Getting Married in Prague as a UK Citizen: CNI, Apostilles and Steps

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Legal & Paperwork
Getting Married in Prague as a UK Citizen: CNI, Apostilles and Steps

Marrying in Prague as a British citizen is very possible, but since Brexit there is one more step than before, and the timing of your documents matters. This guide puts everything in the order you need to do it, based on gov.uk, UK register office pages, Czech law and the Prague 1 registry office. Links are at the end.

The short version

You need a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI). You get it by giving notice at your local register office in the UK, and it is issued after 28 clear days.
Your birth certificate, any divorce papers and the CNI need an apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office. The British Embassy in Prague cannot do this.
Everything must be translated into Czech by a Czech court translator.
Since Brexit, UK citizens also need a confirmation of lawful stay from the Czech Police, no older than seven working days on the wedding day.
A marriage legally performed in Prague is valid in the UK. You do not register it in the UK.

Step by step

1. Check your passport and travel dates

UK citizens can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Your passport must be valid for at least three months after the day you leave and must have been issued within the last ten years. At the border you will also be registered in the EU Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and a photo).

2. Contact the registry office in Prague

For the Old Town Hall and most of the historic centre, weddings are handled by the Prague 1 registry office at Vodičkova 18. Ask them for a date and confirm the documents they want from you. Prague 1 does not set fixed processing times, so start early.

3. Give notice in the UK and get the CNI

In England and Wales, you give notice in person at the register office for the district where you live, after living there for at least seven full days. The register office issues the CNI after 28 clear days. The fee is set by the register office, so check it on your council’s website.

The CNI itself has no expiry date in the UK, but Czech law requires it to be no older than six months on the wedding day. Plan the timing so that it falls in that window. In Scotland and Northern Ireland the procedure is handled by the local registrar, so ask them how it works there. If you live outside the UK, contact the British Embassy in your country of residence.

4. Get the apostilles from the FCDO

Czech law requires foreign documents to carry an apostille. You will usually need one on:

your full birth certificate,
your decree absolute or final order, if you were married before (or the death certificate of a former spouse),
the CNI.

The FCDO Legalisation Office charges £45 per document for the standard paper service, which takes up to 25 working days plus postage. The faster e-Apostille (£35) is not available for birth, marriage or civil partnership certificates. Ask the Legalisation Office whether your CNI can be apostilled as it is or needs to be certified first.

5. Have everything translated into Czech

All documents and their apostilles must be translated by a Czech court translator (soudní tlumočník). The British Embassy cannot translate them, and a UK translation is not accepted.

6. Submit the documents and pay the fee

You hand in the documents and the registry office’s questionnaire. At Prague 1 the fee is CZK 5,000 if neither of you has permanent residence in the Czech Republic, and CZK 3,000 if one of you does. A ceremony at another place or outside the regular days and hours costs another CZK 3,000. The fee is paid in advance.

7. Get the confirmation of lawful stay

This is the step most British couples do not know about. EU citizens are exempt, but UK citizens are now treated like other non-EU citizens. The confirmation is issued by the Czech foreign police and must be no older than seven working days on the wedding day. A normal visa-free visit counts as a lawful stay. In practice this means arriving in Prague a few working days before the wedding. Ask the registry office which police office to use.

8. Interpreter and witnesses

If either of you does not speak Czech or Slovak, an interpreter must attend the ceremony. You arrange and pay for the interpreter yourselves. You also need two witnesses with valid ID.

9. After the wedding

You receive a Czech marriage certificate (oddací list). You cannot get a UK marriage certificate for a marriage abroad, and you do not need to register it in the UK. For use at home, get an apostille from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Hradčanské náměstí 5 in Prague (CZK 600 per document, usually the same day, no appointment), and an English translation. Ask the UK office you deal with (for example the passport office or your bank) what they require.

Is the marriage valid in the UK?

Yes, if it was lawful in the Czech Republic and would be allowed under UK law. That is the rule on gov.uk. Keep the apostilled certificate and translation together. You will use them for name changes and official forms.

Same-sex couples

Since 1 January 2025, same-sex couples in the Czech Republic can enter a partnership (partnerství). It follows the same procedure as marriage, but it is not a marriage. The UK list of recognised overseas relationships still names only the older Czech registered partnership, which can no longer be entered. Whether the UK treats the new partnership as a civil partnership is not clear from official sources, so please get legal advice before you plan.

A realistic timeline

4–5 months before: book the Prague registry office, order birth certificates.
3 months before: give notice at your UK register office.
2 months before: collect the CNI, send everything to the FCDO for apostilles.
4–6 weeks before: Czech court translation, submit documents to the registry.
Wedding week: confirmation of lawful stay, final check with the interpreter and witnesses.

Want us to handle it?

We can coordinate the registry office, court translator, interpreter and witnesses, and plan the wedding day around them. Tell us your date and plans. Marrying someone from another country? See our legal wedding guide for foreigners or the guide for US citizens.