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Requirements for Marriage in the Czech Republic

The application to enter into a marriage as well as specific details about the procedure shall be obtained from the respective City Hall of the District Council (Mestsky urad, Obvodni urad, Obecni urad) or the local church.

The application then should be submitted to the City Hall or local church, which is authorized to keep vital statistics records, approximately 14 days before the planned marriage. The applicant is required to present the following documents to the local Czech local authorities:

  • Birth Certificate identifying the applicant's birth date and place of birth, the name and the surname as well as the statements concerning his/her parents, e.g. an abstract of the register of births.
  • Passport or another document certifying the citizenship of the applicant.
  • If widowed, the Death Certificate of the deceased spouse.
  • If divorced, the (court granted) Decree Absolute.
  • Marriage license for use in the Czech Republic (the permitted territory of the wedding ceremony must include the Czech Republic) or a testimonial / other legal document certifying the applicant's capacity to marry and that no legal impediment exists, and proving he/she is free to marry. These documents are required in order to guarantee that the marriage entered into, in the Czech Republic, will be recognized by law even in the foreign applicant's native country.

Confirmation that the applicant’s stay in the Czech Republic is legal must be obtained from the Czech Foreigner Police and submitted before the wedding ceremony starts.

All documents issued outside the Czech Republic must be certified by the Apostille and translated into the Czech language. The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, DC does not provide translations but can verify it.

Note that the translation may be performed and verified in the Czech Republic by a certified translator as well. Each of the City Halls in the Czech Republic might have some specific requirements for foreign citizens wishing to enter into a marriage in the Czech Republic. The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, DC therefore strongly recommends the couple to contact the local City Hall and find out if anything else is required.

For more information you can see the web site of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic.