Are you planning to get married after previously living in Germany?
Does the authority in the country where you intend to marry require proof that you are not currently married?
In this situation, you may need an official certificate confirming your marital status, sometimes referred to as proof of single status, from Germany.
This article explains:
- which German documents can provide information about your marital status,
- how these documents differ,
- and which document may be required depending on your situation and how it can be obtained.
👫 When do you need proof of marital status?
A document confirming your marital status may be required in situations such as:
- when getting married abroad;
- when submitting documents to immigration authorities for a visa, residence permit or family reunification;
- when German documents must be presented in another country;
- when marrying a foreign national;
- for legal or administrative procedures that require confirmation of your marital status.
🌍 What is a single status certificate called in different countries?
The name of the document varies between countries and authorities. Depending on the procedure, you may encounter terms such as:
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom (UK) – Certificate of No Impediment, Statutory Declaration of Single Status
- 🇺🇸 United States – Single Status Affidavit, Affidavit of No Marriage, Certificate of No Record
- 🇷🇺 Russia – Справка об отсутствии брака / Справка о семейном положении
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine – Довідка про сімейний стан / Довідка про відсутність шлюбу
- 🇩🇪 Germany – proof of marital status / Ledigkeitsbescheinigung / Ehefähigkeitszeugnis, depending on the purpose
- 🇫🇷 France – Certificat de célibat / Certificat de capacité à mariage
- 🇪🇸 Spain – Certificado de soltería / Certificado de capacidad matrimonial
- 🇮🇹 Italy – Certificato di stato libero / Certificato di capacità matrimoniale
- 🇮🇱 Israel – תעודת רווקות (Teudat Revakut) / Single Status Certificate
- 🇷🇸 Serbia – Uverenje o slobodnom bračnom stanju / Potvrda o bračnom statusu
- 🇸🇰 Slovakia – Potvrdenie o rodinnom stave / Osvedčenie o spôsobilosti na uzavretie manželstva
- 🇵🇱 Poland – Zaświadczenie o stanie cywilnym / Zaświadczenie o zdolności prawnej do zawarcia małżeństwa
- 🇵🇹 Portugal – Certidão de Registo de Nascimento com menção de estado civil / Certificado de Capacidade Matrimonial
- 🇨🇳 China – 未婚证明 (Weihun Zhengming) / proof of unmarried status
- 🇦🇺 Australia – Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage / Single Status Statutory Declaration
- 🇸🇪 Sweden – Äktenskapscertifikat / Intyg om civilstånd
- 🇩🇰 Denmark – Civilstandsattest / Attest for ægteskabsindgåelse i udlandet
🇩🇪 Which German documents can confirm marital status?
There is no single German certificate that is suitable for every situation. Two terms are particularly important, but they refer to different types of documents:
Proof of marital status / Ledigkeitsbescheinigung
Certificate showing marital status / proof of single status
- Can confirm the marital status recorded by a German registration authority;
- May be relevant for foreign nationals who previously lived and were registered in Germany;
- May be accepted for a marriage or another administrative procedure abroad, depending on the requirements of the receiving authority.
Ehefähigkeitszeugnis
Certificate of Capacity to Marry
- Confirms that there are no known legal impediments to the intended marriage under German law;
- Is primarily relevant to German nationals who intend to marry abroad and are asked to provide this document.
⚖️ Difference between proof of single status and an Ehefähigkeitszeugnis
- Proof of marital status confirms information recorded about your marital status. Depending on the record, this may show that you are unmarried, divorced or widowed.
- Ehefähigkeitszeugnis goes further: it confirms that there are no known legal impediments to a specific intended marriage under German law.
🧾 Examples of which document may be required
📍 Example 1
A Ukrainian national previously lived and was registered in Berlin and now lives in Spain. The Spanish authority asks for proof of the marital status recorded during her residence in Germany.
👉 A certificate containing the relevant German registration data on marital status may be required. The exact document should be confirmed with the receiving authority.
📍 Example 2
A German national lives in Canada and plans to marry a Canadian national.
👉 If the Canadian authority requests proof of capacity to marry under German law, an Ehefähigkeitszeugnis from the competent German Standesamt may be required.
📍 Example 3
A Kazakh national was previously registered in Frankfurt and now lives in Israel. The receiving authority asks for confirmation of the marital status recorded in Germany.
👉 The relevant document may be requested from the German registration authority that holds the applicant’s former registration data.
🏢 Which documents may be required for the application?
📄 The exact requirements depend on the authority and the type of certificate. You may be asked to provide:
- a passport or identity document;
- a completed application or written request;
- payment of the applicable administrative fee;
- in some cases, a power of attorney if the application is submitted by a representative.
🔹 Need help obtaining proof of single status from Germany?
We can help identify the appropriate German document and obtain it without requiring you to travel to Germany.
We can prepare the application, contact the relevant authority and arrange international delivery of the completed document. If required, we can also check whether an apostille or another form of authentication is needed for the destination country.
Need a marital status certificate from Germany? Single status document with apostille if required Order now