Authority Approval Process
Please complete the application below. The information you provide will be used to assess your eligibility and to ensure that all required documents for your wedding application are identified correctly.
Upload all required documents to unlock submission.
Passports / ID Cards *Required
Scans of both partners' valid passports (all pages).
Residency Proof *Required
Proof of legal entry or residence (Visa/Stamp).
Relationship Statement *Required
A signed document detailing the history of the relationship.
Divorce Decree
Original final divorce decree (if applicable).
Please upload all required documents to proceed.
How to Get Married in Denmark — The Complete Process Explained
Getting married in Denmark is the fastest legal path to marriage in Europe for international couples. The process has four steps — document preparation, Familieretshuset approval (5 working days for clean cases), ceremony booking at a Danish town hall, and apostille for international recognition. Total realistic timeline: 2 to 6 weeks from first inquiry to a fully legalised marriage certificate, with no residency requirement.
What is the full step-by-step process to marry in Denmark?
There are four legal steps to marry in Denmark — prepare your documents (passports, civil-status declaration, divorce decree if previously married), submit your application to Familieretshuset (Danish Agency of Family Law), wait 5 working days for approval (Prøvelsesattest), and attend the ceremony at Copenhagen, Aabenraa, or Tønder town hall. Apostille processing for international use takes 3-5 working days after the ceremony.
- Step 1 — Document preparation: passports, civil-status declaration under 6 months old, divorce decree with finality stamp if previously married
- Step 2 — Familieretshuset application: submitted digitally via the secure online portal with DKK 2,000 fee
- Step 3 — Wait for Prøvelsesattest: 5 working days for clean applications, up to 2-4 weeks for complex cases
- Step 4 — Ceremony at town hall: 15-20 minute civil ceremony, two witnesses required (provided free by DWS on request)
- Step 5 — Apostille + home registration: 3-5 working days for apostille, then register the marriage in your home country
Which couples can use this process?
Denmark welcomes virtually all international couples — EU and non-EU citizens, opposite-sex and same-sex couples, residents and non-residents, first marriages and remarriages. The only couples who cannot use this process are those still legally married to someone else, couples where one partner is under 18, or couples where both partners are subject to the same immigration enforcement orders preventing legal entry to Denmark.
- EU + EU couples — fastest track, no apostille needed (under EU Regulation 2016/1191)
- EU + non-EU couples — same 5-working-day approval, non-EU partner needs apostilled documents
- Non-EU + non-EU couples — works on Schengen tourist visa, both partners need apostille
- Same-sex couples — legal since 2012, identical process to opposite-sex couples
- Previously married couples — works with divorce decree showing legal finality (Rechtskraftvermerk for Germany, Decree Absolute for UK)
How long does each step take?
Document preparation takes 1-2 weeks for clean cases, longer if apostille is needed from non-EU countries. Familieretshuset approval is 5 working days for clean applications, up to 2-4 weeks for cases requiring additional verification. Ceremony booking is typically same-week for weekday slots in Aabenraa or Tønder, and 1-2 weeks for Copenhagen weekday slots. Apostille processing adds another 3-5 working days.
Total realistic timeline: 2-6 weeks end-to-end from first inquiry to apostilled marriage certificate. See our [5-day approval guide](https://denmarkweddingservices.com/en/blog/how-to-get-married-in-denmark-fast-complete-process) for the fastest path.
- Document preparation: 1-2 weeks (longer for non-EU apostille chains)
- Familieretshuset application submission: 1 day with DWS support
- Prøvelsesattest approval: 5 working days for clean cases
- Ceremony booking: same-week (Aabenraa/Tønder) to 2 weeks (Copenhagen)
- Apostille processing: 3-5 working days at Udenrigsministeriet
What can go wrong and how to avoid it?
The most common issues are document quality problems (about 30% of unprepared applications get flagged), missing finality stamps on divorce decrees, apostille from the wrong issuing authority, expired civil-status declarations (over 6 months old), and translation errors. Each of these adds 1-3 weeks to the timeline and can lead to full rejection. Professional document review before submission catches all of these.
- Wrong apostille authority — apostille MUST come from the issuing country authority, not Denmark
- Missing finality stamp on divorce decrees (Rechtskraftvermerk, Decree Absolute, Sentenza definitiva)
- Expired civil-status declaration — must be under 6 months old at submission
- Unaccepted translation — only Danish or English translations accepted (or sworn translator)
- Incomplete forms — every Familieretshuset form field must be filled exactly
How Denmark Wedding Services guides you through each step
Denmark Wedding Services manages the entire process end-to-end — document review against Familieretshuset standards, application submission via the secure portal, ceremony booking at your chosen Danish town hall, on-site coordination with optional witnesses, apostille handling, and sworn translations for home-country recognition. Our experienced team has successfully delivered weddings for couples from over 80 nationalities since 2017, with a sub-5% rejection rate.
Get started with our [free wedding checklist](https://denmarkweddingservices.com/en/free-wedding-checklist) or [contact us](https://denmarkweddingservices.com/en/contact) for a personalised timeline.
- Document review against current Familieretshuset checklists
- Application submission end-to-end via the secure portal
- Ceremony slot booking at Copenhagen, Aabenraa, or Tønder
- Two legal witnesses provided free on request
- Apostille handling post-ceremony — no return trip needed
- Sworn translations for home-country civil registry submission
Frequently Asked Questions About the Denmark Marriage Process
How much does the full Denmark wedding process cost?
The complete process costs approximately EUR 1,000-1,500 in mandatory fees plus the EUR 800 DWS Comfort Package. Familieretshuset application fee is DKK 2,000 (~EUR 270), town hall ceremony fee is DKK 500-850 depending on location, and apostille is DKK 200 (~EUR 27). DWS Comfort Package covers document review, submission, ceremony booking, two witnesses, and apostille handling. Total under EUR 2,500 — among the most affordable wedding destinations in Western Europe.
Do we both need to be present in Denmark during the application?
No. The Familieretshuset application is fully digital and both partners can scan and submit from home. The only required presence in Denmark is the ceremony day itself, when both partners hand passports and any divorce documents to the registrar. Most international couples arrive the evening before the ceremony and depart 1-2 days after, with total time in Denmark typically under 72 hours.
What happens if our documents need to be re-translated?
Familieretshuset accepts documents in Danish, English, or German without translation. For documents in other languages, you need a sworn translation by a translator authorised in either the issuing country or Denmark. We coordinate sworn translations at fixed prices (typically DKK 350-500 per document) if your home-country translation does not meet Familieretshuset standards. This adds 3-5 working days to the timeline but does not restart the 5-working-day approval clock.
Can the process happen entirely remotely until the ceremony day?
Yes — that is the core advantage of getting married in Denmark over countries like France or Italy that require physical document submission to a local registrar. Both partners stay in their home country during document preparation, application submission, and the 5-working-day approval wait. The only physical presence required is the ceremony day itself. For couples in long-distance relationships across different countries, this makes Denmark uniquely accessible.
What is the difference between Familieretshuset approval and the ceremony?
Familieretshuset approval (Prøvelsesattest) is the legal authorisation to marry — issued by the Danish Agency of Family Law after reviewing your documents and confirming you meet Danish marriage requirements. The ceremony itself is the actual marriage event performed at a Danish town hall by an official registrar, with two witnesses present. The Prøvelsesattest is valid for 4 months, giving you a flexible window to schedule the ceremony after approval.