Interpretation at the wedding

We invite you to use the services of our translation agency. We offer comprehensive support related to sworn interpretation during the submission of documents at the Registry Office (USC) as well as interpretation during the wedding ceremony itself. We travel not only to the registry office but also to other venues such as restaurants, wedding halls, and hotels where civil marriages are most commonly held. Travel is available within Łódź and the Łódź region. We encourage you to contact us to confirm the interpreter's availability and available dates.

The Agata Andrzejewska translation office in Łódź is open on weekdays.  For urgent matters please contact us by phone at +48 797 792 460.

Getting married is for most people one of the most important events in their lives. While a wedding between two people of the same nationality is relatively straightforward, marrying a foreigner involves a more complex procedure.

We invite you to read the information below which will help you navigate this process successfully.

Civil wedding with a foreigner – required documents

A civil wedding is performed before a registrar – the presence of a sworn interpreter is mandatory in this case (the exception is when the foreigner has fluent command of Polish in both spoken and written form, in which case an interpreter may not be required).

Before the marriage can take place, both parties must visit the Registry Office in person. During this visit both parties make a declaration of their intention to marry. Please note that this visit is mandatory and without it the marriage cannot take place.

Civil wedding with a foreigner – required documents list

In order to make the above declaration, both parties must bring the following documents to the registry office:

• Birth certificate or extract from the birth register (for a foreigner, a certified translation into Polish is mandatory).
• A document certifying capacity to marry or a document confirming no impediment to marriage, issued by the equivalent of the Polish Registry Office in the country of origin (for a foreigner, a certified translation into Polish is mandatory).

Important! If the foreigner's country of origin does not issue such a document (e.g. USA, India) or obtaining it poses insurmountable difficulties, it is necessary to apply to a Polish court for permission to marry without the required documents. The court, in non-contentious proceedings at the foreigner's request, may exempt them from submitting the document. Without such a court order, the marriage cannot take place.

• If the foreigner is a widow/widower or divorced, documents confirming this must be provided: death certificate of the spouse (or extract from the death register) or confirmation of divorce (documents must be translated into Polish).
• Identity documents (ID card, passport) – mandatory for both parties.

Important! During the first visit to the Registry Office, the presence of a sworn interpreter is mandatory (the exception is fluent command of Polish in spoken and written form). Please bear in mind that during the visit the registrar asks questions of both parties formally, and the foreigner must fully understand them. If the registrar determines that the foreigner, despite declaring fluent Polish, is unable to answer the questions asked, they will refuse to accept the declaration.

Wedding with a foreigner – date

The earliest possible date for the wedding is a minimum of 1 calendar month + 1 day from the date of the declaration. For example, if the declaration is made at the registry office on 17 February, the earliest possible wedding date is 18 March.

Getting married to a foreigner – the ceremony

The wedding ceremony takes place at least 1 calendar month and 1 day after the declaration described in the previous section. A sworn interpreter of the language used by the foreigner (this does not have to be the interpreter of the person's native language but of the language in which they are fluent, e.g. English) is required during the ceremony (except for those who are fluent in Polish). The most commonly applied rule is: if a sworn interpreter was present during the declaration at the registry office, they are also required to be present at the wedding ceremony itself.

During the wedding ceremony the sworn interpreter provides oral interpretation of the entire marriage vow and certifies their presence with their signature.

Important! After the wedding a marriage certificate is issued. Persons not permanently residing in Poland who wish to confirm the marriage should have the marriage certificate (a certified extract from the marriage register may also be translated) translated by a sworn translator into the language of the country of residence.