Marrying a foreigner in Czechia is arranged through the matriční úřad (matrika) — the civil registry office at the town or district authority. The foreign partner will need a passport, a birth certificate, and a certificate of legal capacity to marry (vysvědčení o právní způsobilosti k uzavření manželství) no older than 6 months, while citizens of non-EU countries must also provide a police certificate confirming legal stay, no older than 7 working days before the wedding. The state fee is CZK 3,000 if only one partner holds trvalý pobyt in Czechia, and CZK 5,000 if neither does. Here's the full list of documents, the step-by-step process, changes under the 2024–2025 novela to the Civil Registry Act, and the risks of a sham marriage.
Marriages are concluded before a matriční úřad — one operates at every major municipal authority, and in Prague at the úřady of the city districts. You can choose any matrika in the country: there's no requirement to register where you actually live, and since the 2024 novela, ceremonies may also take place at "another suitable location" — a park, a chateau, a restaurant — provided the matrika approves the venue.
Book the date and venue well in advance: popular summer Saturdays in Prague are taken months ahead. The key document is the Dotazník k uzavření manželství (marriage questionnaire): the form is issued at the matrika, and both future spouses fill it out and submit it in person together with the full set of documents.
The list is set out in §35 of Act No. 301/2000 Sb. on Civil Registries. A foreign national submits:
| Document | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Passport (doklad totožnosti) | A valid passport or an EU citizen's ID card |
| Birth certificate (rodný list) | Legalized and with a sworn translation into Czech |
| Certificate of legal capacity to marry (vysvědčení o právní způsobilosti) | Issued by the country of citizenship; must be no older than 6 months on the wedding day |
| Certificate of marital status and residence (potvrzení o osobním stavu a pobytu) | If such a document exists in that country; sometimes combined with the capacity certificate |
| Divorce decree or spouse's death certificate | For divorcees and widows/widowers, with a certified translation |
| Police certificate of legal stay (potvrzení o oprávněnosti pobytu) | Only for citizens of non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss countries; must be no older than 7 working days on the wedding day |
If the foreigner doesn't permanently live in their country of citizenship, a marital status certificate may be requested from both countries. When a document genuinely cannot be obtained — the state simply doesn't issue it, or travelling there to get it would be dangerous — the matrika can waive the requirement. Such decisions are made case by case, so it's worth discussing your situation in advance, and in complex cases bringing in immigration lawyers.
Foreign documents must carry the appropriate certification — an apostille or consular super-legalization, depending on the country — plus an official Czech translation done by a sworn translator. Czechia has legal-assistance treaties with a number of countries, including Ukraine: their documents are accepted without an apostille, and a translation is enough — check your country's status at mzv.gov.cz or directly with your matrika. Documents from EU countries can be submitted on a multilingual standard form with no translation at all. For how to order a certified translation and what it costs, see our guide on sworn translation of documents in Czechia; our vetted translators can help you find a specialist.
The potvrzení o oprávněnosti pobytu is issued by the Foreign Police (cizinecká policie). It confirms that you're staying in Czechia legally — on a visa, a residence permit, or visa-free. The key requirement: it must be no older than 7 working days on the day of the ceremony, so it's obtained last, right before the wedding. Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland are exempt from it.
| Situation | Fee |
|---|---|
| Both partners hold trvalý pobyt in Czechia, ceremony at the official venue and during standard hours | Free |
| Only one partner holds trvalý pobyt | CZK 3,000 |
| Neither partner holds trvalý pobyt | CZK 5,000 |
| Ceremony outside the official venue or hours | Plus CZK 3,000 |
| Osvědčení for a church wedding | CZK 500 |
Important: trvalý pobyt specifically means permanent residence. A long-term residence permit (dlouhodobý pobyt) doesn't count, so a couple made up of a Czech citizen and a foreigner holding dlouhodobý pobyt pays CZK 3,000. People with severe disabilities are exempt from the fee for holding the ceremony outside the official venue or hours.
Both forms carry equal legal weight. A civil wedding is conducted by an authorized municipal official at the matrika. A church wedding is held by a registered church or religious society, but before it takes place you must obtain an osvědčení from the matrika — confirmation that all legal requirements are met. It costs CZK 500 and is valid for 6 months. After the church ceremony, the record is forwarded to the matrika, which registers it and issues the oddací list. Without a prior osvědčení, a church marriage is not legally valid.
The wedding itself doesn't automatically legalize your stay. The spouse of a Czech citizen applies to OAMP (the migration department of the Ministry of the Interior) for přechodný pobyt as a family member of an EU citizen; the spouse of a foreigner holding a long-term or permanent residence permit applies for dlouhodobý pobyt on grounds of family reunification (společné soužití rodiny). A residence-permit holder must notify OAMP of a change of surname or marital status within a few working days — check current deadlines at mv.gov.cz. Moving to Czechia to join your spouse? Our checklist of first steps after moving will come in handy.
A sham marriage (účelové manželství) — one entered into purely to obtain a visa or residence permit — is direct grounds for refusal. OAMP conducts separate interviews with both spouses, cross-checks their answers about shared life, and may inspect the home and question neighbours. Proven sham status leads to refusal or annulment of the residence permit and complicates all future applications, while organizers of such schemes face criminal liability. That said, the burden of proof lies with the authority: if a genuine couple is refused over minor inconsistencies, the refusal is worth appealing — immigration lawyers can help.
Yes. The law doesn't require a residence permit — legal stay is enough, confirmed by a police certificate no older than 7 working days. But marriage doesn't grant the right to remain in the country: a residence permit must be applied for separately at OAMP.
Yes. If one of the future spouses doesn't speak Czech, a sworn interpreter must be present at the ceremony — without one, the marriage won't be registered. The interpreter is booked and paid for by the couple themselves.
Yes. A woman may choose a surname in its masculine form — this preference is indicated when filling out the dotazník, and no special grounds have been required since 2022.
A realistic timeframe is 2–3 months: gathering documents in your country of citizenship, getting an apostille, and arranging a sworn translation take weeks, while popular dates at the matrikas get booked months in advance. Most matrikas ask for the complete document package at least 2–4 weeks before the ceremony.
Generally, yes. The oddací list is apostilled by the MZV ČR (not needed for countries with a legal-assistance treaty), a certified translation is made, and the marriage is registered according to the rules of your country of citizenship — check the exact procedure with your consulate.
And if the family is expecting an addition after the wedding, read our guide on giving birth and pregnancy in Czechia.
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