What certificates civil registry offices issue
Belarusian civil registry offices issue several types of certificates. A marital status certificate (or certificate of no registered marriage record) confirms that you are not married. A civil status record extract confirms a birth, marriage, divorce or death based on the civil registry archive; it is used when the certificate is lost or contains an error. The certificate's name and contents depend on its purpose, so we first clarify why it is needed.
Who issues the apostille?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus issues apostilles for civil registry extracts and certificates alike. An apostille verifies the signature and seal, after which the certificate is accepted in countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention without consular legalisation. A Belarusian certificate cannot be apostilled abroad.
Marriage in Poland and other EU countries
To register a marriage in Poland, a foreign national must confirm that they are eligible to marry. The USC assesses a Belarusian marital status certificate with an apostille and a sworn translation on a case-by-case basis; if obtaining the required document is difficult, a court may waive the requirement to present it. In Germany, the Standesamt requests a similar document together with a birth certificate. The civil registry office in the country where you are marrying sets the exact list and how recently documents must have been issued. Send us its requirements and we will check them and order the right certificate.
Validity period
The certificate itself has no expiry date, but institutions abroad decide how recent a document they require. Most often, they request a certificate no more than 3–6 months old. It is therefore best to order a certificate for a specific application: we will obtain a new one and arrange an apostille straight away.
Is a translation needed?
Almost always, yes. Poland requires a translation by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły), and Germany requires a certified translation. Both the certificate and the apostille must be translated. You can arrange a sworn translation through our partner as part of the same order.
Timeframes and what to prepare
A certificate with an apostille is usually ready in 7–14 working days, or 5 with urgent service. We send a scan as soon as it is ready and the original by courier to any European country in 2–5 working days. For a quote, tell us why you need the certificate and for which country, and send a photo of your passport or birth certificate so we can enter your details.