Are you likely to get married abroad ?
You must prove your single status, especially in the USA, the UK, Australia, and other countries. It’s mandatory to present it prior to registering your marriage, especially when you are an emigrant. But this is not the only situation when you need to submit it. Non-residents may have to provide it for immigration to study and work in a foreign country.
So! What it is let’s explore below.
Understanding the Bachelorhood Certificate
A bachelorhood certificate, also referred to as a single status certificate, certificate of no impediment, certificate of celibacy, or nulla osta, is a legal document that is the only legalised document of an individual who is still bachelor, or divorced, or widowed. It is typically required for marriage registration in foreign countries, visa applications, or other legal purposes.
In essence, this certificate is a legally accepted document as a proof of one’s single status. But obtaining it is not easy. You need to be aware of every step and incorporate risks with it. So here, you can find the most obvious challenges that people face in procuring their bachelorhood certificate.
Challenges in Obtaining a Single Status Certificate in India
The given challenges are extracted from the real-time challenges that NRIs faced. You can discover the challenges.
1. Understanding the Requirements
First and foremost, the requirement to apply for a bachelorhood certificate depends on the purpose of why you need it. So, discover them, first. Accordingly, you can understand them and explore the specific regulations associated with the issuing authority.
Let’s understand the challenges associated with these requirements.
- Purpose-bound Requirements: Various countries have different requirements in relation to the need of this certificate. For instance, some countries may accept a notarized affidavit, whereas other may need it additionally attested from the foreign ministry.
- Document Requirements: Applicants must provide various documents for verification of his/her authenticity. It can be proved by enclosing various documents, such as proof of identity, address, and sometimes, evidences of previous marriage if happened. Their enclosure helps in easily verifying the genuine requirements and attestation from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
2. Navigating Bureaucratic Procedures
The bureaucratic procedures are lengthy and puzzling. It can be difficult to conveniently come across these isues.
- Multiple Authorities Involvement
The procedure often involves multiple authorities, including local notaries, SDM/DM, and government departments, including MEA. Each department would have its own unique procedures and requirements.
- Verification Process
Verification of documents brings its own risks. Firstly, it’s a days-long procedure and may require you to visit various departments like the notary public, DM, or consulate multiple times to different offices.
3. Language and Documentation Issues
Breaking language barriers in different offices and managing documentation can be big hurdles.
- Translation of Documents
Sometimes, the birth certificate or any other document requires translation from a local language to English for global acceptance. This translation can be a big barrier because you need to consult and hire a certified translator like the National Association of Translation Companies for it.
- Certified Copies
Applicants may need to provide certified copies of their documents, which require additional steps and can incur extra costs.
Applicants may have to enclose the notarised or attested copies of their documents, which adds another step and incorporated cost to the procedure.
4. Legal and Notarial Challenges
This difficulty resonates with the pain involved in getting your documents legalised and notarized.
- Notarisation
Some jurisdictions or authorities request notarised documents like the non-availability of birth certificate (NABC), which helps in registering an unregistered birth. Discovering a licensed notary public and passing through the notarial process can be irksome.
- Affidavits
In some cases, a bachelorhood affidavit may be draughted and notarised by the nearby officer that is shared in the list of national notaries appointed. It is done on a stamp paper of INR 20 while following legal terminology and formats, which a layman may not be exposed to.
5. Apostille and authentication issues
For global acceptance, the bachelorhood certificate or single status affidavit must be apostilled or legalised.
- Apostille/Attested Process
In India, the apostille process is aligned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). An individual cannot get it attested or apostilled directly. He or she must hire an authentic outsourcer for in-person attestation or apply through eSanad online. It’s challenging to pass through a lengthy procedure.
- Authentication
For those who are likely to get their documents attested for non-Hague Convention countries, additional authentication from the MEA and the Indian consulates will be necessary, which is a big concern.
6. Timelines and Processing Delays
Another complication can be the processing time and delays.
- Processing Time
The whole procedure, encompassing apostille, notarisation, and attestation, won’t be complete in days. It may take from a few days to several weeks, which may also depend on the efficiency of the authorities. So, it’s not easy to shorten the length of the procedure.
- Delays
Administrative delays are obvious, especially when you have incomplete documents. You need to pass through re-documentation of your birth proof or name correction or anything associated with the error recommended by the administration.
7. Cost Considerations
The cost can also be an issue because you have to pay for every service, like name correction in the birth certificate to support your application, issuance of an affidavit, or its attestation.
- Document Fees
Fees for obtaining certified copies, notarisation, and apostille can accumulate.
- Service Charges
The investment for obtaining a single status affidavit starts from obtaining certified copies of your supporting documents, notarisation, and attestation. You may have to pay an additional amount for intermediary services involved in handling the paperwork and procedure.
8. Verification and authenticity issues
Last but not least, verifying the document for the acceptance of your application is vital but not easy.
- Verification by Authorities
The certificate cannot be issued without verification, which requires the applicant’s birth certificate, witnesses’ national identity number or voter card, address proof, etc. The unavailability or unauthenticity of these documents can lead to rejection.
- Acceptance Issues
If the documents are not in the prescribed format or are full of discrepancies, the chances are more that your application can be rejected.
Once you battle out these challenges, procuring your single status certificate will be a smooth journey. Then, simply follow these guidelines.
Steps to Obtain a Single Status Certificate in India
Step 1. Gather Required Documents
Simply collect all documents, which can be the identity proof (Aadhaar or voter ID card), address proof, and degree absolute (for divorced ones) or death certificate (for widowed) if you’re previously married.
Step 2. Draft an affidavit (if needed).
In countries like India where there is no such authority to issue, you need to visit the SDM office for a draft of a bachelorhood affidavit. A solicitor or notary can draft it.
Step 3. Notarisation
As the affidavit comes to your hands, get it notarised by a licensed notary public.
Step 4. Apostille (if needed)
This step authenticates your certificate for bachelorhood and defines its legal acceptance in the Hague nations. So, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attests to it.
Step 5. Submit to Authorities
Hire a legal consultant or outsourcer to get your documents attested from the organisation while meeting the expected requirements. He will do it in exchange for the service charges.
Step 6. Follow Up
Finally, you need to track the update on your application. It will help in monitoring if your application needs any additional document for verification.
Conclusion
Obtaining a single status certificate in India can involve a range of bureaucratic, legal, and other challenges. You can discover the most obvious issues that can cause delays in documenting your bachelorhood certificate. Simply go through them and eliminate the chances of delays or rejections.