CENOMAR Archives

How Can NRIs Get Single Status Certificate While Working in Saudi Arabia?

December 13, 2023 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

Also known as a no marriage certificate or certificate of no impediment, a single status certificate can be obtained easily, even if you’re in Saudi Arabia and working as a non-resident Indian (NRI). This document is a legal paper required for different purposes, especially navigating the challenges in marriage abroad or its registration.

Here is how you can apply and acquire a single status certificate.

Process to Obtain a Single Status Certificate in Saudi Arabia

Let’s find out the simple way to acquire a no marriage certificate in a gulf country.

Step 1. Contact the Indian Embassy/Consulate

The process starts with reaching out to the Indian embassy or consulate located in Saudi Arabia. You can inquire about the whole procedure, contextual requirement, and documents to obtain a single status certificate. So, the purpose is to collect information, but not to apply. It can be done online.

Step 2. Confirm Eligibility

Beforehand, you should discover if you’re eligible to apply for this document. Typically, the eligibility criteria mentions your age, which should be above 21 years, to get it.

Step 3. Document Preparation

This step is dedicated to gathering necessary documents. These can be the following:

Passport: The applicant should have a copy of his/her valid passport, including particular pages consisting of personal information and the residence permit in Saudi Arabia.
Proof of Stay: It is an evidence of one’s residence in Saudi Arabia for which he or she can show a copy of his/her residence permit (Iqama).
Affidavit: It refers to a sworn document, stating that its bearer is single or bachelor. A single status affidavit must be attested or legalised by the Indian embassy to be accepted.
Visa photocopies
2 photographs
An Authorization Letter

Step 4. Visit the Indian Embassy/Consulate

Now comes the step when you have to schedule an appointment with the embassy or consulate. Visit its official website to contact the authority and understand how to move further and obtain a bachelorhood certificate. Thoroughly check and discover their working hours. Then, select a slot to visit for an appointment.

Step 5. Affidavit Attestation

If the authority seeks affidavit, you have to get it from the notary public in your own country and get it attested from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of Saudi Arabia. This step makes this document acceptable because the legalized document becomes authentic that every country trusts.

Step 6. Translation of Documents

The translation of any of your document in Arabic would require its English version. So, you should ensure that these translations are also signed by a competent authority.

Step 7. Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Now that you have all documents ready, get them legalized by the MOFA in the host country. The website- https://mea.gov.in/apostille.htm is an official website to host documents’ attestation services. You, also, have to visit there and go through the interview with consul before.

Step 8. Submission of Documents

During that interview, you are supposed to submit all aforementioned documents. The checklist carries the attested single status affidavit, passport, and proof of stay and translation of all docs (that are in the regional language).

Step 9. Verification Process

The consul will examine the authenticity and originality of the supporting documents during verification. This can happen in your very presence before the relevant authority.

Step 10. Payment of Fees

Because the attestation is to be done, the authority can seek fees for its issuance. This fee can be revised over years. So, it cannot be mentioned here specifically. But, you can go through the official website of the consulting agents because the MEA does not entertain request from anyone, unless it is an authorized consultant.

Step 11. Waiting Period

The processing time for this bachelorhood proof can vary. Your documents can be attested and verified one the very same day or in 2-3 days. If the expected time exceeds, you can inquire by visiting its office.

Step 12. Certificate Issuance

If everything appears accurate, and the documents are valid, the embassy will issue the certificate of single status.

Step 13. Attestation by MOFA India

After obtaining, it should be legalized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India. This step ensures that your certificate is valid and can be used internationally.

Step 14. Optional: Attestation by the Embassy of the Receiving Country

Depending on the destination country’s requirements, you may also need to get the Single Status Certificate attested by the Embassy or Consulate of the country where you intend to use the document.

Step 15. Delivery or Collection

Finally, the procedure ends with the delivery of the document, which is outlined by the Embassy/Consulate.

Additional Tips

If you consider seeking assistance, hire professional consultants that specialize in document attestation services.

In the Nutshell

It’s necessary to understand that the procedure and requirements can be different as per location. So, you should always check with the relevant authorities and the official website of the Indian embassy/ consulate in Saudi Arabia for the most accurate and updated information.

How Can NRIs Get Married Overseas, Especially in the UAE?

March 14, 2023 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) can solemnise marriage in a foreign country. However, there are many barriers, especially legal roadblocks. But, there is always a way. So here in this blog, we will see how this can happen.

Certainly, you have to fulfill legal requirements. There is a certain procedure in every particular country that you need to follow for marriage. The process may vary from country to country. But in general, the following steps are involved:

Apply for a Single Status Certificate

It’s like a marriage licence, which states that you’re single and solemnise a marriage. Here, a thing might be conflicting, which is related to singleness. Being single does not mean that you’re a bachelor. You can be married and then, got separated or widowed, or even got a divorce. In these all conditions, you will be considered single. To prove it all, you need to present a document called a single status certificate, which is also known as a single status affidavit/ bachelorhood certificate/ certificate of no impediment, etc. Depending on the country, NRIs may need to obtain it from the relevant authority. Here, single status apostille is important if you want your application be accepted. Your country’s embassy legalizes it. This may require providing proof of identity, residency status, and other documentation.

In particular, these documents may vary, which completely depends on the jurisdiction where the certificate is being issued from. However, some common documents that may be required are given below:

Proof of identity: A valid passport or government-issued identification card, which includes a photograph, name, and date of birth.
Proof of single status of parents: This may vary by jurisdiction, but typically includes an affidavit (a sworn statement) or declaration by parents or relatives, stating that the applicant is single and has never been married/ got divorced, or widowed.
Birth certificate: A certified copy of the applicant’s birth certificate, which may be required to verify the applicant’s identity and age.
Police clearance certificate: This is not mandatory in all cases. Some jurisdictions may require a police clearance certificate to ensure that the applicant does not have a criminal record.

Once the documentation part is done, you can move to its registration.

2. Find a Marriage Official

Non-residents can find a marriage office in a foreign country, which is authorised to conduct a marriage ceremony. This may include religious officials, judges, or other authorised individuals.

3. Schedule the Wedding Ceremony

Once the single status proof is obtained, and it is known where to apply for the marriage, NRIs can schedule the wedding ceremony at a convenient time and location. Typically, this time period can be one to three months long. Here, the would-be spouse should hurry for the application of single status proof because it’s time-consuming and may get delayed if the documents are not valid. So, apply for it at least 6 months before and then, schedule the ceremony.

4. Complete the Legal Requirements

The applicant should ensure that they comply with all the legal requirements of the foreign country. This may include registering the marriage with the relevant authorities, obtaining a marriage certificate, and complying with any other legal obligations.

5. Notify authorities

NRIs should notify the authorities like SDM in their home country about the marriage, as this may have implications for immigration and other legal matters.

Taking a piece of legal advice and assistance from a qualified attorney or immigration consultant in a foreign country can help you comply with all the legal requirements and procedures for getting married. It is simply because the rules or laws are updated over time. So, taking a piece of advice from an expert consultant can help.

Non-Residents of UAE-Marriage Law Updated

There is a case of such an update, which is associated with the UAE’s marriage law. It has been significantly changed. Now, non-Muslim couples can now tie the knot through a civil ceremony. If they are Dubai residents, they can have a marriage license within 24 to 48 hours.

Previously, non-Muslim couples could only wed through a religious ceremony. Or, their embassy/consulate would be a place to exchange wows. With the introduction of the new law, non-residents or non Muslims communities can arrange marriage through a civil contract, without a religious ceremony.

How Can Non-Muslims Get Married in the UAE?

To qualify for this new law, both spouses must be non-Muslim.
They must be over 21 years old, and have a Dubai residency permit.
They must provide proof of their single status through an attested marital status certificate from their country’s embassy.
The required electronic documents should be translated to Arabic by a UAE Ministry of Justice-approved entity and attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the UAE.
For document verification, original IDs, such as the passport and Emirates ID, are also required.

Once all the documents are ready, the spouses can submit their application at one of the Dubai Courts Customer Service Centers. There, a service fee needs to be paid out. The notary public or judge will verify and approve the application. Once verified, he will issue a digital certificate, which may take 24 to 48 hours. The couple can sign the marriage contract at the court once they receive the approval to complete the process.

What If Foreign Embassy Doesn’t Issue Single Status Cert.?

July 12, 2022 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

Declarations Or Certificates are Legitimate Proofs

Recently, a case was filed in the Kerala High Court, India. Its verdict has the answer of “what if the foreign embassy does not issue a single status certificate”. The source carried an overview of the case.

The foreign embassy neither issued an unmarried certificate nor NOC for an OCI card holder. The petitioner filed a case for the Marriage Officer to accept the declarations and certificates so that they can get their marriage registered in India.

However, the petitioner was not yet married. He originated from India and wanted to solemnize marriage with a British. She was an OCI card holder who applied for the single status proof in the embassy but, did not get it. The reason for rejection was the law, rules, and regulations that are prevalent in the UK.

His concern was to discover if his marriage to a foreign native can be registered in India.

On hearing, the court came up with the verdict that Declarations or Certificates stating that the person is single would be accepted in India for the registration of marriage.

The unmarried Indian petitioner was an NRI. He knocked at the door of the court to cancel a Circular and request the Marriage Officer to accept documents later. His would-be bride and he had all documented proofs. But previously, his request was led down by the officer.

The bride was British and also had an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. She and the petitioner decided to tie a knot for marriage under the provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1954.

NOC and Single Status Certificate

In this case, the Marriage Officer was respondent 1. For registration and solemnizing marriage, he asked to present a No Objection Certificate (NOC) and Bachelorhood Certificates. The embassy of the foreign country had to issue it, which it did not issue.

The reason was that the British government has paused issuing a Certificate of Impediment or CENOMAR, which is also a No Objection Certificate, to its own natives who want to solemnize marriage in Commonwealth Countries.

This simply happened because of different and separated legislations in England and Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland.

So, she finally got a Single Status Statutory declaration before a solicitor. Later on, it was apostilled.

Now, the petitioner wanted the court to direct Marriage Office to accept that document and allow for the marriage registration and solemnization.

Verdict or Court Decided to Allow

The High Court gave an order that Respondent 1 (Marriage Officer) accept the declarations or certificates, which are pieces of evidence of the fact that the bearer was Single before marriage.

The Court stated that the marriage should be registered and the evidence should be accepted, even if a foreign Embassy does not issue a Single Status Certificate or NOC. The law, rules, and regulations might be the barrier. But, the registration of marriage is valid so are the documents that the petitioner was presenting.

The Court remarked that no one can be pushed to achieve impossibilities.

Further, it announced that the petitioner had the Single Status Statutory Declaration, which is also attested by the concerned authority. It would be a grave injustice for them. So, the refusal to get married and register would be against the law.

Therefore, the Bench disposed of the petition while ordering the Marriage Officer to accept their proofs in view of the case.

This was a unique case and justice won.

However, the petitioner boy did not require any bachelorhood certificate.

On the flip side, the British government makes it mandatory to provide proof that the marriage was held there.

Then, he has to follow this process for applying for a Single Status Affidavit.

How to Get a Single Status Affidavit/ Certificate in India

The petitioner has to raise a request with the Indian Embassy.
Fill up the form (application for the bachelorhood certificate) on its website.
Enclose these documents to upload with the application:

An affidavit to prove that he is single
Address proof (like Bank Passbook, rental agreement, voter ID, nationality card, etc.)
Passport or visa
Birth proof (birth certificate, NABC, school certificate or adoption deed or baptism docs)
Parents’ proof, their voter ID or nationality proof
Decree Absolute in case of a divorcee
Death certificate in case of a widowed

Then, schedule a meeting with the consul.
Visit on the due date for verification while carrying all original documents.
Pay the fee and wait for a week to a month. (The processing may be lengthy.)

At the backend, the application will be verified in India. This verification & authentication is called the legalization of documents.

Attestation Process in India

Here, the following authorities are defined as competent authorities to legalise or attest the unmarried proof.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or District Magistrate (DM)
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Embassy

This is the process for getting CENOMAR and its attestation in India.

What is CENOMAR?

April 15, 2022 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

About CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage)

A legally valid document stating that the bearer is single is called CENOMAR. It stands for Certificate of No Marriage.

There is a conflicting statement related to it. The divorcee can also be considered single or bachelor. It is simply because of being divorced. But, this statement should be legally on-paper. With it, one can easily apply for this bachelorhood certificate.

This certificate should be legitimate. Attestation can make it legal. This is why various countries have court or A-gazette officers who can issue its affidavit. Later, it is legalized by different authorities. There are immigration consultants who can help guide you on how to get CENOMAR.

CENOMAR Vs Single Status Affidavit

CENOMAR & affidavit serve the same purpose. The affidavit is a sworn statement, which is accepted as bachelorhood proof. It’s not necessary that every country has an official authority to issue this document. The USA, and many more countries are there where no official authority is to issue it.

In that case, the court or any A-gazette officer issues this certificate. Later, it is attested from the state and national level authorities.

This affidavit consists of all personal and familial details of the applicant, including name, date of birth, original address, parents or relatives’ details, and their proofs also.

What is the Purpose of CENOMAR?

Primarily, this document is required to apply for marriage registration. Several people go abroad on a temporary visa for different purposes. And coincidently, they find the right match there. In this case, they require this paper.

This is simply because the foreign government also requires assurance that their natives’ rights are safe. It also saves them from polygamy. Some fraudulent people think about gaining the permanent residency of the foreign. Marriage with a foreigner is an easy way to get it.

To avoid this practice, this certificate is made mandatory to present.

Besides, there may be some more reasons associated with it like employment visa, family residence visa, education visa, and business events etc..

However, it is not necessary that these visas would mandatorily require this single status proof. The authority in the foreign affairs ministry of that country would certainly probe to discover true intentions. This is why the interview is conducted, wherein the consul figures out the actual reason behind getting any visa. If he finds anything suspicious, he may reject your visa also.

Legalization refers to making this document legally acceptable across the world. For this reason, the immigration department of every country carefully examines and verifies it. Certainly, multiple supporting documents are to show up for its approval.

It is necessary to understand that there are two types of legalization.

Attestation

This is the process of verifying the authenticity and validity of the document. For this purpose, there are regional courts, notary public (in a few cases), state government, and national immigration department. Upon that, the CENOMAR is finally sent to the consulate of the country where the bearer is going to marry. There, the competent person does all verifications by cross-checking all original proofs.

Apostille

This is similar to attestation. The only difference is that it is required for the one going to any of the member countries of The Hague Convention. There are 90 members right now.

A person who has apostille the CENOMAR won’t require further attestation. It is simply because both are valid and serve a similar purpose.

Now, you should learn what documents can make verification easy.

Checklist of Supporting Documents for CENOMAR

Below, we are going to create a checklist of the documents that are required to support your application for the no-marriage certificate.

For Affidavit/Notary
- Birth proof
- Original and photocopy of Nationality Card/ Voter ID Card/Driving Licence
- Original Passport & its photocopy
- Photographs
- Decree Absolute
- Death Certificate
For State Attestation

Birth proof
- Original proofs of the residential proof (Voter ID/ Driving Licence)
- Affidavit
- Decree Absolute
- Death Certificate

For Immigration Department (Attestation/Apostille)
- Birth Certificate
- Original and photocopy of your Passport
- Affidavit
- Decree Absolute
- Death Certificate
For Embassy
- Birth proof
- Only original passport
- Decree Absolute
- Death Certificate
- And, affidavit of parents & self

All of these verifications may consume a month. So, the applicant has to apply two or three months prior to his/her marriage. Sometimes, the applications are rejected. So, it is significant to take one or two months’ intervals in bulk.

Validity

In some countries, this certificate will remain valid for six months only. However, this validity period may vary as per different countries’ rules and regulations. Therefore, try to apply and get this proof two-three months before your marriage.

Paid Service

This is a paid service. The government requests minimal charges, which are affordable. Every country has set a different price for it. You may check before this application.

How NRI Can Get Certificate of No Impediment?

February 23, 2021 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

Being an NRI, you need to have a certificate to show that you are single and have no dependent from previous marriage.

How do you get it?

Here are some ways to get it.

To know how to get a certificate of no impediment, you need to follow two ways:

by applying in person at the Indian Embassy in the country where you live
by sending documents signed in front of a local Public Notary via post

First Method: From Embassy

Make an appointment at the Embassy as earlier as one month before the marriage to notify that you are going to marry with a foreigner
Enclose photocopies of all supporting documents needed to verify your claim for the single status affidavit in India
Show proof of your employment and residence in the foreign for the Certificate of No Impediment by means of residence permit, air ticket, etc.
Annex the original Decree Absolute if you have been married before and divorced/ marriage annulled
Show the Notice of Marriage and affidavit of your parents

Second Method: Attesting Documents from India

For this, you need to send the documents for attestation and notarization to the competent authorities like the court, SDM and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Checklist of supporting documents:

Aadhaar Card
Scanned copy and origin Notice of Marriage
Affidavits for notarization and attestation or apostille
Dully filled application form for the certificate
A certified copy of your valid passport
If widowed, Death Certificate of previous spouse (and Marriage Certificate)
Deed Poll if you have changed your name

The non-residents may send all these documents to Embassy by themselves or relatives or friends can also do this job on their behalf. If you have an attorney, make sure that he has a signed letter that reads about the given authority.

Fee Structure

SDM attestation – INR 2000 to INR 3000 (as per location)
Fee for Notary – INR 350
Fee for Attestation – INR 105
Fee for Apostille – INR 50

How long does it take?

Since it’s a time-consuming task, you need to raise a request one or two months before your marriage. The attestation may take many weeks, as it has to go through many stages from the competent authorities in India.

Besides, you need to keep into account that there are four authorized outsourcing agencies that are competent to place a request for attestation with. You need to ask them, as the MEA or the state government does not attend any direct request for this.

What does it read?

As aforementioned, you need to enclose two affidavits, one –for yourself and another-for your parents. Being a sworn statement, it should include all these details so that the authorities can verify them with the enclosed supporting documents.

Date of birth:It is compulsorily asked by the authority before attesting.
Passport number: It is a legal document that shows nationality and also the authentication number, which one has to mention for getting this certificate.
Complete address:This detail helps the competent authority to tap the affiant’s country and residential information.
Witness’ statement: This statement is essentially required to support affiant’s claim of this certificate. So, provide it with the applicant’s docs & affidavit.
Competent authority’s verification: The competent authorities verify the authenticity of the presented documents. Therefore, the affidavit’s closure should mention this sentence:
“I solemnly confirm that all the above information is true and correct.”
Date of verification and signature: The applicant has to mention the date of filing for the affidavit along with his/her signature.

Steps to Get Certificate of Freedom to Marry from India

February 25, 2019 Manoj Sodhani Comments 0 Comment

Are you required to submit the certificate of freedom to marry from India?

Before knowing where you get it from, let’s go through its definition.

What is a Certificate of Freedom to Marry?

Many-a-times called Single Status Certificate/ Certificate of No Impediment/ Certificate de Coutume/ Certificate of Nulla Osta/ Bachelorhood Certificate, the certificate of freedom to marry is a legal declaration stating the bachelorhood of its bearer.

Simply put, it is a valid declaration of NRIs from the country of origin about your freedom to marry.

What should you know to get this certificate from India?

Almost all European countries and a few Asian countries mandate that the marriage applicants should provide a valid proof of their bachelorhood before marriage. However, the diversity of religion doesn’t allow India to come with such kind of provision in the country. This is why there is no formal setup of a competent authority that can issue it.

Who does issue this certificate in India?

But, the foreign countries mandate to provide it before solemnizing marriage. Then only, the couple can exchange woos. While keeping this requirement into account, this authority is assigned to the court magistrate. It is segmented as a civil service. Therefore, the court can issue it.

Drill into head that the Municipal Corporation is not the right authority to administer this request.

Single Status Affidavits:

A single status affidavit defines a sworn document wherein an affiant (the applicant/would-be spouse) declares in writing that he/she belongs to a specific location. Also, the citizenship of a particular country should also be defined there. In simple words, you being an affiant should put your identity, location, parents and citizenship on the affidavit. These details should follow your status as a bachelor/ married/ divorced/ widowed.

Notarize

Sometimes called the ‘Notarial Act’, the process of notarization is a practice of certifying, attesting and authenticating any instrument. This instrument can be any banking transaction or a court document. The certificate of freedom to marry is a court document. So, it may require translation and verification from one language to another. Let’s say, an NRI is going to solemnize marriage with a French citizen. In this case, this certificate should be translated into French as per its immigration norms.

The notarizing or attesting of unmarried certificate is done to prevent fraud and assure spouses that the document is voluntarily signed. He/she has willingly written. Eventually, the notary public, a competent authority, verifies it while putting his stamp.

Supporting Documents: An NRI should have these documents to support your application for this affidavit:

ID proof
Address proof
Passport/Visa
Birth Proof
Parents or witness identity proof
Decree absolute, if divorced
Death certificate, if widowed

Steps to get this certificate from India:

Visit the court or send your Power of Attorney (PoA) on your behalf.
Purchase a stamp paper to write the oath.
Get it typed by the notary public and then, get the affidavit attested.
The notary public will check its authenticity and you need to sign on it before him.
Visit the magistrate to get this certificate attested.
Show all supporting documents that you come along with to verify.
Afterwards, you have to visit the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for attestation from HRD.
Pay requisite fee.
You have to verify it with the Indian Embassy.
Lastly, the embassy of the resident country will need it to authenticate your status.

These steps will help you get the certificate sans any hassle. If you have a digilocker, you can send a request to your relative or PoA to upload this no marriage certificate from India in your account. Subsequently, you can download its soft copy from that digital locker.

S2NRI

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