Which papers you need for Denmark depends on three things: the basic documents everyone submits, your marital status and the country your certificates come from.
The basic list for all couples
- Passports of both partners, as colour photos of all pages including the cover and blank pages; citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland can submit their ID card (both sides) instead. Passports of non-EU citizens must have been issued within the last 10 years, be valid for at least 3 months beyond the stay and have 2 blank pages.
- The online application to Familieretshuset, in which each partner fills in their own part; if you are single, you confirm with your signature that you are not married.
Your own birth certificates and a certificate of marital status (Ledigkeitsbescheinigung) or extended registration certificate are needed only if Familieretshuset requests them in an individual case. Order certificates from the EU ideally as the international version (multilingual, EU Regulation 2016/1191); from countries with an apostille requirement they need an apostille and, if needed, a certified translation.
Partners from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland also need proof of legal stay: the residence card of a Schengen state (front and back) or, since 10 April 2026, the visa (if required) plus a printout of the data and results pages of the EES calculator, and flight tickets or boarding passes. If you have not entered yet, you submit the EES printout for the planned stay; partners who need a visa therefore need it before the application. More in our guide Getting married in Denmark on a Schengen visa. If you have children together, include their birth certificates; if you live together outside Denmark, proof of your shared address. If you get help with the application, you also sign a power of attorney.
Additional documents by marital status
| Marital status | In addition to the basic list |
|---|---|
| Single | Nothing: you confirm your marital status with your signature on the application |
| Divorced | Divorce decree with legal-force note; for a foreign divorce an apostille if required; for several divorces all decrees |
| Widowed | Death certificate of the late spouse; if it does not show who they were married to, also the marriage certificate of the previous marriage |
What applies depending on the country of origin
These rules apply to certificates such as the divorce decree, the death certificate, the birth certificates of joint children or a requested civil-status certificate. For the passport, Familieretshuset only asks for colour photos of all pages; it mentions translation and apostille only for certificates. If a document is translated, the translation must also cover the apostille stamp. What applies to your country is shown in our overview of the rules by country of origin.
| Origin | Apostille and translation |
|---|---|
| Germany, Austria | No apostille, no translation: German-language documents are accepted as they are. |
| Switzerland | No apostille, although Switzerland is not an EU member; only documents in French or Italian are translated. |
| USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand | No apostille; English is accepted, so only documents not in English are translated. |
| Turkey | No apostille, but a sworn translation is mandatory. |
| Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and others | Apostille and translation; these countries are the exceptions within Europe. |
| Brazil, India and others | Apostille from the issuing country; translation if the document is not in English or German. |
| Iran, non-Hague states | Legalisation via the Danish embassy, plus a translation. |
In what order do you obtain everything?
Request current original certificates
Only the ones your case needs, such as the divorce decree, death certificate or birth certificates of joint children.
Request apostille
If needed, see table above.
Obtain certified translation
If needed, into Danish, English or German.
Scan in colour
High-resolution, readable PDFs.
File online application
Familieretshuset.dk, upload scans and name the municipality where you want to marry. Each partner fills in their own part, no later than 14 days after the start; otherwise the authority closes the case.
Pay fee
DKK 2,100 (about €281) per couple, paid directly in the online application by card or digital wallet, non-refundable.
Wait for response
With complete documents usually within 5 working days (as of October 2026).
Book date
With the municipality you named in your application; that is where Familieretshuset sends the approval. Check beforehand where there are free dates.
If Familieretshuset requests something, such as a civil-status certificate, your application waits: after a follow-up request it is currently processing applications received in August 2026, so around 2 months (as of 18 October 2026).
The free eligibility check shows exactly which documents your case needs; the order of all steps is in our step-by-step checklist. If you would rather hand the application over to us, we check every scan before submission in the Complete package.
