Marriage to a Polish citizen

TYPES OF MARRIAGES IN POLAND

In Poland, people can get married at:

• the Civil Registry Office (USC) - this is the so-called civil marriage;
• a temple (e.g. in a church, orthodox church).

In Poland, a marriage performed in the rite of some religions (including the Roman Catholic Church) may be recognized and registered by the Civil Registry Office without the need to conclude a civil marriage. This is the so-called concordat marriage.

MARRIAGE AT THE CIVIL REGISTER OFFICE (USC)

In order to conclude a civil marriage at the Civil Registry Office (Registry Office), the Head of Registry Office must be submitted the following documents:

• ID cards with photos of the people intending to get married;
• Copies of birth certificates of the above-mentioned people. If such a copy is made in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by a sworn translation of the document into Polish made by a sworn translator from the list of translators published on the website of the Ministry of Justice or the Consul of the Republic of Poland.
• People who have already been married attach a document confirming the termination or annulment of the previous marriage.
• Foreigners additionally submit a certificate from the country of origin confirming the possibility of getting married, together with a sworn translation of the document into Polish (this document certifies that a person, in accordance with the law of their country of origin, may get married in Poland. In order to obtain such a document, please contact the appropriate authority in your country of origin).

If a foreigner is unable to submit such a document (e.g. their country does not issue such documents), they may submit an exemption from the obligation to submit the document. Such a decision is issued by District Courts in the course of non-contentious proceedings at the request of a foreigner.

Non-contentious proceedings mean that such proceedings are not related to the procedure for starting a case in court. In order to obtain an exemption from the obligation to submit the above document, the interested person should submit an application to the District Court competent for the place of residence with a request for an exemption from the obligation to submit the document to the Civil Registry Office. In your application, please indicate the reasons why the person cannot obtain the document in their country.

• Proof of payment of stamp duty, made at the cash desk or to the account of the office where the ceremony will take place, in the amount of PLN 84.

Note! The ceremony may take place in the office or outside it - in a place chosen by the participants. In the case of a wedding that takes place outside the office upon request, an additional fee of PLN 1,000 is charged.

Detailed information on getting married at the Civil Registry Office is available here.

CONCORDAT MARRIAGE

In the case of concordat marriage, the documents required for marriage by a given church or religious association (e.g. baptism certificate, certificate of completion of premarital studies, confirmation of meetings at a family clinic, etc.), as well as certificates from the Civil Registry Office, must be submitted to the temple, as needed for the confirmation of no circumstances excluding marriage. In order to obtain a given certificate, one should go to the Civil Registry Office, given the place of residence of one of the parties, and submit the following documents:

• ID cards with photos of the people intending to get married;
• Copies of birth certificates of the above-mentioned people. If such a copy is made in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by a sworn translation of the document into Polish made by a sworn translator from the list of translators published on the website of the Ministry of Justice or the Consul of the Republic of Poland;
• People who have already been married attach a document confirming the termination or annulment of the previous marriage
• Foreigners additionally submit a certificate from the country of origin confirming the possibility of getting married, together with a sworn translation of the document into Polish (this document certifies that a person, in accordance with the law of their country of origin, may get married in Poland. In order to obtain such a document, please contact the appropriate authority in your country of origin). If a foreigner is unable to submit such a document (e.g. their country does not issue such documents), they may submit an exemption from the obligation to submit the document. Such a decision is issued by District Courts in the course of non-contentious proceedings at the request of a foreigner;
• Written assurance about the non-existence of circumstances excluding marriage;
• Proof of payment of stamp duty, made at the cash desk or to the account of the office where a marriage certificate will be drawn up, in the amount of PLN 84.

Within 5 days from the date of the marriage, the priest is obliged to deliver a certificate completed and signed by him, the bride and groom and witnesses to the Civil Registry Office of the place of marriage in order for a marriage certificate to be drawn up.

Short copies of the marriage certificate can be collected from the Registry Office usually within 2 weeks from the date of the marriage. One of the spouses may apply for the copies with an identity card.

Detailed information on concordat marriage is available here.