What is a Certificate of No Impediment

June 3rd, 2011

As if organising a wedding wasn’t stressful enough without having to worry about paperwork!

Depending on whether you are getting married in the UK or you are getting married abroad, there are certain legal documents that you and your partner need to have organised so you can say those two little words “I do”. In most cases you need the required legal documents before any country will issue a Marriage Certificate.

Like many others when they find out about a Certificate of No Impediment you will ask yourself “What is a Certificate of No Impediment?”

Well, a Certificate of No Impediment is a legal document that proves that you are free to marry and that there are no obligations that would affect you both saying yes on your special day. Basically, the authorities want to see that you are single or allowed to get married.

Then next question you are both going to ask yourselves is “How do I get a Certificate of No Impediment?”

You can get a Certificate of No Impediment from your local registry office or, if you live abroad, you can contact your nearest British Embassy or Consulate and they will be able to help you in obtaining the required documents.

Certificate of No Impediment When Marrying Abroad

So you have gone through the stress of deciding that you are both going to marry abroad, you have decided on the dress, rings, bridesmaids, ushers and all the other fun stuff that you have to stress about. Then you find not only you do have to have various legal documents, they most likely will need some closer TLC due to marrying in another country. Oh, the joys of organising a wedding!

For that bit of extra TLC take a look at www.tlcuk.biz, as they will be able to take the weight off your shoulders and allow you to breathe!

Again, when marrying abroad, various countries will be looking for proof that you are single or that you are allowed to get married. This will be a Certificate of No Impediment or a Statutory Declaration, depending on the country or destination I suggest that you check with the embassy or consulate of whichever country you are getting married in what they require and accept.

Just to add more pressure, you may also need to get these documents legalised and translated into the local language, as they may not be accepted in English. When I say legalised I mean they need to have an official stamp, this being also known as an apostille. You can get this done at the Foreign and Commonwealth office.

You need to be aware that this process could take up to 3 weeks and just for extra joy you may need to contact the Foreign and Commonwealth office yourself and find a certified translator! Brilliant! I hear you screaming.

If what you have read so far sounds like bad news, then the good news is there is someone there to guide you.and, in fact, do it for you. So, you can sit back and enjoy the build up to your wedding abroad.

If you want to concentrate on the exciting plans of the wedding without any stress, then get help with Legal Document Requirements. They are the most important part of marrying abroad!