Getting Married in Poland as a UK Citizen
by Sergii, wedding photographer
Updated 11 Nov 2026 · 7 min
Short answer: a British citizen needs a certificate of no impediment (CNI) to marry in Poland, and the route depends on where you live. If you live in the UK, you get a CNI from a UK register office and exchange it, online and by post, for a local CNI from the British Embassy in Warsaw. If you live in Poland or elsewhere abroad, you apply online and give notice at the embassy or before a notary in Poland. Then come the Polish steps: sworn translations, a registry office visit at least a month before the wedding, two witnesses and an interpreter.
Checked on 11 November 2026 against GOV.UK and Polish government sources. I am a wedding photographer, not a lawyer. Confirm the document list with the Polish registry office where you plan to marry, and timings and fees with your UK register office or the embassy.
The certificate Poland asks for
Polish registry offices (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego, USC) ask every foreigner for a document showing that the law of their own country allows them to marry. For British nationals this is the CNI, which GOV.UK describes as a legal document stating that no barriers to your marriage have been shown to exist. The version used in Poland is issued by the British Embassy Warsaw. GOV.UK says local authorities accept it for six months.
GOV.UK also tells you to check with the registry office that you need a CNI before you pay for one. A partner who is neither British nor Polish asks their own embassy. The Polish rules for all nationalities are in my step-by-step guide to marrying legally in Poland.
How to get the CNI
If you live in the UK
- Book an appointment at a UK register office to give notice, and say that you need a CNI to marry abroad. The names on it should match your passports, middle names included.
- Within three months of getting the UK CNI, apply online through GOV.UK to exchange it for a local CNI. The fee is £50 and is not refunded.
- Post the UK CNI to the British Embassy Warsaw.
- The embassy posts the local CNI to an address in Poland that you choose.
The local CNI carries the issue date of the UK one, so do not start too early. GOV.UK’s Poland pages do not say how long the register office takes or what it charges: ask when you book.
If you live in Poland or elsewhere abroad
You apply online and pay £100: £50 for receiving your notice (not refunded) and £50 for issuing the CNI.
| Step | At the embassy | By post |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sign | At an appointment at the British Embassy Warsaw, at least 7 days after you apply online | Before a notary in Poland, on the notice and affirmation forms from GOV.UK; then you apply online and post the papers to the embassy |
| If you do not live in Poland | Be in Poland for three whole days first, counted from the day after you arrive | The same, before the notary appointment |
| Waiting | Your notice is displayed for 7 days; the CNI is issued if nobody objects | The same |
| Delivery | Posted to an address in Poland, or collected | The same |
GOV.UK’s example: arrive on Thursday, give notice on Monday at the earliest. You prove the stay with a booking, ticket or passport stamp. The application asks for your UK passport, proof of address, your partner’s passport or ID card and proof of address, and proof that any earlier marriage has ended. On the postal route, fill in the forms exactly as your passport reads and sign them only in front of the notary.
Other documents, translations and apostilles
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport | For the registry office and the ceremony. |
| Birth certificate | With a sworn translation into Polish. |
| CNI from the British Embassy Warsaw | Ask the registry office whether it needs a sworn translation. |
| Proof that an earlier marriage has ended | Only if you were married before; with a sworn translation. |
- Translations must come from a sworn translator registered in Poland, one authorised in an EU or EEA country, or a Polish consul. The UK is outside both, so check with the registry office before paying for a translation made in the UK.
- Apostille: GOV.UK says to check with the local authority whether documents must be legalised. If the registry office asks, the UK Legalisation Office issues the apostille: £45 per document plus postage, usually within 25 working days. Birth and marriage certificates cannot get an e-apostille.
At the Polish registry office
- Choose the office: you can marry at any registry office in Poland.
- Go together, with your documents and translations. If either of you does not speak Polish, bring a sworn interpreter; arranging one is your job.
- Sign the assurance that you know of no legal obstacle to the marriage (valid for six months) and pay PLN 84 stamp duty.
- Wait at least one month. The head of the office can shorten this for important reasons.
- On the day: passports, two adult witnesses with identity documents, the interpreter.
If you live in the UK, plan for two trips or one long stay. The civil ceremony itself is short, which is why many couples book three or four hours of photography.
What it costs officially
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| UK CNI at a register office | Ask the register office |
| Exchange for a local CNI (UK residents) | £50 |
| CNI through the embassy (living abroad) | £100 |
| UK apostille, if asked for | £45 per document plus postage |
| Polish stamp duty for the marriage record | PLN 84 |
| Ceremony outside the registry office | PLN 1,000 extra |
| First short-form marriage certificate | Free |
| Notary, sworn translations, interpreter | Set by the provider; ask for a quote |
A realistic order of steps
- Four to six months before: ask the Polish registry office for its list and whether it wants apostilles. Ask your register office how long a CNI takes.
- Give notice: at the UK register office, or at the embassy or a notary in Poland.
- Apply online, post the papers to Warsaw and wait for the CNI at your Polish address. Order sworn translations.
- At least one month before: registry office visit, assurance, fee, date.
- Wedding day: passports, witnesses, interpreter. Order extra copies of the certificate.
The lead times are my suggestion, not a legal rule. If the timing does not fit, you can marry legally in the UK and hold a symbolic ceremony in Poland, which is how many elopements work. For photography, write to me through the contact form.
After the wedding: proof for the UK
A marriage in Poland is registered in Poland only. GOV.UK is clear that it is not added to UK records and that you cannot register it at, or get a certificate from, a UK register office or the embassy. Your Polish marriage certificate is the proof. The marriage is recognised in the UK if you followed Polish law and it would be allowed under UK law.
GOV.UK suggests having the certificate translated if you will use it outside Poland. If an office asks for an apostille on it, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues one for PLN 60 per document.
What the British Embassy does and does not do
| It does | It does not |
|---|---|
| Take your notice of marriage and issue the CNI | Register your marriage or issue a UK marriage certificate |
| Exchange a UK CNI for a local one | Translate documents |
| Post the CNI to an address in Poland | Legalise documents of any kind |
Questions
What if I arrive without a CNI?
GOV.UK’s only advice is to ask the registry office. A Polish district court (sąd rejonowy) can release a foreigner from the requirement, but Polish guidance reserves this for documents that are extremely difficult to obtain. A British citizen can get a CNI, so do not count on it.
Can two British citizens marry in Poland?
Yes. GOV.UK tells a British partner to apply for their own CNI.
Can same-sex couples marry in Poland?
No. GOV.UK notes that Poland does not legally recognise same-sex marriages or civil partnerships. A symbolic ceremony is possible.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Getting married or registering a civil partnership abroad. Document checker; registration and recognition.
- GOV.UK checker: Poland, if you live in the UK. Register office route.
- GOV.UK checker: Poland, if you live abroad. Embassy and postal routes.
- GOV.UK: Poland CNI application documents. Notice and affirmation forms.
- GOV.UK: Consular services fees.
- GOV.UK: Get your document legalised. Apostille fee and timing.
- GOV.UK: Documents for British people abroad. What embassies cannot do.
- GOV.UK: British Embassy Warsaw. Consular services.
- GOV.UK: Living in Poland. Same-sex marriage.
- Gov.pl: Get married in a civil ceremony. Documents, court waiver, fees.
- Powroty.gov.pl: Ślub z cudzoziemcem w Polsce. One-month wait, assurance, interpreter.
- City of Poznań: Marriage between a foreigner and a Polish citizen. Translations, sworn interpreter.
- Gov.pl: Apostille (Polish). PLN 60 per document.
- Family and Guardianship Code. Witnesses.
Sergii photographs weddings, couples and families all over Poland, in English and Polish. About me →