The following information is provided by the U.S. Embassy in Prague and is intended for U.S. citizens (U.S. passport holders) only. Holders of passports from other countries should seek advice and assistance from their own Embassies.

Marriage in the Czech Republic falls under the jurisdiction of the Czech civil authorities, not the Embassy. An application for marriage (marriage license) should be submitted to the local Town Hall authorized to keep records for the area in which the bride or groom has a permanent residence. (There are some Town Halls that will perform marriages when neither bride nor groom are residents of the Czech Republic, but the applicant must check directly with the individual Town Hall to see if this will be possible.) American citizens who wish to marry here must submit the following documents directly to the Town Hall. With the exception of the passport, all must be translated into Czech by a Czech certified translator, and some must also be certified as authentic (see note below).

1. Valid unexpired U.S. passport
2. Original birth certificate (or copy certified with an Apostille from the state in which you were born)
3. If widowed, original death certificate (or certified copy) of former spouse
4. If divorced, a legally valid final divorce decree
5. Document confirming citizenship, permanent residence and legal ability to marry.
6. Czech Foreigners Police statement that the American is in the Czech Republic legally.

Document number 5 may take the form of an affidavit sworn by the American citizen in person before a U.S. consular officer at this Embassy or a notary public in the United States. The document should include the American’s full name, marital status, the number of his/her passport, date and place of its issuance, permanent residence address, confirmation that according to the respective state’s laws he/she is free to marry. The document must also contain the full name and address of the non-American fiance(e), as well as his/her country of citizenship. An American may come to the Embassy to execute this document and have it notarized by a U.S. consular officer by appointment. Please make an appointment online before you visit the Consular section. The fee for the service is $50 (also payable in Czech crowns). The document must then be translated, like all other English-language documents.

NOTE: The birth certificate, any divorce or death certificates, and any other American documents described above, must be certified by the State in which the document was executed. Under a treaty to which both the U.S. and the Czech Republic are now party, a special certification is acceptable proof that a U.S. document is valid and authentic. This certification is called a “Hague Convention Apostille.” It can be obtained only in the U.S. for American-issued documents; information on how and where to obtain the certification is available at the Consular Section of the State Department website (www.travel.state.gov) under “International Judicial Assistance;” look for The Hague Convention information under “Notarial and Authentication Services.”

If the American bride or groom does not speak Czech, Czech law requires that an officially authorized interpreter attend the ceremony.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We strongly encourage Americans planning to marry here to discuss with a member of the Embassy’s Consular staff whether and how to obtain an immigrant visa for the foreign spouse. A tourist visa is not valid to enter the U.S. for the purpose of taking up residence or working.