Freedom to Marry Declaration for Weddings Abroad

Foreign marriage authorities need proof you are not already married. The UK’s Certificate of No Impediment system does not cover Commonwealth destinations — Cyprus, Malta, Mauritius, Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia and others — so there a statutory declaration before a solicitor or notary is the usual route. For non-Commonwealth destinations (Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Mexico) a CNI (£42, 28-day notice at your register office) is generally required instead. Check our country guides: Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Italy, Malta.

That you were born on a given date and are a British citizen; that you are single and have never been married — or that a previous marriage was dissolved by decree absolute or ended by death, with the date; that you intend to marry a named national of a given country at a given place on or about a date; and that there is no legal impediment to the marriage. The closing follows the 1835 Act exactly, and the jurat is left blank for your witness.

WARNING: it is a criminal offence under section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911, punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, knowingly to make a false statutory declaration. Do not sign this document until you are in front of your witness.

Usually yes. Stat decs used abroad generally need an FCDO apostille so the foreign authority recognises the witness’s signature — order it after the declaration is signed and witnessed, because it cannot be apostilled blank. Always confirm current requirements with your wedding planner or the local authority before booking anything.

It is the same product — our single status declaration page covers the document in detail, including the divorced and widowed variants. Both pages generate the same tailored 1835-Act PDF for £14.99.