p17tb85kpn4am1jcl1n5h13maat24.pdf

elocation
must not be older than six months at the time of your marriage.
` If the bride or the groom has been widowed, the death
certificate of the deceased spouse, or a notarized copy of this
certificate, must be presented.
` If the bride or the groom is divorced, the divorce certificate, or a
notarized copy, must be presented.
` Any necessary religious documents.
` For non-EU citizens who plan to reside in the Czech Republic,
a certificate issued, no longer than seven days prior to the
marriage by the Czech Foreign Police, that you may legally stay
in the Czech Republic.
If you are American, note that the birth certificate must be an original
copy from the state, not county, where you were born. The Certificate
of No Impediment to Marriage is a simple document from your home
country stating that you are legally able to marry. You can obtain
it in your home country or from your embassy in Prague. Religious
documents will vary. Other documents may be needed in special cases,
such as a death certificate for the widowed. All of the documents
(except the church-related ones) must bear an apostille, a stamp that
certifies foreign documents for official use in the Czech Republic. The
stamp must be obtained in your home country or through an embassy
in Prague. Additionally, the documents must be translated into Czech
and legalized by a soudní překladatel (official court translator).
The legal part of the wedding ceremony will be in Czech, but if the
bride and/or groom doesn’t speak the language, law requires that
an interpreter be present. As is the case in many other parts of the
world, marriage at the registry office is recognized by the state, while
a religious ceremony is recognized by the church. Most churches in
Prague are authorized to hold a civil, non-denominational ceremony as
well; there are many English-speaking ministers here in Prague who
can officiate at wedding ceremonies.
Given the amount of time and effort involved in coordinating a wedding,
many forgo the do-it-yourself route and turn to a wedding planner to
help with everything from the paperwork to ordering the cake. The
basic, no-frills package (ceremony conducted in the language of
your choice at the registry office with simple champagne reception
following) costs around 45,000 CZK. Wedding agencies should be
booked, at the very least, six months in advance.
If you decide to go it on your own, go to the matrika department of
your local místní úřad (district) to file your paperwork. Here they’ll
determine if you are fluent enough to participate in a Czech ceremony
or if you’ll require a soudní tlumočník (court-approved interpreter).
These offices also display loads of brochures that come in handy for
wedding-related services.
134 | expats.cz survival guide www.expats.cz
petS
Czechs are well-known for their tolerance of pets—particularly little
dogs! Of course, there are still numerous formal and informal laws for
pet ownership that any animal-lover moving to Prague should know
about. If you’re bringing your pet from another country, you will need
a veterinary certificate, with confirmation of a rabies vaccination
(within the past year) for pets more than 12 weeks old. Your pet
must also be equipped with a microchip or tattooed number to aid in
identification. You should make sure your pet is up to date on yearly
rabies vaccinations during your time in Prague, and have a certificate
as proof. All dogs must be registered in your district within 15 days
of ownership. Even if you have acquired your dog within the Czech
Republic, dogs over six months old must be tattooed or have a
microchip implant according to EU law. The procedure can be done at a
veterinarian’s office. After the marking is carried out, you must register
yourself as the owner of the dog by filling out a registration card and
mailing it to your local City Council. You should receive confirmation of
your registration by mail. Your veterinarian will automatically issue an
EU pet passport during tattooing/microchipping. Vets also sell supplies
like tick medicine and food.