How recent must my marriage certificate be?

Question

Is there an expiry on how old my marriage certificate can be for a residence application?

Auranik Consulting & Management · Accepted Answer

## Short answer
For the spouse-of-a-Polish-citizen route, widely-observed office practice expects a marriage certificate copy issued no earlier than 3 months before you submit your application.

## What this depends on
This is corroborated across multiple voivodeship offices (Pomorski, Świętokrzyski, Lubuski) as consistent practice, but it's not confirmed as a single cited national statute -- treat it as a strong practical expectation rather than an absolute legal rule, and confirm with the specific office if you're close to the edge of the window.

## Related Auranik tool
The [Marriage Certificate Readiness Tool](/poland/immigration/documents/marriage-certificate) checks your certificate's age against this window live, along with translation and authentication status.

How recent must my marriage certificate be?

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