Freedom To Marry Forms

[nicelee808]

Hi, I was hoping someone can give me information or a link to where I can download a copy of the affidavid so I can save time in March which is when i want to marry my girlfriend any help would be appreciated.

[sierra01]

I assume your British? If so then download the form from here;

http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/F...d=1068717516870

[caledonia]

Can a certificate of no impediment from your local registrar in UK not suffice? It costs about half the price and they only take a few days and then they provide you with a certificate declaring you are free to mary blah blah blah.

Maybe the rules are different in Thailand but that is the standard anyone uses if they are marrying overseas. I suppose it depends if you are in Thailand just now (where the embassy option will be easier) or if you are in the UK (where the registry office will be easier).

Anyway good luck getting everything organised.

[sierra01]

Can a certificate of no impediment from your local registrar in UK not suffice? It costs about half the price and they only take a few days and then they provide you with a certificate declaring you are free to mary blah blah blah.

Maybe the rules are different in Thailand but that is the standard anyone uses if they are marrying overseas. I suppose it depends if you are in Thailand just now (where the embassy option will be easier) or if you are in the UK (where the registry office will be easier).

Anyway good luck getting everything organised.

I don't think so Caledonia, it has to be in the format on the website, you just changing the details to suit. It might be worth an email to the Embassy to find out for sure though. The Embassy is onto a good thing there, 2600bt to sign and stamp a bit of paper, 30 seconds.

[GU22]

Can a certificate of no impediment from your local registrar in UK not suffice?......Maybe the rules are different in Thailand .....

The rules are different. It's the Thai Ministery of Foriegn Affairs that requires this Affirmation of Freedom to Marry from all foriegners who wish to marry Thai citizens in Thailand.

[sierra01]

An add on question, loosely connected anyway!

Why can't the British Embassy give you the paper in Thai, it would save having to get it translated? 90% of the Embassy staff are Thai anyway so it wouldn't be much of a problem.

[the scouser]

But think of all those poor translators and civil servants at the MFA who would otherwise be unemployed..........

Scouse.

[lopburi3]

It must be an international legal document and that is what registering it with the MFA does. I suspect that is also the reason to have in both languages. After you receive your marriage certificate you can have that translated into English and again registered with the MFA and it then becomes a legal document in both countries.

[GU22]

Why can't the British Embassy give you the paper in Thai, it would save having to get it translated? 90% of the Embassy staff are Thai anyway so it wouldn't be much of a problem.

Is your Thai good enough to fill it in if they did? Mine isn't.

[Rj 81]

Do you have to provide anything with the Freedom to marry certificate, ie evidence that your not married ect..? Sounds daft but I just want to be sure.

I have never been married.

[caledonia]

Can a certificate of no impediment from your local registrar in UK not suffice?......Maybe the rules are different in Thailand .....

The rules are different. It's the Thai Ministery of Foriegn Affairs that requires this Affirmation of Freedom to Marry from all foriegners who wish to marry Thai citizens in Thailand.

No the rules aren't different because that is exactly what most foreign governments require if a foreigner is marrying one of their citizens - which is why there is a certificate of no impediment.

If thats whats it's called by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs then fine - seems they have given the British Embassy a nice little earner there. End of the day they are one in the same thing - one actually being checked against central records and one with you turning up to your embassy!

But well if Affirmation of Freedom to Marry is what they insist on then sorry I didn't manage to save you some hassle and some money there!!

I am sure those folk who did get married in LOS and obtain an 'Affirmation of Freedom' will be able to tell you what they provided.

[GU22]

Maybe I didn't express myself very well.

The Thai government require foreigners who are marrying Thai nationals in Thailand to sign this affirmation and have it notarised at their embassy. So it's a nice little earner for all the embassies.

What to take to the embassy? From the link provided by sierra01

Please bring with you to the Embassy your passport, as proof of identity, and evidence that any previous marriages have been dissolved/terminated (death certificate or divorce certificate(s) as appropriate). ORIGINALS ARE REQUIRED AND WILL BE RETURNED ALONG WITH THE AFFIRMATION THE FOLLOWING DAY; copies will not be accepted under any circumstances.

You will also need the names and addresses of two UK referees who can confirm your marital status, although I don't know anyone whose referees have ever been contacted.

[joe3180]

It must be an international legal document and that is what registering it with the MFA does. I suspect that is also the reason to have in both languages. After you receive your marriage certificate you can have that translated into English and again registered with the MFA and it then becomes a legal document in both countries.

so after you translate back to english if you go back to MFA they are the ones to make it a certified document and you register it with them? cuz im going to need to do this so i can bring it back to the US when i get married in april.

[GU22]

I have no idea what happened to my affirmation, Thai or English copy. The translation agency I used took it to the MFA for me and I never saw it again. I surmise that the MFA kept the English version and the Ampur where we married kept the Thai one (does anyone know for sure?). Once married and in possession of the marriage certificate then the affirmation serves no useful purpose as far as I can see.

With regards to the actual marriage certificate; I can't speak for the US, but in the UK the Thai original of the marriage certificate with an English translation certified by the translation agency will suffice.