Are you South African and planning to marry abroad?

Although the media leads us to believe that eloping is the easiest and fastest way to get married, saying I do overseas isn’t an uncomplicated story, especially if you haven’t even considered applying for a LNI yet.

If you are a South African citizen who wants to get married abroad, you will be required to submit a Letter of No Impediment. So what is a LNI and how can you obtain one?

Understanding the Letter of No Impediment

The Letter of No Impediment (LNI) has to be submitted in the case where foreign nationals wish to get married abroad. The South African Department of Home Affairs is responsible for issuing LNIs to South African citizens in order to confirm their current marital status. Although it is widely known as a Letter (or Certificate) of No Impediment, it also goes by a few other names, including:

• Non-Impediment Letter
• No-Impediment Certificate
• Declaration of Non-Impediment to Marry
• Certificate of Freedom to Marry
• Statutory Declaration of Single Status
• Affidavit of Intended Marriage

Why do I need to apply for a Letter of No Impediment?

Any South African citizen who wants to get married abroad will probably need to apply for a LNI. This certificate serves to confirm that you have the right and the freedom to legally get married. If you plan on getting married in a member country of the Hague Convention, you will use an Apostilled letter, which makes it much easier to have your documents legalised for official use abroad.

If you were married in the past, you will need to apply for a Letter of No Impediment and submit it along with your decree of divorce to prove that you are not currently married. Most foreign countries will not allow you to legally get married within their borders without this certificate.

Individuals who want to get married in countries that are not part of the Hague Convention will have to follow a multi-tier legalisation process in order to authenticate their documents. Regardless of whether or not you are getting married in a signatory country, you need to apply for and obtain a Letter of No Impediment in order to apply for your visa and permits.

It is essential to keep in mind that it can take up to three months for a Letter of No Impediment to be issued if you are going at the process alone.

Once the LNI has been issued, it is valid for a period of six months and can be used for legal purposes inside and outside of South Africa.

To get help with your LNI, fill in the form below: