Marrying abroad · San Jose

Single Status Affidavit Apostille, San Jose
free to marry abroad

Notarized, translated, and apostilled by the California Secretary of State under one roof — same-day available, with English, Spanish, and Vietnamese support.

In short

A single status affidavit is a notarized statement that you’re legally free to marry. To use it abroad — in Mexico, the Philippines, Vietnam, and most countries — it must be apostilled by the California Secretary of State. We notarize, translate if required, and apostille it in San Jose, same-day available.

Book Appointment (408) 766-3528

California Secretary of State Same-day available Walk-in welcome

Same-Day

Apostille Available

CA Sec. of State

Official Authentication

EN · ES · VI

Trilingual Staff

Since 2019

Walk-In or Book

What it is

What is a single status affidavit, and why apostille it?

A single status affidavit is a sworn, notarized statement that you are legally free to marry. Foreign governments ask U.S. citizens for it before a wedding abroad, because U.S. records don’t prove marital status the way many countries expect.

A notarized affidavit alone carries no weight overseas. The registry needs proof that the notary is real, so it gets a single status affidavit apostille — an authentication added by the California Secretary of State apostille office under the Hague Convention, accepted abroad without an embassy step.

We handle the full chain in San Jose: prepare or review the affidavit, notarize it, add a certified translation if needed, and return it apostilled — so nothing is rejected at the registry.

Also known as

Certificate of no marriage (CENOMAR-style)

Soltería — for Mexico & Latin America

Free-to-marry letter or affidavit of marital status

No record of marriage sworn statement

How it works

Four steps from affidavit
to apostilled and ready

Notarize your single status affidavit

Bring a valid government ID to our San Jose office. We prepare or review your single status affidavit and notarize it with a bonded California notary — in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese.

Add a certified translation if needed

If your country requires the affidavit in its official language, we coordinate a certified translation and keep it paired with your original so the apostille covers both.

Apostille by the California Secretary of State

We submit the notarized affidavit for the California Secretary of State apostille. Choose standard, priority, rush, or same-day depending on your deadline.

Pick up or ship your apostilled affidavit

Collect it in San Jose the same day on rush service, or we ship it tracked to you or directly to the foreign registry so it arrives ready to use.

Who needs one

If you’re getting married overseas, you’ll likely need this

Marrying in Mexico or Latin America

Civil registries ask for an apostilled soltería, usually with a Spanish translation.

Weddings in the Philippines or Vietnam

A certificate of no marriage is commonly required before the license is issued.

Registering a marriage abroad

Foreign registries authenticate the U.S. notary before recording the marriage.

Fiancé(e) & spousal visa files

Some consulates request proof of single status in the visa packet.

Civil or religious ceremony overseas

City halls and churches abroad often require a free-to-marry statement.

Short notice before you fly

Same-day apostille keeps a tight travel date on track.

Commonly required for

Mexico Philippines Vietnam China Colombia Costa Rica Spain Brazil Dominican Republic South Korea

Transparent pricing

You pay for speed, never for guesswork

Every single status affidavit apostille includes a notarized affidavit reviewed for your destination and the California Secretary of State authentication. Choose the turnaround your date needs.

Standard

$85

About 30 days

Priority

$200

About 2 weeks

Rush

$350

3–5 business days

Fastest

Same-Day

$450

In and out today

Notarization $25 / signature Certified translation from $75 Tracked shipping $20 In-person pickup free

Prefer mail? Order an apostille online and ship your notarized affidavit to us. Government and translation fees are quoted up front, never a surprise.

Why couples choose us

One office for the whole document

Most apostille services authenticate the paper and stop there — you still hunt for a notary, then a translator. We do all three in San Jose, with help from our partner TruPoint Legal for deeper legal-document needs.

Notarize, translate & apostille in one place

No running between a notary, a translator, and Sacramento — built right the first time.

Same-day when the wedding won’t wait

Same-day California Secretary of State apostilles keep tight travel dates on track.

Spanish & Vietnamese on staff

Soltería and Vietnamese affidavits prepared in your language, not just translated.

Bonded California notary in-house

Quinnie Do reviews each affidavit for the destination, which means fewer rejections abroad.

“We were marrying in Guadalajara and the registry needed my soltería apostilled and translated fast — they did the whole thing in one afternoon.”

— Lucía M., San Jose

Prepared by

Quinnie Do

Owner, Fingerscan Digital Inc.

Bonded & commissioned California Notary Public, IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent, and registered California Immigration Consultant. Quinnie and her trilingual team have handled apostilles for marriages, residency, and immigration across the Bay Area since 2019.

Common questions

Single status affidavit apostille
questions, answered straight

What is a single status affidavit and why does it need an apostille?

It’s a notarized statement that you’re legally free to marry — not currently married to anyone. To be accepted by a foreign government, the notary’s seal must be authenticated, so the California Secretary of State adds an apostille. Without it, most countries won’t let you marry or register the marriage.

Which countries require a single status affidavit to get married?

Mexico, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and much of Europe commonly ask for one — often called a certificate of no marriage, soltería, or “free to marry” letter. Requirements vary by region, so confirm with the local registry.

Do I need to notarize the affidavit before getting it apostilled?

Yes. The apostille authenticates a California notary’s signature, so the affidavit must be notarized first. We notarize it for you in our San Jose office — bring a valid government ID — and move straight to the apostille.

Do I need a translation of my single status affidavit?

Often yes. Countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Vietnam usually require the affidavit in their official language. We coordinate a certified translation and apostille it together with your affidavit as one package, so nothing is rejected at the registry.

How much does it cost to apostille a single status affidavit?

The California Secretary of State apostille starts at $85 for standard service, with priority, rush, and same-day options for faster deadlines. Notarization is $25 per signature, and certified translation or shipping are quoted separately. You pay for speed, never for guesswork.

Do you provide the affidavit, or do I bring my own?

Either works. We can prepare a single status affidavit with you in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese, or notarize and apostille a form your destination country or attorney has provided. We review it for the destination before submitting.

Can you apostille my single status affidavit if I’m getting married in Mexico?

Yes — this is one of our most common requests. We prepare the soltería or single status affidavit, add a certified Spanish translation, and apostille both through the California Secretary of State, with staff who can walk you through it in Spanish.

Ready when you are

Get your affidavit apostilled
and marry abroad on schedule

Walk into our San Jose office to notarize and apostille in one visit, or order online and we’ll ship it ready to use — same-day available for tight travel dates.