Getting married to a foreigner brings not only a joyful life event, but also a number of administrative and legal tasks that need to be prepared for. What documents will you need? How do civil and religious ceremonies differ? What about changing your surname or the question of your children’s citizenship? And what does the law say about marriages of convenience to foreigners?
Planning a wedding with a stranger starts with choosing the location and type of ceremony. Decide whether you will choose a civil or church wedding. A civil ceremony takes place at a registry office or other officially sanctioned location. A church wedding takes place before an authorized representative of a recognized church or religious society. In both cases, however, it is necessary to contact the registry office in good time to handle the administrative part of the process.
Once you have chosen a venue , book a date for the ceremony. Registry offices recommend contacting them at least two months before the planned date. When booking, the office will inform you of the necessary documents that need to be supplied. If your partner does not understand Czech, be sure to report this fact. The presence of a court interpreter is mandatory and must be arranged in good time.
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Before the marriage can take place, a number of documents are required to prove legal capacity to marry.
A Czech citizen must present his/her birth certificate, ID card or passport and, if already married, a final divorce decree or death certificate of the previous spouse. In case of permanent residence abroad, a certificate of personal status and place of permanent residence issued abroad is required.
The foreigner must usually provide his or her birth certificate, proof of nationality (usually a passport), proof of legal capacity to marry, a certificate of personal status and residence, if applicable, a divorce or death certificate of the former spouse and a certificate of lawful residence. It is important to get everything done in time, as some documents can take weeks or months to obtain, translate and verify (for example, by apostille).
Good organisation is the key to a smooth process. Clarify the requirements early to avoid stress and unexpected obstacles. If you encounter complications, contact the registry office, which will provide you with the necessary information and, if necessary, suggest solutions.
Hint: Arranged marriages between Czechs and foreigners from third countries are not just a curious matter, but a growing problem that is being uncovered by the Aliens Police. The modus operandi is as follows: In return for a financial reward of around €1,200 and the costs of travel and the ceremony, even socially disadvantaged citizens sometimes agree to a sham marriage. The organisers usually collect up to €4,000 for each such case. Weddings often take place in Cyprus or Nigeria, where two brides are usually flown straight to witness each other’s wedding. The newlyweds then use this link to obtain a residence permit in the Czech Republic.
Police recently uncovered a group responsible for at least seven such marriages, and dozens more are suspected. In one small village in eastern Bohemia, for example, an entire family – a mother, her two daughters and her sister – married Nigerian citizens. Two men have been charged with the offence of aiding and abetting an unauthorised stay in the country, for which they face a prison sentence of up to three years.
The decision between a civil and a church wedding depends on the preferences of the engaged couple. A civil ceremony takes place at a registry office or other officially sanctioned venue, such as a historic building or outdoor space approved by the authorities. The ceremony is conducted by the officiant, which is usually the mayor, deputy mayor or registrar. A church wedding takes place before a representative of a recognized church or religious society in a place that conforms to church rules, such as a church or chapel.
Both types of weddings require the presence of two witnesses and a formal declaration by the betrothed that they are entering into marriage. If one of the fiancés does not understand Czech, the law requires the presence of a court interpreter.
The differences between civil and religious ceremonies are not only in the setting and conduct of the ceremony. For a church marriage, a certificate of compliance with the legal requirements issued by the registry office is required. This document must not be older than three months.
Hint: In connection with the increased presence of young foreign women in our territory, we are repeatedly asked what is the situation with their social security in case of pregnancy and raising a small child. We will give details in our article.
Certain legal and administrative obligations change when you marry a foreigner. If one of the spouses changes his or her surname, this change must be reported to the registry office and, in the case of a foreigner, to the embassy of his or her home country. A Czech citizen needs to apply for a new ID card and passport, while a foreigner usually needs a new passport from his/her country and then update the documents associated with the residence permit.
Children born of this marriage may be eligible for Czech citizenship if at least one of the parents is a Czech citizen. At the same time, however, they can also acquire the citizenship of the other parent under the laws of his or her country, which is often an advantage. It is a good idea to check whether the country in question allows dual citizenship and to discuss these options with the relevant authorities.
The foreigner is also obliged to report the change of marital status to the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. This obligation must be fulfilled within three working days of the change of status.
Getting married to a foreigner in the Czech Republic involves not only administrative obligations but also certain financial costs. Marriage fees vary according to the permanent residence of the fiancés. If neither of them is a permanent resident of the Czech Republic, the fee is CZK 5,000. If only one of the fiancés is a permanent resident, the fee is CZK 3,000. Additional amounts may be associated with the issuance of special documents, such as a certificate of legal capacity or permission to marry in another place or outside normal hours.
Before submitting the documents, it is a good idea to bear in mind that it can take weeks or months to obtain, translate and verify them. It is advisable to start preparations at least two to three months before the planned wedding date.
A common question is how to arrange for a court interpreter. The interpreter is usually arranged by the fiancés themselves at their own expense. If you do not know where to find an interpreter, the registry office can help.
Other questions often concern the recognition of foreign documents in the Czech Republic. Most documents must be apostilled or super-legalized and translated into Czech.
Marrying a foreigner in the Czech Republic requires thorough preparation. It is necessary to provide the necessary documents for both the Czech citizen and the foreigner, and in the case of foreign documents, to have them certified and translated into Czech. After the wedding, the couple will have to go through administrative steps such as reporting a change in marital status or a possible change of surname. Children born of this marriage may be entitled to dual citizenship, which should be checked with the authorities of both countries.
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