Unmarried/ Bachelorhood Certificate Attestation
Single Status Certificate Embassy Attestation
When pursuing legal matters or dealing with official documents, many types of certificates serve as proofs of personal status. This serves great importance while applying for jobs abroad, registering marriages, or obtaining visas.
One of the certificates is called the Single Status Certificate. This is essential for many people who wish to get married to someone in another country, and to prove that they have not yet been married (and still eligible for marriage). However, in order for this certificate to be an internationally valid document, it has to go through a process called attestation of the single status certificate.
Let’s go through the details.
So, What Exactly is a Single Status Certificate?
It is a legal document that is issued by relevant authorities to state that an individual is unmarried — It certifies that an individual has either not been married or is not married at the time of the certificate issuance. Single Status certificate is also known as:
- No Marriage Certificate
- Bachelorhood Certificate
- Unmarried Certificate
- Spinster Certificate (for women)
- Single Status Affidavit
- Certificate of No Impediment
- No Objection to Marriage Certificate
- Celibacy Certificate
- Single Status Affidavit
Common Reasons for Getting a Single Status Certificate
- Visa applications: Many countries require individuals to provide proof of their single status before issuing a visa, especially when traveling for marriage purposes.
- Marriage registration abroad: If you are planning to get married in a foreign country, you will need to provide a single status certificate as part of the marriage registration process.
- Overseas employment: Some employers, especially in countries like the Middle East, may ask for a single status certificate as part of their hiring process.
This certificate involves local documentation from your country, and for it to be accepted legally within a foreign country, it requires attestation of a single status certificate.
How to Get a Single Status Certificate?
To get a Single status certificate, you must:
1. Provide a valid government identification document (Aadhaar, passport, or voter’s ID).
2. Submit proof of your residence (recent utility bill or bank statement).
3. You may need to submit an affidavit declaring your single status (in some regions).
4. Complete requisite forms with your documents.
When you receive the certificate, make sure you get the document attested for international use.
The Procedure for Single Status Certificate Attestation
The attestation process for a Single Status Certificate involves several stakeholders/authorities who need to verify your document claims. Here’s a straightforward summary of the steps in this specific process.
1. Notarization of the Single Status Certificate
The initial step in the process involves a public notary who first verifies your certificate. The public notary provides an official seal as part of the verification process. You may contact any public notary to complete this step.
2. Home Department or SDM Attestation
After a single-status certificate is notarized, it must be attested by a Home Department or Sub-divisional Magistrate.. In this case, the Home Department of your local state or the SDM assesses the validity of your single status certificate — verifying it’s authentic and the applicant is single.
Point to note:
- Proof of citizenship or residency is required to be submitted as a supporting document for verification by some states in India.
- Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu residents can get this done easily as the attestation isn’t a challenge since they can easily access their local government offices.
3. MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) Attestation
The next procedure is MEA attestation. MEA attestation confirms that a document has local authority attestation. This step confirms that your single status certificate can now legally be scrutinized by foreign governments.
4. Embassy Attestation
This is the ultimate step in single status certificate attestation. Your single status certificate will be noted with an embassy stamp which states that the foreign embassy has attested your document.
Price and Timeline for Single Status Certificate Attestation
The time and cost of attesting a single status certificate depend on various factors including your location and the country you are planning to visit. It takes around 10 days and costs around 9500 to 12500 INR.
How to Get a Single Status Certificate Attested in India?
Option 1: Do It Yourself (DIY)
You can attest the certificate yourself, and this includes going to all the necessary offices, which usually means the following steps:
- Step 1: Gather original single status certificate with photocopies and supporting documents.
- Step 2: Get it notarized.
- Step 3: Submit to State Home Department or SDM for verification.
- Step 4: Visit MEA office, Delhi or Mumbai.
- Step 5: Submit to the embassy of the country you are traveling to.
This process can take a long time since you would have to deal with multiple offices, documents, and a lot of waiting.
Option 2: Choose a Professional Attestation Service
An attestation agency can handle the entire process on your behalf, and their services usually include:
- Comfortable and free document pick up from your home or office
- Handling of notary, state, MEA, embassy attestations
- Phone or WhatsApp updates
- Safe delivery of the attested single status certificate to your doorstep
If you want to reduce travel, documentation, and waiting time the most, this is the best option.
FAQs
What if I’m divorced or widowed — does that change the bachelorhood certificate requirement?
If previously married, the authority must accept an affidavit/certificate related to your single status, divorced or widowed, with an attested divorce decree or death certificate, otherwise, they will not accept, say, an affidavit for single status.
Can embassies issue a Bachelorhood or Single Status Certificate directly?
Embassies do not issue unmarried or bachelorhood certificates. It is not their jurisdiction. Only Indian authorities, such as SDM/court, have the jurisdiction to issue these certificates, and only after these certificates have been legally attested/apostilled by Indian authorities, can embassies accept them.
What if I’m living abroad and don’t have an Indian address for the SDM jurisdiction?
Many NRIs use the permanent address listed on their passport to determine the SDM/court, even if they have not lived there for years. The affidavit can contain your current overseas address. It is fine to have both.
Can a Bachelorhood Certificate be just an affidavit, or does it need to be issued by a court/authority?
Some authorities require that the affidavit be accompanied by a certificate of single status, and they are more likely to accept a well-drafted, notarized, and attested affidavit. Others expect an official certificate by a court or an SDM. Always check with the destination authority what format they expect.
What if I have no relatives in India to help with the process?
If you are an NRI, you can appoint a power of attorney, hire an agent, or use specialized services to draft, file, and submit documents to the SDM/court, and based on your instructions, have documents attested on your behalf.
Anybody Did Single Status Certificate Attestation in Bangalore?
Bangalore residents have their Single Status Certificates attested for employment, education, or marriage purposes in foreign countries. There are numerous notary and attestation service providers in Bangalore, and you may seek referrals from acquaintances or local contacts.
What is the process for attestation of a Single Status Certificate in Tamil Nadu?
In Tamil Nadu, the attestation process begins with Notarisation, followed by authentication from the Home Department or SDM. Thereafter, the document is presented to the Ministry of External Affairs and the embassy for the final attestation. This process is uniformly applicable to all states and is facilitated by local agencies.