Getting Married in Copenhagen — Wedding at Copenhagen City Hall
Denmark’s capital, with weddings at City Hall six days a week — the city states waiting times of up to four months for the date.
Short answer: couples from abroad can marry at Copenhagen City Hall once the Danish Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset) has approved their application — usually in about 5 working days for complete applications, a target rather than a guarantee. After the approval you receive a link to the city’s booking system. Because demand is high, the City of Copenhagen states that the waiting time can be up to four months (City of Copenhagen); if you need an earlier date, compare Aabenraa and Tønder. Weddings take place Monday to Friday from 9:10 to 15:50 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:40, in English, German or Danish. Denmark has no residency requirement, but you must be able to enter and stay in Denmark lawfully for the ceremony.
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Why do couples choose Copenhagen for their wedding in Denmark?
Copenhagen is the easiest of the three towns to reach by plane, and City Hall on Rådhuspladsen is one of the city’s landmarks. Ceremonies are held in English, German or Danish, the city always provides two official witnesses, and you can bring up to 75 guests. Afterwards Nyhavn, Tivoli and the old town are close by for photos. The trade-off is the date: waiting times at City Hall can be up to four months.
This page in German: Heiraten in Kopenhagen · in Russian: Свадьба в Копенгагене
- Easy to reach — Copenhagen Airport has direct flights from many European cities
- Ceremonies in English, German or Danish
- Two official witnesses — the city always provides them, and with our Comfort Package they are included
- Up to 75 guests — children and photographer included
- Photo spots nearby — Nyhavn, Tivoli, the Marble Church, Christiansborg
- Plan ahead — the city states waiting times of up to four months for a date
Where and when do weddings take place at Copenhagen City Hall?
Civil weddings take place at Copenhagen City Hall, Rådhuspladsen 1, 1550 København V. According to the City of Copenhagen, ceremonies are held Monday to Friday from 9:10 to 15:50 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:40, and each lasts about 10 minutes. You can only book once Familieretshuset has approved your application: the approval comes with a link to the city’s booking system, where the available dates and times are shown.
| Address | Copenhagen City Hall (Københavns Rådhus), Rådhuspladsen 1, 1550 København V |
|---|---|
| Wedding days and times | Monday to Friday 9:10–15:50, Saturday 10:00–12:40 |
| Booking | Only after the Familieretshuset approval, through the link to the city’s booking system |
| Waiting time for a date | Up to four months, according to the city |
| Ceremony | About 10 minutes, in English, German or Danish |
| Witnesses | The city always provides two official witnesses; you may bring your own |
| Guests | Up to 75, children and photographer included |
| Travel from Germany | Direct trains Hamburg – Copenhagen in about 4 h 35 min; by car via the 45-minute Puttgarden–Rødby ferry |
| Cost | The Danish authority fee is included in our €799.00 Comfort Package |
- Accessibility: there is no lift to the first-floor Wedding Hall — the ceremony can be held in the Great Hall instead; tell us in advance
- Source: City of Copenhagen — City Hall wedding. Times and waiting times are set by the city and can change.
What is the wedding day at Copenhagen City Hall like?
Be at City Hall 10 to 15 minutes before your time. From the main entrance you follow the hearts on the floor through the Great Hall to the waiting area — there is no need to announce yourselves. The ceremony takes place in the Wedding Hall on the first floor, which looks down into the Great Hall, and lasts about 10 minutes. Straight afterwards you receive two multilingual marriage certificates.
Source: City of Copenhagen — City Hall wedding. Our founders married at Copenhagen City Hall themselves in 2018 — read our story.
- Photos and video: your guests may take photos and film during the ceremony; if you come without guests, you can ask the official witnesses to take a few pictures
- Rice and confetti: not allowed inside City Hall or on its steps — City Hall Square is fine
- A toast afterwards: drinks and a small cake are allowed in the Great Hall, the ground-floor corridors or the City Hall Garden, but not on the first floor or the balcony
- Not allowed inside: helium balloons and pets (service dogs excepted)
- Step-free access: a small side door next to the Hans Christian Andersen statue leads to the Great Hall at ground level; a ceremony there must be arranged with the city’s Wedding Office at least one week ahead
- Certificates: two copies in Danish, English, German, French and Spanish
How soon can you get a wedding date in Copenhagen?
Copenhagen has the longest wait of the three towns. After Familieretshuset’s approval — about 5 working days for complete applications, a target rather than a guarantee — the city states that the wait for a City Hall date can be up to four months because of high demand. The approval (Prøvelsesattest) is itself valid for 4 months, so the date should be booked as soon as the approval arrives.
What Familieretshuset checks and what slows an application down is explained in Familieretshuset: processing time and requirements.
- Validity: the approval can end earlier than 4 months if a passport, visa or residence permit expires first
- Alternatives: Aabenraa releases dates 60 days ahead; Tønder marries couples from abroad on Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Our advice: book non-refundable flights and hotels only once the wedding date is confirmed
How do you get to Copenhagen City Hall?
City Hall stands on Rådhuspladsen in the centre of Copenhagen, next to Tivoli. Most couples from abroad fly into Copenhagen Airport. From Germany, direct trains run from Hamburg to Copenhagen Central Station (København H) in about 4 hours 35 minutes, and by car you can take the Puttgarden–Rødby ferry, a 45-minute crossing. There is no parking in front of or behind City Hall, so plan to use a public car park nearby.
Living in Germany? Read marrying in Denmark from Germany. The town halls closest to the border are Tønder, about 5 km away, and Aabenraa, about 25 km away.
- By plane: Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup)
- By train from Germany: direct trains Hamburg – Copenhagen, about 4 hours 35 minutes (DSB)
- By car from Germany: the Puttgarden–Rødby ferry takes 45 minutes (Scandlines); without the ferry you drive via Flensburg and Jutland
- Parking: none at City Hall itself — use the public car parks nearby
What happens after the approval at Copenhagen City Hall?
The approval comes with a link to the city’s booking system, where we book a weekday or Saturday slot for you. On the day you bring the passports used for the application; the ceremony in the Wedding Hall takes about 10 minutes, and the two multilingual certificates are handed over straight afterwards. Inside the EU the certificate needs no apostille (Regulation (EU) 2016/1191); for use outside the EU it does.
Our optional Apostille Service (€100) arranges it, without a second trip to Copenhagen. The apostille itself is issued by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which states about 5–7 working days for documents sent by post, plus shipping. Every stage in detail: how to get married in Denmark, step by step. Applied yourself, approved, but no City Hall date in sight? Our Date Reservation Service is for exactly that case.
Which documents do international couples need for a Copenhagen wedding?
Copenhagen City Hall asks for nothing beyond the Familieretshuset application: valid passports (EU/EEA citizens may use a national ID card) and a final divorce decree or death certificate if either of you was married before. For many couples the key question is the apostille, which depends on the issuing country — documents from India, the Philippines or Brazil need one, while documents from the EU/EEA, the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and Turkey usually do not. We check every document before submission.
The full list, with the apostille rules by country: the documents you need to marry in Denmark.
Can non-EU and same-sex couples marry at Copenhagen City Hall?
Yes. Copenhagen marries couples of any nationality once Familieretshuset has approved them — citizens of the USA, the UK, India, the Philippines, Brazil, Australia and many other countries marry here. There is no residency requirement, but both partners must be in Denmark lawfully on the wedding day. Same-sex couples marry on exactly the same terms: Denmark introduced registered partnership in 1989, as the first country, and has allowed same-sex marriage since 2012.
Documents from countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention (for example Iran, Iraq, the UAE or Egypt) need embassy legalisation — allow several weeks. More in visa and entry rules for marrying in Denmark and same-sex marriage in Denmark.
How Denmark Wedding Services helps in Copenhagen
With the Comfort Package (€799.00, Danish authority fee included) we check your documents against the Familieretshuset requirements, prepare and submit the application, book the date at City Hall and provide the two witnesses. We cannot shorten the city’s waiting list, but we make sure your application is complete, so no time is lost on follow-up questions.
Start with our free document checklist or contact us for a personal timeline.
Staying a few days? See the best places in Copenhagen for couples and romantic photo spots in Copenhagen. Just the two of you? Read our Denmark elopement guide.
For the full overview, see our guide to marriage in Denmark for foreigners and international couples.
- Optional: Apostille Service (€100) after the wedding — no return trip needed
- Optional: certified translation German ⇄ Russian only (€50 per document)
Sources and review
Reviewed by Ludmila Bernowski, CEO & Co-Founder of Denmark Wedding Services, in September 2026. Wedding times and the waiting time are set by the City of Copenhagen and change with demand — check the city’s page before you book travel. Practical information, not legal advice.
Copenhagen City Hall wedding — how it works
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Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Married in Copenhagen
How much does a wedding in Copenhagen cost?
The Denmark Wedding Services Comfort Package costs €799.00 and covers the legal and administrative process — the Danish authority fee, document check, application, booking of the date and two witnesses. There is no separate authority fee for you to pay on top. The apostille is an optional extra (€100); flights, hotel and any celebration are your own costs.
Who are the witnesses at Copenhagen City Hall?
Danish law requires two witnesses. According to the City of Copenhagen, the city always provides two official witnesses; you are welcome to bring your own, but it is not mandatory. With our Comfort Package the two witnesses are included.
Do we need to be in Copenhagen while our application is processed?
No. The Familieretshuset application is handled online: you upload your documents on our secure upload page and we submit the application. Neither of you needs to travel while it is processed (usually about 5 working days for complete applications). You only need to be in Copenhagen for the wedding itself, with the passports used for the application.
Is the Danish marriage certificate valid in our home country?
The certificate is issued in five languages (Danish, English, German, French and Spanish). Between EU member states it needs no apostille or legalisation under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191. For use outside the EU, an apostille from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs authenticates it in the 130 states of the Hague Apostille Convention. You can order it through our optional Apostille Service (€100); the ministry states about 5–7 working days for documents sent by post, plus shipping. The regulation and the apostille only concern the document; whether the marriage is recognised is decided by each country’s own law. Countries outside the convention (for example Iran, the UAE or Qatar) require embassy legalisation instead.
What happens if Familieretshuset asks for more documents?
Incomplete applications are returned with a request for more information, which is why we check every document before submission. Typical requests are a clearer scan, a translation or a missing apostille. We tell you exactly what is needed and send it on to Familieretshuset as soon as you have it. The approval takes longer by the time it takes to provide the missing information.