Denmark is one of the easiest countries in Europe for a foreign couple to marry in, because there is no residency requirement and the Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset) can approve a complete application in about five working days. Getting married in Denmark as a foreigner comes down to four steps: confirm you both meet the legal conditions, gather a short list of documents, file online and pay the DKK 2,100 fee, then book a ceremony with the municipality of your choice once your approval certificate arrives.
Who Can Marry in Denmark
The Danish Marriage Act sets only a few firm conditions. Both partners must be at least 18, currently unmarried, and marrying by mutual consent. Any sign of coercion or forced marriage leads to rejection. The rules apply equally to opposite-sex and same-sex couples, and the application process, documents, and timeline are identical.
Foreign nationals must also show they are lawfully present in Denmark on the wedding date. Acceptable proof includes a valid Schengen visa (a tourist visa counts), a residence permit from Denmark or another Schengen country, EU/EEA citizenship documentation, or a passport with a clear entry stamp showing when you arrived.1Familieretshuset. Legal Residence for Marriage in Denmark Couples on a Schengen C visa can marry as long as the visa is valid on the wedding date and does not exclude travel to Denmark. The Agency reviews these documents to confirm the marriage is not being used to work around immigration rules.
Documents You Need to Submit
The document list is shorter than most couples expect. Birth certificates are not required. You will need:
- Color scans of every page of both partners’ passports, including blank pages and covers. Passports should have at least two blank stamp pages, have been issued within the past ten years, and remain valid for at least three months beyond the length of your stay in Denmark. EU citizens may substitute a national ID card, with images of both sides.2The Agency of Family Law. Apply for a Certificate of Marital Status
- Proof of legal entry: a scan of your visa, residence permit, or the passport entry stamp showing when you entered Denmark or the Schengen area.
- A certificate of marital status from a registrar or embassy in your country of residence, confirming you are single. This is not required if you already live in Denmark.3Life in Denmark. If You Wish to Get Married Abroad
- A final divorce decree or death certificate if either partner has been married before, showing the earlier marriage has legally ended.2The Agency of Family Law. Apply for a Certificate of Marital Status
Every document must be submitted in its original language together with a translation into Danish, English, or German. The Agency’s guidance does not specify translator credentials, but a certified professional translation is the safest choice; municipal registrars may reject informal translations. If you and your partner share a legal address, be ready to prove it, and if you have children together, keep their birth certificates on hand.
Extra Evidence for Non-EU/EEA Couples
When both partners hold passports from outside the EU or EEA, the Agency often asks for additional proof that the relationship is genuine. This can include photographs together, records of communication, and travel itineraries showing shared trips across the length of the relationship. Military personnel stationed in a Schengen country need written permission from a commanding officer or military orders before the application can move forward.
Filing the Application and Paying the Fee
Applications go through the Agency of Family Law’s digital portal. The standard route is to log in with MitID, Denmark’s national digital ID. If neither partner has MitID, a third party such as a family member or a wedding agency can file on your behalf using a power of attorney with original signatures from both partners, uploaded with the application.2The Agency of Family Law. Apply for a Certificate of Marital Status The representative logs in using SMS verification.
The non-refundable processing fee of DKK 2,100 is paid electronically at submission. The Agency accepts Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, MobilePay, and debit cards. Cash and cheques are not accepted.2The Agency of Family Law. Apply for a Certificate of Marital Status
If your file is complete, the Agency issues a Prøvelsesattest, the certificate of marital status, in about five working days.4Familieretshuset. Processing Time for Certificates of Marital Status Missing or unclear documents stretch that timeline considerably, so getting the uploads right the first time matters. The certificate is valid for four months from the date of issuance.5Life in Denmark. How to Apply for a Certificate of Marital Status If your passport has fewer than four months of validity remaining, the certificate’s validity may be shortened to match.
Booking and Holding the Ceremony
Once your Prøvelsesattest arrives, contact the municipality where you want to marry to schedule the ceremony. A civil ceremony at a town hall is the simplest route and is what most international couples choose. Religious ceremonies are also legally binding if performed by a licensed officiant, whether through the state church (Folkekirken) or another approved religious community. To marry in a state church, at least one partner must be a member of Folkekirken.
Two witnesses are required at every civil ceremony. Both must be at least 18, physically present, and able to follow the proceedings. Larger town halls in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg often provide witnesses as part of the service. Smaller municipalities, island venues, and outdoor ceremonies usually expect you to bring your own. If you’re traveling to Denmark alone, confirm with the municipality before you book.
Municipal ceremony fees for foreign couples generally run from DKK 500 to DKK 1,200, separate from the DKK 2,100 application fee. Weekend or after-hours ceremonies may carry a surcharge. After the ceremony, the registrar and witnesses sign the marriage certificate; the original stays in the town hall archives, and you receive a certified copy.
Changing Your Name
If either spouse wants to take the other’s surname, the change is free when you apply within three months of the wedding through the digital portal at borger.dk. The application is handled by the parish where you live in Denmark, and a fee applies after the three-month window.6Familieretshuset. Naming/Name Change A Danish name change only affects your Danish records, so you will still need to update your passport and other documents through your home country’s authorities.
Getting the Marriage Recognized at Home
A Danish marriage certificate is legally valid in Denmark, but most other countries require extra authentication before they will accept it. The usual method is an Apostille, a certification stamp under the 1961 Hague Convention that verifies the signature and seal of the Danish official who signed the certificate.7HCCH. Apostille Section In Denmark, apostilles are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Udenrigsministeriet) for DKK 250 per document.8Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Legalisation (Apostille) Countries that have not joined the Hague Convention may require full diplomatic legalization through Danish and foreign embassy channels instead.
U.S. Immigration
For couples planning to use the marriage for U.S. immigration purposes, USCIS applies the “place-of-celebration rule”: a marriage is valid for immigration if it was valid where it took place.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 6 – Spouses A properly issued Danish marriage certificate is prima facie evidence of a valid marriage and should show both partners’ full names, the date of the ceremony, and timely registration with the civil authority. USCIS may still ask for additional evidence that the marriage is genuine and that both parties were legally free to marry.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Marriage and Marital Union for Naturalization Proxy marriages that were not consummated, and civil unions or domestic partnerships that are not treated as marriages where they were performed, do not qualify. Because Denmark issues full marriage certificates for civil ceremonies, this is not usually an issue for couples married through the standard process.
U.S. Tax Filing
A U.S. citizen who marries a nonresident spouse abroad faces an immediate filing choice. By default, the nonresident spouse cannot file jointly, which usually limits the citizen to “married filing separately.” Both spouses can elect to treat the nonresident as a U.S. resident for tax purposes by attaching a signed statement to a joint return, but that election requires both to report worldwide income for the year and every future year unless the election is ended or suspended.11Internal Revenue Service. Nonresident Spouse Because the long-term consequences are significant, couples where one partner earns substantial foreign income should talk to a tax professional before making the election.
U.S. Social Security Name Change
If either spouse is changing a name after the wedding, the Social Security Administration requires the original marriage document, or a certified copy from the issuing agency, as proof of the legal change. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted, and the document must be current and unexpired.12Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card If the name change happened more than two years before the application, or the marriage document does not contain enough identifying information, SSA may also ask for an identity document in your prior name. An apostilled Danish marriage certificate meets the SSA’s requirement for an official document issued by the competent authority.