The transcription of the two Polish men who were legally wed in Berlin in 2018 entered Poland's civil registry on Thursday. Announcing the moment, Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski said: "This morning we completed the first transcription of a same-sex marriage, in accordance with court rulings.” The two men have battled through top courts in Brussels and Warsaw for over seven years, securing landmark rulings in the process. In March Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court ordered Warsaw's registry office to record the marriage laying legal fundaments for Poland’s first ever same-sex marriage. The decision built on a November 2025 judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union that said EU member states must recognize same-sex marriages legally concluded in other member countries. Artur Kula, one of the lawyers representing the Berlin couple told TVP World: “We are very happy. This is very important. Our clients have won. "Change has arrived. Today there is the first transcription, but more will follow." Kula said that the law-practice firm he works for, which specializes in LGBT+ rights, is already working with dozens of couples interested in transcribing their foreign marriage certificates. The Warsaw ruling, anchored in the landmark courts' battles, has essentially opened the flood gates for other regional courts and offices to follow a non-binding precedent in ordering and issuing transcripts. “The number of transcripts will quickly become very noticeable,” he said.
The transcription enters Poland's civil registry the marriage of two Polish men who were legally wed in Berlin in 2018. Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada
