Certificate of marital status translation and notarization

The certificate of marital status, also called the certificate of no impediment to marriage, is the document that a foreign civil registry, town hall or consulate asks for before registering a marriage: it must confirm that you are not currently in a registered marriage and that there is no legal impediment to a new one. The same certificate is asked for in spouse visa and residence procedures, when registering a partnership, and sometimes in inheritance and banking procedures. It is a short-lived document, its name differs from country to country, and the apostille and translation requirements often depend on the specific place of marriage. Our bureau in Tbilisi, on Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, translates these certificates every day and notarizes them within one day.

Where the certificate is issued and what it contains

The certificate is issued by the Public Service Hall and the Public Service Development Agency on the basis of the civil status register. It states the person's name, surname, date of birth, personal number and an entry that no valid marriage of theirs is registered in the register; if the person was previously married, the certificate may also reflect the divorce or the death of the spouse. The certificate can be requested in person, electronically and through an authorised representative, which matters especially for those abroad. It is ready within a few working days, faster under the expedited procedure, and is issued in Georgian.

Different countries, different names

Foreign authorities ask for this document under different terms, and in the translation it is the receiving country's term that must be used, otherwise the official may not realise that you have submitted the right document:

• English-speaking countries: Certificate of No Impediment (CNI), Single Status Certificate, Certificate of Freedom to Marry;
• Germany and Austria: Ehefähigkeitszeugnis, and at some Standesamt offices additionally a Ledigkeitsbescheinigung;
• Italy: Nulla Osta al matrimonio or certificato di stato libero;
• Spain and Latin America: Certificado de soltería / de capacidad matrimonial;
• France: Certificat de célibat or certificat de capacité à mariage;
• Turkey: Bekârlık belgesi or evlenme ehliyet belgesi;
• The Russian-speaking world: a certificate on the absence of a marriage record.

Some countries ask for an additional document issued by the consulate alongside the certificate (in Italy, for example, the Nulla Osta is often issued by the Georgian consulate on the basis of our certificate). We confirm the exact scheme in advance for the specific place of marriage.

What we pay attention to when translating

The name as it will be entered in the future marriage certificate

The name and surname on the certificate are rendered exactly according to the Latin entry of the passport, because the foreign registry will enter your name in the marriage record in precisely this form. If you were previously married and have changed your surname, the divorce certificate or the spouse's death certificate is attached to the certificate, and the surnames are written by one rule in all three documents.

Wording

"Is not in a registered marriage" must be rendered in the target language with the formula the local registry recognises; a word-for-word translation is often ambiguous. If the certificate contains an entry about the dissolution of a previous marriage, its date and grounds are translated exactly, because some countries require a certain period to pass after a divorce before remarriage.

Date

The date of issue is the starting point of the validity period; the editor checks it separately and it is converted to the format of the target country.

Apostille and notarization

For a marriage in a Hague Convention country the certificate almost always needs an apostille, which is placed by the Public Service Hall. The order never changes: first the apostille on the original, then the translation of the certificate and the apostille together, finally the notarization, during which the notary certifies the translator's signature. For Italy, Spain, Portugal and some German Standesamt offices a second apostille is placed on the translation as well, at the Ministry of Justice. For the United Kingdom and Ireland a certified English translation of the apostilled certificate is often enough. For countries that are not party to the Hague Convention (the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Canada, for example) consular legalization is completed. The full scheme is described on the personal documents page.

Timing according to the wedding date

This certificate most often "fails" precisely because of its validity: most authorities do not accept a certificate older than 3 months, some 6 months, and the period is counted from the day of issue. The typical chain is: obtaining the certificate 1-5 working days, the apostille 1-5 days, the translation and certification 1 day, where needed a second apostille and the courier. So obtaining the certificate 3-5 weeks before submitting the marriage documents is optimal. If the wedding date is already set, we plan every stage backwards from it; for those abroad the certificate and the apostille are obtained by power of attorney, and the translation goes by courier or, where acceptable, as a scan.

A foreigner's certificate for marriage in Georgia

Georgia is a popular place to register a marriage, and we have many orders in the opposite direction: the foreign partner submits the certificate of their own country (CNI, Ehefähigkeitszeugnis, certificado de soltería, bekârlık belgesi and others) with an apostille to the Public Service Hall, with a Georgian notarized translation and together with the passport translation. Some countries do not issue such a certificate at all (most US states, for example); in that case a notarized affidavit or a consular certificate is translated. We know which format each country uses and tell the couple in advance which document to bring.

Mistakes that stall the marriage registration

• An expired certificate. The certificate was valid when translated, but no longer on the day of registration; the most frequent problem.
• Translation before the apostille. The apostille text does not make it into the translation and everything starts over.
• The wrong term in the translation. A word-for-word "family status certificate" is not recognised as an Ehefähigkeitszeugnis at a German Standesamt.
• Omitting the documents of a previous marriage. If the certificate contains a divorce entry, the authority asks for the divorce certificate too, preferably in the same package.
• Forgetting the second apostille. For Italy and Spain the document is incomplete without an apostille on the translation.

Turnaround

The certificate translation with notarization is ready within one working day; a certificate delivered in the morning is handed back the same day. We prepare the marriage package (the certificate, the birth certificate, the passport, where needed the divorce certificate and the criminal record certificate) with one transliteration, in one visit. Delivery by scan, email or at the office; collection at the office, by courier or as a scan.

Frequently asked questions