Getting Married in Poland as a US Citizen
by Sergii, wedding photographer
Updated 11 Nov 2026 · 7 min
Short answer: yes, a US citizen can marry legally in Poland, but there is an extra court step and the US Embassy warns that it takes considerable time. Polish registry offices ask every foreigner for a certificate that they are free to marry under their own country’s law, and the United States does not issue one. The official route is a letter from the US Embassy that says so, then an application to a Polish district court to be released from the requirement. The rest is standard: sworn translations, a registry office visit at least a month before the wedding, two witnesses and an interpreter.
Checked on 11 November 2026 against the US Embassy in Poland, the US Foreign Affairs Manual and Polish government sources. I am a wedding photographer, not a lawyer. Confirm the details with your registry office, the court and the embassy: practice differs.
The certificate Poland asks for, and why the US has none
A foreigner must give the registry office (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego, USC) a document showing that the law of their home country allows them to marry: a certificate of no impediment, also called a certificate of legal capacity to marry.
The US State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual states that no such document, and no authority to issue one, exists in the United States. The US Embassy in Poland therefore publishes a letter, in English and Polish, saying that this evidence is not available from the US federal government. You print it from the embassy’s marriage page. It does not replace the certificate: it is the reason you give a Polish court when you ask to be released from the requirement.
The embassy’s page addresses US citizens who are not dual citizens. If you also hold Polish citizenship, ask the registry office what applies to you. The rules for all nationalities are in my step-by-step guide to marrying legally in Poland.
The court exemption, step by step
- Find the court. The application goes to a district court (sąd rejonowy), family and juvenile division. The Polish Ministry of Justice names the court for the place where the foreigner lives or, failing that, is staying. If unsure, the embassy says to ask the local court or a Polish lawyer.
- Prepare the application. The ministry’s information card lists the attachments: your birth certificate with a Polish translation, a copy of your passport, a document confirming your marital status, the consulate’s statement that no certificate is issued (the embassy letter) and proof of the court fee. Without a home in Poland you add a Polish address for court mail.
- Pay the court fee. The card gives PLN 100. It dates from 2020, so confirm the amount with the court.
- Go to the hearing. The embassy says a court date can take several weeks, the decision is made the same day and it becomes final three weeks later. That is the embassy’s description, not a promise.
- Take the final decision to the registry office.
No official source I found lists which “document confirming marital status” a court accepts from an American. Ask the court or a lawyer first. The embassy publishes lists of attorneys for the Warsaw and Kraków consular districts.
If you are divorced: the embassy warns that a Polish court must officially recognise your US divorce decree, that this is complicated and slow, and that you need a certified copy of the decree with the court’s statement that it is final.
Documents to bring from home
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| US passport | For the court, the registry office and the ceremony. |
| Birth certificate | A certified copy from the US authority that holds the record, with a sworn translation into Polish. The embassy does not supply copies. |
| Embassy letter | Printed from the embassy’s marriage page; already bilingual. |
| Divorce decree or death certificate | 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.
- Apostille: the Polish sources I checked do not say whether US documents need one, so ask the registry office and the court. It is issued by the Secretary of State of the state that issued the document. The embassy cannot issue apostilles.
At the registry office: the wait, witnesses, interpreter
- Choose the office: you can marry at any registry office in Poland.
- Go together, with your documents, translations and the court decision. 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.
The embassy advises registering at the registry office when you start the court application, so that the two waits overlap. Polish government guidance says you bring the court decision with you. Ask your office whether it takes the papers before the decision is final.
A civil ceremony is short, which is why many couples book three or four hours of photography.
What it costs officially
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Court application for the exemption | PLN 100 (confirm with the court) |
| Stamp duty for the marriage record | PLN 84 |
| Ceremony outside the registry office | PLN 1,000 extra |
| First short-form marriage certificate | Free |
| Notarial seal at the US Embassy, if you need one | USD 50 per seal |
| Polish apostille on the marriage certificate, if asked for | PLN 60 per document |
| Sworn translations, interpreter, lawyer | Set by the provider; ask for a quote |
A realistic order of steps
- Four to six months before: ask the registry office for its list. Order certified copies of your birth certificate and any divorce decree.
- Print the embassy letter and order sworn translations.
- File the court application. Ask the registry office whether you can sign the assurance now.
- Attend the hearing and wait for the decision to become final.
- 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 they do not fit your trip, you can marry legally at home 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 United States
Your proof is the Polish marriage certificate. State Department guidance says that marriages legally performed and valid abroad are, in general, also valid in the United States, and that questions about validity go to the attorney general of your state. The sources I checked describe no registration of a foreign marriage at the embassy.
If a US office wants an apostille on the Polish certificate, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues it, in person or by post, for PLN 60 per document. The embassy does not authenticate Polish documents.
Immigration is a separate procedure: for visas, the embassy’s marriage page points to its visa pages and to USCIS.
What the US Embassy does and does not do
| It does | It does not |
|---|---|
| Publish the bilingual letter for the court | Perform marriages |
| Notarise documents by appointment, paid online in advance | Certify that you are free to marry, or give an official opinion on Polish law |
| Publish lists of attorneys | Issue apostilles or certified copies of US birth, marriage or divorce records |
Questions
Can two Americans marry in Poland, with no Polish partner?
The certificate rule applies to every foreigner, so each of you needs the exemption. The embassy’s page only describes marrying a Polish partner. If neither of you lives in Poland, ask the court for the place where you are staying how to file.
Can I sign an affidavit at the embassy instead of going to court?
The embassy’s marriage page describes only the letter and the court application. Whether a sworn statement helps as evidence is for the court to say.
Can same-sex couples marry in Poland?
No. Polish law defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman. A symbolic ceremony is possible.
Sources
- US Embassy in Poland: Marriage (modified 13 May 2026). Letter, court release, timing, divorce decrees.
- US Foreign Affairs Manual, 7 FAM 1450. No US certificate; limits on consular officers; validity of marriages abroad.
- US Embassy in Poland: Notarials. USD 50 per seal, apostilles, copies.
- US Embassy in Poland: Attorneys. Lists of lawyers.
- Polish Ministry of Justice, card 73/K/UU/SR (PDF, Polish). Court, attachments, PLN 100.
- 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; definition of marriage.
Sergii photographs weddings, couples and families all over Poland, in English and Polish. About me →