In a Danish application there are always the same dead ends. Nine typical mistakes cost time or money, and each has a simple fix.
Apostille on an outdated certificate
You have a third-country certificate apostilled before it is clear which version your case needs, for example a divorce decree still without its legal-force note. If Familieretshuset then asks for a different or newer certificate, the apostille on it is worthless. You don't need to obtain a single-status certificate just in case: Familieretshuset only asks for one in individual cases; otherwise, never-married applicants confirm their marital status by signing the application. Whether certificates from your country need an apostille at all is shown in the rules for your country of origin.
Translation before apostille
If you translate first and apostille afterwards, you have a problem: the apostille refers to the original, not to the translation, and the translation must also cover the apostille stamp.
The right order is original, apostille, then the translation of the apostilled certificate. The wrong one costs time and a second translation.
Tourist visa as a fake reason
The third-country partner enters on a tourist visa and says "holiday", but wants to marry. At the border, a forced return home is then possible.
State the purpose of travel honestly: "wedding in Denmark". And mind the order: you already need the Schengen visa for the application to Familieretshuset, and a wedding date only exists after its approval. So first the visa, then the application with the visa and the EES printout, then the date.
Booking the date before the application is approved
You reserve the hotel and book travel before Familieretshuset has decided, and then it requests more documents or rejects. Cancelling the hotel can be expensive, depending on the hotel. The ceremony date itself can only be booked after the approval in Tønder, Aabenraa and Copenhagen anyway, because the booking link comes with or after it.
Certificate in the wrong language
A certificate in French, Italian, Turkish or similar is submitted without translation. Familieretshuset only accepts Danish, English or German and requests a translation.
German-language certificates are submitted as they are. Have all others translated by an authorised translator, or, where available, order the international multilingual certificate under EU Reg. 2016/1191 right away.
Divorce decree without legal-force note
The divorce decree is submitted without the legal-force note: Familieretshuset requests it and considers the partner married until then.
Request the decree with legal-force note anew from the family court of the place of divorce; it costs a fee and takes a few weeks, depending on the court.
No A1 German for family reunification
The wedding is done, the visa for family reunification applied for, and the embassy requires an A1 German certificate that the partner doesn't have. This delays the reunification by months.
So run an A1 course in parallel with the document procurement. Goethe, telc and ÖSD are accepted.
Proof of legal stay without the EES printout
Since 10 April 2026 there is no entry stamp at the Schengen border any more. A partner from outside the EU submits only the visa, and Familieretshuset requests the proof of legal stay: currently around 2 months of waiting (applications received in August 2026 are being processed, as of 18 October 2026).
Enclose the visa (if required) plus the printout of the data and result page from the EES calculator and your flight tickets or boarding passes; if you have not entered yet, use the EES printout for the planned stay. With a residence card from a Schengen state, its front and back are enough.
Tax class change forgotten
You marry in Denmark and rely on the tax office switching your income-tax class by itself. After a wedding abroad this does not happen automatically, and you may pay more wage tax each month than necessary.
Apply for the tax class at the tax office right after the wedding and submit the international marriage certificate; you do not need the entry in the German marriage register for this. Wage tax paid in excess is balanced out by your tax return.
If you want to do everything right
The simplest way to avoid these mistakes is our free eligibility check: a few questions show which documents your case needs, and most of these mistakes never happen in the first place. Our checklist shows the order of all steps. If you would rather hand over the application, we check every scan before submission in the Complete package.
