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Miscellaneous citizen advice

Marriage between Czech Nationals and Foreign Nationals in the Czech Republic

A citizen of the Czech Republic may enter into marriage with a foreign national in the Czech Republic through a civil or religious marriage. A marriage is contracted by the free and complete consent of the man and woman who intend to enter into marriage (the fiancés), declaring that they are entering into marriage. A joint declaration of consent is made publicly during the wedding ceremony in the presence of two witnesses.

Parties and Conditions

Offices of Vital Records (‘matriční úřad’) require documents through which the fiancés can prove legal competence to enter into marriage. The documents to be submitted are stipulated by Act No. 301/2000 Coll. on Offices of Vital Records, Names and Surnames (pdf, 452 kB) and on the Amendment to Some Other Related Acts, as amended.

Submitted documents must satisfy the prerequisites of public deeds. If they are issued by foreign authorities they must be furnished with the required authenticated documents (superlegalization, Apostille) unless an international agreement stipulates otherwise. Such authenticated documents must be officially translated into the Czech language. For more details contact any Office of Vital Records (‘matriční úřad’).

How and Where to apply

to preliminarily decide on the place and intended date of a marriage;
in case of a civil marriage, contact the Office of Vital Records under the jurisdiction of which the place selected for the marriage falls (further information will be provided by the Office of Vital Records).
in case of a religious marriage, contact the authorized person in charge of the particular church or religious community

Offices of Vital Records are to be found at municipal and city authorities, and authorities of city boroughs and districts.

What you should submit

A ’Questionnaire for Entering into Marriage’ is available at the relevant Office of Vital Records or you may download it here (pdf, 27 kB). The form must be completed by both fiancés and submitted to the Office of Vital Records under the jurisdiction of which the place where the marriage is to be contracted falls, alongside the documents required for contracting the marriage.

According to §33 of the Act on Offices of Vital Records, a fiancé who is a Czech national and has permanent residency in the Czech Republic, must prove his identity and provide also the following:

birth certificate
proof of Czech citizenship
extract from the Information System of Inhabitant Records on his/her place of his/her permanent residence
extract from the Information System of Inhabitant Records on his/her personal status
a final and conclusive judgment on divorce with regard to any previous marriage or the death certificate of any deceased spouse, or an officially authenticated extract from the register of a registered partnership proving that such registered partnership was terminated by a court decision, or the death certificate of any deceased partner.

A Czech national is not obliged to submit documents a) through e), if the Office of Vital Records has external access to the Registry of Inhabitants, Information System of Inhabitant Records and the Information System of IDs, or the applicant is able to prove these facts by presenting his ID.

According to §34 of the Act on Offices of Vital Records, a fiancé who is a Czech national and has permanent residency abroad, must prove his identity and support the prescribed form by the above listed items, or similar items, if the foreign country issues such documents. Items c) and d) or similar documents must be issued by the country of his/her permanent residence, if the state issues such documents.

According to §35 of the Act on Offices of Vital Records, a fiancé who is a foreign national must support the prescribed form by the following:

his/her birth certificate;
a document proving his/her nationality;
a certificate proving his/her legal competence to enter into marriage - which may not be, as of the date of the marriage, older than six months;
a certificate proving his/her personal status and residence if such certificates can be issued by the country concerned;
the death certificate of any deceased spouse, if the foreign national is a widow(er); such certificate is not required if this fact is included in the certificate on legal competence to enter into marriage;
a final and conclusive judgment on divorce with regard to any previous marriage if the foreign national concerned is divorced;
a certificate proving that the marriage will be accepted as valid, if it is concluded by a proxy;
a final and conclusive judgment terminating a registered partnership or a death certificate of any deceased partner, if the foreign national lived in a partnership;
proof of identity.

Items listed under b) through d) may be contained in one single document. Citizenship can be proven by a passport.

A fiancé who is a foreign national according to §35/2 must further submit to the relevant Office of Vital Records a certificate issued by the Czech Foreign Police that he/she may legally stay in the Czech Republic. This rule does not apply to citizens of European Union, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland and their family members. Such certificate may not be on the date of the marriage older than seven working days.

For further information concerning the issuance of such certificates (for example the opening hours of the Foreign Police) see here.

Documents to be submitted issued by foreign authorities must be officially authenticated (superlegalization, Apostille), unless an international agreement stipulates otherwise, and must be officially translated into the Czech language. An Office of Vital Records may waive the requirement for authenticated documents if there is an almost insurmountable obstacle to obtain them (§ 6 par. 3 of Act No. 94/1963 Coll. on Family, as amended). For more information please contact any Office of Vital Records.

Forms

Fiancés may obtain the Questionnaire for Entering into Marriage at any Office of Vital Records. Part 1 of the Questionnaire will be filled in along with an official of the Office of Vital Records (registrar). Part 2 is completed only by the relevant registrar.
The Protocol on Contracting the Marriage is filled in by a registrar together with the fiancés, or at least one fiancé in accordance with the public deeds and documents submitted by both fiancés.

Fees

Entering into marriage between two persons none of whom has permanent residence in the Czech Republic - CZK 3,000.
Entering into marriage between two persons one of whom has permanent residence in the Czech Republic - CZK 2,000.
Permission to enter into marriage outside business hours or not in an office officially designated for marriages - CZK 1, 000
In all other cases an administrative fee for entering into marriage is not set.
A fiancé will pay CZK 500 for a certificate confirming his/her legal competence to enter into marriage.

Fees are paid in cash or by a postal cheque before the date of the marriage.

Time limits

No time limits have been specified.

Further Participants

If one of the fiancés does not speak or understand Czech, or the fiancé/s is/are deaf and/or mute, the presence of an interpreter is required during the ceremony. The interpreter should be brought by one of the fiancés who will also cover the relevant costs. In such cases the marriage cannot be contracted without the presence of an interpreter. If the interpreter has not been officially appointed by the Ministry of Justice or the Chair of a Regional Court, the interpreter is obliged to take an oath in the presence of an official from the Office of Vital Records. The wording of such oath is prescribed by a special legal regulation (Act No. 36/1967 Coll. on Official Experts and Interpreters (pdf, 699 kB)). The wording of the oath is submitted by the registrar. Therefore it is necessary for fiancés to inform the relevant registrar of the fact that they do not speak Czech, or they are deaf and/or mute, while their documents are being processed before the marriage itself.

The interpreter signs the Protocol on Contracting the Marriage. He/she proves his/her identity to the registrar.

A declaration on entering into marriage is made publicly during the wedding ceremony in the presence of two witnesses. The first name(s), surname, identity number or date of birth, place, and district (country) of birth are included in the Protocol on Contracting the Marriage. Witnesses prove their identity with valid ID documents.

Legal Basis:

Supplementary Legal Documents:

Legal Remedies:

A decision,in which the Office of Vital Records does not approve with a request for a waiver of the above-mentioned documents required for marriage, may be appealed within 15 days of its receipt.

The appeal shall be made throughthe Office of Vital Records that issued the decision.

Sanctions:

N/A

This text was issued by:

Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, Department of General Administration, Unit for Citizenship and Offices of Vital Records

Náměstí Hrdinů 3, 140 21, Prague 4, tel. 974 817 427, 974 817 429, or 974 817 431
e-mail: jhalova@mvcr.cz, nicol.novakova@mvcr.cz, marie.kachlikova@mvcr.cz
(business hours: MO and WE 8.00 to 17.00)

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