Getting married in Poland for a USA citizen

Hello everyone!

I am USA citizen willing to marry my polish fiancee in Poland I have heard many stories about how hard and long it can be but I have heard also that it could be also not so long and of course very possible does anyone know exactly how does it work? I have gotten a paper from the USA embassy in Warsaw stating that I am free to marry is there anything elese that I would need to bring with me to the court? I would appreciate if I can get an answer and thanks in advance!

First, welcome to PF and congrats on the nuptials-to-be! If you're in the Poznan area, the bachelor party's definitely on!

I'm definitely no expert on this sort of stuff, but I'll do my best to find out some answers for you unless someone else on the forum gets back to you faster (as I'm sure they will).

Before I go searching for some more answers, check out this thread posted back in the day:

https://polishforums.com/law/poland-foreigners-getting-married-guide-17361/

You will first need the Ok from the Polish courts and then set up a time. That will take about 1-2 months. You will of course need to show your passport and birth certificate. Remember however that if you want him to come to the US with you, you will need to apply for a spousal immigration visa. And that has to be done in the US. You can't apply for it from Poland. He will not be able to come with you untill he gets that visa, which could take 6-9 months, or even longer. It is an immigration visa and it takes longer to get than a fiance visa because they do extensive background checks and require all the shots.

It would be quicker to apply for a fiance visa then marry him in the US.

Thank you Ongos2000 and special thanks to Krysia but I still need more info please has anybody gone through this before please help me I'm from the USA and willing to marry my Polish fiancee in Poland I really want her to be happy so I decided to marry her in Poland. Thank you all.

Oops, I saw the name Ania in your avatar, thought you were female. I appologize.
1. You will need your actual birth certificate which has to be translated by a certified translator
2. You will need a certificate stating that you are free to marry,
with your name,
birthdate,
status,
address,
father's name,
mother's name including her maiden name
and somekind of sentence stating that: the person X who is a citizen of X is able to marry Polish citizen - name
all translated into Polish by certified translator
3. Passport
If you don't speak Polish you will need the presence of a certified translator in court

Hope that helps :)

After asking around and researching a little bit, krysia seems to have posted all that you need, really.

The letter you have from the American embassy in Warsaw should be enough to fulfill the "free to marry" certificate requirement, though it might probably state that the embassy (or federal government) is unable to provide this information (correct me if I'm wrong here). Therefore, you will need to apply and then set up a court appointment to be released from this requirement. This then goes back to krysia's first post stating that it can take awhile to accomplish.

Question: Are the both of you in the states are are the both of you already here? If you're in the states, then it's a whole different story.

Good luck and if I hear, or read, anything different, I'll be sure to post it ASAP.

Hello Krysia! ooops I didn't know that Ania is my avatar's name!! Thanks a million for your reply again :) I have gotten a paper from the USA embassy in Warsaw with my full name stating that such a document doesn't exist in the USA so I can ask at the Polish court for a release from that document so I am still a bit confused can you please enlight me a bit more? Thank you all.

Thank you thank you so so very much Ongos2000, I am here in the USA and she is in Poland, I think it can be much easier here in the USA my fiancee was here in the USA also she has no problem with the visa like overstaying or anything . I am just trying to make her happy by getting married in Poland :) I have been to Poland several times I liked it :) you were right about the document that I have received from the USA embassy in Warsaw it was in English and Polish. Once again thanks a lot and of course I appreciate it when you said Good luck and if you hear, read anything different you'll keep me posted ASAP :)

If it's easier for the both of you, then get the civil ceremony done in the US, which can be for your family and then come back to Poland to have the church ceremony for her family (unless they're not the religious type)?

This is what my wife and I did and it worked out a heck of a lot easier for both of our families and they were both very happy. She was there on a student visa back then.

Once again good tip thank you kindly Ongos2000 for all your help though! keep wishing me good luck :) I really need it!!!!!!

About the birth certificate- I remember that I didn't have mine and they made a big stink about it in the government office. I asked to have a look at the regulations and it says passport OR birth certificate. I remember because I made a big deal out of asking the lady what "LUB" means and checking it in the dictionary.

Good luck!