How to Get Married in Prague as a Foreigner (2026 Guide)

Getting married in Prague is easier than most couples expect, even when neither of you is Czech. You can have a fully legal civil wedding at a beautiful place like the Old Town Hall, a palace above the city or a château in the countryside. You just need the right documents, a little patience with paperwork and enough time. Here is how it works, step by step, so you know what to expect before you start planning.

Civil, church or symbolic: three ways to say “I do” in Prague

A civil wedding is performed by an official of the town or city district (a mayor, deputy mayor or an authorised representative) and is legally valid. This is the most common option for couples from abroad.

A church wedding is performed by a representative of a registered church or religious society and is also legally valid in the Czech Republic, as long as the paperwork is done beforehand.

A symbolic ceremony has no legal effect. Many couples sign the legal papers at home and then celebrate in Prague with a ceremony exactly the way they want it, at any time and almost any place. It means much less paperwork and is a great choice if the legal process for your nationality is complicated or you are short on time.

Where you get married decides where you apply

For a civil wedding you deal with the registry office (in Czech “matrika”) of the district where your ceremony takes place. In central Prague that is usually the Prague 1 registry office, which looks after the Old Town Hall. If you marry at a château outside Prague, you apply at the registry office responsible for that town. Pick your venue and a tentative date first, then contact that registry office.

Step by step: the legal process for a civil wedding

1. Choose your venue and a tentative date.
2. Contact the registry office for that district, ideally several months ahead, to agree on the date and ask which documents they need from you.
3. Get the marriage questionnaire (“Dotazník k uzavření manželství”) from the registry office. You fill in the first part, the office fills in the second.
4. Prepare your documents, get them legalised and officially translated into Czech (more on that below).
5. Submit the documents and sign the marriage application in person at the registry office. If neither of you understands Czech, you will need an official interpreter for this appointment.
6. On the day, you sign the marriage protocol together with your two witnesses and the interpreter, and the official declares you married.

Documents each of you will need

Every registry office has its own small details, so always confirm the final list with yours. In general, each foreign partner needs:

• A valid passport or other proof of identity
• A birth certificate
• Proof of citizenship (a passport usually covers this)
• A certificate of legal capacity to marry, not older than 6 months on the wedding day. Some countries, such as the USA, do not issue one, and a notarised sworn statement can be used instead.
• Proof of personal status and residence, if it is not part of the certificate above
• If divorced, the final divorce decree. If widowed, the death certificate of your late spouse.
• For non-EU citizens: confirmation of legal stay in the Czech Republic from the foreign police, not older than 7 working days on the wedding day. EU and EEA citizens do not need this.

Apostille and official Czech translation

Foreign documents usually need an apostille (or super-legalisation, depending on the country that issued them) and an official translation into Czech by a court-certified translator. Start this early. Getting apostilles at home and translations in Prague is usually the part that takes the longest.

An interpreter at the ceremony

If neither of you speaks Czech, the registry office requires an official interpreter, both when you submit your documents and at the ceremony itself, where the interpreter also signs the marriage protocol. You arrange and pay for the interpreter. Registrars rarely speak English, which is one of the reasons many couples work with a local wedding planner. Here are the wedding planners in Prague I recommend.

Official fees

The Czech administrative fees for a civil wedding are set by law:

• 5,000 CZK (about €205) if neither of you has permanent residence in the Czech Republic
• 3,000 CZK (about €125) if one of you has permanent residence in the Czech Republic
• 3,000 CZK (about €125) for permission to marry outside the official wedding room or the official wedding times

Euro amounts are approximate, based on the Czech National Bank rate in October 2026 (about 24.3 CZK to €1). The fees are paid in Czech koruna. Venues, interpreters, translations and apostilles are paid separately. For the full picture, see my guide to the cost of getting married in Prague.

How much time to allow

Plan your wedding 6 to 12 months ahead, and a year or more for a summer Saturday. Preparing and processing the documents typically takes at least two to three months. Ask your registry office early when you need to arrive in Prague: for some couples a few days before the wedding is enough, others need to sign documents at the office a month or more ahead.

A few tips from the weddings I photograph

Let your photographer know the exact ceremony time and place as soon as the registry office confirms it, because official wedding rooms are booked in fixed time slots. If you marry at the Old Town Hall or another central spot, plan your couple portraits right after the ceremony, while you are already in the most beautiful part of the city. And if the legal process feels like too much, a symbolic ceremony in Prague after a quick legal wedding at home is a wonderful alternative. You can see an example in this elopement at Lobkowicz Palace.

Please note: this guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements can differ by nationality and registry office, so always confirm the details with your registry office or your embassy. Sources: Czech Public Administration Portal, Visit Czechia.