A certificate of no impediment is a document required of couples planning to get married abroad. It certifies that there is no reason you are not legally allowed to get married.
For weddings in many countries, this certificate will need to be notarised. You may also need an apostille. A notary public can help with both of these requests.
Organising a wedding is a significant undertaking, whatever the location. Entrust the legalisation of your documents to us and we’ll let you get back to the planning.
What Legal Documents do you Need to Get Married Abroad?
Don’t let legal matters hold you back from planning the wedding of your dreams. Each country has individual requirements, but we can help you with every step of the legalisation process. The essential documents you need are as follows:
- 10-year Passport (with at least six months before expiration)
- Birth Certificates
- Deed Poll (if you’ve changed your name)
- Decree Absolute (if you’ve been married)
- Marriage and Death Certificates of deceased spouse (if widowed)
- Adoption Certificate (if adopted)
- A Certificate of No Impediment and/or Letter of No Trace
A letter of no trace is similar to a certificate of no impediment but is available to foreign citizens. If you are unsure which document you need, visit gov.uk’s Getting Married Abroad guide and input the country where you will be getting married to check the requirements.
What is a Certificate of No Impediment?
A certificate of no impediment (CNI) is a crucial legal document that certifies your eligibility for marriage. It contains essential information such as:
- Your names
- Dates and places of birth
- Marital statuses
- Confirmation that there are no legal obstacles to your upcoming marriage
How Do You Get a Certificate of No Impediment?
UK-based engaged couples should contact their local registry office(s), notifying them of their intent to marry abroad. After acknowledging notice of your intent to marry, the registry office will supply a certificate of no impediment.
If you are a UK resident based abroad, you will need to visit your nearest British embassy.
In order to process your certificate, the registrar will need:
- Passports or UK birth certificates
- Proof of address
- Divorce certificate/death certificate (if applicable)
- Payment of the fee
Certificate of No Impediment Apostille and Notary
It is important to check whether the country in which you intend to be married requires notarisation or apostille of your CNI. At Notary.co.uk, we will notarise and/or apostille your certificate of no impediment quickly and efficiently after a thorough verification process.
Your documents can be sent to us by courier/tracked post, or you can deliver them directly to our London Victoria office.
We are available to talk through any concerns you have about the legal aspects of your destination wedding. We will ensure all your documents are legally compliant and will be accepted in the specific country.
How Long Does it Take?
We strive to provide quick and reliable results, so you can focus on planning your wedding.
Typically, a certificate of no-impediment will only need to be apostilled. We can apostille the document on our Premium Service on either the same day or next day (depending on when we receive the document), or on our Standard Service within 3-5 working days.
Process to Notarise and Apostille a Certificate of No Impediment
- If you do not yet have a certificate of no impediment, contact your local register office and inform them of your intent to marry abroad.
- Once you have your certificate, check the requirements of the country you will be married in.
- Fill in the contact form below to arrange the apostille of your certificate of no impediment. You can also request advice regarding other documentation needed for marrying abroad.
- We will reply to your request, and let you know the cost and what you will need to do next.
- Send us your certificate(s). We will then submit the document to the FCDO to be apostilled.
Our skilled notaries will handle every aspect of your certificate of no impediment legalisation. We offer a hassle-free service so you can focus on your upcoming nuptials.