Key takeaways
- Every civil ceremony in Denmark needs two witnesses who are physically present.
- At Copenhagen City Hall the city always provides two official witnesses, so bringing your own is entirely optional.
- Witnesses need no ID at City Hall, and their nationality does not matter; to use your own guests, just tell the registrar before the signing.
- At other venues or with a private registrar we can arrange two witnesses, and our Priority package includes a private registrar and witnesses.
- Witnesses sign the register and take part in the moment, but they take on no legal or financial obligation.
How many wedding witnesses do you need in Denmark?
You need two wedding witnesses in Denmark for every civil ceremony. Wedding witnesses in Denmark confirm, by their presence and signature, that the marriage took place in front of the registrar and that both of you said yes freely.
The rule is the same at Copenhagen City Hall, at an open-air ceremony and at any other town hall in the country. At City Hall the city always provides two official witnesses, so you are never left without them. Elsewhere the registrar cannot go ahead without two witnesses, which is why we arrange them when you need us to.
Being a witness is a small, light role, and it is a lovely way to honour two people who matter to you. For couples who travel alone, it is also one of the easiest parts of the wedding, because either the city or our team takes care of it.
Who can be a witness at a Danish wedding?
Almost any adult you trust can be your witness. In practice the registrar looks for two people who are of age, are able to follow the ceremony and are willing to sign the register. At City Hall they do not have to show any form of ID.
- Friends, colleagues or neighbours who travel with you
- Parents, siblings, adult children or other relatives
- People of any nationality, whether or not they live in Denmark
- A professional witness arranged by our team
Your witnesses do not need to be married, Danish or connected to you in any official way. They simply need to be present, understand what is happening and be willing to sign.
Things that can cause problems
- Forgetting to tell the registrar before the signing that your own guests will act as witnesses
- A witness who is under age, even if they are close family
- A witness who does not share any language with the ceremony and cannot follow it
- A witness who arrives late, after staff have already escorted your group to the wedding hall
Local practice can vary slightly between municipalities, so for ceremonies outside City Hall we confirm the current requirements with the registrar who holds your ceremony.
What does a wedding witness do on the day?
A witness arrives on time, follows the ceremony and signs the register afterwards. There is no ID check for witnesses. The whole role takes about as long as the ceremony itself, which is usually around fifteen minutes.
- Arrive together with you 10 to 15 minutes before your booked time.
- At City Hall, follow the hearts on the floor from the main entrance through the Great Hall to the waiting area. There is no need to announce yourselves.
- Wait until staff come to escort your group up to the wedding hall on the first floor.
- Make sure the registrar knows before the signing that your own guests will sign, if you are not using the official witnesses.
- Take the place the registrar indicates, usually close to the two of you.
- Follow the ceremony as you each answer the legal question.
- Sign the register after you have both signed.
- Join the congratulations and the first photos.
Witnesses often hold the rings until the moment they are needed, or keep a phone ready for a short video. Those are personal touches rather than legal duties, so agree them in advance. Our guide to a Copenhagen City Hall wedding describes how the ceremony room works.
Do witnesses need to be registered before the wedding?
Not at Copenhagen City Hall. The city does not collect witness names or ID details beforehand, and witnesses show no ID on the day. If you would like your own guests to sign instead of the two official witnesses, simply let the registrar know before the signing.
The only ID step at City Hall concerns the two of you, and only if you have no CPR number or other Nordic personal number. In that case you show your ID in person at the service desk in the shop just inside the main entrance, between one and five working days before the wedding. It cannot be done on the wedding day itself, so plan it into your first days in Copenhagen.
Witnesses who travel from abroad
A witness who flies in needs a lawful basis to enter Denmark, just like you. Depending on their passport that may be a visa-free stay or a Schengen visa, applied for by the witness themselves. Our article on the visa to get married in Denmark explains the general rules.
Flights get cancelled and people fall ill. At City Hall the official witnesses can always step in if one of yours cannot make it. For other venues, agree a back-up plan with us, and we can step in with witnesses in Copenhagen.
What if you have no witnesses of your own?
At Copenhagen City Hall you never have to find witnesses yourselves: the city always provides two official witnesses, so a couple travelling as two is fully covered. At other venues, such as an open-air ceremony, or with a private registrar, we arrange two witnesses for you as part of our ceremony coordination. We liaise with the registrar and make sure they arrive on time.
Our Priority package includes a private registrar and witnesses, which suits couples who want the whole ceremony to feel calm and personal. With other packages, witnesses can be arranged as part of planning your day. See what each option includes on our services page.
The witnesses we arrange are discreet and understand their role. They are there to support your ceremony, not to take centre stage, and they leave you to enjoy the moment once the register is signed.
Many couples who elope choose this option, so their day really is just the two of them. Read more about an elopement in Copenhagen if that is the kind of wedding you have in mind.
Should you bring your own witnesses or use ours?
Both work equally well legally. The choice comes down to who is travelling with you, how personal you want the moment to be and how much planning you want to take on.
| Option | Advantages | Things to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Two friends or relatives | Personal, part of your story, in all your photos | Their travel, a visa if needed, a back-up plan and telling the registrar before the signing |
| One of yours plus one official or arranged witness | A familiar face plus a reliable second witness | Let the registrar know before the signing who will sign |
| Two official witnesses or two arranged by us | No travel or logistics for anyone else | Nothing at City Hall; for other venues, tell us early so we can plan them |
Couples planning a small wedding with guests in Copenhagen usually pick witnesses from their group. Couples marrying alone tend to rely on the official witnesses at City Hall or on the ones we arrange elsewhere. Either way, the certificate you receive is the same.
How can you thank and include your witnesses?
A small gesture goes a long way. Witnesses are often the people closest to the couple, and in Denmark, as elsewhere, it is common to treat them as honoured guests on the day.
- Ask them to join your first portraits outside City Hall or in Nyhavn
- Invite them to lunch or dinner after the ceremony
- Give them a printed photo of the signing as a keepsake
- Ask one of them to give a short toast at the table
If you like the idea of borrowing a local custom for the celebration, have a look at our guide to Danish wedding traditions.
What should you send your witnesses before the wedding?
A short briefing a week or two before the wedding helps your witnesses feel relaxed and prepared. Most of them have never been a witness at a Danish ceremony, and a few clear facts remove any nerves.
- The date, your booked time and the time to meet you, 10 to 15 minutes earlier
- The address and main entrance, with a map pin, and a note to follow the hearts on the floor to the waiting area at City Hall
- A reminder that witnesses need no ID at City Hall, although carrying a passport while travelling is sensible anyway
- The ceremony language, so they know what to expect
- Whether they will hold the rings, film a clip or give a toast afterwards
- A phone number for our coordinator in case of delays
- A note on dress, especially for an outdoor ceremony
Three common witness set-ups
A couple from Canada flies in with two close friends who also act as photographers for the day. The couple tells the registrar before the signing that the friends will be their witnesses, and the friends sign straight after the ceremony at City Hall. For your photos, our team’s favourite is Sla Karvounis Photography.
A couple from Singapore and Brazil travels with one sister. At City Hall she signs as the first witness and one of the city's official witnesses signs as the second, so the family is represented and nobody else needs to travel.
A couple from the United States elopes with our Priority package and a private registrar. We arrange both witnesses, who arrive before the couple and leave the newlyweds to their photos after a short congratulation.
These are illustrations rather than real couples, but they show the kinds of choices couples usually weigh up. Whatever your set-up, the legal result is the same.
Do witnesses affect your marriage certificate?
No. Witnesses sign the register at the ceremony, but they have no influence on whether your marriage is valid once it has taken place, and they take on no legal or financial responsibility for it.
Your marriage certificate is issued by the municipality where you marry, and in Copenhagen it is available in Danish, English, German, French and Spanish. If you need it abroad, it can receive an apostille from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which our guide to the apostille on a Danish marriage certificate explains.
Whether your witnesses' names appear on the certificate you take home depends on the format issued, and it makes no difference to how the marriage is recognised. What matters to foreign authorities is the certificate and, where needed, the apostille.
Are witnesses needed at every venue?
Yes, every Danish civil ceremony needs two witnesses, wherever it takes place. Only the practical details change from one setting to another.
- At Copenhagen City Hall, the city provides two official witnesses unless you tell the registrar that your own guests will sign, and staff escort you all to the wedding hall on the first floor, which takes up to 75 guests including children and the photographer
- At an open-air ceremony, they stand with you under the sky and sign at a small table set up for the occasion
- At town halls across Denmark, local practice may differ slightly, and we confirm it with the municipality in advance
Outdoors, remind your witnesses to wear shoes that work on grass or gravel and to bring a jacket. A cold, distracted witness is not the end of the world, but a comfortable one enjoys the moment far more.
Plan your ceremony and witnesses with us
Tell us whether you are bringing witnesses or would like us to arrange them, along with your nationalities and dates. Within 24 hours you receive your personal document checklist, and we plan the witness arrangements that fit your venue, from the official witnesses at City Hall to witnesses we arrange elsewhere.
Our packages cost €290 (Essential), €690 (Complete), €1,190 (Priority) and €1,590 (Premium), including tax and 25% VAT. The €282 Familieretshuset fee is included in every package except Essential. Compare them on our packages page or contact our team to check your date.
Written by the Denmark Wedding team in Copenhagen. Published 23 April 2026. Questions? Ask us directly.
