Getting married in Poland requires considerable time and can be complicated. For U.S. citizens who desire to marry a Polish fiancé in the United States, a petition on behalf of the fiancé must be filed in the United States with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). Further details can be found on our Immigrant Visa page or at  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

For U.S. citizens (not dual citizens) who wish to marry a Polish fiancé in Poland, Polish authorities require evidence that you are legally free to marry. A letter in English and Polish explaining that such evidence from the U.S. federal government is not available can be printed from here. You can use this letter to apply to be released from the requirement of presenting a certification of ability to marry.

To receive such a release, you must petition the court in Poland. Questions about the proper jurisdiction should be addressed to the local court in your or your fiancé’s place of residence in Poland or to a Polish attorney. You will need to obtain a court appointment, which can take several weeks. When you have your appointment at court, you can present our letter as the reason you need to be released. The decision will be made the same day, and it becomes final after three weeks. Since you cannot be married until one month after you have registered at the marriage office, you should register at the time you begin the process of obtaining the release.

If you have been divorced, the court must officially recognize your U.S. divorce decree. This procedure is complicated and time-consuming. You will need a certified copy of the divorce decree along with the court statement that this is the final decision. You can find a list of Polish lawyers who may give you legal advice and represent you before the Polish court here.