Affidavit of Single Status in Dubai

Who asks for this affidavit, and why

This affidavit comes up in three main situations:

• Marriage abroad. Many countries’ marriage registries require proof that neither party is already married before they will register the marriage.
• Embassy and consular processes. Some embassies and consulates in the UAE accept, or specifically ask for, this kind of locally sworn declaration as part of a marriage or visa file.
• Visa applications where a country’s immigration authority asks the applicant to confirm marital status as part of a family or fiance visa category.

The affidavit states your status as of the date you sign it. It does not replace a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, or a death certificate for a deceased spouse, all of which may still be needed alongside it depending on your history.

Affidavit vs a singleness certificate from your home country

A singleness certificate is a different document: it is issued by an authority in your home country (a civil registrar, court or similar body) rather than sworn as an affidavit here in Dubai. Some countries issue this as a standard civil status document; others do not issue one at all, which is exactly why the affidavit route exists.

Whether you need the home-country certificate, the Dubai-sworn affidavit, or both depends entirely on what the receiving marriage registry, embassy or consulate has asked for. If your home country issues its own singleness certificate and the receiving office specifically names it, that certificate will usually also need its own attestation chain before it can be used abroad, separate from the affidavit route described here. See documents attestation in Dubai for how that chain works.

Who can sign, and what ID to bring

You sign the affidavit yourself, in person, before the notary public. Bring:

• Passport
• Emirates ID (if you are a resident) or your visit visa page (if you are a visitor)
• Details of any previous marriage that has ended: the marriage certificate and the divorce decree or death certificate, as applicable
• Any document the receiving marriage registry, embassy or consulate has specifically requested

If you were previously married and are now divorced or widowed, the affidavit should state that clearly rather than simply saying “single”, since the receiving authority will usually want the history, not just the current label.

Sample wording

This affidavit generally covers these elements. This describes the sections it contains, not a template to sign without review against your own documents and the receiving office’s requirements:

1. Title and affiant details. Your full legal name, nationality, passport number, date of birth and address.
2. The declaration. A statement that you are currently unmarried, specifying whether this is because you have never married, are divorced, or are widowed.
3. Marriage history, where relevant: date and place of a previous marriage, and how and when it ended.
4. Purpose, stated briefly, for example “for the purpose of marriage registration in [country]”.
5. The oath. A statement that you swear the above is true, sworn before the notary public.
6. Signature block. Your signature, the date, the place, and the notary public’s certification, seal and signature.

We draft this wording around your actual circumstances, marriage history and the receiving office’s requirement, rather than a fixed template.

Notarisation, attestation and Arabic translation

Signing before a notary public in Dubai makes the affidavit a notarised instrument. If it is going to a foreign marriage registry, embassy or consulate, it will usually also need MOFAIC attestation, since the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention and no apostille applies here. Some receiving countries additionally require their own embassy in the UAE to attest the document.

Where the receiving office asks for the affidavit in Arabic, or in Arabic alongside English, we arrange the translation through a translator registered with the Ministry of Justice before notarisation.

Get your affidavit ready

Tell us who is asking for this affidavit and why, and we will draft it, arrange translation if needed and notarise it with our in-house notary public.

Call or WhatsApp +971 54 380 1094, email support@notaryservicesdubai.com, or visit us at Empire Heights Tower B, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7.

Related reading: affidavits in Dubai and how to get one, marriage certificate attestation in the UAE, affidavit of one and the same person, documents attestation in Dubai.