Outdoor civil wedding

A ceremony outside the civil registry office is possible – in a garden, a wedding hall or by a lake. It is not automatic, though: there is an extra fee, and the venue must meet conditions assessed by the head of the office. The order matters, because it is easy to pay a deposit for a beautiful venue before talking to the office rather than after.

Cost

84 zł stamp duty for drawing up the marriage certificate + 1000 zł for a ceremony outside the office.

These are official fees. The cost of the venue itself, decorations and service is separate and has nothing to do with the office.

Conditions the venue must meet

  • Safety of the people present at the ceremony.
  • Dignified and solemn conditions – this wording comes from the regulations, and it is what gives the office room for judgement. A wet-weather backup plan is more convincing than assurances.
  • Consent of the owner or manager of the site.
  • The registrar must be able to get there and work on site.

In what order to do it

1. Ask the office before you pay for anything. The question is simple: is a ceremony possible at this place on this date?
You’ll find your registry office’s number here

2. Agree on the date. There are usually fewer dates outside the office than inside, because someone has to travel there. A Saturday in high season is the hardest.

3. Submit the declaration of no impediments. The statutory month counts from that day – not from booking the venue.

4. Only then pay the deposit for the venue. Doing it the other way round is the most common and most expensive mistake in the whole preparation.

What is the same as at the office

  • Statutory waiting period: at least one month from submitting the declaration.
  • Two adult witnesses of any nationality.
  • ID card or passport – both of you.
  • First short copy of the marriage certificate free of charge.
  • With a foreign partner – additional documents and translations.

How long you wait for a free date

We collect real waiting times at Polish registry offices – because the statutory month is the minimum, not the answer to the question “when”.

Check waiting times