If you have decided to have a civil wedding - go to the civil registrar's office (USC) of your choice. There, you will give an assurance that there are no circumstances excluding the marriage and set a date for the wedding. You can also decide whether the wedding will take place in the office or outside it.
You can get married if:
- you are of age,
- you are not married,
- there is no direct affinity between you (direct affinity is e.g. father and daughter) and you are not siblings,
- there is no direct affinity between you (e.g. a daughter-in-law and father-in-law cannot marry),
- you are not in a relationship of adoption (adopter and adopted person).
[!] You can read more in the Notes section.
Step by step
- Come to the Civil Registrar's Office of your choice in Warsaw. Details can be found in the section Application and collection point.
- You will give an assurance on the spot that there are no obstacles to marriage. The assurance will be prepared by an employee of the office and given to you to sign.
[!] A foreigner who does not speak Polish shall give an assurance in the presence of an interpreter. - Set a date for the wedding.
- Apply for an out-of-office wedding - if you decide to get married outside the premises of the Civil Registrar's Office.
- The statement of the names you will bear after marriage is made at the wedding.
[!] Go to the Civil Registrar's Office no earlier than 6 months before the planned wedding date, as the assurance of no impediment to marriage is valid for 6 months.
Required documents
- Your identity documents for inspection - identity cards or passports.
- Proof of stamp duty - read how much and how you can pay in the Fees section.
- If needed, a court authorisation to marry (see below for details).
- If you do not have civil status records drawn up in Poland, you must prepare:
- a foreign civil-status document certifying birth,
- if you were previously married, prepare a foreign civil-status document attesting to the marriage, together with a document which will confirm either the cessation or annulment of the marriage or a document which will confirm that the marriage does not exist.
If either of you is a foreigner, in addition:
- The foreigner must submit a document to prove that he or she can marry under the laws of the country of which he or she is a citizen. If there are insurmountable obstacles or it is impossible to obtain the certificate because the foreigner's home law does not provide for the issuing of such documents, the court may dispense with the obligation to submit this document. The court will then determine whether the foreigner can marry. In such a situation, you must have with you a final court decision on the matter. In order to obtain it,the foreigner must apply to the court having jurisdiction over the place of residence.
- If, on the basis of the documents submitted , the Head of the Civil Registrar's Office is not able to establish the data which he enters in the marriage certificate (establishing the data of the person and his/her civil status), the foreigner submits a copy of the birth certificate. If he or she was previously married:
- a copy of the marriage certificate noting the cessation, annulment or non-existence of the marriage,
- or a copy of the marriage certificate with a document that proves that the marriage has ended (e.g. a divorce decree or a copy of the death certificate of the former spouse), that the marriage has been annulled or that the marriage does not exist.
[!] All documents drawn up in a foreign language must be translated by a sworn translator or Polish consul.
If you would like to check what rights you have in relation to the processing of your personal data in this case, please read our Information Clause.
Fees
PLN 84 - stamp duty for drawing up a marriage certificate.
You can pay the fee:
- at any cash desk of the office,
- at the fee machine at the Civil Registrar's Office,
- by transfer to the bank account:
Municipal Office of the Capital City of Warsaw, Centre for Taxpayer's Service
21 1030 1508 0000 0005 5000 0070
In the title of the transfer write: "Stamp duty for drawing up a marriage certificate".
Possible additional fees:
PLN 1,000 - fee for a wedding outside the registry office on request.
You can pay an additional fee:
- at any cash desk of the office,
- at the fee machine at the Civil Registrar's Office,
- by transfer to the bank account:
Urząd Miasta Stołecznego Warszawy [City of Warsaw Municipal Office]
pl. Bankowy 3/5, 00-950 Warsaw
23 1030 1508 0000 0005 5000 1004
In the title of the transfer write: "additional fee for a wedding outside the civil registry office".
[!] Pay for a wedding outside the Civil Registrar's Office only after the head of the Civil Registrar's Office has agreed to it.
If the wedding takes place outside the office due to a life or health emergency (e.g. in hospital) or due to deprivation of liberty (e.g. in prison) - no additional fee is charged.
Place of submitting the document
You can handle the matter at the selected Civil Registrar’s Office of the capital city of Warsaw.
[!] You will not handle the matter:
- at ul. Grochowska 274 (Praga-Południe District),
- at ul. Falęcka 10 (Mokotów District),
- in Al. Solidarności 90 (Wola District),
- at ul. F. Klimczaka 4 (Wilanów District),
- at ul. T. Chałubińskiego 8 (Foreign Trade Section),
- at the Department of Civil Registry Archival Books at ul. M. Flisa 6.
Unit in charge
Civil Registrar's Office of the Capital City of Warsaw
Deadline for reply
The marriage certificate is drawn up after contracting marriage.
Appeal procedure
If the head of the Civil Registrar's Office refuses to officiate at a wedding, you will receive a written refusal. Then you have 14 days to apply to the court having jurisdiction over the seat of the Civil Registrar's Office to decide whether the reasons given by the head of the Civil Registrar's Office justify his refusal. If the refusal of the head of the Civil Registrar's Office is the result of a court ruling - you can no longer apply to the court for such a ruling.
Notes
- The marriage may be contracted after one month from the date of the assertion that you do not know of the existence of circumstances excluding the marriage.
- On the day of the marriage, the fiancées and adult witnesses present identification documents. If at least one of these people does not speak Polish, you must provide an interpreter.
- You can get married at any Civil Registrar's Office in Poland. You can also marry outside the premises of the Civil Registrar's Office, in a place that guarantees the solemn form and safety of the participants. The head of the Civil Registrar's Office may refuse to preside over a wedding at the venue chosen by the bride and groom if he considers that it does not meet these requirements. If it is not possible to accept the declarations of marriage outside the premises of the Civil Registrar's Office on the date you have indicated, another date will be proposed for the ceremony. If you do not agree on a date with the head of the Civil Registrar's Office, you will receive a written refusal.
[!] You cannot appeal against this refusal - it is final. - If a woman is a minor but has reached the age of 16 - she can get married if she obtains permission from the court.
- If the fiancées are related by affinity - they can get married if they get permission from the court.
- If a person is affected by mental illness or mental retardation - they can get married if they get permission from the court.
- Persons who are completely incapacitated cannot marry.
- When choosing your future surnames, remember that:
- after the wedding you can:
- keep your existing surnames,
- merge your existing surname with that of your spouse. This surname can only have two parts (a two-part surname), for example Nowak-Kowalska,
- decide on one of your surnames to be your joint surname,
- do not make a statement about your future surname - then you will keep your existing surnames,
- you should also decide on the surnames of your children:
- if you will have different surnames after the marriage - you have to decide which surname your future children will have. You may indicate that the child will bear the surname of one of you, or a surname that will be formed by combining your surnames in any order (the mother's surname combined with the father's surname, e.g. Nowak-Kowalska or father's surname combined with mother's surname, e.g. Kowalska-Nowak),
- if you do not make consensual statement about the children's surname - they will have a two-part surname, which will be formed by combining your surnames, in the order: the mother's surname and the father's surname added to it.
- after the wedding you can: