Yes, it is possible. For Denmark, however, Pakistani documents are a special case: a Pakistani apostille does not count there because Denmark objected to Pakistan's accession to the Convention, and the Danish embassy in Islamabad has not legalised Pakistani documents since 1 January 2020. Familieretshuset decides case by case whether it accepts a document. That means more uncertainty and possibly more time; nobody can promise the outcome.
Who this guide is for
One of you lives in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, the other is a Pakistani citizen, whether still living in Pakistan or already living with you on a residence permit. The route to Denmark is the same as for all couples who do not live there: an online application to Familieretshuset, the Danish Agency of Family Law, the approval (prøvelsesattest), and the ceremony in a municipality. This guide shows honestly what changes because of the Pakistani nationality. The general process is explained in our guide Binational wedding in Denmark.
Why Pakistani documents are a special case
Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 8 July 2022, and it has applied there since 9 March 2023. Several states objected to the accession, including Denmark on 2 January 2023, Germany on 24 October 2022 and Austria on 12 December 2022, according to the list of objections kept by the depositary. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes the consequences:
- The Convention does not apply between Denmark and Pakistan. A Pakistani apostille does not replace a certification for Denmark.
- No Danish mission can legalise Pakistani documents. The same applies to documents from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
- The Danish authority that asks for a document decides itself whether to accept it without certification by a Danish mission.
The Danish embassy in Islamabad adds that it has not legalised Pakistani documents since 1 January 2020 and that the Danish authorities have been informed of this.
| Question | Answer for Denmark, as of 3 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Is an apostille from Pakistan valid? | No, Denmark objected |
| Does a Danish mission legalise? | No, the embassy in Islamabad stopped on 1 Jan 2020 |
| Who decides on Pakistani documents? | Familieretshuset, case by case |
| Translation needed? | Yes, if the document is not in Danish, English or German |
| Schengen visa needed? | Yes, unless your partner holds a residence permit of a Schengen state |
How apostille and legalisation work otherwise is explained in our guide Apostille for the wedding in Denmark; which other countries are special cases is shown in our country list for apostille and legalisation 2026.
What this means for your application
The rule only concerns documents you have to submit. The passport is submitted only as colour photos of all pages anyway; it must have been issued within the last 10 years, be valid for at least 3 months beyond the stay and have 2 empty pages. Proof of lawful stay is added. Whether you need Pakistani documents depends on your situation:
- Your partner is single and you have no children together: single applicants confirm their marital status in the application with their signature, under criminal liability. Then you often need not a single Pakistani document. If Familieretshuset does ask for proof in an individual case, it also decides in which form it accepts it.
- Your partner was married before: you need the divorce documents or the death certificate of the former spouse. This is where the case-by-case review applies.
- Children together with a birth certificate from Pakistan: these documents too.
- You live together in Pakistan: proof of address no older than 4 months. If you live together in Germany, your registration certificate is enough.
To be honest, case by case means: nobody can tell you in advance whether Familieretshuset will simply accept a particular Pakistani document, ask for more proof or come back with questions. Every request for more documents costs time. The agency usually decides complete applications within 5 working days; after a request for more documents, it was working on applications from August 2026 on 3 November 2026. More in our guide Requests for more documents or refusal. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises asking the authority that requests the document.
Familieretshuset may also ask about your relationship, request unedited photos of the two of you or invite you to an interview; this applies to couples of every origin. More in our guide Proof of relationship and the sham marriage check, and all documents in our guide Documents for your wedding in Denmark 2026.
Pakistani documents: what exists and who issues them
In Pakistan, marriages, divorces and births are registered through the local Union Councils. These are the documents you are most likely to come across:
| Document | Issued by | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Extract from the birth register | Administrator or Secretary of the Union Council | for Denmark only for children together or on request |
| Nikahnama (marriage contract) of an earlier marriage | Nikah Registrar, licensed by the Union Council | marriages under Muslim law must be registered (Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961, section 5) |
| Divorce certificate after talaq | Chairman of the Arbitration Council or Secretary of the Union Council | Pakistani missions require the computerized version (Computerized Divorce Certificate) |
| Certificate of capacity and no-objection to marry | Pakistani authorities | required by the Higher Regional Court of Cologne for weddings in Germany; for Denmark only if Familieretshuset asks for proof |
Pakistani missions abroad only certify documents from Pakistan if the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has certified them first, according to the Pakistani consulate general in Sydney and the embassy in Berlin. For Denmark, however, such a certification does not replace a Danish legalisation. Whether Familieretshuset takes it into account as additional evidence is its own decision.
Talaq and divorce: what Denmark checks
Under section 7 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961, a husband who pronounces talaq must notify the chairman of the Union Council in writing and give his wife a copy. Within 30 days, the chairman forms an arbitration council, which is to attempt a reconciliation. Unless revoked, the talaq only takes effect 90 days after the notice reached the chairman, and in case of pregnancy not before it ends. If the husband has delegated the right of divorce to the wife, or if the marriage is dissolved otherwise than by talaq, these rules apply accordingly (section 8).
Familieretshuset usually recognises foreign divorces if a court or an authority was involved and the former spouse took part or was informed; Denmark does not recognise private divorces without an authority. Whether a talaq with the Union Council procedure is enough is decided by the agency case by case. So submit everything that documents the process: the computerized divorce certificate and, where available, the papers on the notice to the Union Council. Details on divorces from abroad are in our guide Divorced: the second wedding in Denmark.
For Germany there is an extra point: whether a Pakistani divorce, including a talaq, must be recognised there is clarified by the state justice administration under section 107 FamFG. Conversely, according to the Higher Regional Court of Cologne, foreign divorces need no formal recognition procedure for Pakistan.
Translation: Urdu into German or English
Familieretshuset accepts documents in Danish, English or German. If a document is wholly or partly in Urdu, such as a nikahnama, an authorised translator must translate it into Danish, English or German before you apply, with all stamps and notes. Documents already issued in English do not need a translation. Make sure names are spelled everywhere as in the passport; differing spellings can trigger extra questions in a case-by-case review. Costs and process are explained in our guide Certified translations for the wedding.
Visa or residence permit
Pakistani citizens need a Schengen visa for Denmark. If your partner lives in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or another Schengen state with a residence permit, that permit is enough as long as it is valid on the wedding day.
If your partner travels from Pakistan, the Danish embassy in Islamabad handles the visa application. According to its visa page, you first check whether the VFS Global visa centre has appointments, then apply online through ApplyVISA and hand in the documents at VFS. The embassy gives a decision within 45 days after the application is considered admissible; in individual cases it can take longer, and appointments can be scarce because of heavy workload.
The order stays the same: first the visa with the honest purpose “wedding in Denmark”, then the application to Familieretshuset with the visa and the printout of the EES calculator, then the date with the municipality. Details: Getting married on a Schengen visa and EES proof for the wedding.
After the wedding: Pakistan, NADRA and family reunification
Straight after the ceremony you receive two international marriage certificates in five languages. German and Austrian authorities need no apostille on them. For Pakistan it is more complicated: because the Apostille Convention does not apply between Denmark and Pakistan, a Danish apostille does not automatically take effect there either. Ask the Pakistani embassy how it wants the Danish certificate to be certified.
NADRA, the national registration authority, changes the marital status on the Pakistani identity card (CNIC) or the card for overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) when a nikahnama or marriage certificate is presented, according to the Pakistani consulate general in Toronto. Whether Pakistan recognises a civil marriage from Denmark for its own legal sphere, and which documents it requires for this, follows Pakistani law. Clarify this before the wedding with the Pakistani embassy in Berlin, Vienna or Bern; we do not advise on Pakistani family law.
If your partner is to move to Germany to join you, they need the visa for spousal reunification, usually with German at level A1. Germany also objected to Pakistan's accession: according to the Higher Regional Court of Cologne, German offices have Pakistani documents verified through administrative assistance, which can take time. The process is explained in our guide Family reunification after the wedding in Denmark, and the other steps after the wedding in our guide Married in Denmark: what now?
To be honest: what to expect
For Pakistani and European couples, Denmark is a workable route, but not an automatic one. What is in your hands:
- First check whether you have to submit Pakistani documents at all. For single partners without children together, that is often not the case.
- Submit Pakistani documents in full, as clearly legible colour scans of all pages, with translation and with the evidence of the process, for example for a talaq.
- Make sure names and dates are spelled the same way in all documents.
- Plan time for questions and do not book anything that cannot be moved before the approval.
Which documents your case needs is shown by our free eligibility check; the rules for every nationality are on our page Rules by country of origin. In the Complete package for €649.99 including the Familieretshuset fee, we check every document before submission; the decision is made by Familieretshuset, and nobody can promise a particular outcome. All packages are on our prices page.
