Getting married in Aabenraa is in demand: in 2024 it ranked third among the places international couples chose. Ceremonies are held in the old town hall at no extra cost. The catch: dates open only 60 days ahead, and according to Danish media they go fast.
Getting married in Aabenraa: wedding days for couples from abroad
For couples who do not live in Denmark, Aabenraa has its own pages in German and English. Which days are open to you depends on who your two witnesses are:
| Your situation | Possible days |
|---|---|
| The municipality's witnesses (free) | Monday to Thursday |
| Your own witnesses | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday afternoon, Friday |
| Wedding on the beach | only with your own witnesses |
| Saturday | not listed for couples from abroad |
The municipality does not publish exact times. The Danish page for residents lists individual Saturdays, but they do not appear on the pages for couples from abroad. So plan with Monday to Friday.
The 60-day window: how Aabenraa releases dates
You can only book once Familieretshuset, the Danish Agency of Family Law, has checked and approved your documents. The approval comes with an e-mail containing the link to the municipality's booking page, where you book your date yourself.
According to the municipality, the dates are "always released 60 days in advance". So you cannot book a day that is further away, not even with an approval. And once it has been released, you are not alone: according to the Danish regional broadcaster TV Syd (August 2026), new dates are taken immediately, and the municipality has to turn couples away every day.
How to be ready when your date is released
Only couples who have everything done by release day can book fast. This order follows directly from the rules of the municipality and Familieretshuset:
Choose Aabenraa before you apply
The approval applies to the municipality you name in the application. Changing it later means a request to Familieretshuset, which therefore recommends checking which municipalities have free dates before you apply.
Submit a complete application
Familieretshuset usually decides complete applications within 5 working days. If it asks for more documents, things slow down: at the end of September 2026 it was working on cases from July. The fee of DKK 2,100 (about €281) is not refunded.
Time your application
The approval is valid for 4 months from the date of issue, and your date must fall inside that window. But you can only book it 60 days ahead. Apply too early and the approval may expire before your preferred date.
Put release day in your calendar
Count back 60 days from your preferred date and check the booking page regularly from that day on. Pick two or three back-up days beforehand and settle whether witnesses of your own are coming.
Book and plan the journey
Aabenraa does not require you to register in person the day before. Travelling in and getting married on the same day is therefore possible.
Which documents your case needs is shown by our free eligibility check. In the Complete package we check every document before it is submitted and book the date as soon as the approval and the release allow it. No one can guarantee a specific day in Aabenraa, though.
Beach weddings in Aabenraa: only with your own witnesses
Aabenraa also offers weddings on the beach. The municipality's English page sets one clear condition: beach weddings are reserved for couples who bring their own witnesses.
That is all it says. The municipality does not publish days, times or possible costs for beach weddings, and the German page does not mention them at all. So before you apply, ask by e-mail at vielser@aabenraa.dk whether there are beach dates in your period. The municipality prefers e-mail anyway.
Which other municipalities marry couples on the beach or on Saturdays, and what a ceremony outside the town hall may cost, is covered in our guide Saturday and beach weddings.
The wedding day at the old town hall
Ceremonies take place at Det gamle Rådhus, the old town hall, at Storegade 30 on the first floor. You and your guests arrive at the agreed time and take a seat in the waiting room. There is a changing room there in case you would like to change on site.
Your travel documents are also checked in the waiting room. Be sure to bring the same passports or ID cards that you submitted to Familieretshuset. You are then called into the ceremony room. After a short speech you say your vows, followed by the exchange of rings if you wish. Afterwards you, the witnesses and the registrar sign the marriage register, and you receive two international marriage certificates in five languages (Danish, English, German, French, Spanish).
- You must both be able to communicate in German, English or Danish; otherwise you bring an interpreter. What applies is explained in our guide Interpreters at the wedding.
- If you have a camera or a phone with you, the witnesses are happy to take photos or a video. Your own photographer may stand next to the registrar for the best shots.
- A new marriage certificate is free of charge. How to use the certificate at home is explained in our guide to the international marriage certificate.
Costs and closing days
According to the municipality, "there are no additional costs" for the ceremony, and its witnesses are free as well. The only mandatory fee is Familieretshuset's DKK 2,100 (about €281). Our cost comparison 2026 lists every item.
The registry office is closed from 23 December 2026 up to and including 3 January 2027, as well as on Sundays and public holidays. It may also be closed on individual days for staff training. If you want to marry around New Year, you need a different day or a different municipality.
If Aabenraa does not work out
Aabenraa suits you if you are flexible about the day and can book quickly on release day. If you are looking for an alternative nearby, take a look at Tønder: couples from abroad are married there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, also in German or English and free of charge. The municipality does not publish its waiting time, though. Sønderborg and Haderslev marry couples from abroad only on Fridays and require you to register in person the day before.
Our guide Marrying near the border compares all registry offices close to the German border side by side. More on Tønder is in our guide Tønder registry office.
Sources and status
The rules in this article come from the official pages of the municipalities and Familieretshuset:
- Aabenraa Municipality: registry office page (German)
- Aabenraa Municipality: Marriage Registry Office (English)
- Aabenraa Municipality: Vielse (Danish, for residents)
- Familieretshuset: application, fee and validity (Danish)
- Familieretshuset: processing times (Danish)
- Familieretshuset: note on changing the municipality (English, May 2025)
- Tønder Municipality: wedding page (German)
- Sønderborg Municipality: wedding page (German)
- Haderslev Municipality: Marriage (English)
- Press background: TV Syd, 24 August 2026 (demand in Aabenraa) and Dansk Erhverv, 14 February 2026 (2024 ranking based on Familieretshuset figures)
As of September 2026. Municipalities sometimes change wedding days and rules at short notice. Check the municipality's current page before you apply.
