During the meeting:

• the couple submits a declaration that there are no legal obstacles to entering into marriage
• they choose the surnames they will use after the wedding
• they decide on the surname of their future children
• they confirm or reserve the date of the wedding ceremony.

Choice of Spouses' Surnames and the Surname of Their Children

During the visit, the couple must submit a declaration regarding the surname they will use after the marriage. At the same time, they must also indicate the surname that their children born from the marriage will have. This declaration does not become final until the marriage ceremony takes place. The couple may change their decision about their surnames at any time before the marriage is concluded. If they decide to do so, they must appear again before the Head of the Civil Registry Office and submit a new declaration regarding the surnames they intend to use after the wedding. Therefore, the couple may change their decision regarding their surnames at any time before the marriage ceremony takes place. However, if they decide to do so, they must appear again at the Civil Registry Office and submit a new declaration before the Head of the Civil Registry Office. Once the marriage ceremony has taken place and the marriage certificate has been issued, the declaration about the spouses' surnames becomes final and legally binding. This means that it cannot be changed through the marriage procedure at the Civil Registry Office anymore. If one of the spouses later wishes to change their surname, it would only be possible through a separate administrative procedure for a change of name. This is a different legal process that requires submitting a formal application to the relevant authority and providing a valid justification for the change.

The decision about the surname of the children is more flexible. Even if the couple indicates a surname for their future children during the visit to the Civil Registry Office, they may still change this decision later. Under Article 88 §§ 2-3 of the Polish Family and Guardianship Code, the parents may submit a joint declaration about their child's surname when the birth certificate of their first child is issued. At that moment, both parents can confirm the surname previously chosen or they can decide on a different one.

In practice, this means that the earlier declaration made before the wedding is not necessarily final with regard to the children's surname. The parents still have an opportunity to reconsider their decision and choose the surname again when their first child is born and the birth certificate is prepared.

The One-Month Waiting Period Before Marriage

A marriage cannot be concluded by the Head of a Civil Registry Office within one month after the people planning to marry submit a written declaration to the Head of the Civil Registry Office that they are not aware of any circumstances that would prevent the conclusion of the marriage. However, the Head of the Civil Registry Office may allow the marriage to be concluded before this deadline if this is justified by important considerations.

A civil marriage at the Civil Registry Office may be concluded only after one month has passed from the day the couple submits a written declaration stating that they are not aware of any legal obstacles to their marriage. This one-month period is intended to give the future spouses time to carefully consider their decision to marry.

The one-month period is counted from the day the declaration is submitted to the Civil Registry Office. If the two partners submit their declarations on different days, the period begins on the day the second person submits their declaration. The marriage may be concluded only after this period has expired.

In certain situations, the Head of the Civil Registry Office may allow the marriage to take place earlier, before the one-month period has passed. This is possible if there are important reasons, for example pregnancy, illness of one of the partners, or the need for an urgent departure abroad. Such permission must be given in writing.

If the Head of the Civil Registry Office refuses to shorten this waiting period, the interested person may apply to the district court within 14 days to ask the court to decide whether the refusal was justified.

It is also important to note that this one-month waiting period applies only to civil marriages concluded before the Head of the Civil Registry Office. In the case of religious marriages, the preparation for the wedding is regulated by the internal rules of the relevant church or religious organization.

Administrative Fee for Shortening the Marriage Waiting Period

If you ask the Civil Registry Office to shorten the one-month waiting period before the wedding, you must pay 39 PLN. This fee is required for the official permission issued by the Head of the Civil Registry Office. The legal basis for this fee is the Polish Act on Stamp Duty of 16 November 2006, specifically the Annex to the Act, Part II (Official Activities), which sets the amount of the stamp duty for issuing such permission.

Booking the Date

If you plan to get married in Poland, you can usually reserve the date of your civil wedding ceremony well in advance. In many Civil Registry Offices it is possible to book the date up to one year before the planned wedding. This is particularly important in larger cities, such as Poznań, where a large number of couples get married every year. Popular dates, especially weekends and summer months, are often booked very quickly.

For this reason, it is strongly recommended to reserve your wedding date earlier than one month before the planned ceremony. Booking in advance increases the chance of securing your preferred date and time for the ceremony at the Civil Registry Office.

Getting married in another country may initially seem complicated, especially for foreign nationals who are not familiar with the local legal procedures. However, in practice the process can be much easier when it takes place in a supportive and well-organized administrative environment.

In Poznań, the staff of the Civil Registry Office are known for being particularly helpful, professional, and approachable. Their guidance and willingness to explain the necessary steps often make the entire process much smoother and less stressful.

For this reason, if you are a foreign national planning to marry a Polish citizen, Poznań is a very good place to do so. The combination of clear legal procedures and the friendly attitude of local officials make the city a welcoming environment for international couples beginning their married life together.