Marrying and Sponsoring a Central African
Listen to this article- Located in Central Africa, north of the Democratic Republic of Congo
- The weather in this country is tropical heat, dry winters, wet summers, and the humidity is mild to bad.
- Natural hazards include hot, dry and dusty Harmattan winds that affect the Northern region. Floods also occur.
Marriage to a Central African Citizen
Every country has laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Central African citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.
You must demonstrate to Central African officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven and that you have never committed any crimes in the Central African Republic. This is done by providing various documents, including an Affidavit of Single Status, to the Central African Republic government either in the Central African Republic or via a Central African Republic embassy.
If you want to bring your Central African spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
See a sample Sponsorship Application
Central African Rep Marriage Basic Requirements
In order to marry a citizen of Central African Republic, you must demonstrate to the Central African Republic government that you are eligible to do so. This includes:
- Proof of country of birth
- Proof of single status
- Proof of age requirement
Central African Republic Marriage Ceremony
The marriage ceremony to a Central African citizen can legally take place in Central African Republic, Canada, or any other country as long as both parties have the necessary visas to enter this country legally. This marriage can then be recognized when applying for a permanent residence or a visitor visa for your Central African spouse. To learn more about ceremony customs, see below.
Family Members
If your Central African spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Central African Republic Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Central African citizen.
How long is the Central African Republic Marriage document valid?
The document is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. If you do not marry your Central Africa fiancé within 6 months of the issuance of the Central African Republic Marriage document, you must apply again with new supporting documents.
List of Central African Republic Consulates in Canada
Calling The Central African Republic from Canada
The country code is 236 so dial 011 – 236 – local number. The C.A.R. does not use area codes.
Calling Canada from The Central African Republic
Dial 00 – 1 – area code – local number
List of Area Codes in Canada
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta)
587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)
236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)
249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)
438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time Difference
The Central African Republic does not participate in Daylight Saving Time. So to call during DST (March-November), subtract 1 hour from the numbers below. (Except in Saskatchewan, which also does not participate in DST.)
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours
CAR is Ahead |
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 9 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunvaut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 8 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario, Saskatchewan) | 7 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 6 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec) | 5 hours |
| Newfoundland | 4.5 hours |
Emergency Information for Canadians in Central African Republic
Consulate of Canada in BanguiCabinet ARC Postal Address: Telephone: 236 70 50 22 39 or 236 75 50 22 39 |
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High Commission of Canada in YaoundeImmeuble STC-TOM Postal Address Telephone: 237 2223-2311 |
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