If you are a South African planning to marry abroad, the foreign authority handling your marriage may ask for evidence of your marital status or confirmation that there is no recorded impediment to the marriage.
A Letter of No Impediment is a South African civil-status document used where an authority needs confirmation relating to your ability to marry. South Africans living overseas are commonly asked for this type of document when arranging a marriage or civil process in another country.
The terminology used overseas is not always the same. Depending on the country or authority, you may see references to a Letter of No Impediment, certificate of no impediment, certificate of freedom to marry, single-status evidence or proof of marital status.
Those phrases do not automatically mean that every authority requires the same South African document. The safest starting point is the exact wording provided by the marriage authority, municipality, registry office, embassy or other organisation handling your application.
If the document also needs to be authenticated for use overseas, an apostille or other legalisation step may be required after the South African document has been obtained. That requirement should be confirmed by the authority receiving it.
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