Documents for a civil marriage with a Pole

Conclusion of a civil marriage in Poland by a foreigner does not differ much from when the union includes persons with Polish citizenship in front of a civil registrar. As in the case of Poles, a foreigner is required to submit a set of documents in the selected civil registry office, which includes:

• document confirming the identity along with the photo,
• a copy of the birth certificate, which if issued in a foreign language, should be translated by a sworn translator from the list of sworn translators, published by the Ministry of Justice or the Consul of the Republic of Poland,
• in the case of persons who have already been married, a shortened copy of the marriage certificate should also be submitted with an endorsement of divorce or marriage annulment and a final court decision on termination of marriage or divorce, and in the case of widows / widowers will need a death certificate of the spouse (documents they must be submitted together with the official translation into Polish made by a sworn translator from a list published by the Ministry of Justice or the Consul of the Republic of Poland),
• additionally, foreigners submit a certificate from the country of origin about the ability to marry together with a sworn translation into Polish – this document certifies that the person who received it, in accordance with the law of his country can enter into marriage in Poland (document is obtained in country of origin).
• proof of payment of stamp duty at the cash register or for the account of the civil registry office in which the marriage is to be concluded.

If a foreigner is not able to obtain a certificate from the country of origin about the ability to close a marriage in Poland, he / she may apply to the District Court for a decision on release from the obligation to submit this document. District Courts process these applications in accordance with the local jurisdiction, i.e. that the competent court for considering such a request will be the court having jurisdiction over the place of residence of the applicant. The court issues such a decision in a non-contentious manner, which means that no hearing is held. The court issues a decision on the basis of a submitted application, which must be properly justified – that is, it is necessary to indicate the reasons why a foreigner can not obtain such a certificate in his country of origin.

Moreover, a foreigner who is not a citizen of one of the European Union Member States should also submit a valid passport, permanent residence card (if he has a permanent place of residence in Poland), a visa (in case of temporary stay) or other document entitling him to stay and enter Poland on a visa-free basis .

Particular attention during the preparation of documents for a civil marriage by a foreigner with the Polish should be returned to the appropriate official translations. The correctness of the translation of documents and their certification by a sworn translator from the list of the Ministry of Justice or the Consul of the Republic of Poland is of great procedural importance.