Key takeaways
- Marrying in Denmark does not change your surname on its own; the change is made afterwards, normally in your home country.
- The Danish marriage certificate shows the names exactly as they appear in the passports you used for the Familieretshuset application.
- Most authorities abroad want the certificate with an apostille from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs before they accept it.
- Certificates can be issued in Danish, English, German, French or Spanish, which often removes the need for a translation.
- Travel on the name in your current passport until the new one is issued, and book flights in that name.
Does a Danish marriage change your name automatically?
No. A name change after Danish marriage is a separate step that you take once you are home, and the wedding itself leaves your legal names exactly as they were. The registrar at Copenhagen City Hall marries you under the names in your passports, and those names go on the certificate.
This surprises some couples, because in many countries the question of a new surname comes up on the marriage paperwork itself. In Denmark, a civil ceremony for international couples is about the marriage, not about your names. The certificate is the proof you will later show to the offices that actually change a surname.
That is good news in practice. It means you decide calmly, after the wedding, whether one of you takes the other's surname, whether you combine them or whether you both keep your own. Nothing is fixed on the day, and nothing needs to be decided in Copenhagen.
What does the Danish marriage certificate show?
The certificate shows both your full names as they appear in your identity documents, your dates and places of birth, and the date and place of the ceremony. It is issued by the municipality where you marry, and you usually receive it on the day, straight after you sign the register with your two witnesses.
Because it mirrors your passports, any difference between your passport and your other papers matters. A missing middle name, a different spelling or an old surname from a previous marriage can create questions at your home registry. We compare everything during the document check, long before the application reaches Familieretshuset, the Danish Agency of Family Law.
You can ask for the certificate in Danish, English, German, French or Spanish. For many home authorities, an English or bilingual version is accepted without a separate translation, which saves you time and cost when you start the name change.
Where do you actually change your name?
In nearly every case, you change your name in your home country, using the rules that apply to your nationality. Denmark marries you; your own country records the marriage and issues documents in the new name. That is why the process looks different for a British, American, Indian or Australian couple.
The general pattern is similar almost everywhere. You present the marriage certificate, often apostilled, to the office that holds your civil records or issues your passport. Once the main identity document is in the new name, banks, employers, tax offices and doctors usually follow.
If one of you lives in Denmark
If one partner is resident in Denmark with a Danish personal number, Danish name rules may also come into play for that partner. Life in Denmark, the official guide for residents, explains the current rules at lifeindenmark.borger.dk. We point you to the right office when your situation calls for it.
Your personal document checklist confirms what applies to your nationalities. We explain the general process here, but your own country's authority has the final word on its records, and we never promise an outcome on its behalf.
Do you need an apostille to change your name?
Very often, yes. An apostille is the international stamp that confirms a public document is genuine, and Danish apostilles are issued by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most countries that are parties to the Apostille Convention ask for one before they register a foreign marriage or accept it for a name change.
The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, India, the Philippines (since 2019) and China (since November 2023) are all parties to the convention. For couples from those countries, the apostille usually replaces the older chain of embassy legalisation. You can read more on the ministry's site at um.dk and in our guide to the apostille for a Danish marriage certificate.
We can arrange the apostille after the wedding and send the certificate to you, so you do not have to stay in Copenhagen for it. If you plan to start your name change quickly, tell us when you book, and we build the apostille step into your timeline.
Your name change after Danish marriage, step by step
Here is the order most couples follow. Treat it as a general map: your home authority may add or skip a step, and your checklist confirms the details for your nationality.
- Before the wedding, check that your names are spelled the same in your passports and any divorce papers.
- Marry in Denmark and collect your marriage certificate on the day, in the language you chose.
- Have the certificate apostilled by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which we can arrange for you.
- Register the marriage at home if your country requires or recommends it.
- Apply for a new passport or national identity card in your married name.
- Update your bank, employer, tax office, insurance, doctor and driving licence.
- Change your name on loyalty cards, subscriptions and email accounts last, once the official documents are done.
The first three steps are where we help most. The later ones happen at home, but they all rely on a clean, correctly apostilled certificate, which is why we put so much care into the early checks.
How does it usually work for different nationalities?
It usually works the same way in principle, but the offices and forms differ. The table below shows the general picture for the nationalities we see most often. It is a starting point for your own research, not a legal statement, and rules change, so always check the current requirements with your own authority.
| Nationality | Where the change usually starts | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Passport application in the married name | Apostilled certificate, current passport |
| United States | Rules vary by state; many start with Social Security, then the passport | Apostilled certificate, ID, state forms |
| Australia | Passport and state or territory records | Apostilled certificate, possibly a translation if not in English |
| India | Passport office, sometimes after registering the marriage | Apostilled certificate, supporting affidavits if asked |
| Philippines | Report of marriage, then civil records and passport | Apostilled certificate, report forms |
| EU countries | Local civil registry, then ID card or passport | Certificate, often in a multilingual version |
Our country guides go further. See how it works for UK citizens, US citizens and Indian couples, and how home registration fits in our article on whether a Danish marriage is recognised abroad.
Which surname options can you choose?
The options depend on your home country, not on Denmark. Many countries allow one partner to take the other's surname, both to keep their own, or a double-barrelled name, and some allow both partners to change. A few have stricter rules about combinations or hyphens.
- Taking your partner's surname: the most common choice and usually the simplest to process.
- Keeping your own name: no paperwork needed, and you still use the certificate to prove the marriage.
- A combined or hyphenated surname: allowed in many countries, sometimes with a specific order.
- Both partners changing: possible in some countries, but check before you assume it.
Same-sex couples have the same choices as any other couple under their home country's rules. Denmark has allowed same-sex marriage since 2012, and our guide to same-sex marriage in Denmark covers recognition at home.
Which name should you use for flights and bookings?
Always the name in the passport you will travel with. Book your flights to Denmark and home again in your current name, even if the return is after the wedding. Airlines and border control check your ticket against your passport, not your marriage certificate.
The same goes for your honeymoon. If you travel on from Copenhagen, keep every booking in your pre-wedding name until your new passport arrives. A mismatch between ticket and passport is one of the few things that can genuinely spoil a trip.
The Familieretshuset application also uses your current passport details, so do not renew or change your passport while the application is in progress unless you tell us first. A new passport number mid-process means updating the file.
Which name mistakes cause the most delays?
The biggest delays come from small inconsistencies that nobody noticed before the wedding. A home registry compares the certificate with your passport and birth record letter by letter, and any gap needs explaining. These are the situations our consultants watch for most closely.
- A surname from a previous marriage still in the passport, while the divorce papers show the birth name.
- Middle names written in full on one document and as an initial on another.
- Names transliterated from another alphabet in two different ways, common with Chinese, Indian and Arabic names.
- Accents and special letters dropped on one document but kept on another.
- A passport renewed during the application, so the number on file no longer matches.
None of these stop a wedding on their own, but each can cost weeks at home if it surfaces after the ceremony. If you have married before, our article on marrying in Denmark after a divorce explains which papers usually prove the earlier name. Catching a mismatch at the checklist stage is far easier than correcting a certificate later.
How we help with your new name
Our consultants make sure the wedding gives you exactly the document you need for the name change later. With the Complete, Priority and Premium packages we prepare your file, submit it to Familieretshuset and include the €282 AFL fee. With Essential (€290) you file yourself with our guidance and pay the fee directly.
After the ceremony we can arrange the apostille and international certificates, and we answer questions about home registration as they come up. You can compare what each package covers on our packages and prices page, or read how it works from first message to certificate.
If you are still at the planning stage, our complete guide to getting married in Denmark and the overview of documents needed are good places to start. When you are ready, send us your nationalities and dates and we reply with your free personal checklist within 24 hours.
Written by the Denmark Wedding team in Copenhagen. Published 4 February 2026. Questions? Ask us directly.
