A Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) is an official document issued by a UK registry office confirming that there are no legal reasons preventing a person from getting married or entering a civil partnership abroad. It is often required by foreign marriage authorities.

This document is often requested by:

• Foreign marriage or civil partnership registries
• Embassies and consulates processing marriage applications
• Legal authorities abroad verifying marital status
• Government departments handling relationship recognition

Certification required: The certificate must be an official original issued by a UK registry office. No solicitor certification is required unless the document is a copy.

Original document: The apostille will be applied to the certified original issued by the registry.

Not eligible for e-apostille: This document must go through the physical apostille process.

Only official, sealed copies issued by the registry are accepted.

Photocopies or scans are not valid unless certified by a solicitor or notary.

Some countries may also require a certified translation and further legalisation by their embassy. Always check destination-specific requirements.