How to Get Married in Denmark as a Foreigner (2026 Guide)

Denmark has quietly become Europe’s easiest place for international couples to marry. There’s no residency requirement, the paperwork is handled by one central agency, and once you’re approved you can marry at almost any town hall in the country — often within weeks.

This guide covers the official process as of October 2026. Rules and fees change; we link to the official sources throughout.

Who can marry in Denmark

You can apply if you are both:

• 18 or over and not currently married to anyone else;
• not closely related;
• able to lawfully enter and stay in Denmark — as a Danish, Nordic, EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, a visa-free national, a holder of a Schengen visa (issued by any Schengen country), or with a residence permit.

Two details catch people out. First, “procedural residence” — staying somewhere while an immigration application is pending — normally doesn’t count. Second, non-EU passports must be valid at least three months beyond your departure, have two blank pages and be less than ten years old.

The authorities also check for marriages of convenience, and may ask how you met or whether you have lived together.

Step 1: Gather your documents

The application goes to the Danish Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset), not to the town hall. You’ll need, for each partner:

1. Passport — photos of every page, including blank ones and the covers.
2. Proof of lawful residence — your residence permit where you live now, and/or your visa for Denmark.
3. Certificate of marital status from your country of residence (unless you live in Denmark). If your country doesn’t issue one, explain why in the application.
4. Divorce decree or death certificate if either of you has been married before.

Documents that aren’t in Danish, English or German need an authorised translation before you apply. Some may also need an apostille or legalisation — divorce decrees especially.

Step 2: Apply and pay

You apply online. Without Danish MitID you’ll use the version that requires handwritten signatures (print, sign, scan). The fee is DKK 2,100 for 2026 and must be paid before the agency starts processing — online, or by bank transfer to the account listed on the official page.

Step 3: Approval

Complete applications are targeted at around five working days. You’ll receive a certificate (prøvelsesattest) that is normally valid for four months — shorter if your passport expires sooner. Book your wedding inside that window.

Step 4: Book a town hall

With approval in hand, you can book any Danish municipality with space. Copenhagen City Hall is the obvious choice, but since late 2025 it reserves roughly 40% of slots for residents, and waits of around 12 weeks are common in season. Frederiksberg, Gladsaxe, Helsingør and the island town halls are popular alternatives — see our town hall comparison.

If you’d rather marry in a garden, on a beach or at your dinner venue, many municipalities can send a registrar to another location for a fee.

Step 5: The wedding day

Civil ceremonies are short — often five minutes — and held in English on request. Bring both passports, two adult witnesses (or ask whether the town hall provides them) and rings if you like. In Copenhagen you must show your passports at the City Hall information desk the working day before.

You’ll leave with a multilingual international marriage certificate.

Step 6: After the wedding

If you’ll use your certificate outside the EU — to register the marriage at home, change your name or for immigration — you may need an apostille. Only the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs can issue one; you order it through its online legalisation shop. Read our guide to apostilles for Danish marriage certificates.

Agency or do it yourself?

You can absolutely do this yourself — the process is designed for it. Agencies earn their fee when your situation is complicated (previous marriages abroad, visa questions, unusual documents) or when you want a package with the town hall booking, a photographer and flowers handled for you. Browse Denmark wedding planners or use our free matching below.

Official sources: Life in Denmark — getting married · Familieretshuset — international marriages