Marriage in Poland
The wedding is associated with the completion of certain formalities. In case one of the future spouses is a foreigner, the matter gets a bit complicated. It is worth getting acquainted with the most important requirements set by the Civil Office and some documents prepared earlier.
Documents necessary for marriage by a foreigner in Poland.
Anyone who intends to marry in Poland but does not have Polish citizenship is obliged to submit a copy of the birth certificate and a certificate of legal capacity to marry in the Civil Registry Office.
Documents should be translated into Polish by a sworn translator. The certificate of legal capacity to marry should confirm the legal capacity of the foreigner to marry a Polish citizen or citizen mentioned in the certificate by name and surname. The personal data of the foreigner and information about his marital status must also be mentioned. Some countries do not issue such a certificate. In this case, you must obtain a marriage permit from the District Court.
If a foreigner can not go to his country for the purpose of completing the formalities, he can get help from the consulate of his country, which is located in the Republic of Poland.
If a person wanting to get married to a Polish woman or a Pole does not speak Polish, it is up to the Civil Registry Office to report in the presence of a sworn translator. The ceremony also takes place in the presence of such an interpreter.
When should you go to the Registry Office?
The date of the wedding itself is determined when submitting documents. We bring the necessary documents to the Civil Registry Office at the earliest six months, and at the latest one month before the planned ceremony.
What should you remember about when you get married?
After the marriage, the marriage certificate should be translated into native language and delivered to the appropriate consulate. The consulate is required to register a relationship in the country of the person concerned. The next step is the legalization of stay in Poland. To this end, you should go to the Department of Foreigners’ Affairs of the Provincial Office where you are required to:
- four copies of the application for a residence permit;
- five color photographs (such as for a passport);
- passport and copies of all filled pages (those with photos and those with stamps and visas);
- copy of marriage certificate and photocopying;
- photocopy of the spouse’s identity card;
- confirmation of registration for temporary residence;
- confirmation of payment of stamp duty for issuing a decision (European Union citizens are exempt from this).
Sometimes the spouses are summoned to the Department of Foreigners’ Affairs of the Voivodship Office in order to check whether the marriage is not fictitious, eg for a visa. If a foreign citizen does not speak Polish, he must appear in the presence of a sworn translator.
A Polish citizen does not have to be married to a foreigner in Poland. He can do it in his country. After the marriage has been concluded there, it should be registered in Poland via the consulate or the Registry Office.