Legal Procedures

Start by getting in touch

St. Paul's normally assists English-speaking foreigners who have lived in Warsaw for more than six months and attend the parish; a Polish citizen marrying a foreigner who needs assistance; and couples intending to marry in an English-speaking country outside Poland.

If you are unsure whether the parish can assist, contact the pastor. We will help you understand the right next step. Catholic weddings celebrated in Poland are ordinarily concordat marriages, meaning the marriage is recognized by both the Catholic Church and Polish civil law.

Gather the essential documents

• A valid baptismal certificate, issued within the previous three months, explicitly stating that you are free to marry.
• A Polish State pre-marriage certificate confirming freedom from legal impediments, or a civil marriage certificate if already civilly married.
• Identification: passport or national ID.
• Certificate of completion of a Pre-Cana course.

The baptismal and relevant civil-status certificates are needed before the formal process can begin. If you are unsure how to obtain them, ask the priest for guidance.

Bring any additional documents

• Church declaration of nullity for a previous marriage, where applicable.
• Court divorce statement for a previous civil-only marriage.
• Confirmation certificate if it is not recorded on the baptismal certificate.
• A substitution letter from your own pastor if you belong to another parish.
• Evidence that a non-Catholic party is free to marry, normally through two credible witnesses.

Meet the priest

Arrange an appointment for the confidential pre-nuptial inquiry. Mixed marriages or disparity of worship require a dispensation obtained by the priest, with documents signed by the couple.

Wedding banns are public announcements of a couple's intention to marry. They are normally announced in the parish or parishes where each party lives, allowing the Catholic community to pray for the couple and to bring any known canonical impediment to the pastor's attention.

If marrying elsewhere, obtain a licence letter. For a wedding outside Poland, the licence must also be approved by the Archbishop of Warsaw's Office for the Discipline of Sacraments: 22 53 17 233 · sakramentalne@mkw.pl.