Marital status certificate Translation

A marital status certificate is a civil registry record showing whether a person is single, married, divorced or widowed; some countries' authorities refer to it as a personal status certificate. It is required in overseas marriage, family reunification, citizenship and inheritance files.

In some files, the same information can also be provided by a civil registry extract; which document is required varies with the receiving authority's language and practice. To avoid losing time through use of the wrong document, the name on the application list should be clarified before translation.

Which institutions request this document?

• Foreign marriage and civil registry authorities
• Immigration authorities — in family reunification and residence files
• Consulates
• Foreign courts — in family and inheritance cases

Certification requirements

Preparing your document

• Check the application list to see which authority requests the document and under what name
• If you have a history of marriage or divorce, verify that the records are current
• If an apostille is needed, send the document after it has been apostilled

Frequently asked questions