When a marital status affidavit may be requested

A foreign civil registry, consulate, religious authority, pension administrator or another institution may ask a person to declare whether they are single, married, divorced or widowed. The receiving authority may call the document a marital status affidavit, single status affidavit, declaration of civil status or certificate of no impediment. Those labels are not necessarily interchangeable.

This template provides neutral fields for identity, residence, present status and relevant prior marriage information. It is a starting point only. The receiving authority decides whether a self-declared affidavit is acceptable, what date range must be covered and whether official vital-statistics records are also required.

An affidavit is not the same as an official search

An affidavit records the declarant’s sworn evidence. It is not a government certificate and does not independently search marriage records. Ontario’s Office of the Registrar General offers a letter of proof that verifies whether a person has been married in Ontario during a requested range of years. Ontario notes that a person planning to marry outside Ontario or Canada may need this type of document.

The two documents serve different purposes. A recipient may want a letter of proof, an affidavit, a divorce certificate, a former spouse’s death certificate, or a combination. A letter of proof about Ontario records also cannot establish what happened in every other province or country. Use the document specified by the recipient rather than assuming a notarized affidavit will be enough.

How to use the template

1. Identify the recipient. Record the authority, country and purpose so the affidavit can be tailored to the actual request.
2. Confirm the acceptable status terms. Legal categories vary. Do not describe a common-law relationship, separation, divorce or annulment using a term you do not understand.
3. Complete only accurate paragraphs. Replace prompts, remove alternatives that do not apply and add required facts in numbered paragraphs. Do not conceal a prior marriage or unresolved proceeding.
4. Compare source records. Make spelling, dates and places consistent with your identification and civil-status documents. Explain material name differences only if the recipient requests it.
5. Arrange translation if required. Ask whether the affidavit, attachments or both must be translated and whether the translator must be certified.
6. Sign at the appointment. Bring the unsigned final affidavit, original identification, relevant records and the recipient’s instructions.

The notary or commissioner administers the oath or affirmation, witnesses the signature and completes the jurat. They do not certify that no marriage exists anywhere, determine eligibility to marry abroad or give advice about foreign law.

If the document will be used outside Canada

Notarization and authentication are separate steps. A foreign recipient may ask for an Ontario document to receive an apostille or another authentication after notarization. Ontario’s Official Documents Services publishes the current eligibility, submission and fee requirements for documents authenticated by the province. Documents issued or notarized elsewhere may follow a different authority or route.

Do not order authentication until the receiving authority confirms what it needs. It may require an original notarized affidavit, a certified translation, a recently issued supporting certificate, or specific notarial wording. Notary On the Go can complete the requested Ontario notarial act when appropriate, but the destination authority makes the final acceptance decision.