How Can You Prove That You Are Unmarried in India?

In India, we issue birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates, but the government does not maintain official records to issue an unmarried certificate that proves a person is single. However, in many Western and European countries, when someone marries a foreign national, an unmarried certificate is required. To address this, the Indian government allows individuals to prepare an affidavit declaring that he or she is single.

How to Prepare an Unmarried Certificate Affidavit, or Single Status Certificate in India?

To prepare an unmarried certificate, you first need to create a self-declaration affidavit stating that you are single and have never been married as of a specific date. For this, purchase a ₹100 stamp paper and visit a nearby lawyer. Request the lawyer to draft the affidavit and get it notarized with the official signature and stamp.

Correct Format for Single Status Affidavit / Unmarried Certificate

In a Single Status Certificate or Unmarried Certificate, basic details must be included, such as the person's name as per passport, date of birth, age, and address (also as per passport). The applicant must also declare that he or she has never been married in India before. Additionally, ensure that the current date is mentioned when preparing the affidavit.

For your convenience, we’ve provided a downloadable draft of the Unmarried Certificate:

📥 Download Sample Format Here

What Is the Process to Make an Unmarried Certificate Legally Valid Abroad?

When you prepare an affidavit of unmarried or single status certificate, it is not enough to use it for marriage abroad. It must also be legalized by the Indian government. Here are the steps to be followed after getting the unmarried certificate notarized.

• Step 1: It must be attested by either the Home Department of the respective state or the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
• Step 2: It must be apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, located in New Delhi (Indian Embassy).

How Long Does the Entire Process Take for an Unmarried Certificate?

First, we will prepare the affidavit and get it notarized, which may take 1 working day. After that, we will send it to you for your signature. Once we receive the signed affidavit, we will proceed with apostille and attestation, which may take around 3 working days. In total, the entire process—including courier delivery—takes approximately 7 to 10 working days for you to receive the hard copy in your hand.

How to Start the Unmarried Certificate Process with ND Universal?

To start the process with us, we require a copy of your passport (front and back pages) to get your name and address details for the affidavit. Once the affidavit is prepared, we will send it to your address for signature. After receiving the signed affidavit, we will proceed with legalization and apostille attestation from the Indian government. Alternatively, if you have already prepared and notarized the affidavit, you can send it directly to our office for apostille.

if you're ready to proceed or have any questions, feel free to reach out to us.📩 Fill out our Contact Form here and our team will get in touch with you shortly.

Steps to obtain single status certificate in India

If you are residing in India, you can obtain the unmarried certificate this way:

• Put together documents such as passport, birth certificate, voter ID, Aadhar card, address proof, proof of residence, voter ID or aadhar of your parents, and other documents required for the unmarried certificate application.
• Draft a single status affidavit stating that you are single, mentioning your personal details, your address, and names of witnesses.
• Approach your local DC office or the Suvidha Kendra to fill in the unmarried certificate form, and submit it along with the affidavit and supporting documents.
• You may also apply for an unmarried certificate online if you happen to reside in another country. The alternative, if you are an NRI, is to visit the Indian High Commissioner, and submit the form along with the documents as above.

Post submission processes for unmarried Certificate

Obtaining the singlehood status certificate is lengthy, involving these procedures:

• The competent court will direct the police station in whose jurisdiction you are located to depute an officer to visit your address, and examine two witnesses who will attest to your singlehood status.
• The police will send the single status report to the State Home Department for verification and document attestation, and the department will seal and sign your documents.
• This document sent is forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs for the final document attestation from your home country.
• The MEA then authorizes issuance of the single status certificate, and will inform your local high commissioner’s office (if you are residing in another country) about its attestation.
• The authority will issue the unmarried certificate in printed form and may even give the facility of downloading the unmarried certificate pdf from its portal.

The whole process may take anywhere from one month to two months. If there are queries, then you will be required to satisfy such queries, which will extend the time frame. It is important that your unmarried certificate application, and the unmarried status affidavit follows the right format and that there are no discrepancies, for which it is better to engage a professional agency rather than do it yourself. As can be seen, there are several government agencies involved, and it may require follow ups and personal visits to ensure expeditious processing. You may not be in a position to do it yourself due to time constraints, or because you are located in another country. Just leave it to experts and sit back.