Order a Polish marriage certificate
We obtain the certified marriage record from the Polish civil registry office (USC) or archive that holds it, and deliver it wherever you live. You never have to contact a Polish office yourself.
- Individually quotedprice depends on your case
- 2–4 weeksfor records held by the USC
- Worldwidetracked delivery included
Help obtaining your Polish marriage certificate
Certified by the USC
The copy is issued by the Polish civil registry office itself, not a scan or a transcription.
We find the right office
The approximate year and the town are usually enough to start. We search name variants and surrounding years.
Entitlement checked first
We confirm you may request the record, and what proof of relationship is needed, before we apply.
Ready for use abroad
Apostille and sworn translation arranged in the right order, then sent by tracked delivery.
Request this document
Tell us what you need and we come back to you within one business day with the exact price and timeline. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
How it works
You send the details
Who the record concerns, roughly where and when the marriage took place, and where to deliver. About five minutes, in English.
We locate the record
We check your entitlement and apply to the registry office, or search the state archive for older records.
Certified, and legalised if needed
We obtain the certified copy and, if you asked for them, the apostille and sworn translation.
Delivered to your door
The original travels by tracked courier, and you receive a scan as soon as it is issued.
What we need from you
- Full names of both spouses, including maiden names
- The approximate year of the marriage
- The town, parish or registry office, if you know it
- Your relationship to the couple
- Where the document should be sent
Which copy of a Polish marriage certificate do you need?
A Polish registry office issues three kinds of copy, called odpis, from the same marriage record. The authority that receives the document decides which one it accepts.
Full copy
odpis zupełnyA word-for-word copy of the record as drawn up, together with every later entry, such as a divorce, an annulment or the death of a spouse.
- Citizenship by descent
- Inheritance and court matters
- When unsure what is required
Abridged copy
odpis skróconyThe current content of the record: both spouses, the date and place of marriage, parents and the surnames taken on marriage, with later changes taken into account.
- Most administrative matters
- Showing a surname adopted on marriage
- Paper or electronic copy
Multilingual copy
odpis wielojęzycznyAn abridged copy in the multilingual format of CIEC Convention No. 16. Issued on paper only.
- Countries that accept the format
- Avoiding a separate translation
- Often not enough for citizenship
| Feature | Full | Abridged | Multilingual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shows the original entry and every later change | Yes | No | No |
| Reflects the current content of the record | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multilingual format (CIEC No. 16) | No | No | Yes |
| Available as an electronic copy | Yes | Yes | No |
| Price confirmed individually | Individually quoted | Individually quoted | Individually quoted |
Still unsure? Choose the full copy, or tell us where the certificate will be used and we will check.
How Polish marriage records work
The rules that decide who can get the document, where it is kept and how long it takes.
Who may request it
Either spouse, their ancestors, descendants and siblings, a legal representative or guardian, and anyone who shows a legal interest, for example in an inheritance case. For anyone else we tell you exactly what proof is needed.
Which office holds the record
A marriage is registered by the registry office for the place where it took place, not where the couple lived or were born. For the former eastern provinces, the record may be in the Warsaw civil status archive.
Records older than 80 years
Civil registry retention periods are generally 100 years for births and 80 years for marriages and deaths, counted from the end of the year in which the record was made. Transfer rules, surviving register books and statutory exceptions affect the actual location. We check whether the record is held by the registry or archive before applying.
Official processing time
7 calendar days for a record already in the electronic register, 7 to 10 working days when a paper record has to be transferred first. Searching, postage and delivery come on top.
Use in another EU country
A Polish marriage certificate needs no apostille there. An EU multilingual standard form can be attached as a translation aid, so a translation is needed only in exceptional cases.
If the record cannot be found
Surnames were often respelled at emigration and remembered dates are frequently a year or two out, so we search name variants and surrounding years. If the record does not exist, you receive a written search report.
Using the certificate outside the EU
Authorities in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia usually ask for an apostille from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and often a sworn translation. The apostille confirms that the document comes from a genuine Polish office; it does not change its content.
Everything about apostille- 1
Certified copy
Issued by the registry office.
- 2
Apostille
Price confirmed before payment, including the official fee.
- 3
Sworn translation
Made of the whole set, including the apostille.
The order matters: a translation made before the apostille does not cover it. We arrange both in the right order.
Before you order
Short answers to the questions we hear most often.
Legal basis and official sources
- Act of 28 November 2014 – Law on Civil Status Records (Prawo o aktach stanu cywilnego), arts 13, 28, 44, 45 and 48
- CIEC Convention No. 16 on multilingual extracts from civil status records, Vienna, 8 September 1976 (Dz.U. 2004 No. 166, item 1735)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 on public documents and e-Justice guidance
Who can request a Polish marriage certificate?
Either spouse, their ancestors, descendants and siblings, a legal representative or guardian, and anyone who can show a legal interest. For anyone else we will tell you exactly what proof of entitlement is needed.
I only know the year and the town.
That is usually enough to begin. We search the surrounding years and neighbouring registry offices as part of the standard service.
The record belongs to my grandparents. Can I order it?
Usually yes, as a descendant. You will normally need to show the chain of descent: your birth certificate, your parent’s birth certificate, and so on. We tell you which links are missing before we start.
Which copy should I choose?
The full copy is the safest choice for citizenship, court and inheritance matters. The abridged copy is enough for most administrative purposes. The multilingual copy avoids a translation only where the receiving country accepts that format.
Do I need an apostille?
Not for use in another EU country. Outside the EU, authorities usually ask for one. It is available as an add-on and we arrange it with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Acceptance is always decided by the receiving authority.
Explore a real Polish library document
Open the image to inspect the details, or follow the source link to explore the full catalogue record. Historical examples provide context; the document you request today follows the current official procedure.
