it would be similar.

Documents Required

Aadhaar Card
National identity card or Passport
Address proof
If divorced, Decree Absolute
If widowed, Death Certificate of previous spouse (and Marriage Certificate)
Deed Poll if you have changed your name
Affidavit of parents

Fee Structure

SDM stamp- INR 2000 to INR 3000 (depending on the location)
Fee for Notary – INR 350 (if there is any)
Fee for Attestation – INR 105
Fee for Apostille – INR 50

Processing Time

The apostilling or attestation takes maximum to maximum ten days. In short, you need to apply for this document a month ago for coming across any kind of hassles.

What does it read?

Being a sworn statement, it should read like this:

SINGLE STATUS AFFIDAVIT

“I, (applicant’s name), s/o or d/o (name of parents) born on (D.O.B) in (place of birth), am eligible to marry with an Indian or other national according to law. I am single (for unmarried) or, have no dependent from the previous marriage (for divorcee/widowed).

The foresaid information of mine is true and correct.”

Solemnly Declared at (City/District, State, India) on (Date) DD/MM/YYYY

Likewise, the applicant may also require submission of the parent’s affidavit. It should read as:

AFFIDAVIT

“We (parents’ name), of (age), married citizens of (country) with legal address after having been sworn to the law, hereby state that we are the legal parents of (the applicant’s name) born on (D.O.B) in (address). We are the evidences of the fact that he/she has never been married with any man/woman till today (for unmarried).

Or, he/she is divorced now and has no dependent from the previous marriage (for divorcee).”