Civil marriage with a foreign national in Poland

The ceremony itself is the same as any other and the waiting period is counted the same way: at least one month from submitting the declaration of no impediments to marriage. The difference lies before the ceremony – in the documents, some of which must be brought from another country and translated. These, not the office calendar, usually decide when you can realistically get married.

What a Polish citizen submits

  • A valid Polish ID card or passport.
  • Declaration of no impediments to marriage – signed at the office.
  • A birth certificate copy is usually not needed: the office retrieves it from the civil status register.

What a foreign national submits

  • Identity document – a passport or another document confirming identity.
  • Birth certificate copy.
  • Certificate of legal capacity to marry – usually issued by the competent authority of the country of citizenship. This is the document that takes longest to obtain.
  • Sworn translations of all documents issued in a foreign language.

The required documents depend on the country of citizenship and personal circumstances, so before collecting paperwork it is worth calling your registry office and asking directly what it expects. Find your office’s phone number.

If the certificate cannot be obtained

Sometimes the country of citizenship simply does not issue such certificates, or obtaining one is impossible for other reasons. In that case the certificate is replaced by a court decision exempting you from the obligation to submit it. The application is filed with the district court (sąd rejonowy), and the time needed to process it must be added to your planned date – this is usually the longest part of the whole preparation.

Costs and formalities that are the same for everyone

  • Stamp duty for drawing up the marriage certificate: 84 zł.
  • Two adult witnesses – of any nationality.
  • Statutory waiting period: at least one month from submitting the declaration.
  • Ceremony outside the office: an extra 1000 zł (how it works).
  • The first short copy of the marriage certificate is free of charge.

Interpreter during the ceremony

If either of you does not understand Polish well enough to make the declaration consciously, an interpreter must be present at the ceremony. Who exactly may act as interpreter and whether the office requires a sworn interpreter is best agreed with the office when booking the date – practice varies, and whether the ceremony can take place depends on it.

How long you wait for a date

Documents are one queue, the office calendar is another. We collect real waiting times for civil wedding dates at Polish registry offices – town by town.

Check waiting times