Getting married in Denmark: FAQ

Yes. Denmark is one of the easiest countries in Europe for international couples to marry in, which is why couples from all over the world choose it every week. Neither of you needs to be Danish, live in Denmark or belong to a church, and there is no minimum stay before the wedding. What you do need is approval from the Danish Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset) before the ceremony, and you must be lawfully present in Denmark on the day, visa-free or with a Schengen visa or residence permit if your passport requires one. Same-sex couples marry on exactly the same terms.

When your documents are complete and correct, Familieretshuset can approve your application in as little as five business days. Most couples are married 4 to 8 weeks after they first contact us, which leaves comfortable time to gather papers, book flights and settle on a date. The most common delays come from missing or untranslated documents, which is why we pre-check every page before it is submitted. A faster express date is possible only when a private registrar is available, so if your timeline is tight, tell us your dates early and we will say honestly what is realistic.

For most couples the list is short: a valid passport for each of you and, depending on your nationality, a visa or residence permit for the Schengen area. If either of you has been married before, add the final divorce decree or the former spouse's death certificate, and if you have children together, their birth certificates. Documents must be in English, German, Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, or come with a certified translation, and some need an apostille. Your signed declaration in the application covers your marital status. Within 24 hours of your enquiry you receive a free personal checklist for your exact situation.

A Danish civil marriage is a full, legally binding marriage, not a symbolic ceremony, and it is recognised in most countries worldwide. Your marriage certificate is multilingual, with the same text in Danish, English, German, French and Spanish, and it can be apostilled, which is how most countries register a marriage that took place abroad. After the wedding you usually register the marriage with the authorities in your home country, often through your embassy or local registry office. We explain the registration steps for your nationality, so you know what to do before you even travel.

Most ceremonies take place in the historic wedding hall of Copenhagen City Hall, an elegant room in one of the finest buildings in Scandinavia, right in the centre of the city. On selected days the Copenhagen wedding office also holds ceremonies at open-air locations, which carry exactly the same legal formalities as ceremonies inside City Hall. Smaller town halls elsewhere in Denmark can sometimes offer an earlier date if Copenhagen is fully booked. After the ceremony, many couples walk to Nyhavn, the old town or the royal gardens for portraits. Our venues page compares every option.

Civil ceremonies in Copenhagen are held in English, Danish or German, and you choose the language when the date is booked. Danish law requires that both of you understand what the registrar says, so pick the language you are both comfortable in. If you would rather hear the ceremony in another language, you can bring your own interpreter, as the city does not provide one. Afterwards you receive two multilingual marriage certificates, each with the same text in Danish, English, German, French and Spanish, which many authorities abroad accept without a separate translation.

Yes, every civil marriage in Denmark needs two witnesses, but you do not have to bring your own. At Copenhagen City Hall the city always has two official witnesses ready, so couples who travel alone are fully covered. If you would like two of your guests to be your witnesses instead, simply tell the registrar before the signing. Witnesses do not need to show any ID, and they do not need to be Danish or speak Danish. At other venues and with a private registrar, we arrange witnesses for you whenever you need them.

Yes. Denmark has no residency requirement, so you can fly in, marry and fly home the same day if your schedule needs it. Most couples still plan at least one night, because the ceremony is only part of the experience: there are portraits in the old town, dinner by the harbour and time to enjoy Copenhagen as newlyweds. If neither of you has a Danish or Nordic personal number, City Hall also checks your ID in person one to five working days before the wedding, so plan to be in Copenhagen at least one weekday before the ceremony.

Our packages cost €290 (Essential), €690 (Complete), €1,190 (Priority) and €1,590 (Premium), all including tax and 25% Danish VAT. The mandatory Familieretshuset (AFL) fee of €282 is included in every package except Essential, where you pay it yourself. There are no hidden fees and no surprises on the day. Your other costs are your own choices: flights, hotel, rings, outfits and any celebration afterwards. Many couples find that a legal wedding in Denmark, including a weekend in Copenhagen, costs far less than a traditional wedding at home.

The AFL fee is the €282 processing charge the Danish Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset) takes for every marriage application by couples who do not live in Denmark. It is a government fee, not our fee, and it is paid when the application is submitted. Familieretshuset uses it to review your documents and confirm that you are free to marry. It is included in our Complete, Priority and Premium packages, so there is nothing extra to arrange. With the Essential package you file the application yourself and pay the fee directly.

Essential suits couples who want expert guidance but prefer to file the application themselves. Complete is the stress-free choice for most couples: we pre-check your documents, process the application with Familieretshuset, include the AFL fee and book your City Hall date. Priority adds a private registrar and witnesses and express processing, subject to the registrar's availability, which helps when time is short. Premium includes everything in Priority and also takes care of your photos and your look on the day, with a photographer and a hair and makeup artist. If you are unsure, tell us your dates and we will recommend one.

A professional photographer and a hair and makeup artist are included in the Premium package, so your ceremony, your first portraits and your look are covered in one booking. With the other packages, photography and makeup can be added at any time. We recommend photographers and filmmakers through our sister brand Artisti Weddings Abroad, matched to your style, whether that is candid, editorial or cinematic. Many couples add a portrait walk through Nyhavn, the old town or the royal gardens straight after the ceremony, when the light and the mood are at their best.

Denmark Wedding is run by Easy Weddings Denmark, part of A+A Media & Events, a Copenhagen company at Applebys Plads 29. Our consultants have guided international couples through the Danish marriage process for years, from the first document checklist to the moment you sign the register. Our sister brands are Denmark Wedding Agency and Artisti Weddings Abroad, which helps couples with photography, film and styling. You deal with one small team that knows Familieretshuset and Copenhagen City Hall well, answers in English or German and is with you on the day.