Yes, as a recognised refugee or with subsidiary protection you can marry in Denmark if you may enter lawfully: with a valid residence permit from Germany, Austria or Switzerland and a valid travel document. With an Aufenthaltsgestattung, a Duldung or the Swiss N permit it is not possible. For documents from the country you fled, the Danish administrative guidance takes refugees' situation into account; how this applies to you is decided by Familieretshuset.
The basic condition: lawful stay on the wedding day
The Danish Marriage Act only allows a wedding if both partners are Danish citizens or are lawfully staying in Denmark (§ 11 a Ægteskabsloven). Familieretshuset puts it like this on its page Legal residence for marriage in Denmark: you must be able to enter Denmark legally and stay there. As proof it names, among other things, a residence permit from another Schengen country. The condition must be met on the wedding day, not just when you apply.
So what matters is not the word “refugee” but which papers you hold. A residence permit and a valid travel document open the way. A paper that only allows you to stay for the duration of a procedure does not: the Danish administrative guidance on marriage cases states expressly that such a procedural stay in another Schengen country, for example as an asylum seeker, does not create lawful stay in Denmark. Familieretshuset's guidance on lawful stay expressly lists travel documents for refugees among the valid travel papers.
Who can travel to Denmark lawfully with protection status
The overview sums up what the competent authorities say about travel to other Schengen countries (as of 3 November 2026): the Federal Foreign Office and the BAMF in Germany, the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) in Austria and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) in Switzerland. Whether Familieretshuset accepts your stay in the end is its own decision.
| Country and status | Papers | Travel to Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Germany: recognised refugees and persons entitled to asylum | Residence permit (according to the BAMF initially for three years) and refugee travel document, the “blue passport” | As a rule yes, up to 90 days in any 180 |
| Germany: persons with subsidiary protection | Residence permit (according to the BAMF for three years) and national passport or, if none can reasonably be obtained, travel document for foreigners, the “grey passport” | As a rule yes, up to 90 days in any 180 |
| Germany: Aufenthaltsgestattung or Duldung | According to the Federal Foreign Office, no visa-free entry into other Schengen countries | No |
| Austria: persons granted asylum | Residence permit for beneficiaries of international protection and Konventionsreisepass | As a rule yes, up to three months |
| Austria: persons with subsidiary protection | Residence permit or card for persons with subsidiary protection and passport of the country of origin; those who cannot get one receive a Fremdenpass | With a passport, according to the BFA up to three months; with a Fremdenpass check beforehand |
| Austria: asylum seekers in an ongoing procedure | No residence permit | No |
| Switzerland: recognised refugees, B permit | Refugee travel document from the SEM | As a rule yes, according to the SEM visa-free for tourist stays of up to three months |
| Switzerland: provisionally admitted refugees, F permit | Refugee travel document from the SEM | Travel possible; check beforehand whether Familieretshuset accepts the stay |
| Switzerland: provisionally admitted persons without refugee status, F permit | According to the SEM, may not travel freely; return visa only in justified cases | As a rule no |
| Switzerland: asylum seekers, N permit | According to the SEM, not a travel document | No |
The same applies to other German residence permits, for example after a ban on deportation has been established, as long as you have a valid travel document. If you are Ukrainian with temporary protection, the details are in our guide Getting married in Denmark with a partner from Ukraine.
What to watch for when travelling
- Your residence permit and travel document must be valid on the wedding day. If either expires earlier than the four months for which the approval is valid, the approval is only valid until then.
- A residence permit replaces a visa only together with a travel document. If your German permit was issued in a substitute ID card valid only in Germany, it does not, according to the Federal Foreign Office, allow visa-free entry into other Schengen countries.
- With a residence permit you may stay in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180, but you may not work there.
- As proof of stay for Familieretshuset, the residence card, front and back, is enough. The EES printouts concern travellers without a residence permit, see EES proof for your wedding.
- The refugee travel document is not valid for your country of origin. Do not travel there: the Federal Foreign Office and the SEM point out that such a trip can lead to the loss of your recognition.
- Depending on the municipality, plan one or two nights; some municipalities require you to register in person the day before.
Which documents Familieretshuset asks refugees for
Identity: the travel document instead of a passport
Familieretshuset asks for photos of all pages of the passport. For you, that is the refugee travel document, the Konventionsreisepass, the Fremdenpass or the travel document for foreigners, plus the residence card. This proves your name and date of birth; Familieretshuset does not ask for your own birth certificate, see Getting married without a birth certificate.
Marital status: no contact with the persecuting state
Single applicants confirm in the application, under criminal liability, that they are not married. In an individual case Familieretshuset can ask for a certificate of marital status. For refugees, the Danish administrative guidance on marriage cases makes an important exception: because of the risk of further persecution, refugees and asylum seekers cannot be required to contact the authorities of the country they fled, and the Danish authorities may not make enquiries there either. This no longer applies if the person has travelled to that country several times since being recognised, or consents. Certificates from other countries where you have lived, however, can be required, for example from Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
An honest limitation: the guidance describes this rule for people with refugee status in Denmark. How Familieretshuset applies it to refugees with protection status from Germany, Austria or Switzerland is decided case by case; we know of no separate published rule. We therefore recommend enclosing the decision granting your protection, so that your status is clear from the documents.
Earlier marriages: when proof is missing
If you were married before, you need proof that the marriage has ended: the divorce decree with proof that it is final, or the death certificate. Here too the guidance says that documents from the country you fled cannot, in principle, be required. The exception is a divorce granted in that country after your recognition, if you started the proceedings yourself or took an active part in them. If proof is missing, Familieretshuset decides how your marital status can be shown in another way. Make sure that what you state in the application matches what you said about marriage and family in the asylum procedure. What else applies to divorced and widowed people is in our guides Divorced: a second wedding in Denmark and Widowed: remarrying in Denmark.
Documents from other countries: apostille and translation
German-language documents from Germany, Austria and Switzerland need neither an apostille nor a translation. Documents from other countries need an apostille or legalisation depending on the country and, if they are not in Danish, English, German, Norwegian or Swedish, a translation into Danish, English or German, see Translating your wedding documents. For some countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, no Danish mission legalises documents; Familieretshuset then decides case by case. The rules per country are in our country list for apostille and legalisation and on our page rules by country of origin.
What marriage changes about your status, and what it does not
The grounds on which refugee status ends under the Geneva Refugee Convention do not include marriage. The risk lies elsewhere: anyone who voluntarily places themselves under the protection of the country of their nationality again no longer falls under the Convention, according to Art. 1 C of the Convention. Applying for a passport from your country of origin, for example, can count as such a step. So do not go to the embassy of your country of origin to obtain documents or a passport for the wedding without getting advice first. Different rules apply to persons with subsidiary protection who travel on the passport of their country of origin; here too: get advice first, then act.
Marriage does not automatically change your residence status either. Whether it leads to a right to family reunification or another permit depends on the law of the country where you live; see Family reunification after the wedding. A marriage concluded in Denmark is, as a rule, recognised in Germany without any procedure, see Recognition in Germany.
Where to get advice
Immigration and asylum law depend heavily on the individual case. Before you travel, file applications or contact an embassy, talk to a lawyer specialising in migration law or to a counselling service, for example:
- in Germany, the migration counselling for adult immigrants (MBE), a regional refugee council (Flüchtlingsrat) or the counselling services of the welfare associations,
- in Austria, the counselling services of Caritas or Diakonie,
- in Switzerland, the Swiss Refugee Council (Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe) or a cantonal legal advice office.
We do not advise on immigration law. We check your documents for the application to Familieretshuset and tell you openly if your case does not fit.
How to go about it
Check your status
Do you have a residence permit and a valid travel document that are valid until after the wedding? If not, do not apply.
Plan your documents
What do you have, what is missing, and where would it come from? Do not apply for anything from your country of origin without getting advice first. The complete list is in our guide Documents for your wedding in Denmark.
Clarify open points
Clarify missing proof of divorce or death with Familieretshuset before applying.
Take the eligibility check
The free eligibility check shows which documents your case needs.
Apply
The fee is DKK 2,100 (about €281) and is not refunded if the application is refused. Familieretshuset usually decides complete applications within 5 working days; the approval is valid for 4 months.
Travel, marry, return
The ceremony takes 15 to 20 minutes, you need two witnesses, and afterwards you receive two international marriage certificates in five languages. How the day runs is explained in our guide The wedding ceremony in Denmark.
If you have questions about your application, you can reach us via our contact page. Whether your travel and stay are legally sound, however, is something to clarify first with a counselling service or your lawyer.
