§ 8.01-414.Affidavit prima facie evidence of nonresidence.

An affidavit under this section does one narrow job: it establishes, on its face, that a witness or party resides outside Virginia or is currently outside the state. Because the statute calls that showing “prima facie evidence,” the affidavit is enough to establish nonresidence unless someone comes forward with evidence to the contrary — the party offering it does not need to call a live witness or produce further proof.

The section removes two objections that might otherwise weaken the affidavit. It does not matter that the party with an interest in the outcome is the one who signed it, and it does not matter that no one gave advance notice before it was filed. Both features make the affidavit a fast, low-cost way to put nonresidence on the record, which matters in situations — serving process on someone who has left the state, for instance — where proving where someone lives can otherwise take real effort.