Short answer: the Malaysian single status certificate is JPN's marital status letter (Surat Pengesahan Taraf Perkahwinan). Non-Muslim Malaysian citizens apply at any JPN office or a Malaysian mission abroad: RM 5, with an AM80 statutory declaration, valid for six months. Muslims obtain confirmation of their status from the state Islamic religious authority. To use the letter abroad, the original goes to Wisma Putra and then the destination country's embassy, with a certified translation if that country needs one. If you cannot attend JPN, our Legal, a practising Advocate & Solicitor and Notary Public in Malaysia, applies for you.
We obtain, translate and legalise single status certificates. Our team is certified by ITBM and DBP and includes High Court interpreters. Send your details on WhatsApp for a quote.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What the single status certificate is
The letter confirms your current marital status: never married, divorced or widowed. Marriage registries abroad ask for it before you marry, and embassies and immigration offices ask for it for spouse and family visas. Clients also call it the single status letter, surat bujang or 单身证明.
Two versions
For use overseas (Kegunaan Luar Negara): for non-Muslim Malaysian citizens who will marry or apply abroad. RM 5, at any JPN office or a Malaysian mission abroad.
For use in Malaysia (Kegunaan Dalam Negara): for couples marrying in Malaysia where one or both partners are not Malaysian citizens. Free, at JPN Putrajaya or a state JPN office (JPN Putrajaya only when both partners are foreign). Both partners attend together.
Both versions are valid for six months from the date of issue, and both need an AM80 statutory declaration stating your current status and why you need the letter.
Muslim applicants
JPN issues the overseas letter to non-Muslim citizens only. Muslims obtain confirmation of their marital status from the state Islamic religious department; in the Federal Territories, JAWI. We translate and legalise those letters in the same way.
How to apply for the overseas letter
JPN accepts the application from you, a family member or a lawyer:
Yourself: your original MyKad, a copy of your intended spouse's passport and the AM80 statutory declaration.
A family member: their original MyKad, a copy of your MyKad, a copy of your intended spouse's passport, your original AM80 declaration and your original power of attorney (wakil kuasa) in their favour.
A lawyer: the law firm's original sealed letter bearing the lawyer's licence stamp, copies of the identity documents of you, your intended spouse and the lawyer, and your original letter of appointment to the firm.
At a Malaysian mission abroad you may apply in person or by post with the same documents; each document must be verified at the mission before you post it. Police and military personnel also need their marriage permission letter (Surat Pengesahan Kebenaran Berkahwin).
Getting your single status certificate through our Legal
Our Legal, a practising Advocate & Solicitor and Notary Public in Malaysia, applies at JPN for you, so you do not need to fly home or wait for a mission appointment. This route suits you when:
you live overseas and cannot attend JPN in person;
the nearest Malaysian mission is far away or fully booked;
you need the letter, its translation and its legalisation done together before a wedding date;
you would rather not book a JPN visit and queue yourself.
How it works:
Send your MyKad, your intended spouse's passport and the country where you will marry on WhatsApp.
We draft the AM80 statutory declaration, the letter of appointment and the authorisation, and tell you how to sign and declare them where you are.
Our Legal attends JPN by appointment and applies for the letter.
We translate it and, if you need it, take the original through Wisma Putra and the embassy, then courier it to you anywhere.
It usually takes 7 to 21 business days. If JPN asks for more, we amend and resubmit; if it refuses outright, we tell you the alternatives. The certified translation that follows is covered by our guarantees, and your documents by our client NDA. Ask for a single status certificate on WhatsApp.
Using it abroad
Keep the original. Wisma Putra and every embassy require the original single status certificate; a copy is not accepted.
Have it translated by a translator Wisma Putra accepts if the destination needs its own language (see who can certify a translation).
Attest the original and the translation at Wisma Putra.
Legalise both at the destination country's embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
Plan around the six-month validity: the destination may set a shorter limit, so check its rule before you apply. Malaysia does not issue apostilles; this chain replaces one. See apostille in Malaysia and our country guides.
Marrying in China
A JPN letter issued for use in China may already carry Wisma Putra's attestation stamp on the same page, so the original's Wisma Putra step is done. The Chinese translation still goes to Wisma Putra, and the letter and the translation both go to the Embassy of China. See our Malaysia–China legalisation guide.
Foreigners marrying in Malaysia
A foreign partner needs a single status document from their home country, legalised for use in Malaysia, before the couple applies at JPN for the letter for use in Malaysia. Documents not in Malay or English need a certified translator's signature and official stamp; a translation made abroad must be verified by that country's embassy in Malaysia, a Malaysian mission or Wisma Putra. Documents issued by Vietnam must be confirmed by the Embassy of Vietnam in Malaysia. A UK single status confirmation must be verified by Wisma Putra, or a British citizen may give an AM80 declaration instead. We translate these documents in Malaysia with the original stamp JPN requires.
Ringkasan dalam Bahasa Melayu
Surat Pengesahan Taraf Perkahwinan JPN (sijil status bujang) untuk kegunaan luar negara dikeluarkan kepada warganegara Malaysia bukan Islam dengan bayaran RM 5 dan sah selama enam bulan. Permohonan memerlukan Akuan Berkanun AM80. Peguam kami, seorang Peguam Bela dan Peguam Cara serta Notari Awam yang beramal, boleh memohon di JPN bagi pihak anda, dan kami menterjemah serta mengesahkannya di Wisma Putra dan kedutaan.
中文简介
马来西亚国民登记局（JPN）的婚姻状况证明信（单身证明）供海外使用时，只发给非穆斯林公民，费用 RM 5，有效期六个月，申请时须附 AM80 法定声明。外交部（Wisma Putra）和各国大使馆都要求单身证明原件。我们的执业律师兼公证人可代您向 JPN 申请，并负责翻译、外交部认证及大使馆认证。
Common questions
How long is a Malaysian single status certificate valid?
Six months from the date of issue. The destination country may set a shorter limit.
How much does JPN charge for it?
RM 5 for the letter for use overseas. The letter for use in Malaysia is free.
Can someone else apply for me?
Yes. A family member may apply with your power of attorney (wakil kuasa), and a law firm may apply with your letter of appointment. Our Legal, a practising Advocate & Solicitor and Notary Public, applies for you this way.
Can I use a copy at Wisma Putra or the embassy?
No. Wisma Putra and every embassy require the original single status certificate.
I am Muslim. Can JPN issue my single status certificate?
No. JPN issues the overseas letter to non-Muslim citizens only. Apply to the state Islamic religious department (JAWI in the Federal Territories); we translate and legalise that letter for you.
I live overseas. Do I have to come back to Malaysia?
No. Apply at the nearest Malaysian mission, in person or by post, or let our Legal apply at JPN for you. It usually takes 7 to 21 business days through our Legal.
Related guides
Sources: