A person who has citizenship of the Czech Republic can enter into a marriage union with a foreign citizen / citizen through civil or religious marriage. A marriage with a Czech citizen is concluded on the basis of a joint statement by a man and a woman about their intention to become husband and wife. The announcement of the consent of two people to marry is publicly announced during the wedding ceremony in the presence of two witnesses.
Conditions for marriage in the Czech Republic
To confirm the legal capacity of persons entering into marriage, a package of necessary documents must be submitted to the civil registration authorities of the Czech Republic (matriční úřad - Civil Registry Office).
If documents are issued by foreign authorities, they must be legalized or have an apostille, unless otherwise provided by international agreement.
All documents must be translated into Czech by a sworn translator. More detailed information on the required papers can be provided by any registration office in the Czech Republic.
Where should you go to apply
In the case of a civil marriage, the application must be submitted to the registration office of the matriční úřad (registry office), which has jurisdiction over the place chosen for the wedding ceremony. Information on the location of the registry offices can be found in municipal and city administrations, as well as city and district offices.
In the case of a religious marriage, you should contact an authorized person in the church or religious community in order to agree on the date and time of the wedding procedure.
Required documents
The marriage questionnaire (dotazník k uzavření manželství) can be obtained from the registry office or downloaded from the link. The form must be completed by both parties to the marriage and filed with the registry office that has jurisdiction over the location of the wedding ceremony, along with any other required documents.
The first part of the questionnaire should be completed together with the official of the registry office (registrar), the second part is completed only by the registrar.
Another document - the marriage protocol - is filled in by the registrar together with the bride and groom or with one of them on the basis of the submitted documents.
Persons holding Czech citizenship and permanently residing in the Czech Republic must submit the following documents:
- birth certificate;
- proof of Czech citizenship;
- an extract from the Resident Records Information System about the place of permanent residence;
- an extract from the Information System of Residents' Marital Status Records;
- documents related to a previous marriage or partnership: divorce certificate / death certificate of the spouse / officially certified extract from the register of registered partnerships, confirming that the registered partnership was terminated by a court decision / on the basis of the death certificate of the registered partner.
A Czech citizen is not obliged to submit the above documents if the registry office has access to the Register of Residents, the Resident Record Information System and the Personal Identification Information System, or the applicant can prove these facts by providing his / her identity card (ID-card).
Persons with Czech citizenship and permanent residence abroad must submit documents on their place of residence and marital status issued by the authorities of the country of residence.
Brides and grooms who are foreign citizens must prepare the following documents:
- document confirming citizenship;
- a document confirming the absence of obstacles to marriage, which cannot be issued earlier than six months before the appointed date of the wedding;
- certificates confirming family status and place of residence, if such documents can be issued in the foreigner's country;
- death certificate - in case of the death of the previous spouse (not required if this fact is included in the certificate of the absence of obstacles to marriage);
- divorce certificate if the foreign citizen is divorced;
- a certificate that the marriage will be accepted as valid if it is contracted by an authorized person;
- a certificate of termination of a registered partnership or a death certificate, if a foreign citizen was in a partnership;
- identification;
- birth certificate;
- a certificate from the Czech police confirming legal residence in the republic, issued no earlier than 7 working days before the date of the wedding. This requirement does not apply to citizens of the Schengen countries and their family members (for more information on the issuance of such certificates, for example, the police hours can be found here).
The information listed in the first three paragraphs can be contained in one document. Citizenship can be confirmed by a passport.
Documents issued by foreign authorities must be officially certified (legalized or certified with apostille), unless otherwise provided by an international agreement, and also translated into Czech by an official translator.
The Civil Registry Office may waive the requirement to provide certified documents if there is an almost insurmountable obstacle to their receipt in accordance with § 6 paragraph 3 of Law No. 94/1963 on the Family, as amended. For more information, please contact any registry office.
If the registry office employees reject the request to refuse to provide the aforementioned documents required for marriage, this decision can be appealed within 15 days from the date of its receipt. The appeal must be filed through the registration office that made the decision.
Registration fees for marriage
The amount of fees for marriage in the Czech Republic can be found in the table:
| Service | Cost (quoted in CZK) |
|---|---|
| Marriage by persons who are not permanent residents of the Czech Republic | 3000 |
| Marriage by persons, one of whom is a permanent resident of the Czech Republic, and the other is in the country on a visa or temporary residence permit | 2000 |
| Registration of marriage outside working hours or outside the registry office | 1000 |
| Registration of a certificate confirming the absence of obstacles to marriage | 500 |
In all other cases, there is no administrative fee for marriage.
Wedding ceremony
Civil marriage can be contracted at the registration office of any municipal district authority. The religious ceremony can be performed by any of the 21 officially registered and authorized churches in the Czech Republic.
The most common religious wedding ceremonies are those in the Roman Catholic Church, Greek Orthodox Church, Evangelical churches, Orthodox Church, and Jewish synagogue.
The marriage declaration is made public during the wedding ceremony in the presence of two witnesses. The first name (s), surname, identification number or date of birth, city and region or country of birth of witnesses shall be entered in the marriage protocol. They must prove their identity with valid passports or ID cards.
Special cases of marriage
According to Czech law, if the bride or groom does not speak Czech, an officially authorized court interpreter must be present at the ceremony, who signs the marriage protocol. He must provide proof of identity.
If the translator has not been officially appointed by the Ministry of Justice or the chairman of the regional court, he must take the oath in the presence of an official from the registry office. The wording of such an oath is prescribed by a special legal regulation (Law No. 36/1967 “On Official Experts and Translators”) and is provided by the registrar.
Therefore, the spouses-to-be must inform the registrar in advance that they do not speak Czech or that they are deaf and / or dumb.
The deadline for issuing a marriage certificate may differ depending on the registry office, but, as a rule, it is issued two weeks after the ceremony.
If at the time of receiving the certificate the newlyweds will be outside the Czech Republic, you can pre-issue a power of attorney for a third party (for example, a wedding coordinator) who will take the certificate and send it to you by mail or courier delivery.
The coordinator can help not only with the receipt and sending of the certificate, but also with the organization of the wedding itself - for example, with the choice of a place for the ceremony and paperwork.
Often, the list of services provided by wedding agencies includes filling out a questionnaire, drawing up and submitting an application to the Czech registry office, escorting and issuing a document confirming legal stay in the country in the police, paying fees, translating documents and others - it depends on the package chosen.
Popular places for ceremonies
The wedding ceremony can be held at the registry office or on the road. Most often, weddings in the Czech Republic are held in ancient castles.
The most popular places for wedding celebrations are the castles of Detenice, Karlštejn, Liblice, Gluboká nad Vltavou, as well as the Old Town Hall.
In summer, a wedding can be arranged in the courtyard of the castle or in the park, and a religious ceremony can be held in a chapel or church, which can always be found near the old building.
In most cases, there are taverns or restaurants near the castles, where the newlyweds can organize a banquet.
If a ceremony in an old castle is too expensive for a couple, a country villa can be a good alternative, most of which are also old architectural structures, but not as expensive as historical castles.
Conclusion of a marriage contract
In the Czech Republic, about 20% of future spouses draw up a prenuptial agreement before the wedding. A marriage contracted in the Czech Republic is governed by Czech law, according to which the spouses are jointly responsible for a loan received by one of the spouses with or without the consent of the other spouse. Therefore, if the future husband and wife want to leave the obligation to pay off the loan for the spouse who issued it, they can draw up a prenuptial agreement that regulates these issues.
Property acquired before marriage, after divorce, according to Czech law, remains the property of each of the spouses separately.
But if the money of the other spouse was invested in the property of the husband or wife, in the event of a divorce, he has the right to demand compensation. These nuances can also be regulated by an agreement.
The cost of concluding a marriage contract without specifying a specific property is 3000 kroons excluding VAT, and the cost of drawing up a contract with a reference to a specific property depends on the value of these objects. For example, if the contract stipulates the rights to own an apartment worth 2 million kroons, then when drawing up the contract, the notary is paid 6,400 kroons excluding VAT.
Procedure for registration of a registered partnership
The possibility of registering same-sex marriages in the Czech Republic is regulated by the Law on Registered Partnership, which entered into force in 2006. One of the important conditions for registering a partnership is that one of the newlyweds must have Czech citizenship.
The procedure for preparing for registration is no different from the conclusion of traditional marriages: one of the spouses must submit an application to the registry office at the place of official registration. The list of required documents for registering a partnership is the same as for concluding a traditional marriage. However, witnesses are not required to register same-sex marriages.
Obtaining a residence permit on the basis of marriage
Marriage with a Czech citizen / citizen is the basis for the issuance of a residence permit. First, the foreigner receives a temporary residence permit, and then a permanent one.
To obtain a permanent residence permit, you must have lived in the Czech Republic for 5 years with a temporary residence permit, but in case of marriage with a citizen of the Czech Republic on the basis of this permit, it is enough to live in the country for 2 years.
An application for a temporary residence permit should be submitted to the nearest office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of residence. Together with the application, you must submit the necessary documents.
The application will be considered at the head office of the department in Prague. The decision must be made within 30 days. In case of a positive result, the applicant will be invited in writing or by telephone to the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to obtain a temporary residence permit.
At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will issue him a personal identification number; except for foreigners who have already been assigned a personal number - for example, citizens of the Slovak Republic who were born before 1993.
Finally
One of the most common methods of immigration to the Czech Republic is to get married, because by marrying or marrying a person who has Czech citizenship, you can obtain a residence permit. The first step to getting married in the Czech Republic is to contact the local authority authorized to register marriage unions. Such in the Czech Republic is matriční úřad - the registry office. Its choice depends on the location of the wedding ceremony.
In the registry office, those wishing to marry will be issued a list of documents required for this; the number of documents will depend on whether the applicants were previously married or not.
Future spouses can also get married, that is, enter into a religious marriage. In this case, you need to contact the chosen church (you should first find out if this church is authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies). A religious marriage has full legal force in the Czech Republic, and after its conclusion, the newlyweds will also be issued a marriage certificate.
It should be noted that same-sex marriages are also allowed in the Czech Republic - they are registered as partnerships. Moreover, the requirements for those wishing to register a partnership are the same as for traditional couples.
