Verifying of a marriage certificate in Nigeria is the process of investigating the authenticity and originality of claims made by spouses of their marital status. When a couple plans to relocate to another country with their spouse for work or permanent residency, in which case they may be required to carry out the verification of their marriage certificate at the appropriate ministry. There has been a growing demand to verify marriage certificates presented for various reasons such as the alarming rate of forgery of such documents, the need to submit such documents during a visa application or to collect benefits.
A Marriage Certificate is an official document that evidences that a statutory marriage was conducted between two people, and like any other valid certificate, it can be verified to confirm its authenticity to the party seeking such a verification.
Who can verify a Marriage Certificate?
The interested party in the verification of a marriage certificate process can be either of the following parties;
- The applicant i.e. the married couple, which could be either the husband or wife.
- The authorities of a foreign country or embassy.
- Nigerian authorities or institutions that establish the authenticity of the claims from available records.
Requirements to verify a marriage certificate
The only document required to verify a marriage certificate is a copy of the marriage certificate itself.
If the party seeking such a verification does not have the copy of the marriage certificate, the person must provide details such as names of the parties to the marriage; the date of the marriage, and the marriage registry.
Procedure for Verification of Marriage Certificate in Nigeria
The official body that has the power to verify marriage certificates in Nigeria is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs located in Abuja.
The procedures are;
- Make two photocopies of the original marriage certificate
- Take all three copies, that is the original copy and the two photocopies to the Ministry of Foreign affairs
- Thereafter, you will be directed to the Legal Services Division (LSD) which is responsible for authentication, attestation, and certification duties.
- After submission, you shall be told to return on a certain day to pick up which can take a few days to a week.
- Please note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially attends to the authentication of documents such as marriage certificates only on Mondays to Thursdays.
Conclusion
Having your marriage certificate verified may be a bit stressful, or you might be in a separate jurisdiction from Abuja. You can reach out to us to assist you in carrying out the verification process seamlessly and without you needing to come down to Abuja.
For more information about document attestation and immigration, contact any of our immigration consultants in Nigeria.
We at eLegal Consultants look forward to meeting you and are ready to journey with you to actualize your dreams. Contact us today.
