Letter of No Trace

Confirmation of your single status is often necessary when getting married outside of the UK.

A Certificate of No Impediment can only be issued to UK citizens and issued by your local Registry Office. A Letter of No Trace can be issued to foreign citizens and confirms that no marriage relating to that individual has taken place within a stated time.

Individuals will need a CNI or Letter of No Trace to prove that (in cases where they have been married before) the previous marriage has been legitimately ended via divorce or annulment.

The only legal reason people in the UK will not be allowed to marry is if they are legally still married to another person, as having more than one spouse is illegal. The Letter of No Trace acts as proof that the General Register Office could find no trace that a marriage has taken place with the person in question in England or Wales within the stated period.

When getting married abroad, the overseas authorities will likely require the CNI or Letter of No Trace documentation to smoothly commence the couple’s legal marriage commence must include the following information for both parties intending to marry:

• Full Names
• Age
• Condition to Marry (Single, Previous Marriage Legally Dissolved)
• Occupation(s)
• Residential Address
• Duration of living at the provided Residential Address
• Location of Wedding
• Nationalities and District of Residence

A Letter of No Trace can be obtained by telephoning the General Register Office (GRO). The GRO will issue a physical hard copy.

Obtaining a CNI is as simple as contacting your local Registry Office if you are a UK citizen. If you are planning to get married overseas and request a CNI, you should receive it within 28 days of making the initial request.

Couples are encouraged to check with the authorities of the country they plan to get married in if their Certificate of No Impediment or Letter of No Trace needs to be Notarised or Apostilled. To avoid any mishaps at your wedding destination, we suggest having the CNI or Letter of No Trace Apostilled to be safe. The last thing you want is to be told you cannot legally get married after all the planning that goes into a wedding day.

To Apostille your Certificate of No Impediment of Letter of No Trace you will need to provide us with the original issued by your local Registry Office or the General Register Office.

We provide same-day services for the apostilling of documents for your convenience. If you require more information, albeit just to set your mind at ease before the big day, contact us with any questions or concerns. If you require any assistance with a Marriage Certificate we are happy to help with that too.