The affidavit is the foundational document of the entire bachelorhood certificate process. Get the affidavit right, and everything else — notarization, SDM attestation, state attestation, MEA apostille — flows smoothly. Get it wrong, and you face rejection at each step. This guide provides sample formats, wording variations for different applicant types, and the most common errors to avoid.
Standard Affidavit Components
Every bachelorhood affidavit includes:
▪ Title — 'Affidavit' or 'Affidavit of Single Status' or 'Bachelorhood Affidavit'.
▪ Stamp paper value declaration (₹100 non-judicial stamp paper).
▪ Applicant's full name as per passport.
▪ Applicant's father's name (and mother's name in some states).
▪ Applicant's date of birth.
▪ Applicant's permanent Indian address.
▪ Applicant's current overseas address (for NRIs).
▪ Applicant's passport number, date of issue, and place of issue.
▪ Statement of current marital status.
▪ Statement explaining route to current status (never married, divorced, widowed).
▪ Purpose of the certificate.
▪ Solemn declaration ('I solemnly affirm and declare...').
▪ Place and date of affidavit.
▪ Signature of applicant (signed before notary).
▪ Two witnesses' signatures with their addresses and ID proofs.
▪ Notary's attestation block.
Sample Wording — Never Married Applicants
Here's a sample affidavit text for an unmarried applicant:
▪ 'I, [FULL NAME], son/daughter of [FATHER'S NAME], aged [AGE] years, currently residing at [OVERSEAS ADDRESS] and having a permanent Indian address at [INDIAN ADDRESS], holding Indian Passport No. [PASSPORT NUMBER] issued at [PLACE] on [DATE], do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as follows:'
▪ '1. That I am an Indian citizen and have been residing abroad as a Non-Resident Indian since [YEAR].'
▪ '2. That as on the date of this affidavit, I am unmarried and have never been married.'
▪ '3. That I am free to marry and there is no impediment under Indian law to my marriage.'
▪ '4. That this affidavit is being submitted for the purpose of obtaining a bachelorhood certificate / single status certificate for my marriage in [DESTINATION COUNTRY] / for visa application / for legal proceedings abroad.'
▪ '5. That the contents of this affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, and nothing has been concealed therein.'
Sample Wording — Divorced Applicants
For divorced applicants, the marital status clause becomes:
▪ '2. That I was previously married to [SPOUSE'S NAME] on [DATE OF MARRIAGE] at [PLACE], the said marriage was dissolved by a decree of divorce dated [DATE] passed by [COURT NAME] in [LOCATION].'
▪ '3. That as on the date of this affidavit, I am unmarried following the dissolution of my previous marriage, and I am free to remarry.'
▪ Attach the divorce decree as a supporting document, mentioned in the affidavit.
Sample Wording — Widowed Applicants
For widowed applicants:
▪ '2. That I was previously married to [SPOUSE'S NAME] on [DATE OF MARRIAGE]. My spouse passed away on [DATE OF DEATH] at [PLACE].'
▪ '3. That as on the date of this affidavit, I am unmarried following the death of my spouse, and I am free to remarry.'
▪ Attach the death certificate as a supporting document.
Two-Witness Requirement
Indian law requires two witnesses for an affidavit:
▪ Witnesses must be Indian residents (or accessible for verification).
▪ Both witnesses sign before the notary.
▪ Each witness provides ID proof (Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, passport).
▪ Witnesses don't need to be related to the applicant.
▪ Two witnesses unable to be present at the same time as the applicant cause delays — coordinate this.
Notary Attestation Language
The notary's block typically reads:
▪ 'Verified and attested before me on [DATE] at [PLACE].'
▪ 'I have explained the contents of this affidavit to the deponent, who has understood the same and signed before me in token of acceptance.'
▪ Notary's signature, seal, and registration number.
▪ Notary fee stamp affixed.
Common Drafting Errors to Avoid
▪ Name spelling differences between passport and affidavit (case mismatch, transliteration errors).
▪ Missing father's name (many states require this).
▪ Inconsistent dates (date of birth, passport issue, and residence start dates not matching documents).
▪ Generic 'I am unmarried' without explaining the route (never married vs divorced vs widowed).
▪ Missing purpose declaration — some attestation authorities require purpose specification.
▪ Missing 'I solemnly affirm' or equivalent — replacing it with 'I declare' alone may not satisfy legal formality.
▪ Wrong stamp paper value — use ₹100 to be safe.
▪ Witnesses without verifiable ID proofs.
▪ Notary without proper registration.
For complete details on bachelorhood certificates and the legal process in India, visit our Bachelorhood Certificate page.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need to physically sign in front of the notary?
Yes. Affidavit signing is in front of a notary or, in NRI cases, before the Indian Embassy abroad. Pre-signed affidavits without notary witness are not valid for international use.
2.Can my parents or relatives sign the affidavit on my behalf?
Only through a properly executed and registered Power of Attorney. The POA must be apostilled abroad, registered in India, and then the POA holder can sign the affidavit on your behalf. Without a POA, family members cannot sign for you.
3.What if my name appears differently on different documents?
Name mismatches cause immediate rejection. Use the exact spelling from your current passport in the affidavit. If you have minor variations on other documents (Aadhaar, school certificates), note them as 'also known as' in the affidavit. For major mismatches, consider a name correction affidavit.