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Foreigners Getting Married in Poland - a Guide to Formal Preparation


razwzyciu  
19 Dec 2007 /  #1
For a few years now we've been observing an increasing number of foreigners deciding to get married in Poland. Reasons are many: beginning with the emigration of many young people after Poland's EU accession (especially girls bringing now their foreign fiancées home in order to get married here) up to the simple fact that currency exchange rates and local prices make it much cheaper to organise a wedding over here than anywhere in the English-speaking world. Wedding planning agencies take over most of the preparation hassle; still most couples feel unsafe at least when it comes to paperwork, registry offices, the church etc. Find below some basic information about necessary formal preparations to a wedding in Poland.

There are three types of wedding ceremonies in Poland:

A. Civil Ceremony in the registry office (USC)

B. Religious Ceremony (usually in a Roman Catholic church)

C. Concordat Ceremony - based on the concordat (a contract between Poland and the Vatican). Looks almost the same as a religious RC ceremony but combines it with the civil ceremony (no need to get married twice).

Wedding Couple in Poland

Option B requires the least paperwork. If you're both Roman Catholic, you should provide the Polish parish where you'll be married at a so-called license (licentia). You obtain it at your local parish and regulations regarding what it takes to receive it may vary from country to country. Usually you need to meet your priest (both partners present), answer some questions (regarding your free will to get married, your witnesses etc.), provide him some documents (certificate of baptism and confirmation, personal I.D.) and sometimes the certificate of a pre-marital course for couples (held by the church). Especially the latter varies depending on where you live, if you speak the same language and what requirements the locals must fulfil getting married.

If one of you is not Roman Catholic, consult your local priest. It's possible in the RC Church to marry a partner of a different confession or an atheist, but requirements regarding paperwork may vary depending on the situation. Usually, a permit from the appropriate bishop in Poland (depending on the wedding location) is necessary. It's a routine thing to get it, however sometimes it might mean you won't be allowed to celebrate the whole mass and have Communion.

Please note, that due to the concordat, no marriage may be pronounced in a RC church in Poland without civil consequences. That is, planning the above you either need to have married in a registry office in advance or a concordat wedding is inevitable. Any extraordinary situations need to be directed to the local bishop and require his intervention.

The civil preparations at the USC also depend on where you come from. British citizens need to provide a birth certificate, a valid ID, A Certificate of No Impediment to get married, translated by a sworn translator, and appear at the USC personally with their fiancé(e) and the translator to state their will of getting married. If all documents are correct, either a date is set up for the ceremony (option A) or a certificate for the church is issued that the couple can be married according to civil law. In case of a concordat wedding (option C) you then put your final signatures in the church and later on the priest directs the document to the local USC. Usually you'll need the sworn translator in the church once again. You will probably speak your vows at the altar in a language both of you understand (like English) but the USC documents need to be signed in Polish.

Generally, for most foreign citizens, it's easier (less paperwork, money and trips to Poland) to get married in a registry office abroad, where you live, and only hold the religious ceremony over here. Remember, if your civil marriage is registered in Poland all the documents you might need for various institutions at home (act of marriage) will have to be obtained in Poland.

In order to learn about specific regulations applicable for your citizenship, contact the diplomatic service of your country or your wedding planner in Poland.

"Raz w życiu" - Marriage Consultancy in Poland
hello  22 | 891  
19 Dec 2007 /  #2
Good article..
ucheezeigwe  
28 Feb 2008 /  #3
I married to Polish woman and applied for temporary permit in ursad on 11th december,2007.but due to the way i entered polish territory(with another identity)and i later use another name to apply for a refugee status which complicated my case.i accept i am guilty of all the lies but i did it to avoid been deport back to my country in Africa i was denied permit stay in Poland.now i am confuse and dont know what to do.does anydoby have answer to my predicament
katkozel  - | 1  
6 Jun 2008 /  #4
Thread attached on merging:
getting married

getting married in November, and want a traditional polish wedding, well what we can. My fiance and I both come from a strong polish background. we are actually thinking of going to poland in the next 2 years. Any advice....
SeanBM  34 | 5781  
6 Jun 2008 /  #5
If you are happy why marry?
But defiantly come to Poland, it is great for holidays.
Best of luck
Wroclaw Boy  
6 Jun 2008 /  #6
Buy around 500 bottles of Vodka and at least a 1000 beers. Yehh Baby
Wroclaw  44 | 5359  
6 Jun 2008 /  #7
and want a traditional polish wedding, well what we can

Have you checked the threads on the forum ? There is plenty of marriage info.

Are you getting married at a church with a Polish congregation ? If you are the priest will help with that part.

The order of things: Wedding ceremony... wedding reception, which is music and dance until the early hours... a morning after the night before breakfast and round of drinks. Some Polish weddings, but not all, last all weekend.

To make it Polish you need the right music and a list of those traditions that go with the reception. You might like to use the traditions that suit the region your family come from.
clark  
17 Aug 2008 /  #8
Hi
I want to know that after getting married how long does it take to get temporari resident card from Ursąd?
mintu  
8 May 2009 /  #9
hi i am an indain and want to get married in poland with my polish girlfriend via civil procedure......what documents i need .please i help me now i am in UK/...
mowgli86  
21 May 2009 /  #10
i want to know what documents i need to marry with polish girl because she is poor and she is pregnant with me i want help her plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz tell me what i have to do for marry to her and she also want marry me if some buddy tell me what i have to do he or she great ful for me thanks alot

frnd trust on god u can get marry
Seanus  15 | 19666  
21 May 2009 /  #11
Super guide, raz w życiu. Pretty thorough. I'm at the preliminary stage and it takes a while to get everything in order.
Guest  
21 May 2009 /  #12
hi all, are there any formalities to set up for a simple ceremonial cermony (if that makes sense) and party? (we've just married in the states, and we want to have an unofficial ceremony and party in poland for all our friends and family who couldn't make it out here.)
welshguyinpola  23 | 463  
21 May 2009 /  #13
I married in poland and didnt do any of the above. I am an athiest and priest knew from the start and I just turned up on the day
Nik  
8 Oct 2009 /  #14
I did the same, a known atheist just turned up at the church ... I did have to sign a document that I would bring up any children in the catholic faith, but that was it.
eireitalia  
27 Nov 2009 /  #15
I am a US woman wanting to marry my Egyptian fiance in Poland where he currently resides before we return to the US. What paperwork do I need so that everything happens smoothly?
southern  73 | 7059  
27 Nov 2009 /  #16
Us Eire Italia?Why don't you admit the truth that you go for the chimp?
Seanus  15 | 19666  
27 Nov 2009 /  #17
We celebrated our monthly anniversary, LOL. To hell with annual ones, monthly celebrations are the way to go. Having said that, we'll have a great slap-up meal when the first anniversary comes round.

My wife did a super job with getting the invitations engraved on glass. A genius touch I thought! She is in a league of her own and I feel not worthy :) A model person, efficient, caring and usually great fun to be with. I could sing her praises all night.

Any questions on the preparation front? Sorry delphi, I feel like dishing out freebies here as I am familiar with the procedure but if there are any esoteric questions, I'll pass them your way.
MikeandChris  
23 Mar 2010 /  #18
Have rules changed recently? My son living in Poland for 3 years has been planning a wedding to his Polish fiance but authorities are now saying they do not accept a UK Certificate of no impediment to confirm he is not married.
Harry  
23 Mar 2010 /  #19
That is correct. You son now needs to follow the same route as people whose embassies have never issued certs of no impediment, i.e. go to court for permission.

Here's a paragraph from an article I wrote a couple of years ago: https://polishforums.com/law/poland-marrying-8373/

Apparently xx weeks is currently 12 to 16 weeks but it can take more than a year to get everything sorted.
samnslon  8 | 22  
30 Mar 2010 /  #20
im english and my fiance is polish, we just want a civil marriage, how would we do this?
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
30 Mar 2010 /  #21
As Harry listed above, basically. Or you can wait to see if Britain reminds Poland gently (but firmly) that they should get lost.

I suspect someone in the Ministry has realised that the money paid for these certificates would be better off in the country's pocket rather than in the embassies pockets!
lukaszpoznanski  10 | 39  
3 Sep 2010 /  #22
Getting married in Poland - general questions...

Both I and my girlfriend are Polish citizens. If we get married here in Poland, can we have a wedding outdoors, or on a private property? We wouldn't get married in a church. Also, what's the process like? Can someone walk me through it?
Wroclaw Boy  
3 Sep 2010 /  #23
You need somebody ordained to carry out the marriage procedure, as for the party/reception have it on a mountain top thats your call.

Youre Polish but your asking an English speaking board.
Seanus  15 | 19666  
3 Sep 2010 /  #24
Please check the other threads by using the search function, Lucas. There is plenty on this regarding documents and time frames. Thanks!
skibum  8 | 62  
3 Sep 2010 /  #25
All the useless information you need is HERE. Or an alternative Polish wedding HERE
polishmarriage.org
majabud  - | 1  
15 Sep 2010 /  #26
Hiya,
I am Polish but don't have official documents, I use my Canadian passport. I would like to marry my Omani boyfriend in Warsaw, what documents do we need?
comixk  2 | 2  
3 May 2011 /  #27
I am an American citizen and my finacee is Polish. My finacee and I have a court date and are going to give such an oath. My boss is a sworn translator and should be able to assist me in this case. However, I have a decent understanding of Polish and I wonder if any one knows the exact questions they will ask us. My fear is I won't understand something and mess the whole thing up.
mrkacar  - | 1  
23 Sep 2011 /  #28
Hello,
We plan to get marry with my Polish girlfriend in Poland. I just wanted to know which documents do I need excatly. Plus, can she get a document from the government which shows that she is single?

Thanks for help
Stu  12 | 515  
23 Sep 2011 /  #29
mrkacar: We plan to get marry with my Polish girlfriend in Poland.

Are you now ... ? Interesting ... ;). Might be a little problematic, mind.

With regard to the documents: call your embassy. They'll be sure to tell you.

Your girlfriend doesn't need a paper to show she isn't married.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
23 Sep 2011 /  #30
Plus, can she get a document from the government which shows that she is single?

Why, don't you trust her?

Nice basis for a marriage...

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