How to get married in Poland and have a Polish wedding
Finding a Polish lady friend might not be as hard as jumping through the maze at the Polish government offices to actually make your marriage legal.
How to marry a Polish citizen
There are two types of Polish marriages, Polish civil marriage, and Church marriage. If you have a Polish church wedding this is legal. I will explain the Church wedding, as this is more common in Poland.
As with any official or significant event in your life you need to learn to be patient and collect paper. All church documents must be up to date in the last 6 months. All Polish government documents must be up to date in the last 3 months.
Polish Government
1) You need a letter from you Embassy, saying you can get married or they do not have the information regarding this. This is free.
2) You need your birth certificate translated into Polish. You can order a copy of your birth certificate from the Internet. Then you have to go to an official Polish language translator and translate this into Polish. This is about 100 Polish zloty. Or better if you have a Polish Akt Urodzenia then the process goes much easier, and its only 20 Polish zloty. You get his from Urzad Stanu Cywilnego in Polish
3)Then you go to a Polish court with your future wife/husband and partition them to marry a Polish citizen . This will cost about 100 Polish zloty. You will need an official Polish translator if you do not speak the Polish language. This will take about a few months or more in a city and much quicker if you do it in the Polish countryside.
4)At the end of this, you get a piece of paper from the Polish court that says you can marry a Polish citizen. And you take this to the priests. (After you are married by the priest you take another Piece of Paper and bring it to Urzad Stanu Cywilnego, this is some Polish office where you simply register your church marriage. Urzad in Polish is a Polish government office.)
The Catholic Church marriage
1) You need to go to classes over four weeks, these classes are kind of interesting and in Polish, so if you are learning or want to learn Polish, here is your chance and the classes are fun. Your there with a bunch of other Polish couples.
Then you have to meet together as a couple twice with a layperson from the church and each individually once. After this process, you will get a piece of paper with 7 stamps. You each need this. I think this only cost about 30 Polish złoty and the counseling is actually solid advice, not this crazy media pop psychology you might get in the west.
2) You need your birth certificate and your baptism certificate, you need your confirmation certificate or a letter from your priest back home that says you were confirmed (This is the only document that does not need to be to update).
3) You make an appointment with the main church office in your town with all your papers. They check it.
5)Your future wife’s priest and your priest will need to announce, in her and your church, that you will be married. These announcements occur on three Sundays.
That is it.You are all set for your Polish wedding.
How long does this take? It depends on you. I would say 6 months is good but if you wan to do it in 3 months I think this can be done.
Can you pay anyone to make this go faster? No.
Can I get married in the church without the government paper? Technically yes. But it would not be a legal Polish wedding and I do not know if this done. But in the eyes of the Church, you are married happily ever after.
So what do I need again to get married in Poland?
1) A court decision that says you can marry a Polish person
2) Birth certificate
3) Baptismal certificate
4) Church wedding preparation certificate
One more thing, those pre-marriage courses are you talking bout, can they be done in Ireland, we are both catholic, but i do not speak enough Polish to do them in Polish,
Your site is a great help.
Hi Erin, Your wedding can look anyway you want. Mine was done by a Polish priest both in English and Polish, I kissed the my bride. The way it is organized is 100% up to you both. My advice is find something you are your fiance both like, not your families as if they have a say it sometimes spoil things. It is your day. Make your own day the way you really want it. And its only the ceremony, not stress. If you are getting married in Krakow I can recommend many English speaking priests, they speak very well as many lived in the US, Ireland, or the UK accent with an accent and all. The classes can be done in English and in Ireland. It does not matter. I did them in Polish only because it was fun for me but Polish is a hard language so you of course can do them in English. Nothing has to be one way or another. My marriage in Poland did not last two days, like many do, in fact I only had a little wine nothing else at the party. So it is your day with your husband design it the way you guys really want and not stress. Again, if you are getting married in Krakow then I can make further recommendations.
thats a great help, only my boyfriend is from a small town maybe 1 hour from krakow so more than likely it will be in a church near there, i love all the games and traditions in the polish weddings, everything except the church part, so if the preist will have no problem doing it my way thats good to hear. thanks alot for the reply, great help
I am from Colombia and my boyfriend is Polish. we want to get civil marriage in Poland but I do not know what exactly I need, how long i should be there? And if i can go with tourist visa to get married. Please if you can help me with some information about that I will appreciate.
Lina, you can get a fiancée visa. Read my post above and it details what you need for marriage in Poland. He should go to the Polish office and get the documents you need.
hello mark, I am a english man who is getting married to a polish woman this september. I thought I was finished with my paperwork for my wedding in zamosc,poland when i’ve just found out I need a leter from the court approving my marriage to a polish citizen. Can I apply for this document at any court??
Ok you have two options apply today, not two days from now and beg them to get it done by your wedding day, it usually takes 6 months, do it in the court region where you will be married, maybe your future wife’s parents can help with that. Also have a backup plan such as a civil wedding in vegas or somewhere and a real Church wedding in Poland. All I can say is good luck, I am very happily married in Poland and its worth all the hoops you have to jump thought but do not worry, one way or another things work out.
We got the approval a few days before the wedding and then lost the one and only document that gave us the approval, it slipped out of our folder of papers we were carrying to get the marriage license. We walked around Krakow in the rain looking for it and found it, blowing around somewhere.
Let me know if you have any more questions about getting married in Poland.
I am a U.S. citizen and plan on marrying the love of my life in poland. I read above that I need a letter from the U.S. embassy stating that I am able to marry. My question is can I get this letter in Poland? If so how long will it take? Thanks.
Hi Adam, You can get it at the embassy and it takes about 5 minutes to get, no worries with that. Let me know if you have any other questions about marriage in Poland.
I going to get married to a Polish girl but as i am originally from Mauritius (Non EU) and i am in Ireland for the time being as a student. I would like to know which documents would i be needed to get married , and if i would be getting a Polish passport after my marriage?..
Thank you very much
Avi
Avi, you come from a beautiful place. However, you will not get a Polish passport after marriage. Forget the law about passports and citizenship, I have been married and living in Poland legally for about 6 years and I do not have a Polish passport yet and my family was from Poland, so I am technically Polish. If you are from a non EU country, I think the judges will be very cautious with you. So maybe in like 7 years of living in Poland legally with your wife, you will get one. But not living in the UK or apart. Again I have been waiting for about 6 years and my family was from Poland and I am married to a Polish girl and work legally here and have a family and done things for Poland. They will check you, and if they think it is a marriage for a passport you will get deported from the EU and banned from coming back I think. When they check they really check, the Police asked my neighbors and they have other ways.
Dear Markbiernat,
I have some enquiries about civil marriage in Poland and wonder if you could help me. My boyfriend (Polish citizen) and I (non-Muslim Malaysian) have planned to get married in Poland. Based on the information we obtained, I need to have the following documents :
1. My birth certificate. It has been translated into English by authorized translator in Malaysian and I will have to translate it into Polish. I suppose that is not a problem but please could you tell me how long it normally takes?
2. Letter of Single Status
3. A letter from the Malaysian government to certify that I am legally free to get married abroad. I’ve spoken to the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Malaysia, the consular said they don’t issue such a letter, but Malaysians are allowed to get married in any foreign country. However, they have certified my Letter of Single Status. Please could you tell me if I still need to obtain the letter from the Embassy of Malaysia in Poland and how long it probably takes?
Another question is: Do they require a foreigner to stay in Poland for a minimum period of time before he/ she could submit documents and give notice to the Registry Office for the marriage?
I look forward to your reply. Have a nice day ~
Regards,
Carmen
Dear Markbiernat,
I would like to add something to my question that I submitted earlier on:
The Letter of Single Status which I obtained from the National Registration Department in my country is specially issued to those who wants to get married abroad and it certifies that I have declared under Oath that I am single and there is no record of any marriage being registered under the law. It also certifies that I intend to marry my Polish partner. According to the officer, this letter is sufficient to allow me to get married abroad.
I wonder if this could replace the letter from Embassy; hence, need your advice.
I love my boyfriend loads and it’s been two months since I left him in the UK, for I had to come home to obtain some essential documents for the marriage. We talk to each other via video chats everyday though. We both wanna get married as wanna be with each other and do not want a long-distant relationship when my visa runs out next year. Your help will be highly appreciated.
Many thanks and have a nice day.
Regards,
Carmen.
Hi Carmen,
If you have your birth certificate translated by an official translator to Polish, this is the main thing. It should only take about a day to get translated. Also the need a document that says you are free to marry, I got this from my embassy in Poland and it again had a Polish version. The courts only accept Polish in Poland, no other languages for any documents. Polish is the official language. I do not know if you have to live in Poland to get married but for sure you have to appear before a court and a judge and he will ask you questions in Polish (You can get a translator if needed to be there with you, but you have to appear in court). If you are not living in Poland they will look at you carefully as 1/4 of all marriages to foreigners in Poland are fake and they are really checking this out. So If you can I would move to Poland and live and work if you are serious about this. I mean once you are married where will you live anyway, that is the question.
Dear Markbiernat,
Thanks a lot for the advice. Yeah, my boyfriend and I both knew that I have to translate all documents into Polish, thus, I have already got all the essential documents in English, I’ll be going to UK soon and get some official translator to translate them into Polish.
I’ve read from other forums about getting married in Poland. They said a person only goes to the court to receive a release from presenting the “certification of freedom to marry” if the embassy does not issue the such a letter/ document. Or is it compulsory for every foreigner to go to the court to get permission from the judge before going to the registry office?
I look forward to your reply. Have a nice day ~
Regards,
Carmen
I had a document I gave the court that said I was free to marry from my US embassy in Krakow, Poland where I live. However, the Polish court also wanted to review the laws of the state where I am from in the USA and check to see if I could marry in Poland according to state law. They asked me a number of questions in person. So I can not say for sure as I am not an expert on Polish law and frankly I do not know who is when it comes to marriage in Poland to a foreigner, all I can convey is what my experience was and what I think. I was asked questions directly and personally about my intentions to marry by a judge even with the “certification of freedom to marry”. I think this is the main document but I think the judge looks for all impediments to marriage and your rational to marry and that is why he wants to talk to you personally. Maybe I am wrong. Remember I had already a Polish green card and from the USA and my parents were basically at one time technically Polish citizens and I speak Polish but they still checked me out personally. So do not feel bad if they are checking you. It is only because the courts have so many fake marriage that they are checking people now from non European countries. So I am pretty sure you have to go to court to get married in Poland if you are not from Europe. Let me know if I am wrong. But you need a judge to approve your marriage before you can get a marriage certificate.
I am English I live in Krakow, Poland and have a daughter born in Poland with my fiancee , we are wanting to get married , I am divorced but I have no proof of divorce as it was in Mexico, will this be a problem , I have no idea where my ex-wife is to obtain divorce certificate.
thanks
Steve, you obtain the divorce certificate not from your ex wife but from the court that issued it. Where was the marriage, in Mexico also? I do not know your marital status officially in Poland so anything is possible. You can write me directly as I live in Krakow also.
Wow, what a wonderful site. I missed this when I was getting ready to marry my wife, who is Polish. I am an American citizen, and I had very little trouble having a Catholic church wedding in the small village of Dwikozy, even though I am considered a Protestant (Christian). The hardest part was reciting my vows in Polish, which I truthfully speak very little. Too many consonants, ha ha ha. Good thing my wife is fluent in English, thanks to her Masters studies.
None of my family or friends could afford the travel expenses for the wedding, so I had to fly solo. The hotgrapher and videographer were awesome, the church was beautiful, and the memories will last us a life time.
Vincent great comment, I think Polish weddings are great, I had one, see the big thing is to have one person proactive in the process. If your wife was proactive than that really makes life easier. Again I am very happily married and I stayed in Poland.
@Mark , thanks for taking the time to reply ,, i was young and naive when i got married in Mexico City ,, when i got divorced i was working in Barcelona my was in Mexico city , she sent me the papers to sign then i sent them her back ,, she would be the person who knows who issued the papers and she has dissapeared , any further advise would be great as i have now found my soulmate we both want this wedding to happen
Thanks again Mark
oops correction !!
i was working in Barcelona my EX was in Mexico city
thanks
Dear Markbiernat..:)
Hi Mark..I am a Tunisian men..and i’ll get marry with the most important thing in my life after 1 month and 2 weeks:):)and i was Reading your article..and it’s look easier but i want to know after when i’ll get married in city hall or somewhere and then i’ll go to embassy and to give them all the paper..but can i know how much i’ll wait here on Tunisia to get the visa that i can go to my honey to Poland? and i am not talking polish language..but if this one will be a problem in embassy? explain to me Mark plz and tell me if u have another way that i can go fast to her:):)
plz Mark i need a help it’s after 1month
thank u from now:)
Heni..
Heni, the main problem is this. After you get married to get a visa to Poland you need a legal place of residence. That means the landlord must bring you to city hall and sign documents. This is often hard to find a landlord who will do this an make it all legal. 1) Many landlords do not want to pay taxes, 2) people do not like to get involved. So if you have a legal place to live a visa after you are married would be only a matter of time in Poland.
thank u Mark..and if she still living with her parent then she can have this paper of residence??and if she can have it from another one she can or no..i mean another person??
thank u again
Heni
Hello,
I have both Polish and Canadian citizenship and am currently living in Canada. I would like to have a church wedding in Poland. My fiance is Colombian and is also living in Canada, and is a work visa here.
Is it possible to have a chuch wedding in Poland with arriving there only a month before the wedding? What papers will we need?
For those Canadian citizens that have married in Poland: Is a church Polish wedding accepted by the Canadian government, or do we have to have the Polish-government approved wedding for it to be approved in Canada? We will be living in Canada permanently, and really just want one wedding.
Hi Ola, Church wedding in possible. The Church is not the issue. You need to get a marriage lic. from the Uzad – that is the most important step. I am on vacation now sorry for the short reply, but the Church is very open and easy, the marriage lic from the Uzad is possible if you try today I think as you are a Polish citizen. But no promises.
greetings! my boyfriend and i decided to get married coz of love, he is polish and im from philippines, we already had blessings from both parents my side and his side,im residing and working in UAE and on the other hand, he was working in UK,i would like to ask what are the requirements i needed to gather so i can marry my fiance’ in poland?
thank you..
regards..
Hi Kochamcie Check my site, basically it is just birth certificate, proof from embassy that you are not married, something from a Polish judge, more things from the embassy, passports etc. Lots of paper but check my site first.
I am an MBA working in retail sector in London.I am living in the uk fro last 5 years. I hold a indian passport.My girlfriend is polish and I went to visit her in Krakow. I am in love with the place and want to move there. We are getting married next year. can you help me to know waht will be the life there and will I need a visa to relocate in Poland..language will be a bar for me… wht type of job opportunities will be there.
thx..
Raj, you can certainly live in Poland but you need a visa, fiance visa I think will let you stay but not work, once you are married you can get a normal visa to work. Jobs are not like in London, so I would learn Polish. I think you have to think, what can I do better than the next guy, why am I so special that someone would give me a job. Education means nothing in the work place in 2009, its all about what you can do to contribute to a company better than the next guy, in Poland or anywhere.
Hello Mark!
I had emailed you once before but never received a reply back from you but I understand if you are a busy person….. My query is much different than the email I had sent to you previously. I am an American currently residing in Spain with my fiance (who is Polish, from Szcechzin (sp?)). We will be having a civil marriage here in the Canary Islands (which is unbelievably easy btw) then having a church cermony/wedding in a Catholic church within Poland. The problem here is that she is Catholic and I am not. I am pretty much non-denominational when it comes to any particular belief (although I was baptized Mormon, ughhh). I keep hearing that I do not need to convert to Catholicism rather I just need to sign some sort of agreement with the church to raise our children (if we have any) in a Catholic environment/beliefs. Is there any merit to this claim? The process of converting is astronomically long and we do not have that kind of time to spend trying to get me converted. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide. Oh and if there are any Americans looking to have a civil marriage and or ceremony in Spain….. I recently have a acquired a wealth of knowledge in that department so dont hesitate to ask me!
Jared, sorry for not replying, I have over 400 e-mails to reply to as I write software etc. Here is the best way to reach me.
Ok about marriage in Poland and the church. I know many people who are not Catholic and got married in the catholic Church. My friend is Chinese, she did the whole wash and wax in about a month I think. However, the one thing is you have to agree not to prevent the mother from raising the children Catholic.
Religion is a sensitive issue but should not be. In the eyes of God I do not think it is important. If you have faith and want to cut out the middle man (church) I respect that and that is fine. However, I love being Catholic and was raised in this beautiful tradition meaningful. I want my children to have this option too. In my life it meant a lot to me. So do not be upset if your wife or the Church asks for this. Many on the outside do not understand. 🙂
That being said, yes, tak, yes. You can have a church wedding without being catholic and further my friends found the Church works with you, very easy. However, if you find some old hard line priest get another. Fire him and find one you like that is easy that will tell you yes, you can do it.
So a simply civil marriage followed by a church wedding in Poland is possible.
Hi, you are really doing great job but i observed some time u replied harshly specially Asian anyways i have some questions hope u will reply me calmly. I live in Germany and belong from Pakistan (Muslim). I am on asylum here but my case did not approved by Germany govt so they are giving me visa for 3 months last 2 yrs continue. I want a marry one Polish girl she is also student in Berlin university. So please guide me what is best way and where we can marriage easily. In Poland or in Pakistan or in Germany. I am also planning to go Pak soon and its my and my g friend wish to manage our marriage in Pak so how long time is required to complete all process. i want to come Poland with my g. friend after marriage. Many Thanks in advance for your positive reply.
Khan, I think all people are great, from Asia or where ever, and I respect all beliefs. I think Paki people are beautiful. However, I guess I might have a different tone for people who I think are marrying for citizenship and not for love.
I believe in love. I believe in God. I believe in marriage.
I do not believe in marrying for citizenship. Because marriage is something that is very important and for many people and even holy. To marry for citizenship disrespects people who marry for love. This is my belief.
But I will consider what you said and in the future be more aware of it.
I do not know what is the best place to get married, I know marriage in Poland is hard if the judge thinks it is for citizenship because 1/4 of the marriages in Poland to foreigners are for citizenship.
It depends on what your sweat heart wants. About the law and what is easier, I would ask her as she living in Germany has a better view on German law and maybe Polish law as she is a Polish citizen, than I.
I wish you luck.
Thanks very much for the reply Mark and I thank you for the time you are taking out of your life to help people like me. We are getting married next June in Szczecin (correct sp haha) and we cannot wait to do it. You are absolutely correct about Polish women…. They are wonderful people and I couldnt imagine being with anyone else. I am so happy that I have found my fiance and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with her. Again, thanks for your time and if Im ever in Krakow (which might be a good possibility), I will be sure to look you up or inform you here! I keep hearing what a beautiful place Krakow is and I would really like to visit someday soon.
Hi, I am the girl fiend of F. Khan. He wrote the msg here on 12.10. Does anyone know a good lawyer in Warsaw who s responsible for civil cases, esp marriages of international couples? for a response thank you in advance.
Hi Anna, I am sorry I do not. I think the law is pretty straight forward with marriage in Poland. You do not need to search through Polish codex, rather just make sure all the requirements are fulfilled and most important a judge approves the case. I think Poland is really trying to determine real marriages and false marriages in Poland, like in the US also.
hello , I am Algerian and i will go meet Polish women , we decided to get marry when i will be there in Poland because we know each other since 3 years now , so please can i know how i can get marry her in Poland law ? and what documents I need for that? and do you can me stay with her after marry her even i have only month in visa?
during waiting your answer please accept my great regards
I have answer the document question in my post about marriage in Poland. But the question about the visa is hard. Even if you are married you might not get a visa. I know it is unfair but the judge often rules a temporary visa, say 20 days and this is not enough time for getting a green card visa. Even after you are married. I think this trend is because there were too many false marriages in Poland for a visa. So many times the couple must live in Algeria for say five year before you can apply for a visa for Poland. This is what I was told by a person I know who married a Tunisian man. For me I was lucky I got a green card for Poland before I got married because my family is Polish, so I am Polish, I just did not confirm my citizenship as the paperwork was long. So do not assume you will get a visa for Poland if you have a marriage in Poland. It is up to the judge and according to my friend who married a Middle Eastern guy, she might have to move to North Africa and not live in Poland.
Hey Mark, Greetings from India.
Appreciate your help through blog and it gives fairly good idea to all the people like us who married Polish national. Its just frustrated and annoying that false marriage put every one else on brink.
I met my wife Iza on her first visit to India. We are married for 2 yrs and living in India. We have not registered our marriage yet. My In laws insisting that we should get register our marriage.
To get register we have to provide Polish government apostle of Marriage & Birth Certificate. Need your help to know the procedures and duration of the registration of our marriage. In India we got married as Hindu ritual and then we got registered our marriage in court. Will Polish Judiciary system accept such marriages? Please guide.
Poland will accept a legal marriage in India I think. If it was a religious wedding there was some sort of civil documents from the official government in India issued. This is the way it is in most places in the world. There is usually a treaty between the government the church that validates church weddings. But you have to get the legal documents. If you have this you need it translated and notarized etc to present your application for a visa to Poland. Also Poland no longer gives out marriage visas to just anyone. You might be married but you might not get a visa. Things have changed. Also you have to have 25 euro a day for everyday of your visa. So if you will stay in Poland for 100 days, waiting for the judge, that is 2500 Euro, and you must have a legal residence in Poland to be considered. 1. 2500 euro 2. legal documents 3. residence in Poland. 4. Judge approval After this your marriage in Poland will be valid and all set.
hello,
I recently found this page..and i saw many Your response and I think You have great knowledge about marriages in Poland..and with Polish citizens..i have one question..and if someone already asked it then i am so truly sorry..the case is that in from Poland (Lublin)..and I am going to marry Tunisian guy..let’s hope late December..I was wondering if we get married..then my future husband cat travel abroad in EU? When he will get visa to come here?or just after 5 years when he will receive polish citizenship? I am thinking about it a lot..because maybe there will be an opportunity for me..and for us to go to Spain..for work..but if he can’t then let’s have faith in God that they will give him visa..
z góry bardzo dziękuję za info:)
Pozdrawiam z… /greeting from… Lublin:)
Katarzyna
Hi Kate, my family is from Lublin also, good luck with you marriage in Poland. If you get married, he does not even get a temporary visa. So lets say you get married. He can not even live in Poland. Really. You have to get a visa even if you are married to a Polish citizen. To get this you need to have 25 euro a day for everyday he will live here or he will not get a visa for Poland. If he will lives 100 days that is 10200 Polish Zloty cash. A year, would be about 40,000 pln. If not no judge will even give you a temporary visa for Poland. It is a new law, I was told. You can check it yourself.
The the judge might not even approve the visa for Poland after this. If he gets a visa he can only live in Poland, not other countries. It will take over five years to get citizenship, even though the law says less. Lets say seven or eight years because of paperwork and delay. Then if the Polish government approves this, he will get it. But they will check if you live with him etc and the Police will check your neighbors to see etc. They did for me when I got my visa and I am American with a Polish family from Lublin. (Biernat z Lublina). So if you are in love and can live with him everyday for the next 8 years in a legal residence with money in the bank to support him and prove it to the judge, it will be no problem. But he can not travel or work in other countries for many many years.
Hi Mark,
Thank you very much for your response about marriage in Poland.
It is nice to know you have some connections with Lublin, when all will be ok..and with my future husband we will be here, then we will ask you out in Lublin.
If it will not be a problem, I wanted to ask one more thing, you said about new law that about 25 euros per day to provide for my husband. From when it is working like this? It is a lot of money and normal people do not have it, Can it be just in a bank account? and if yes, then a piece of paper form bank is sufficient?
And when he will get visa and come here and then how many times they will check if I have this money in cash. Can I make for him some legal residence here or always I will have to show i have money.
I want to say that I will have a civil marriage there in Tunisia. A church marriage I want to get here in Poland.
Again greetings from Lublin:)
Pozdrawiam..Kasia:D
Kasia, the new law is only two weeks old. I learned about this from a friend is is married to a Tunisian man. She has been married for over half a year and still can not bring him to Poland.
It is a lot of money. They have this law because many people from the Middle East get Polish girls to fall in love with them to get a visa to Poland, then latter leave the girls. When the girl is abandoned then she is legally married and can not get married again but the husband is gone (somewhere in Europe like Germany) and she can not get a divorce. So the Polish government made a law to make sure that both people in the marriage are stable and prepared for marriage.
I recommend Polish girls (that do not get a visa approved by a judge, and not all do get a visa now) go live in Tunisia instead, they can be tour guides and make a lot of money and its a nice warm place, but usually the Tunisian men for some reason only will live in Europe.
You have to ask the judge and the Uząd about the money questions. I know my friend is having a hard time bringing her Tunisian husband to Poland.
Let me know about your marriage in Poland.
Hi Mark or should it be Marek?
My partner and I want to marry next April in Krakow, apart from getting all the relevant documents i.e. translated birth certificates and others, & notifying the British Embassy in Warsaw, how does one go about booking a registry office in the lovely city of Krakow?
It will be very easy. What you need to go to a street right by Nowy Klepasz it is called ul. Śliąska. You will see a big red Polish uząd sign. Go to the 3rd floor and you present your documents to the lady. This is the most important step as she is the one that gives you a license to marry. You are an EU citizen so it will be very easy. There should be no problems what so ever. I am an US citizen so I had to jump through a few more hoops, but for an EU citizen it is even easier. Marriage in Poland, church or civil comes down to one document issued in the office on ul. Śliąska on the 3rd floor by one lady. That is the Polish marriage license. After that you get a civil or Church wedding no problem. The actual office for he civil wedding, if that is what you are getting is on the other side of Krakow, but she will tell you once you get the license to wed.
Hello Mark,
Was reading all these FAQ and thought to take some advise from you. I’m an Indian and Hindu by religion.
We are getting married in coming Jan 2012. We want to do marriage traditionally in both the countries ( in Poland and then in India) and then registered it in all 3 countries. I don’t want Polish passport/citizen, all we want is to live together for 1-2 yrs in Poland and then might move back to UK or India.
1 Do I need to apply for a private visitor’s visa in polish consulate in INDIA ? does it has to be only 90 days or i can apply for even 60days and then extend itself in Poland( after marriage)?
2 Is it hard to get visa for marriage purpose? bearing the cases of fraud/fake weddings….
3 Once i am married to my sweetheart,can I extend my visa for long term ( 1 or 2 yr) within staying in Poland on that short term visa basis? lets say can i apply even if only 2 weeks left in finishing of my visa?
Many thanks in advance and sorry to be a pain. Its my 1st experience of marriage lol….
Regards
Ben
Ops!! forget to add ….
We are living in UK now and after being together for 4yrs, we decide to got married & start our family… luckey our families are more desperate then us lol.
But I’m a confused with new rule about 25euro/day? So after marrying a Polish girl and wish to live 1-2 year in Poland, do i still need to have 25 euro/day in my account for whole 1 or 2 year ?
Ps: would be unfair if I’m not allowed to work during that 1-2 yr living in Poland.
Do you think you can give a sample or format for NOC from me ( marrying in poland) and for her ( marrying in india)?
Proof of address :
i went to Uk almost 5yrs ago and now my family have changed the current address. I already got zaproszonie The invitation letter from girl’s family and my passport both of them showing the old address.
Which address should i mention on certificate of proof of address ? new / old ? or may be both ? i hope this wont create a problems or delay the proceedings?
cheers !!!
Ben
Hi Ben, basically you only 25 Eur a day until the court approves a more long term visa. Therefore, lets say you are married. You can get married in Poland or somewhere else. You want to live in Poland, you can not live in Poland just because you are married. You have to apply for a visa, a temporary visa. The point of the temporary visa is to let you in Poland for a period of time while the judge and court and police check you and your neighbors and families about the marriage and relationship and life etc. Do not be offended when I first moved to Poland the police went to people in my building etc and checked me. It is nothing personal it is the law.
During this trail time and temporary visa time until the judge issues you an ok, you need this 25 Eur a day. I do not know how long it will be. It depends on the judge.
If you do not get a full visa during that time the judge will deport you from the EU unless you have a visa for another country, even if you are married.
Again it is nothing personal it is the law. I know Americans that have been deported. If they can confirm that everything is in order and legal and real then you should have no problem.
You can get a more long term visa from your marriage to a Polish citizen. However, if you get this visa you could in theory work I think. Polish passport will take years and years. But if you to return to the UK you know you need some EU passport. I think being married to an EU citizen will not do it. It is about the law and the citizenship of the country you hold. Many of my American friends want to work in London or Paris and can not.
But the good news is if you are married in Poland and everything is ok, it should not be a problem if you are very patient to get your documents set to live and work in Europe. But it might take years and years. Why do I know this? It took me a long time and I was a special case as I was already Polish and needed to just get the green stamps etc.
So your relationship comes first. Whatever if good for your marriage. I think your wife and you can live and work in Poland but set your expectations that they are pretty strict now. Even two years ago they were not like this. The main question is can your fiance help you with this as she would no better than me. I am not a lawyer. So what I write is my opinion and could be wrong. But I think after marriage in Poland it will be about 7 years or maybe 10+ years depending, before all things are in order with your papers if you live and work in Poland legally.
This is based on my experience of almost how long it too me and I am Polish and American. I came to Poland the first time in 1999. Latter settled in Poland, got married in Poland. My family was from Poland and had Polish passports. It is 2009 and I am finishing up the paperwork, almost done.
That was quite striaght forwad answer but i am not sure if you are familiar with EEA family permit for non EU family members. I mean if we decide to go back to UK then i can apply for EEA family permit and then go together with my fiancee. My financial condition is strong enough for not to work for coming 1 year plus my fiancee & her family is also ready to support me in every possible manner.
you mentioned that your “American buddies wants to work in London but cant do it ” — not sure why they cant if they are married to a EU citizens ?
Well all i know is if you are married to a pole and have polish resident permit for long term (1yr or 2yr) then you need to apply for :
1 Needs EEA family permit: (ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eucitizens/rightsandresponsibilites)
2 Employment :
ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eucitizens/applyingundereuropeanlaw/
ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/ecis/
Do you have any comment on above facts ? I’m not challenging your knowledge but just want to be careful for our future plans.
Hope our useful discussion will help everyone of us to learn & survive for a better future.
Of course we will get married in Poland too but, If in case me & my fiancee get married in INDIA first …. and registered our marriage here, then will it be valid in Poland as well ?
From me:
1 Registered marriage certificate from INDIA.
2 my Passport + passport size hot
From her:
Passport
ID card
Can i register our marriage in poland based on above documents ? and then they can give us Registered marriage certificate. Do you know how long it takes to get this certificate ? I guess then i can apply for a longterm visa based on marrying a pole citizen ? i wont mind for police investigations as long as they wont harras…. us lol.
Many thanks again,
Basu
Thanks for the reply, and you know more about this than I it seems. I was basing it on what I have herd from other people. Marriage in Poland I know very well. I also know that from my experience it is very hard to get a Polish citizenship today, it took me years even though I was basically already Polish. I worked very closely with Krakow and Warsaw for years on my case. If you have a fast track let me know. Even the visa was hard and I was basically Polish and I am married in Poland.
But I guess hard is relative, I had many interviews and lots of paperwork and lots of waiting. See what is written as law is one thing but waiting for the Polish Uząd is another. That could be years. I use to tell people that it was easy, but then I got people complaining after a few years to me, and so now I set expectations.
But marriage itself in Poland is very easy in my opinion, its the paperwork after for visa that is very hard. My friend is married to a man from Tunisia and for about seven months now he still can not come to Poland to visit. This is just like I said, I know “marriage in Poland” not from what the law actually says but from what people have experienced.
Hi
i would like to get married with a polish women and she wants me to adopt Christianity before getting married but I am orginally from the Hindu religion. And I want to get married in July- august 2010. Further she wants to get married in church and i should be catholic as well. so I wonder what are the process and Requirements for it. and how long does it takes to marry from the Polish church. I have different religion called Hindu and Nepali nationality. For sure as a foreigner.
awaiting for your reply soon
It depends if your conversion if from the heart or for ceremony. If she wants a catholic wedding in Poland than she is very serious about you. Other wise she would just get a civil wedding.
This is something you have to really consider and a priest is a better person to talk to in this regard. But I would think it is possible to convert if that is what you want to do, before your marriage in Poland.
Im an INDIAN national and my wife is POLISH national. We are going on 3weeks holidays for thailand. After that we want to visit paris and venice for a weeks each…Just want to know do need to apply for spouce visa or tourist visa?
can i apply either visa while we are in Thailand or i need first come back to india?
Hi Mark,
I am an Indian and presently living in UK. I have a polish girlfriend and we are planning to get married in UK and in Poland.
I have sorted my UK wedding documentation and we will do a civil marriage in June 2010.
As you have mentioned that normally you need 1) letter from Embassy 2) Birth Certificate (Polish Translation) and 3) Pcordialo ID. On these documents i have few question if you can kindly answer.
1)If we are married in UK, Do we still need letter from my embassy?
2) if yes, then which indian embassy will issue such letter . I mean Emb. in Poland or Emb. in UK?
3) I have been to poland couple of times on short stay visa. Do i need to get some different visa to come here for marriage?
4) How long this document verfication by Polish Govt. takes?
I really appreciate your work and want to thank you for all your knowledge sharing with us.
Regards
Himanshu
I would think this is pretty complicated for me and your girlfriend needs to check these things. If you are getting married in the UK then you have a UK wedding a requirements from the UK government. You must contact the office in the UK. You can not get married twice. Only once. You can not get married in the UK and in Poland unless it is a religious ceremony.
Once you get married you do not automatically get a visa but need to be apply in court and wait in your home country or if you have a temporary visa in your country. In Poland there is a monetary amount you must have in the bank for each day you wait for this visa.
So I can only speak about the Polish marriage and the answer is yes you need those documents. Verification could take 9 months or so, but it will only give you a visa for Poland not the UK.
I am Polish by blood and have lived in Poland legally for 6 years and am married to a Polish citizen and it was about 6 years before I got my citizenship. But I got it so fast because my family came from Poland with Polish passports, I was basically Polish before I even applied.
Poland is trying to stop false marriages so for a foreigner to marry a Polish citizen it has become harder and the visas are not a given just because you got married in Poland.
Hey and thanks for being such a good help for so many people.
I have a couple of questions and would like to share my doubts.
I am Polish, my boyfriend is American. We want to get married in Poland. He’s coming here in May and as he’s permitted to stay only for 3 months (like all outside EU residents), we want to get married in the Registry Office and then, later this year have a church ceremony for family and friends.
My main concern is that certificate proving that my boy has full capacity to enter a marriage contract according to the laws of his country. It was said in many places that the U.S. government cannot issue that document. And then there is the court proceedings that take a couple of months. According to NYC City Clerk Office that document can be obtained.
(“A Certificate of Non-Impediment is an official Certification that the City Clerk’s Office has no information that would be an “impediment” to your getting a Marriage License in the City of New York. If you are planning to marry in another country, you may be required to obtain a Certificate of Non-Impediment.”)
Do you think it will satisfy Urzad Stanu Cywilnego? And if not, is there any way to skip the court? (My boyfriend won’t be able to come here to show up at the court).
One of the ladies at my home town USC suggested me going to the U.S. and getting married there. It is much easier option, but we want to live in Poland and don’t have that much money to fly back and forth.
I was thinking of getting the Certificate, then my boyfriend will send it to me and I will (with my quick translation of it) will go to USC and ask if it’s enough for them. The lady on the phone said that we can try that. (And maybe if they say no I will try USC in Krakow).
What do you think?
(And thanks a lot.)
Jo
Asia,
This is not something to worry about. To get this document he can get it in 5 minutes at the USC in Krakow. All they will state is they do not have information about it or something. They know exactly what to give him and it is 100% ok in court. The main delay in the court is they have to check the state in which he lives and sees if Polish law conflicts with State law. There will be no problem. I think you boyfriend needs to be in court. I also think you need to get a fiance visa for him. Wydział do spraw obcokrajowców, przy Rondzie Mogilskim.
I live in Poland. It is great. I live in Krakow it is great. I am married in Poland, it has been a fairy-tale for me. If you need any advice or help let me know.
Hi Mark,
My name is Erin and I am an American citizen living in London with my Polish fiancee. We think it would be easier for us to marry in Poland and then come back to the UK as we have heard that marriage requests between EU and non-EU citizens are often highly scrutinized.
We have been together for almost a year and have lots of emails and letters to show this but I don’t want a lot of hassles.
What do you think?
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Erin Emmons
Hi Erin,
You are a non EU citizen and both the UK and Poland are EU countries. So it does not matter. If you want the easiest way, go to NV where they require only a passport and 25 dollars and 20 minutes. There are other places like that.
However, really marriage in Poland is not hard at all. I think the EU actually likes Americans. Not officially however, if you are an American marrying a Pole, I have never herd of a problem. Just order your birth certificate and they will send it to you anywhere you live in the world and go to the US embassy for a couple of documents and fill out some forms at the Polish Uząd.
I was married in Poland and yes we had to jump through some hoops but its not that bad in terms of paper work.
If you want a church wedding I can not imagine a nicer place than Poland. Further the cost will be a fraction of that in the USA or the UK.
If you want you can have a nice wedding in Poland in a church and a reception after for under 1000 USD, However, 2000 USD is more like it.
Or the church wedding in Poland is actually free (with no reception) – of course you make a donation – but my point is marriage in Poland is a very romantic and beautiful and not that hard to do just get your documents in order.
Let me know if you have any questions. Mark
Hi Mark
I am getting married Sunday 25th July 2010 in Poland
I am English and my fiance is Polish and she lives in the town we are getting wed
What documents do i need to take to Poland for me to marry
In fact i need to know everthing
Thanks
Waine
Birth Certificate
Statement that one is not aware of any circumstances that might make the signing of the marriage illegitimate – no problem just sign a form.
A document that says in accordance to the law of the UK you are entitled to sign a marriage contract abroad – get this at your embassy, they have it, if you go to the embassy in Poland they have it in Polish – takes five minutes.
All documents translated by an offical Polish translator. No problem will take you a day.
Bring your passport and if you have it a visa for Poland. But just your UK passport is good. Go to the Polish Uząd with 84 pln and that is it.
Your marriage certificate will have to get a court to say ok, but no an issue, you are an EU citizen, it will be just a stamp after they check your documents.
Good luck with your Marriage in Poland. Its a great place to have a beautiful wedding.
If you are getting a Church wedding that is the easy part. You need to meet with a priest whole knows about such things. The Church of England and the |Catholic church are the same, basically.
I would start all these things in the next week so there will be no panic at the last minute. Your marching orders are 1. go to the Polish Uząd and meet the forms and documents. 2. Then got to your embassy and get the statements you need. 3. Make sure you have a copy of your birth certificate and translate it officially. Then you should be set for marriage in Poland.
Hello Mark! My finace’ and I are planning to get married in Poland. She obviously being a Polish Citizen and I, being a U.S. Citizen, we are running into some problems basically concerning this “Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage”.
Do you know where I can receive this certificate? We are living in London at the moment. Do I have to contact someone in the States or may I just receive the Certificate in either the U.S. Embassies in London or Warsaw?
I’ve read most of your blogs and feel that you are a man with sincere love for your wife. As I am for my potential wife also known as my second half, I hope that you are able to aid in the questions above.
I am also available for skype chat if you so much feel obliged.
derek
Very easy, just go to any US embassy. In five minutes you will have it. Thanks for the kind words about my blog. You know I love Poland.
Dear Mark,
I have been reading these blogs since quite a long time and seriously you have been doing a wonderful job of giving right solution . I have a question regarding the marriage as well I have been studying in Poland since 1 year and I came across a beautiful girl from Wroclaw and that we are planning to get married in 2010 march , being an Indian i would like to know the documents which are needed in here by an Indian guy marrying a Polish girl and documents needed by a Polish girl to marry an Indian guy .It will be of great help if you can provide this valuable information .
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanking you in advance.
Regards,
Zack Britson
Zack thanks for the kind words. Here is the thing, it does not matter you are Indian or not, it matter you have all the requirements for a marriage certificate in Poland. As a foreigner you need court approval by a judge and a lot of paperwork. This I have already detailed in my post on Marriage in Poland and my comments. Please review these first, everything needed is there. Thanks.
Hello.
I’m a British citizen wanting to marry my polish partner in Poland.
Can you confirm that I am doing this right.
I am marrying in a church in Poland
Get my documents ( baptism certificate, certificate of preparation to marry under RC Church )
I hear there is document i have to have called a Marriage License? My Church in England do not know what this is, can you shed any light on this document?
Church wedding in Poland is the same as a civil wedding. It is all about the civil documents, which are needed in either weddings.
Start with the Uząd and find out what you need for a marriage license. This is what a wedding church or civil needs in any country in the world.
Read on my blog about it. But you need to get this from the Polish office. If you do not have that you can not get married.
Once you have that from the Polish government office, you are basically all set.
The Church is very easy going and wants to work with people. You get a few things like a baptism certificate and a preparation certificate and a document from your church that you are not married. You re all set. The church of England and the Roman catholic church is basically the same. My brother who is catholic was married in the church of England but their son is catholic. My parents were married in the Ukrainian catholic church but the children are Roman catholic.
It does not matter as long as you are a person of good heart and hold God in your heart. The church will work with you, do not be intimidated if you hear stories about some old priest. Get a young one to help you.
But a wedding in Poland civil or church is about getting the marriage license from the Uząd. Your fiance needs to help you with this.
Hi,
I am getting married to my Polish Fiance in Sept this year, and am a little confused as I have Dual Nationality. I was born in New Zealand and have my Birth Certificate from there + Passport but I also am a british passport holder due to my parents being from the UK. Both me and my fiance live in London.
Which is the better place to obtain a Certificate of Non Impendiment from, for the Uzad.. as I have contacted both embassies and could get this certificate from either.
You need to get that certificate from the embassy of your country and present it to the Uząd as part of the whole package. The Uząd drives that needs to be presented, but all documents are obtained outside of the Polish marriage certificate office in a dramatic paper chase before the wedding.
People complain about this, but it is pretty much the same anywhere in the world if you want to get married as a foreigner, you just need some documents to prove that all is legal to get a marriage certificate. To get married in Poland it is all about the marriage license.
Thank you so very much for the early reply .It was a very simple and easy process you told me about marrying to my sweet girl and i am right now living with her ,lat but not least it was quiet surprising , as i was wondering the kind of questions the Polish marriage beureau will ask me as its quite complicated as (Pakistani)sorry for offences but its true that they have made the system very bad every Asian is looked upon as a ___ in europe and America thats why I dont want to be humiliated because my girl was very angry for all kind of questions they will ask , so it will be of great help if you can be able to provide me the details of kind of questions they can put up.
Once again I am really obliged with your hospitality and answer you gave me earlier.
To be honest they could ask anything. Its the court and police that check you and your background not the Polish Uząd. The Polish office just organizes the papers, the police are the ones that check you. The court will decide if you are able to get married in Poland. I do not have the answer to your question as, it will be different for each person.
Best places to get married in Poland?
We would like to get married in a castle or palace 🙂
I think that depends on where your Polish connection is. For example, I live in Krakow, I was married in an English speaking church in Kraków. But some people have their reception in the Wawel castle. There are 100s of places like this. I would start planning now as they do book up. So my first question is, if you have a Polish connection, which city is you or your wife’s famiy from? If you have no connection, I personally would recommend Kraków.
Hi Mark
Warm Greeting and Hope You okay There
i would like to get some information regarding marriage in Malta, Myself and my fiancee both living together in United Kingdom , we have been together for more than 3 year and would like to take a next step by tying a knot in our dream place Malta,i am an indian passport holder and my fiancee is polish ,According to a Malta Legal wedding requirement we need to provide “(Certificate of No Impediment
First both marrying parties must apply for a Certificate of No Impediment from their local Register Office in the UK )”, my local Registry officer is asking to me to contact indian high commission,Could you Please suggest me how and where can i get my Fiance certificate
Any information would be appreciated..
Many Thanks
She has to get this from the Polish embassy.
hi mark,
how are you , well thanks for the reply well i have a question can my Indian driving license be converted into Polish ?
If you are a legal resident of Poland and have lived there going on a year I think yes, why do you need a Polish drivers license?
Hey Mark got a question about your Church wedding. Was it all in english, or partly english and polish? Im getting married in August (my fiance is from UK) and we still dont know which way is the best. Did you translate the ceremony to your guests?
Best regards,
Joanna
We did it both in Polish and in English. Depending on the priest you choose, you can get it in both as many of the priests speak both Polish and English. We did not translate every word but one reading was in Polish another in English and the vows were in both.
Hi Mark,
how are you ? thanks for your advice and guess what i am with my beautiful wife now thank you so very much i wish i could have been able to invite you for the party but i dont know it would be feasible enough for you or not . hope we will see each other sometime if you ever come to poland , well i was wondering that after trying a loads of search engines and googling i couldnt find a job which was sufficing my stay in poland so i and my wife is deciding to move to ireland , nevertheless i have a query Mark, after marriage i can go anywhere in the european union and work or it will be some other formalities which will be done .i dont know how because 100 people 100 ways of telling things so i thought its better to ask you for this , so please advice me on this and well if you are in poland please contact me on my email so that we can be in touch .thanking you once again for your great answers and good luck!!!
zack
Hi Mark,Im from asian country im pregnant with my polish boyfriend,and we are planning to getting married,How long we must wait for judge decision if he can marry me or not?If we getting married did im allowed to stay with him in netherlands? because he was working there.
God Bless You
Karol
If you are legal then it will not be long. It could be three to six months. Under the circumstances it might be accelerated.
My visa in netherlands will exfired this coming october 2010,nowwe want to getting married.If we getting married in poland did i can stay with him in netherlands or no after october?
God Bless You
Karol
Most of the time, you can stay in Poland under a fiance visa, however, I do not know if that allows you to stay in NL, it is part of this free zone, so I think you can.