U.S.C. Requesting birth, death and marriage certificates. Any laws or restrictions?

Hello forum users,
My Polish wife and I are having a lot of trouble tracing her family tree as we are in Australia so we thought about visiting Poland later this year and requesting some documents just like you can do in Australia. Does anybody know the laws about this and also any limitations? I would like to be prepared and know exactly what to say when I approach the registry office.

I had a strange situation when my wife and I got married last year in Poland. The U.S.C. actually demanded my original Birth Certificate and kept it even after I explained that it was the original which I had mailed to me from Australia. I had a copy certified by the Australian Embassy in Warsaw but the U.S.C. refused to marry us unless they kept the original saying I could keep the copy.

Anyway, the point of that story was to let you know I am aware of the strangeness of the U.S.C. so I really just want to know any rules we have to follow before we ask anything only to be told no it isn't our department or no you can't do that in Poland, etc.

Looking forward to any help and information.
Regards,

Tim

There are some restrictions but not sure about them now. This was my experience a few years ago:

Things like land records are very closely guarded (or were until recently) and you have to provide a lot of proof before you can see them (especially post 1920, I think). Access to some records in state archives depends on who is looking and if they can prove any family connection. Church archives are sometimes a lot more welcoming and helpful.

Merged: U.S.C. Requesting birth certificate.

What is the proper procedure to request an original birth certificate from poland ?
I called the Polish consulate in Chicago , they said I have to contact the usc in the city i was born .

If you are doing this out of curiosity, it's not going to be fun at all.
If it's for a valid reason, just be prepared to face a similar situation like when you got married.
In theory it shouldn't be difficult to access some of that information.
If your wife was born in Poland and still speaks good Polish, that can be done in a matter of days.
Before you come over, you could call her local USC to find out.
If they don't seem helpful- call the National Archives (Archiwum Państwowego)
That should ease some of your worries before making the dreaded trip
to your wife's local USC office. Don't waste time with e-mails.
Call them and demand to speak to the right person.


That should be the fastest way of getting your documents.
If you can't speak or write Polish it could be a problem.
Why don't you just send one of your relatives, living here, to the city you were born?
If you don't have any relatives, then applying for the bc in Washington DC sounds
like a wise choice but ,of course, it will take long.
Good luck!

I kind of figured out that my biggest obstacle is finding someone that can assist whom writes and speaks polish.
I guess I need to fill out a form , and send some funds too. Speaking of funds how is that done ?
Thanks for your help again

Like I said, your best option is to go to DC and apply from there.
The staff will help you with the paperwork.
If you need a lawyer, there are some good lawyers on this forum
who can help you to apply from your home town.

Merged: Obtain a copy of marriage certificate in Poland?

Hello guys,

Can anyone tell me how can I obtain a copy of a marriage certificate in Poland?

Also do I have to get this copy from the office we got married at or any civil office can be ok or maybe thier is website I can use? and please write me website or address of place i can obtain a copy from

For example, in my country their is a website for the civil office where you can apply for a copy, pay and wait for a courier to deliver or you can go pick it up.

Thanks,