Affidavit of Single Status for Marriage in Vietnam: The Complete Guide

You're about to register a marriage in Vietnam, the civil registry has asked for proof that you're free to marry — and you're in the United States searching for the government office that issues it. You won't find one.

The short answer: no U.S. government agency issues a "single status certificate." What you need is a document you create yourself — an affidavit of single status — which then goes through a chain of certifications before Vietnam will accept it.

This guide covers that whole chain: where it comes from, what documents you need, the order of the steps, how long it takes, and the mistakes that send people back to the start.

The three names that confuse everyone

Most of the confusion comes from three terms used interchangeably:

• Affidavit of single status — a sworn statement you sign in front of a Notary Public in the U.S. This is the document you actually produce.
• Certificate of no impediment (CNI) — the equivalent document in some other countries. U.S. authorities do not issue one, which is precisely why a notarized affidavit is used in its place.
• Single-status / marital-status certificate (giấy xác nhận tình trạng hôn nhân) — what the Vietnamese civil registry calls the requirement. Your affidavit, once legalized and translated, is what satisfies it.

So if a Vietnamese office asked for a "single status certificate" and you've been hunting for a U.S. agency that issues one — there isn't one. The affidavit is the answer.

So where do you get one?

You create it, in this order:

1. Draft the affidavit — your full name, date of birth, nationality, address, and current marital status (never married, divorced, or widowed).
2. Sign it before a Notary Public. Never pre-sign — the notary must witness the signature.
3. State authentication at the Secretary of State for the state where the notary is commissioned.
4. Consular legalization at a Vietnamese representative office.
5. Translation into Vietnamese.

Alongside the affidavit you'll need a "no record of marriage" letter from your state or county. This is the one you request locally yourself, and in practice it's the first thing to start — issuing times vary a lot between jurisdictions.

More on step 4: what consular legalization is.

Who needs it, and the cases that trip people up

Never married — the simplest case: the "no record of marriage" letter, ID for both parties, and the affidavit of single status.

Divorced — include the divorce decree or judgment. It has to travel through the same certification chain as the affidavit. This is the step people most often forget, and it's a common reason files come back.

Widowed — include your late spouse's death certificate, also legalized.

Names that don't match across documents — very common for Vietnamese-Americans: a Vietnamese birth certificate with diacritics, a U.S. passport without them, or a name changed at naturalization. These cases usually need a declaration that the names belong to the same person, plus any name-change order.

Dual nationals — if you still hold Vietnamese nationality, the civil registry may ask for additional proof of your marital status during the period you resided in Vietnam. Ask the specific district office before you start.

What you'll need to gather

The part that surprises most people: the file needs documents from both sides — the person in the U.S. and the partner in Vietnam. Plenty of applicants prepare their own half, then discover the other half is missing.

Broadly, what's usually required:

• A "no record of marriage" letter from your state or county.
• ID for the person in the U.S. — U.S. passport or green card, plus a Vietnamese passport if you have one.
• Documents for the partner in Vietnam — their CCCD (national ID) and a portrait photo.
• A portrait photo of the person in the U.S.
• A short personal information form — VietVisas sends you the template.
• If this is a second marriage: the court's divorce judgment, plus a few related documents.
• A pre-marital health certificate, if you already have one.

The exact list shifts with your circumstances. Message VietVisas for the precise list and the information form.

Step by step — the order matters

This is the chain your file has to travel. On the full-service route, VietVisas runs all of it for you — you send the documents and wait for the result. The breakdown below is so you understand what's happening to your file.

Step 1 — Notarization. Sign the affidavit before a Notary Public. Note that many Vietnamese offices do not accept Remote Online Notarization (RON). Notarize in person to be safe.

Step 2 — State authentication. Submit the notarized affidavit to that state's Secretary of State to verify the notary's signature and commission. Some states — New York, for example — require County Clerk verification first. Every state has its own fees, forms and processing times, which is why this step causes most of the delay.

Step 3 — Consular legalization at a Vietnamese representative office, so the document is valid for use in Vietnam.

Step 4 — Translation into Vietnamese. Translate last, so the translation also covers the stamps and certifications added in the earlier steps. Translating first is a redo. See: certified translation.

Step 5 — Submit in Vietnam, usually at the district Justice Department (Phòng Tư pháp) where the marriage is registered.

About 11 September 2026: the Apostille Convention enters into force for Vietnam on that date. Consular legalization remains valid — documents already legalized keep their effect, and it stays the route VietVisas handles for you.

How long it takes, and how long it lasts

Timing depends mostly on the state authentication step — some states turn it around in days, others take weeks. Handled end to end by VietVisas, the U.S. side typically completes in about 3–5 days.

More importantly: a marital-status certificate is generally accepted for only about 6 months. Don't start too early. Prepare it a year before the wedding and it will expire before you file, and you'll pay to do the whole thing again. Time it close to your registration date.

Common mistakes that force a redo

1. Signing before you meet the notary. The notary must witness it; a pre-signed affidavit gets rejected.
2. Name mismatch between passport and affidavit — including middle names, diacritics, or surname order.
3. Wrong order — translating before legalizing is the classic one, and it means starting over.
4. Missing secondary documents — a forgotten divorce decree or death certificate.
5. Remote Online Notarization where the receiving office won't take it.
6. A blurry notary seal, or a notary commission that has expired.
7. Starting too early, so the 6-month validity runs out before you file.

Doing it yourself vs. using a service

Doing it yourself is entirely feasible if you have time and live near the relevant offices. You'll handle notary → Secretary of State (County Clerk first in some states) → Vietnamese representative office → translation. It costs less, but every misstep is another shipping round-trip, and you'll need to learn your own state's specific rules.

A full-service option makes more sense if you're far from those offices, your wedding date is close, or your file has complications (divorce, widowhood, mismatched names). VietVisas's single-status service runs the entire chain end to end and finishes in about 3–5 days.

Cost and how payment works

$500 per set, including FedEx express shipping from the consulate to your door.

The notable part is when you pay: only after the consulate has confirmed and a FedEx tracking number is on its way to you — by Zelle or Venmo. No deposit, nothing upfront.

FAQ

I've never been married — do I need to prove anything else? You'll still need the "no record of marriage" letter from your state or county, plus ID and photos for both the person in the U.S. and the partner in Vietnam. "Never married" is the lightest case, but it isn't a paperwork-free one.

Does the affidavit have to be in Vietnamese? No. You sign it in English before a U.S. notary; the Vietnamese translation comes at the final step.

Can I do this while I'm in Vietnam? U.S. citizens can swear an affidavit at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General in Vietnam. But if your underlying documents are in the U.S., preparing it stateside and bringing it over is usually faster and lower-risk.

Can I renew it once it expires? No. After about 6 months you start over with a fresh affidavit — which is exactly why you shouldn't prepare it too far in advance.

I divorced in the U.S. but married in Vietnam originally — what then? You may need to record the divorce in the Vietnamese civil register before you can register a new marriage. Requirements vary by locality, so confirm with the district office where you'll register.

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Getting married in Vietnam soon? Message VietVisas for free guidance specific to your situation.