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Australian Passport Office - Melbourne

Do I need a Certificate of No Impediment to marriage (CNI)?  

You must ask an authority in the destination you plan to get married in if a CNI is needed. DFAT cannot advise of the rules and requirements of an overseas authority. It is your responsibility to find out what you need.  

Before you apply for a CNI, please check: 

•If the country you are marrying in requires you to have a CNI. Authorities may accept other evidence that you're free to marry, such as a 'Single Status Certificate' or a 'No Record Result Certificate'. You can get these from your local births, deaths and marriages registry. 

•The issuing requirements of the country you are getting married in. Some foreign authorities will request that you are issued the CNI from the closest Australian embassy or consulate.  

•Check if you need your CNI legalised with an Apostille or Authentication certificate. Some foreign authorities may require this.  

•Check you have attached a certified copy of your partners identification to the application form.  

For further information please visit: www.smartraveller.gov.au

Certificate of No Impediment

The Australian Government can provide some notarial services. The services we provide will depend on if requested in Australia or overseas. We charge fees for our service. 

DFAT cannot tell you if you must get your documents legalised. You must ask the overseas authority who requested your document. 

This means contacting the individual, business, organisation, educational institution or government agency directly. Ask them if you must get your document legalised before they'll accept it. 

We can only legalise Australian public documents that are: 

•originals issued by Australian government agencies or officials 

•originals issued by Australian tertiary education institutions that have been verified by the issuing institution 

•copies notarised by an Australian Notary Public 

•private documents notarised by an Australian Notary Public 

For further information please visit: www.smartraveller.gov.au

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Australian Passport Office - Melbourne

Authentication or Apostille

December 2025

Australian Passport Office - Melbourne

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