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Get married in a civil ceremony

If you wish to have a civil wedding, you must submit to the civil registry office (USC) a statement which confirms there are no objections to a proposed marriage and set a wedding date. You can also decide if the wedding ceremony will take place inside or outside the office, e.g. outdoors.

Below you will find general information only – ask the head of the civil registry office for further details.

Who can enter

Two people can get married, if they are:

  • of legal age,
  • not already married,
  • not related by consanguinity in the direct line and you are not siblings (e.g. father and daughter or brother and sister cannot get married),
  • not related by affinity in the direct line (e.g. daughter-in-law and father-in-law cannot get married),
  • not related by adoption (adopter and adoptee).

A woman who is over the age of 16, but not yet 18 years of age can enter into marriage with the court's permission.

Two people who are related by affinity can only enter into marriage with the court's permission.

A person who suffers from mental illness or is mentally retarded may enter into marriage subject to the court's permission.

Fully incapacitated persons cannot enter into marriage.

What you need to do

If you wish to get married:

  • at the office – go to the civil registry office where you want to get married,
  • outside the office – go to the civil registry office for the area you have chosen for your wedding venue.

Before visiting the civil registry office, prepare:

  • your identity documents (ID cards or passports) – for presentation,
  • proof of payment of stamp duty – you can pay at the cash desk in the office or by transfer to the office's account,
  • where necessary – the court’s permission to enter into marriage,
  • If you wish to marry by proxy – the court's permission to enter into a marriage by proxy along with the relevant power of attorney,
  • if you do not have Polish vital records (and you are a Polish citizen), prepare:
  • a foreign document which is equivalent to a Polish birth certificate,
  • if you were previously married, prepare a foreign document which is equivalent to a Polish marriage certificate together with proof of dissolution or annulment of the marriage, or with a document proving that the marriage is non-existent.

Please note! If either bride or groom is a foreign national:

  • the person who is a foreign national must submit a document proving that they are entitled to enter into marriage under the law of the country of origin (the document stating that the person concerned is entitled to get married in accordance with applicable laws). In cases where obtaining such a document is extremely difficult, i.e. there are very significant difficulties which would be faced by the person concerned in obtaining the document (e.g. there is war in the country of origin), the court may waive the obligation to submit the document – the court will then determine whether that person can get married. In such a situation, you must have a relevant court decision. A person who is a foreign national must submit a relevant application to a competent court having jurisdiction over their place of residence,
  • if, based on the submitted documents, the head of the civil registry office will be unable to obtain data that must be entered in the marriage certificate (i.e. personal and marital status data), they may request the applicant (foreign national) to submit:
  • certified copy of their birth certificate,
  • and if the person was previously married:
    • certified copy of the marriage certificate stating that the person is no longer married (i.e. with a note that the marriage was dissolved, annulled or declared non-existent) 
    • or
    • certified copy of the marriage certificate along with proof of dissolution or annulment of the marriage, or with a document proving that the marriage is non-existent,
  • all documents drawn up in a foreign language must be officially translated by a sworn translator or the Polish consul,
  • if at least one of you is unable to communicate with the head of the civil registry office, e.g. does not speak Polish, you must provide an interpreter or a certified translator.

If you are not sure about which documents to submit, ask the head of the civil registry office. They will assess your situation and tell you what to do.

During your visit to the civil registry office:

  • set a wedding date,
  • submit a statement which confirms there are no objections to the proposed marriage – an official from the registry office will prepare such a statement for you to sign,
  • if you decide to get married outside the civil registry office – submit an application for a wedding ceremony outside the office.

The head of the civil registry office will officiate your ceremony at the agreed time and place.

Where to get married

  • at any civil registry office,
  • outside the office, at a location where your marriage ceremony will be conducted in solemn form and in accordance with safety rules. The head of the civil registry office may refuse to officiate if they find that the location you have chosen does not meet these requirements.

How much you will pay

  • stamp duty for drawing up a marriage certificate – PLN 84,
  • additional fee for conducting a marriage ceremony outside the office (at your request) – PLN 1 000,
  • if the marriage ceremony is conducted outside the office because of a risk to life or health (e.g. at a hospital) or deprivation of liberty (e.g. in prison) – no additional fee is charged.

How long you will wait

  • marriage can be entered into following submission of a statement which confirms there are no objections to the proposed marriage,
  • the statement is valid for 6 months – if you do not get married within this period, you must re-submit the statement.
  • in special cases, the waiting period for a wedding ceremony can be reduced. Find out when you can reduce waiting times.

If the head of the civil registry office refuses to officiate, you will be issued with a written refusal. In this case, you must – within 14 days after such refusal – apply to the competent court having jurisdiction over the civil registry office to issue a decision on whether the reasons given by the head of the civil registry justify their refusal. If the refusal by the head of civil registry office results from a court decision, you no longer are entitled to apply to the court for such a decision.

During the marriage ceremony

For the head of the civil registry office to verify the personal data of the bride, the groom and their witnesses, the following must be submitted:

  • your identity documents (ID cards or passports),
  • identity documents of witnesses (identity cards or passports).

If at least one of you or one of your witnesses is unable to communicate with the head of the civil registry office, e.g. does not speak Polish, you must ensure that an interpreter or a certified translator is present during your marriage ceremony.

After the marriage ceremony

The head of the civil registry office will draw up a marriage certificate. You will be issued, free of charge, with an abridged certified copy of the certificate.

Choice of surname

After submitting a declaration that you have entered into marriage, you will be asked to make a statement regarding the surname of your children. You have to decide on what surname you will have after the marriage ceremony and what surname your children will take.

After the marriage ceremony, you can:

  • keep your current surname,
  • add your spouse's surname to your surname. The resulting surname may only have two parts (surnames) joined with a hyphen (double-barrelled surname), e.g. Nowak-Kowalska,
  • choose one of your names to be your common name.

If you do not submit a statement regarding your preferred surname – your current surnames will automatically used.

If you wish to take different surnames after the marriage ceremony, you must decide on what surname your children will have.You may decide that the child will be named after one of you or be given a surname which is a combination of your two surnames (the mother's surname with the father's surname added to it).

If you do not submit consensus statements on the surname of your children, they will be given a double-barrelled surname which is formed by joining your surnames with a hyphen (the mother's surname with the father's surname added to it).

Legal basis

  • Family and Guardianship Code Law Act of 25 February 1964 (codified text: Journal of Laws 2019, item 2086, as amended)
  • Vital Records Law Act of 28 November 2014 (codified text: Journal of Laws 2018, item 2224, as amended)
     
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