Getting married in Poland: civil wedding steps for foreign couples
Short answer: To marry in a Polish registry office you sign a no-obstacles statement and set a date; the wedding can follow one month later, the stamp duty is 84 zł, and a foreign partner also brings a capacity document.
A civil wedding in Poland is handled by the registry office, the Urząd Stanu Cywilny (USC). When one partner is a foreigner, the steps are the same as for two Polish citizens, with a few extra documents. This guide sets out what the official gov.pl portal says about the paperwork, the fee, the waiting period and the choice of surname. It reflects the gov.pl page "Weź ślub cywilny" and the Ministry of the Interior's powroty.gov.pl guidance as read on 15 October 2026. The gov.pl page shows a last update of 21 November 2023, so confirm the current details with your registry office before you book.
The basic steps
You go to the registry office together. There you sign a statement, called zapewnienie, that you know of no circumstances that prevent the marriage, and you agree a date for the ceremony. The official prepares the statement during the visit and gives it to you to sign.
You can marry in any registry office if the ceremony is at the office. If you want a ceremony outside the office, for example outdoors, you go to the registry office responsible for the place you chose and submit a request for a ceremony outside the office. The registrar can refuse a chosen place if it does not guarantee a ceremonial form and the safety of the guests.
What to bring
Before the visit, gov.pl lists these items:
- Identity documents of both partners (ID card or passport), to be shown.
- Proof that the stamp duty has been paid. You can pay at the office cash desk or by transfer to the office account.
- A court permission, if one is needed, for example when a proxy will be used.
A Polish citizen who has no Polish civil status records brings the foreign equivalent of a birth certificate. If that person was married before, they also bring the foreign marriage certificate with a document showing that the marriage ended, was annulled or never existed.
Extra documents when one partner is a foreigner
The foreign partner must submit a document stating that, under the law that applies to them, they can marry. This comes from the authorities of the home country, and requirements differ between countries. Under the Polish Law on Civil Status Records, article 79, the foreign partner also files the statement and, if the registrar cannot establish their personal data and marital status from the other papers, a birth certificate and, if they were married before, a marriage certificate showing the end of that marriage.
If getting the capacity document runs into hard-to-overcome obstacles, such as a war in the country of origin, a court can release the foreigner from the duty. The court then decides whether the person may marry. In that case you bring the court decision to the registry office. The foreigner files that request with the court for their place of residence.
Documents in a foreign language must be officially translated by a sworn translator or a Polish consul. If one of you cannot communicate with the registrar, for example because you do not speak Polish, you must bring an interpreter or expert. The same applies to a witness who does not speak Polish. If you are unsure which documents you need, gov.pl says to ask the registrar, who will assess your situation.
Fees and waiting time
According to gov.pl:
- The mandatory stamp duty for drawing up the marriage certificate is 84 zł.
- An extra fee of 1,000 zł applies if you ask for the ceremony to be held outside the office.
- No extra fee is charged when the ceremony is outside the office because of a threat to life or health, such as in a hospital, or because a partner is deprived of liberty.
The marriage can take place after one month from the date you sign the statement. The statement is valid for 6 months. If you do not marry in that time, you must submit it again. In special cases the waiting period can be shortened, and gov.pl links to a separate page on when that is possible.
The ceremony and afterwards
At the ceremony the registrar confirms the identity of the partners and the witnesses, so bring ID or passports for all of you, including the witnesses. After the ceremony the registrar draws up the marriage certificate, and you get one short copy free of charge.
If the registrar refuses to marry you, you get the refusal in writing. You then have 14 days to ask the court for the registry office's area to decide whether the reasons for refusal justify it.
Choosing a surname
After you declare that you want to marry, you are asked for a statement on your future surname and the surname of your future children. You can keep your current names, add your spouse's name to your own to form a double-barrelled name with only two parts, such as Nowak-Kowalska, or choose one of your surnames as the shared name. If you make no statement, you keep your current names.
If you will carry different surnames, you also decide the surname of future children: one parent's surname, or a combination of the mother's surname with the father's added. Without matching statements, children get the double-barrelled combination of the mother's and father's surnames.
Tips for expat couples
- Ask the registry office for its document list early, because the home-country capacity document can take weeks to obtain.
- Order sworn translations after you know which papers the office wants.
- Count the one-month wait from the day you sign the statement, not from the day you first call.
- A church ceremony that has legal effect in Poland has separate rules, which gov.pl describes elsewhere.
* Photos: Bielsko-Biała registry office by Gaj777, public domain; Chorzów registry office by Adrian Tync, CC BY-SA 4.0, both Wikimedia Commons
Frequently asked questions
How long do we wait to marry in Poland?
The marriage can take place after one month from the day you sign the statement that you know of no obstacles. The statement is valid for 6 months, and in special cases the waiting period can be shortened.
How much does a civil wedding cost?
Gov.pl lists a stamp duty of 84 zł for the marriage certificate, plus 1,000 zł if you ask for a ceremony outside the registry office. One short certificate copy is free.
What does a foreign partner need?
A document stating that they can marry under the law that applies to them, plus a birth certificate and proof that an earlier marriage ended if the registrar asks for them. Foreign-language papers need an official translation.
Do we need to speak Polish?
The registrar must be able to communicate with you. If one of you or a witness does not speak Polish, you must bring an interpreter or expert.
Can we choose a double surname?
Yes, a double-barrelled surname with two parts is allowed, for example Nowak-Kowalska, as are keeping both names or taking one shared name.
