Florida Single Status Affidavit Apostille Guide

A single status affidavit apostille certifies your sworn statement that you are free to marry so it will be accepted abroad. This guide walks you through the do-it-yourself path in Florida, paying only the state apostille fee of $10.00 per document; OR $20.00 per document for documents certified by any Florida Clerk of Court when requesting an apostille ($10 apostille + $10 certificate of incumbency).

A Single Status Affidavit is a sworn statement, signed under penalty of perjury, in which you declare that you are single (never married), widowed, or divorced and therefore legally free to marry. You draft it yourself, so it is not a vital record: it is your own sworn declaration, not government proof of fact like a birth or marriage certificate. An apostille only makes your affidavit acceptable in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. If your destination is not a member of that convention, an apostille will not be recognized there; that country requires consular legalization through its embassy or consulate instead, so confirm which path applies before you start.

A single status affidavit is usually requested when a foreign authority needs proof that you are legally free to marry or to be recognized as a partner. The most common reasons people obtain one include:

• Marriage abroad (proof you are free to marry)
• Residency / partnership / family-based visas
• Other consular matters — name change, adoption, or inheritance where civil status is relevant

The exact requirement always comes from the destination country: it decides whether an affidavit is accepted, what it must say, and whether it must be apostilled and translated. Confirm the specifics with the receiving authority before you draft and notarize your document.

You draft the affidavit yourself, and this checklist covers what most single status affidavits include. It is a practical guide, not legal advice. Make sure yours contains:

• Your full legal name, spelled exactly as it appears in your passport
• Your date and place of birth
• Your current address
• A clear statement of your current marital status (single, widowed, or divorced)
• A statement that you are free to marry
• If you are divorced or widowed, a brief note that any prior marriage was legally dissolved, with the year and jurisdiction
• The destination country, and the city if you know it, named in the body
• The date
• A signature line to be signed in front of a notary

Leave enough blank space below your signature for the notarial certificate (an acknowledgment or jurat) and the notary's stamp. Many affidavits also include the sworn wording the statement is certified under. In Florida, that language reads: "true and correct under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Florida." One nuance: some consulates provide their own required affidavit template or wording, and when they do, follow it exactly.

1. 1

   Bring the unsigned affidavit and a valid photo ID to a notary commissioned in this state.

2. 2

   Sign in the notary's presence (or swear/affirm if a jurat is used).

3. 3

   The notary verifies your identity, completes the acknowledgment or jurat certificate, signs, and affixes an official seal.

Your affidavit should affirm that the statements are "true and correct under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Florida."

Some countries prefer an official no-record document instead of, or alongside, your personal affidavit: an official statement that no marriage record was found. Florida's official Route B is the 'Single Status Statement': the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics (Jacksonville) searches marriage records across all 67 Florida counties for the years you specify and, if none is found, issues an official 'No Record Found' Single Status Statement — which is then apostilled like any Florida record. Plan ahead: the search cannot cover roughly the most recent 60 days, and the search fee is non-refundable. Which document a foreign authority accepts — your personal affidavit or this official statement — is decided by the destination country, so confirm before you order. Either way, the official statement carries a state certification and may itself need an apostille from the Florida Department of State, the same way your affidavit does.

Apostille processing times shift as the queue changes, so treat this as a snapshot. As of 2026-02-24, the Florida Department of State listed: "Apostille Requests | 02/18/26" from "Document Processing Dates (Updated 02/23/26)." Because these dates drift, check the official document processing dates page for the current status before you mail, and allow extra time for postal transit in both directions.

Many destination countries require a certified translation of both your affidavit and the apostille attached to it. The receiving country or authority sets the exact requirement, including whether the translation itself must be certified or notarized, so confirm what is needed before you submit. Arranging the translation after the apostille is issued ensures the apostille text is included in the translated copy.

En español: para usar una Single Status Affidavit (declaración jurada de estado civil) de Florida en el extranjero, fírmela ante un notario de Florida y luego solicite la apostilla al Florida Department of State (Division of Corporations); la tarifa estatal es $10 por documento (o $20 si el documento fue certificado primero por un Clerk of Court). Como alternativa, puede obtener una 'Single Status Statement' oficial del Florida Department of Health tras una búsqueda en los 67 condados. Confirme siempre con la autoridad extranjera qué documento aceptan.