Since 10 April 2026, the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) records entries and exits digitally, and passports are no longer stamped. For an entry or exit after that cut-off date, Familieretshuset therefore asks for a printout of the data page and the result page of the EES visa calculator plus your plane tickets or boarding passes, and also the visa sticker if your partner needs a visa. If you hold a residence permit from a Schengen state, that permit is all you submit.
Which proof applies to your case
For the approval (prøvelsesattest), the partner without an EU passport must document a legal stay in the Schengen area. Since the EES, Familieretshuset looks at three things: whether there is a residence permit, whether the partner needs a visa, and whether the entry or exit was before or after 10 April 2026. This is what Familieretshuset’s page and its application form say (as of 27 October 2026):
| Your case | What you upload |
|---|---|
| Residence permit from a Schengen state | The residence permit. It serves as proof of your legal stay in the Schengen area. |
| Visa required, entry and/or exit before 10 April 2026 | Visa sticker in the passport and a physical entry stamp |
| Visa required, entry and/or exit after 10 April 2026 | Visa sticker in the passport, printout of the data page and the result page of the EES visa calculator, plane tickets or boarding passes |
| Visa required, not yet entered before applying | Visa sticker in the passport and printout of the data page and the result page of the EES visa calculator for the intended stay |
| Visa-exempt, entry and/or exit before 10 April 2026 | Physical entry stamp in the passport |
| Visa-exempt, entry and/or exit after 10 April 2026 | Printout of the data page and the result page of the EES visa calculator, plane tickets or boarding passes |
| Visa-exempt, not yet entered before applying | Printout of the data page and the result page of the EES visa calculator for the intended stay |
Whether your partner needs a visa depends on their nationality; see our rules by country of origin. Partners who need a visa must have the visa sticker already for the application, even if they have not entered yet. So the visa comes first, then the application to Familieretshuset; more on this in our guide Getting married on a Schengen visa.
The rows with a stamp only concern trips that began or ended before 10 April 2026. If you enter now, the new rules apply. Two situations are not covered by Familieretshuset’s list: travel documents other than plane tickets and boarding passes, for example when you arrive by car, bus, train or ferry, and other residence documents such as a long-stay visa (type D). In those cases, ask Familieretshuset before you apply which proof they accept.
How to print the EES visa calculator
Familieretshuset calls it the EES visa calculator and links to the EU’s online tool on travel-europe.europa.eu, where it is called “Check how long you can stay”. According to the EU page, it shows whether your entry is allowed (“OK” or “NOT OK”) and how many days you may still stay.
Open the calculator
Open the EU’s EES visa calculator. This is the tool Familieretshuset links to. The European Commission’s short-stay calculator is a different tool.
Enter the country and travel document
Choose Denmark as the member state of destination. Then enter the type and number of the travel document and the three-letter code of the country that issued it, such as “CAN” for Canada. Use the passport you also upload with the application.
Enter the dates of your stay
If you have not entered yet, enter your intended dates of entry and exit. If you are already in the Schengen area, enter your intended date of exit. According to the EU, the result applies to the dates given and may vary with your actual dates of entry and exit.
Print both pages
Print the data page with your details and the result page, and upload both with the application. Familieretshuset explicitly asks for both pages.
Add your tickets
For an entry or exit after 10 April 2026, add your plane tickets or boarding passes. Keep them, mobile boarding passes from an app included.
Common mistakes
- Only one page printed. Familieretshuset asks for the data page and the result page. With only one of them, the proof is incomplete.
- Missing tickets. For an entry or exit after 10 April 2026, plane tickets or boarding passes are part of the proof, plus the visa sticker for partners who need a visa.
- Stay planned too long. A short stay is at most 90 days in any 180-day period, counted together for all countries using the EES. With a visa, the length of stay printed on the visa sticker also applies. If the wedding falls outside it, there is no legal stay on the wedding day.
- Wrong calculator. The European Commission’s short-stay calculator helps you check the 90/180-day rule, but Familieretshuset names the EES visa calculator.
- Passport does not meet the requirements. For entry, Familieretshuset requires a passport that is valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure, has at least 2 empty pages and was issued within the last 10 years.
What the approval does not do
The approval (prøvelsesattest) confirms that you meet the conditions for marriage under Danish law. It does not give you a right to stay: in the application form, Familieretshuset makes clear that it does not grant a legal stay. Entering and staying in Denmark legally is your own responsibility.
Your wedding therefore has to fit into two periods:
- Validity of the approval: a maximum of four months from issue. If your passport, visa or residence permit expires earlier, it may be valid for less. After that you need a new application with all documents and a new fee.
- Your legal stay: it must exist on the wedding day, with a visa within its validity and the permitted length of stay, without a visa within the 90 days in any 180, with a residence permit for as long as it is valid.
If you cannot get a date within that time, see our guide Approved but no wedding date. What happens with residence after the wedding is a separate procedure; see Family reunification after the wedding.
How we help
Whether your marriage is possible in Denmark and which documents you need is shown by the free eligibility check. Whether your partner needs a visa is covered in our rules by country of origin. In the Complete package we check your documents before they are submitted, the proof of legal stay included, and file the application for you; what each package contains is on our pricing page. Whether a proof is sufficient is up to Familieretshuset.
Sources, checked on 27 October 2026
- Familieretshuset: Documentation of legal stay in Schengen for non-EU citizens (English) and the same page in German
- Familieretshuset: Legal residence for marriage in Denmark (passport requirements) and Apply for a Certificate of Marital Status (validity of four months)
- Familieretshuset: digital application form for the prøvelsesattest (notes on EES, validity and stay), read on 27 October 2026
- EU: Entry/Exit System (EES), Check how long you can stay (EES visa calculator), How does the EES work?, FAQs about EES and To whom does the EES not apply?
- European Commission: Short-stay calculator (90/180-day rule)
As of 27 October 2026. This overview is not legal advice. What counts is what Familieretshuset asks for in your case; the rules on the EES and on proof can change.
