Each Contracting State undertakes to issue a certificate of marital capacity in accordance with the model annexed to this Convention, when one of its nationals so requests for the celebration of its marriage abroad and fulfils, with regard to The law of the State issuing the certificate, the conditions for entering into the marriage.

For the purposes of this Convention, refugees and stateless persons whose personal status is governed by the law of that State shall be treated as nationals of a Contracting State.

All entries to be marked on the certificate shall be written in Latin characters of printing, and may be written in the characters of the language of the authority issuing the certificate.

1. The dates are inscribed in Arabic numerals indicating successively, under the symbols Jo, Mo and An, the day, month and year. The day and month are indicated by two digits, the year by four digits. The first nine days of the month and the first nine months of the year are indicated by numbers ranging from 01 to 09.

2. The name of any place mentioned in the certificate shall be followed by the name of the State where that place is situated, whenever that State is not the State whose authority issues the certificate.

3. The following symbols are used exclusively:

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To indicate the male sex, the let. M, female sex, let. F;

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To indicate nationality, the letters used to designate the country of registration of motor vehicles;

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To indicate the refugee status, the letters REF;

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To indicate the condition of stateless, the letters APA.

4. Where a previous marriage has been dissolved, the name and surname of the last spouse and the date, place and cause of the dissolution are listed in box 12 of the certificate. To indicate the cause of the dissolution are used exclusively the following symbols:

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In the case of death, letter D;

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In the event of divorce, the letters DIV;

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In the case of cancellation, the letter A;

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In case of absence, the ABS letters.

If the competent authority is unable to complete a box or part of a case, this box or part of a box is rendered unusable by strokes.

1. On the front of each certificate, the words invariable, excluding the symbols provided for in s. 4 as regards the dates, shall be printed in at least two languages, including the language or one of the official languages of the State in which the certificate is issued and the French language.

2. The meaning of the symbols shall be indicated at least in the language or one of the official languages of each State which, at the time of signature of this Convention, are members of the International Commission of the Civil State, thus In the English language.

3. On the back of each certificate must appear:

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A reference to the Convention, in the languages indicated in the second paragraph of this Article;

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The translation of the invariable statements, in the languages indicated in the second paragraph of this Article, if those languages have not been used on the front;

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A summary of the art. 3, 4, 5 and 9 of the Convention, at least in the language or official language of the authority issuing the certificate.

4. Any translation must be approved by the Bureau of the International Commission of Civil Affairs.

The certificates shall be dated and marked with the signature and seal of the authority which issued them. Their validity shall be limited to six months from the date of issue.

1. Upon signature, ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, the Contracting States shall indicate the authorities ¹ Competent to issue certificates.

2. Any subsequent amendment shall be notified to the Swiss Federal Council.

Any modification of the certificate by a state must be approved by the International Civil State Commission.

Certificates shall be exempt from legalization or equivalent formality in the territory of each of the States bound by this Convention.

This Convention shall be ratified, accepted or approved and instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Swiss Federal Council.

This Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the third month following that of the deposit of the third instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

(2) In respect of the State ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding after its entry into force, the Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the third month following that of the deposit by that State of the instrument of ratification, acceptance, Approval or accession.

Any State may accede to this Convention. The instrument of accession will be deposited with the Swiss Federal Council.

No reservations to this Convention shall be permitted.

(1) Any State, at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance, approval or accession or at any other time thereafter, may declare that this Convention shall extend to all the territories for which it provides the International relations, or one or more of them.

2. This declaration shall be notified to the Swiss Federal Council and the extension shall take effect upon the entry into force of the Convention for that State or, subsequently, on the first day of the third month following that of receipt of the Notification.

3. Any declaration of extension may be withdrawn by notification addressed to the Swiss Federal Council and the Convention shall cease to be applicable to the territory designated on the first day of the third month following the date of receipt of the said Notification.

(1) This Convention shall remain in force without limitation of time.

(2) Any State Party to this Convention shall, however, have the right to denounce it at any time after the expiration of a period of one year from the date of entry into force of the Convention in its respect. The denunciation shall be notified to the Swiss Federal Council and shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month following that of receipt of such notification. The Convention will remain in force between the other States.

1. The Swiss Federal Council shall notify the member States of the International Commission of the Civil State and of any other State which has acceded to this Convention:

(a)

The deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession;

(b)

Any date of entry into force of the Convention;

(c)

Any declaration concerning the territorial extension of the Convention or its withdrawal, with the date on which it takes effect;

(d)

Any denunciation of the Convention and the date on which it will take effect;

(e)

Any declaration made under s. 8.

2. The Swiss Federal Council will notify the Secretary General of the International Commission of the Civil Status of any notification made pursuant to s. 1.

3. Upon entry into force of this Convention, a certified copy shall be transmitted by the Swiss Federal Council to the Secretary General of the United Nations for the purposes of registration and publication, in accordance with Art. 102 of the United Nations Charter ¹ .

In witness whereof, The undersigned, duly authorized to that effect, have signed this Convention.

Done at Munich, on 5 September 1980, in a single copy in the French language, which shall be deposited in the archives of the Swiss Federal Council, and of which a certified copy shall be furnished, by diplomatic means, to each of the member States of the International Commission of the Civil State and the acceding States. A certified copy will also be sent to the Secretary General of the International Commission of Civil Affairs.

(Suivent signatures)