Georgia Single Status Affidavit Apostille Guide

A single status affidavit apostille is the international authentication that lets your sworn, notarized "free to marry" statement be accepted abroad. This guide walks you through doing it yourself in Georgia, so you pay only the state apostille fee: $3.00 per document.

A Single Status Affidavit is a sworn statement, made under penalty of perjury, in which you declare that you are currently single, widowed, or divorced and therefore legally free to marry. You draft and sign it yourself before a notary — it is not a vital record. No agency keeps a registry of "single" people, so this is your own attested declaration of marital status, not government proof of a fact the way a birth or marriage certificate is. One important caveat applies everywhere: an apostille only makes your affidavit acceptable in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. If your destination country is not a member, an apostille will not work and you will instead need consular legalization through that country's embassy or consulate. Confirm which path your destination uses before you start.

You generally need a single status affidavit when an authority abroad wants written proof that you are free to marry or partner. The destination country sets the exact requirement, so confirm what it will accept before you sign anything. Common uses include:

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

Because requirements differ from one country to the next, check with the local civil registry, embassy, or consulate first.

You draft the affidavit yourself. This is a practical checklist, not legal advice, so confirm your destination country's exact wording before signing. A single status affidavit should generally contain:

• Your full legal name, spelled exactly as 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
• For divorced or widowed applicants, a brief note that any prior marriage was legally dissolved (year and jurisdiction)
• The destination country (and city, if known) named in the body
• The date and a signature line, to be signed before a notary

Leave enough blank space below your signature for the notarial certificate (acknowledgment or jurat) and the notary's stamp. The required sworn wording should affirm that the statement is "true and correct under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Georgia." One nuance: some consulates provide their own affidavit template — if so, 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 Georgia."

Instead of (or alongside) a personal affidavit, some applicants use an official "no marriage record" document. This usually takes one of two forms: a county-clerk Letter of No Record from the county where you live, or a certificate or statewide marriage-record search from the state vital-records office, the Georgia Department of Public Health, State Office of Vital Records. You order it directly from that office under its current procedures. Unlike your affidavit, this is an official attestation that no marriage record was found rather than your own sworn statement. The destination country decides which proof it will accept, so confirm before you request one. Keep in mind that this official no-record document is itself a separate record and, like your affidavit, may need to be apostilled the same way before it is recognized abroad.

Queue times drift, so treat this as a snapshot. As of 2026-06-05, the apostille processing time is: Mail: normally 1–2 business days; walk-in: typically under 20 minutes. Check the official GSCCCA apostille page for the current turnaround before you send your packet.

Many destination countries require a certified translation of both your affidavit and its apostille into the local language. The receiving country or authority sets this requirement — including who may translate and how the translation must be certified — so confirm exactly what they expect before you submit. Arranging the translation after the apostille is attached means the apostille itself is translated along with the affidavit when that is required.