Wedding in Copenhagen — Marry in Denmark’s Capital in 5 Working Days
The vibrant heart of Denmark where royal history meets modern romance — an established and relatively fast legal path to marriage in Europe.
Copenhagen is a popular wedding destination for international couples in Denmark. It combines royal history, iconic photo locations like Nyhavn and Tivoli, English-speaking registrars, and a legal-approval target of 5 working days for complete applications. Denmark has no residency requirement to marry, but you must be able to enter and stay in Denmark lawfully for the ceremony. Your Danish marriage certificate is valid under Danish law and, once apostilled, is usable in the 129 Hague Apostille Convention member states (recognition of its legal effects abroad depends on the destination country).
Why choose Copenhagen for your wedding in Denmark?
Copenhagen offers a strong combination of speed, beauty, and an established legal process. International couples typically marry at Copenhagen City Hall within around 5 working days of approval, with English-language ceremonies, an established and relatively fast process, direct flights from many destinations, and post-wedding photo locations — Nyhavn, Tivoli, the Marble Church. Denmark has an affordable, paperwork-light civil marriage process.
- No residency requirement — Denmark has no residency requirement to marry, but you must be able to enter and stay lawfully for the ceremony
- 5 working days — general Familieretshuset approval target for complete applications (not a guarantee; complex cases take longer)
- English ceremonies — official registrars conduct in English on request
- Valid under Danish law — accepted between EU member states without apostille under EU Regulation 2016/1191; once apostilled, usable in Hague Convention states
- Well-connected airport — Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is Scandinavia’s largest hub
- Iconic photo locations — Nyhavn, Tivoli, Marble Church, Christiansborg, Little Mermaid
What steps do you need to take to get married in Copenhagen?
There are five clear steps to legally marry in Copenhagen — submit your application to the Danish Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset), wait for approval (5 working days is the general target for complete applications, not a guarantee — cases needing more information take longer), book your Copenhagen City Hall ceremony slot, attend the ceremony with two witnesses, and collect your marriage certificate the same day. Apostille processing for international use takes 3-5 working days afterward.
Denmark Wedding Services handles steps 1, 2, 3, and 5 on your behalf so you arrive in Copenhagen ready to marry — see How DWS helps in Copenhagen below.
- Step 1 — Submit application to Familieretshuset via the secure online portal
- Step 2 — Wait for approval (Prøvelsesattest issued in 5 working days)
- Step 3 — Book ceremony slot at Copenhagen City Hall (weekday availability typical)
- Step 4 — Attend the ceremony with passports plus two adult witnesses
- Step 5 — Collect certificate + apostille for international legal recognition
Which documents do international couples need for a Copenhagen wedding?
International couples need five core documents for a Copenhagen wedding — valid passport or EU national ID, a recent civil-status declaration (single, divorced, or widowed), divorce decree or death certificate if previously married, residence permit if a non-EU spouse currently resides in the EU, and the completed Familieretshuset marriage notice. EU-issued civil-status documents are generally accepted without an apostille, but requirements depend on the issuing country and document type; documents from non-EU countries typically require apostille. Civil documents must be under six months old.
See our full documents guide for country-by-country apostille requirements.
- Valid passport (or national ID for EU citizens)
- Civil-status declaration (single, divorced, or widowed — issued within 6 months)
- Divorce decree or death certificate if previously married (with finality stamp)
- Residence permit if a non-EU partner lives in the EU/Schengen area
- Marriage notice form (ægteskabserklæring, signed by both partners)
How long does it take to get married in Copenhagen?
The complete Copenhagen wedding takes 2 to 6 weeks from first inquiry to a fully apostilled marriage certificate. Document preparation runs 1-2 weeks, Familieretshuset approval is 5 working days for clean applications, ceremony booking usually has same-week availability for weekday slots, and the post-ceremony apostille processing at Udenrigsministeriet adds 3-5 working days. Saturday slots at Copenhagen City Hall book 4-6 weeks ahead during peak summer season.
For couples who want an established and relatively fast legal marriage in Europe, see our Get Approved in 5 Days guide.
- Document preparation — 1-2 weeks (apostille and translation if needed)
- Familieretshuset approval — 5 working days (clean cases)
- Copenhagen ceremony slot — same-week availability typical (weekdays)
- Apostille processing — 3-5 working days at Udenrigsministeriet
- Total realistic timeline — 2 to 6 weeks end-to-end
Can non-EU couples get married in Copenhagen?
Yes — Denmark welcomes non-EU couples without a residency requirement, making Copenhagen an established and relatively fast legal path to marriage in Europe for citizens of the US, UK, India, Russia, the Philippines, Brazil, Australia, and many other countries. Denmark has no residency requirement to marry, but you must be able to enter and stay in Denmark lawfully for the ceremony. The main additional step for non-EU nationals is apostille legalisation of civil documents (single-status declaration and any divorce decree) before submission to Familieretshuset. Tourist (Schengen) visas are sufficient to enter for the ceremony.
Citizens of non-Hague countries (Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and a few others) use full embassy legalisation instead of apostille — start the chain 4-8 weeks before your intended wedding date.
- No residency requirement — Denmark has no residency requirement to marry, but you must be able to enter and stay lawfully (a Schengen tourist visa or visa-free entry covers the ceremony)
- Apostille civil documents issued outside the EU (Hague Convention countries)
- Standard 5-15 working day approval — same window as EU citizens
- Both partners present required only on the ceremony day itself
Can same-sex couples get married in Copenhagen?
Yes — Denmark was the first country in the world to grant legal partnership to same-sex couples (1989), and full marriage equality has been in force since 2012. Copenhagen City Hall conducts same-sex civil ceremonies year-round in English on identical terms to opposite-sex couples — same documents, same approval process, same registrar, same certificate. The resulting certificate is valid under Danish law; whether its legal effects are recognised abroad depends on the destination country, including whether that country recognises same-sex marriage.
Couples whose home country does not legally recognise same-sex marriage still receive a marriage that is valid under Danish law. Under EU Regulation 2016/1191 the certificate is accepted between EU member states without apostille; recognition of the marriage’s legal effects, however, remains a matter for each destination country.
What happens after the wedding approval?
Once Familieretshuset issues your Prøvelsesattest (approval certificate), Denmark Wedding Services books your Copenhagen City Hall ceremony slot — typically available within the same week for weekday dates. The 20-minute civil ceremony is conducted in English by an official registrar with two witnesses present. You receive your Danish marriage certificate the same day; the apostille for international legal recognition arrives 3-5 working days later by registered post.
- Same-day marriage certificate — issued in five languages on one document
- Apostille processing at Udenrigsministeriet (3-5 working days)
- Optional sworn translation for home-country registration
- Home-country registration under EU Regulation 2016/1191 (EU) or apostille (non-EU)
How Denmark Wedding Services helps in Copenhagen
Denmark Wedding Services manages every administrative step of your Copenhagen wedding so you arrive ready to marry — document review against Familieretshuset standards, full application submission, Copenhagen City Hall ceremony booking, on-site coordination, apostille processing, and post-ceremony sworn translations for your home country. Our experienced team has supported international couples of many nationalities since 2017.
Start with our free document checklist or contact us for a personalised Copenhagen timeline.
- Document review against Familieretshuset checklists (catches rejection risks before submission)
- Application submission managed end-to-end via the secure Familieretshuset portal
- Ceremony slot booking at your preferred Copenhagen date and time
- Two legal witnesses provided on request — included in the Comfort Package
- Apostille handling post-ceremony — no need to return to Copenhagen
- Sworn translations of the certificate into your home-country language
Copenhagen City Hall Wedding — Quick & Legal
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Married in Copenhagen
How much does a wedding in Copenhagen cost?
The Denmark Wedding Services Comfort Package is EUR 800 all-in — covering the entire legal and administrative process, including all Danish authority fees, document review, application submission, ceremony booking, two witnesses, and apostille processing. There is no separate authority fee for you to pay on top. Hotels, flights, and post-wedding celebrations are additional. Copenhagen remains one of the more affordable destination wedding locations in Europe.
Do we need to be in Copenhagen for our application to be approved?
No. The Familieretshuset application is entirely digital — both partners scan documents at home and upload via our secure portal. Neither partner needs to travel to Copenhagen during the 5-working-day approval window. The only required presence in Copenhagen is the ceremony day itself, when both partners hand passports and any divorce documents to the City Hall registrar. Most international couples arrive the evening before the ceremony and depart 1-2 days after, making total time in Copenhagen as short as 48-72 hours.
Can we marry the same day we arrive in Copenhagen?
Yes — provided your Familieretshuset approval (Prøvelsesattest) is already issued before you fly. The standard workflow is: submit documents digitally 2-4 weeks before your travel dates, wait for the 5-working-day approval, book the Copenhagen ceremony slot, then fly in for the ceremony itself. Couples regularly arrive the morning of the wedding and marry that afternoon. The Prøvelsesattest is valid for 4 months from issue, so you have a flexible ceremony date window once approval lands.
Is the Danish marriage certificate valid in our home country?
The Danish marriage certificate is issued automatically in five languages on the same physical document — Danish, English, German, French, and Spanish. Between EU and EEA member states it is accepted without an apostille under EU Regulation 2016/1191. For use outside the EU, the apostille from Udenrigsministeriet — a one-page legalisation stamp processed in 3-5 working days — authenticates the document for the 129 Hague Apostille Convention member states; the apostille authenticates the certificate but recognition of the marriage’s legal effects still depends on the destination country. For countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention (Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE), full embassy legalisation is used instead.
What if Familieretshuset rejects our documents?
Incomplete applications are commonly returned for more information, while careful document review before submission reduces that risk. Familieretshuset may request supporting documents — usually a clearer scan, an additional translation, or a missing apostille. We respond on your behalf within 24 hours, so the back-and-forth is fast. The approval clock pauses while Familieretshuset waits for our response and resumes where it left off — the clock does NOT restart from zero.