A second wedding in Denmark is significantly easier than the first, provided the divorce decree is legally final. On top of the usual documents, you mainly add the decree and its legal-force note.
Additional documents for divorcees
- Divorce decree in its full version
- Legal-force note, without which the decree is worthless to Familieretshuset
- For a foreign divorce, depending on the country, an apostille or legalisation on the decree and legal-force note; the rules for your country of origin show what applies
- For multiple divorces, all decrees, not just the last
- If the previous partner died, the death certificate instead of a divorce decree
Are there any waiting periods?
Denmark itself has no waiting period: you can marry as soon as the divorce is final. Some home-country laws do provide for waiting periods, though. In Turkey, for example, women may not remarry for 300 days after a marriage ends; a Turkish court can lift this period (Art. 132 of the Turkish Civil Code). What matters is the partner's home-country law, not the country in which the divorce was granted.
Such a period plays no role for Familieretshuset, but it may matter for registering the marriage in the partner's home country. If the partner comes from a country with a waiting period, clarify this in advance with the competent authority there.
Special case: foreign divorce
Familieretshuset normally recognises a foreign divorce if a court or authority granted it, one of the spouses lived in that country at the time or both were its nationals, and the other spouse took part in the proceedings or was informed of them. Denmark does not recognise private divorces without the involvement of an authority.
Different rules apply in Germany: a divorce from another EU country (except Denmark) is recognised there without a special procedure (Brussels IIb Regulation, EU 2019/1111; for proceedings before 1 August 2022 its predecessor, Brussels IIa). Germany only recognises divorces from third countries and from Denmark once the state justice administration has confirmed this (§ 107 FamFG); in many federal states that is the President of the Higher Regional Court. The procedure can take several months. It is not needed if both spouses were nationals of the state whose court or authority granted the divorce (§ 107 Abs. 1 Satz 2 FamFG).
Typical problems and how to solve them
- Legal-force note missing: request a copy of the decree with legal-force note from the family court that granted the divorce.
- Foreign divorce not recognised in Germany: application to the state justice administration under § 107 FamFG, fee €15–305 (JVKostG, no. 1331), often taking several months. Not needed for divorces from other EU countries (except Denmark).
- Multiple divorces, one decree missing: you get the decree with legal-force note from the family court that granted the divorce. The registry office that registered the earlier marriage only issues a certified extract from the marriage register with a divorce note; ask beforehand whether Familieretshuset accepts it.
Sources and status
- Danish guidance on marriage cases (2022), section 2.5.2: documentation and recognition of foreign divorces (Danish)
- § 107 FamFG: recognition of foreign decisions in matrimonial matters (German)
- JVKostG, schedule of fees no. 1331 (German)
- Brussels IIb Regulation (EU) 2019/1111
As of October 2026. With foreign divorces, the individual case decides; if in doubt, contact Familieretshuset in advance and, for Germany, the state justice administration.
