Legal Wedding in Prague for Foreigners: Documents, Fees and Steps (2026 Guide)

Last checked against official sources: October 2026.

Yes, two foreigners can legally marry in Prague. Neither of you needs to live in the Czech Republic or hold Czech citizenship. The ceremony is a civil wedding at a Czech registry office (matrika). In central Prague that is usually the Prague 1 registry, which holds ceremonies in the Old Town Hall. The paperwork is the hard part: every foreign document must be authenticated, officially translated into Czech and handed in to the registry before the wedding.

This guide is based only on the published requirements of the Prague 1 registry office, the Czech Ministry of the Interior, Czech embassies and the official CzechTourism guide. The sources are linked at the end. Rules and fees can change, so always confirm your own case with the registry office before you book flights.

Legal wedding or symbolic ceremony: decide this first

Before you collect a single document, decide which of these you want:

Many international couples choose the symbolic option. They sign the legal papers at home and keep Prague for the ceremony, the photos and the celebration. If that sounds like you, see our elopement guide. If you want the legal wedding in Prague, read on.

Check first that your home country will recognise a Czech marriage. When both partners are foreigners, the Prague 1 registry says the officiant must warn you that the marriage may not be valid in your home country. Ask your own civil registry or embassy before you start.

Documents each foreign partner needs

This is the list the Prague 1 registry publishes for a foreign fiancé or fiancée:

• Identity document: a passport, or an ID card for EU citizens.
• Birth certificate.
• Proof of citizenship.
• Proof of legal capacity to marry. This is often called a Certificate of No Impediment. It must be no more than 6 months old on the wedding date. If your country does not issue one (the USA is a common example), the official CzechTourism guide says a notarised sworn statement can replace it. Confirm this with the registry.
• Certificate of civil status and residence, if your country issues one.
• If divorced: the final divorce judgment.
• If widowed: the death certificate of your former spouse.
• If you had a registered partnership: the final court decision ending it, or your former partner’s death certificate.
• Non-EU/EEA citizens only: confirmation of lawful stay in the Czech Republic. It must be no more than 7 working days old on the wedding date, so it is one of the last things you get, usually after you arrive. EU/EEA citizens and their family members do not need it.

The registry office may ask for more depending on your nationality. Each country’s documents are different, so send scans of yours to the registry and ask them to confirm the list for your country.

Apostille or superlegalisation

Every document issued abroad needs a higher level of verification before a Czech authority will accept it:

• Apostille: for countries that are part of the Hague Apostille Convention (most of Europe, the USA, the UK, Australia, Korea, Japan and many others). The apostille is issued in the country that issued the document.
• Superlegalisation: for countries outside the convention, unless a bilateral treaty says otherwise. The document is verified by your own authorities and then by the Czech embassy.

The usual order is to get the apostille first and then the translation, so that the apostille is translated together with the document. Ask the registry if you are unsure.

Official Czech translation

Any document not in Czech needs an official translation into Czech by a Czech court-certified translator (soudní překladatel). A translation by a freelance or certified translator in your home country is usually not enough.

You can check whether a translator is authorised in the Ministry of Justice’s public register at seznat.justice.cz. This check matters: on 1 January 2026 a large number of translators lost their authorisation when a transition period under Act No. 354/2019 Coll. ended. Someone who was on the list a few years ago may no longer be authorised.

Step by step: how a legal wedding in Prague works

1. 6–12 months before: choose your date and contact the registry office. Peak-season Saturdays (June to September) are booked furthest ahead. The CzechTourism guide suggests planning 6–12 months ahead, or a year or more for a summer Saturday.
2. Collect your documents at home and get apostilles or superlegalisation. The CzechTourism guide estimates at least 2–3 months for the whole document process.
3. Have everything translated into Czech by a court-certified translator.
4. Fill in the marriage questionnaire (Dotazník k uzavření manželství), which the Prague 1 registry publishes on its website.
5. Submit the documents to the registry office responsible for the place of your wedding. For Prague 1 this is the registry department at Vodičkova 18. If neither of you speaks Czech, an official interpreter must also come to this pre-wedding meeting. Depending on the registry, you may need to sign papers in person weeks before the wedding, not just a few days before. Plan your travel around this.
6. Get the confirmation of lawful stay (non-EU/EEA citizens) within the 7-working-day window before the wedding.
7. Wedding day: the ceremony is held in Czech by an authorised official, with your interpreter translating and two witnesses present.
8. After the wedding: the registry issues your Czech marriage certificate (oddací list). If you need it abroad, see the last section below.

Interpreter and witnesses

Interpreter: if either of you does not speak or understand Czech, an official interpreter must be present at the ceremony. If neither of you speaks Czech, they must also attend the pre-wedding meeting. The interpreter signs the marriage record. You book them yourselves and pay their fee.

Witnesses: you need two. Each must show a passport or ID card, and the registry will ask for their full name and date and place of birth.

Official fees at the Prague 1 registry

These are the administrative fees published by the Prague 1 registry office (Act No. 634/2004 Coll. on administrative fees):

These fees cover only the registry. Your translations, apostilles, the interpreter and any venue rental are separate costs. For a full budget, see our Prague wedding cost guide.

Where the ceremony can take place

Civil weddings take place at the registry office’s ceremony rooms on the days and at the times it sets. The Prague 1 district holds weddings in the ceremonial hall of the Old Town Hall on Old Town Square. Other Prague districts have their own town halls and ceremony rooms.

A civil wedding can also be held at “another suitable place” or outside the official days and hours, for the extra fee listed above. Ask the registry early whether they will approve your chosen venue and date. It is their decision, and availability is limited.

Church weddings

A church wedding by a registered church or religious society is legally valid in the Czech Republic. Before it, you must get a certificate from the registry office confirming that you meet the legal requirements. Without it the marriage is not valid. You need the same documents as for a civil wedding. Ask both the registry and the church about their deadlines.

Using your Czech marriage certificate at home

To register your marriage abroad you will usually need an apostille on the Czech marriage certificate. For a certificate from the Prague 1 registry, the process has two steps:

1. The Prague City Hall (Magistrát hl. m. Prahy) verifies the registrar’s signature and stamp.
2. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs then adds the apostille.

Your home authorities may also ask for a translation. EU citizens should ask whether a multilingual standard form is available, which can make the translation unnecessary.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need to live in the Czech Republic to marry in Prague?

No. Permanent residence is not required, but the registry fee is higher when neither of you has it (5,000 CZK at Prague 1). Non-EU/EEA citizens do need a confirmation that their stay in the Czech Republic is lawful, dated within 7 working days of the wedding.

Can the ceremony be in English?

The legal ceremony is conducted in Czech, with an official interpreter translating for you. If you want the whole ceremony in English, a symbolic ceremony is the usual solution.

How early should we arrive in Prague?

It depends on the registry. Some need you a few days before the wedding, others need signatures a month or more earlier. Non-EU/EEA citizens must also get the confirmation of lawful stay in the last 7 working days. Ask the registry before you book flights.

Is a Czech marriage recognised in our country?

Often yes, but not always. When both partners are foreigners, the Czech official is required to warn you that it may not be. Check with your home registry or embassy before you start.

Can our translator at home translate the documents?

Usually not. The registry expects official translations by a Czech court-certified translator. Check any translator in the register at seznat.justice.cz.

Official sources

• Prague 1 Municipal District: Uzavření manželství (marriage), documents and fees
• CzechTourism / Visit Czechia: Marriage of foreigners in Czechia
• Embassy of the Czech Republic: Marriage in the Czech Republic
• Ministry of Justice: register of court translators and interpreters
• Czech Public Administration Portal: verifying documents for use abroad (apostille, superlegalisation)

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements depend on your nationality and can change. The registry office has the final word.

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