Getting married in Odense means a ceremony in the Bryllupssalen, the wedding hall of the town hall on Flakhaven, on any weekday or on a Saturday from 10:00. According to the municipality, couples not resident in Denmark should allow two months' lead time and write to the Wedding Office. On Saturdays you bring at least one witness of your own.
Does Odense marry couples from abroad?
Yes. If one or both of you are foreign citizens, Familieretshuset, the Danish Agency of Family Law, checks the conditions for marriage and issues the approval, the prøvelsesattest (certificate of marital status). That is what the city's Danish page says. Only couples who are both Danish or Nordic citizens or have a permanent right of residence in Denmark apply to the municipality itself.
For couples from outside Denmark, Odense links to an English page of International House Odense (Getting married). It says explicitly that for citizens who do not reside in Denmark there is a 2-month processing time, so you should contact Familieretshuset no later than two months before you plan to marry. Your contact in Odense is the Wedding Office (Vielseskontoret), by e-mail at vielse@odense.dk. If you do not have MitID, you simply send a normal e-mail.
The Bryllupssalen at the town hall: days and times
Civil ceremonies take place in the Bryllupssalen, the wedding hall in Odense town hall on Flakhaven. According to the municipality, ceremonies are held on all weekdays and on Saturdays, from 10:00. The page gives no fixed times or end of the window; you agree the exact time with the Wedding Office.
| Item | Odense (as of 3 November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Venue | Bryllupssalen in the town hall, Flakhaven |
| Wedding days | all weekdays and Saturday, from 10:00 |
| Witnesses | at least one of your own on Saturdays; no requirement stated for weekdays |
| No ceremonies | Sundays and public holidays, 24 December, 28 December to 2 January, 28 November |
| Lead time | two months for couples not resident in Denmark |
| Contact | Wedding Office, vielse@odense.dk, +45 66 13 13 72 |
You can reach the Wedding Office by phone Monday to Wednesday from 8:00 to 15:00, on Thursdays from 8:00 to 17:00 and on Fridays from 8:00 to 13:00. Citizen Service at Borgernes Hus, Østre Stationsvej 15, only sees visitors by prior appointment.
Eventyrlige vielser: not in 2026
The municipality's page has its own section on "Eventyrlige vielser", literally fairy-tale weddings, fitting for the city of Hans Christian Andersen. All it says is that there are none in 2026. It does not say whether they will return later. So expect a regular ceremony in the Bryllupssalen.
Witnesses and language
According to the municipality, on Saturdays at the town hall you generally bring at least one witness of your own and give Citizen Service their name and address in advance. For ceremonies outside the town hall you need two witnesses of your own. For weekdays at the town hall the page does not require you to bring witnesses. It does not say explicitly whether the municipality then provides both; check this with the Wedding Office if you are coming without company. When municipalities provide witnesses is compared in our guide Witnesses in Denmark.
Odense does not name a ceremony language on its pages. So ask the Wedding Office beforehand whether the ceremony can be held in English and whether German is offered. If one of you does not understand the ceremony language, you need an interpreter; details in our guide Interpreters at the wedding. If you definitely want to marry in German, Kolding is a municipality that explicitly offers it.
When Odense holds no ceremonies
Odense publishes fixed closing days for ceremonies at the town hall (as of 3 November 2026):
- Sundays and public holidays
- the days around Christmas and New Year: 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31 December and 1 and 2 January; 25 and 26 December are public holidays anyway
- 28 November
If you want to marry around New Year, check this list carefully. Other municipalities close during this period too, Kolding for example between Christmas and New Year. Choose your preferred day together with the validity of your approval: it is valid for 4 months from issue, and if the day falls into a closing period, the next possible day moves later.
Ceremonies outside the town hall
Outside the town hall, ceremonies in Odense are performed by members of the city council (Byråd); all of them are authorised to do so. According to the Danish page, it works like this:
- You write to a council member yourselves and agree a time and place in the municipality. The municipality advises writing to one member only and waiting for the reply before asking others.
- At least 14 days before the ceremony you send confirmation of this arrangement by Digital Post to Citizen Service, together with the names and addresses of your two witnesses.
- If the ceremony is to take place at the town hall but outside opening hours, the council member alone is responsible for all practical matters, including access to the building. Citizen Service and the Wedding Office cannot assign the wedding hall for this.
This route requires Digital Post and therefore MitID. The municipality does not describe whether and how couples approved by Familieretshuset can use it; ask the Wedding Office by e-mail beforehand. Odense states no costs for a ceremony outside the town hall. Which municipalities explicitly offer special places to couples from abroad is covered in our guide Special places to get married.
How to plan your wedding in Odense
Start at least two months ahead
Decide on your preferred period and count back two months: by then your application to Familieretshuset should be submitted. Check the closing days at the same time, and whether you can bring a witness of your own on a Saturday.
Apply to Familieretshuset
You name Odense as the municipality and pay the fee of DKK 2,100 (about €281), which is not refunded. Both parts of the application must arrive within 14 days. The agency usually decides complete applications within 5 working days; if it asks for more documents, as of 3 November 2026 it is working on such cases from August 2026 (processing times).
Contact the Wedding Office
Write to vielse@odense.dk; the municipality suggests the subject "Getting married in Odense". After the approval, Familieretshuset forwards your documents to the municipality, and you agree the date with the Wedding Office. We are often in touch with municipalities and ask on behalf of our couples.
Wedding day at the town hall
Odense does not say what you must show on the day. Bring the passports you submitted to Familieretshuset, a visa or residence permit if needed, and on Saturdays at least one witness of your own. As everywhere in Denmark, you receive two international marriage certificates in five languages after the ceremony.
The ceremony itself is described in our guide The wedding ceremony in Denmark. The documents for the application are listed in our guide Documents for your wedding in Denmark, and which of them your case needs is shown by our free eligibility check. What the certificate is worth at home is explained in our guide International marriage certificate.
What does a wedding in Odense cost?
Odense states no fee for the ceremony at the town hall. Since August 2025, Danish municipalities generally no longer charge for it, after the City of Copenhagen found in its own legal review that there is no legal basis for such fees. The mandatory cost is Familieretshuset's fee of DKK 2,100 (about €281), which is not refunded.
Add travel and possibly a night's stay. In the Essential package (€249.99) you pay Familieretshuset's fee yourselves; in the Complete package (€649.99) it is included. Details are on our prices page and in our cost comparison 2026.
Getting there from Germany, Austria and Switzerland
By car: Odense is on the island of Funen, about 150 km by road from the border at Padborg. You drive north on the E45, switch to the E20 near Kolding and Fredericia and cross the Little Belt to Funen. From Kolding it is about 70 km.
By train: according to the DSB timetable, trains between Hamburg and Copenhagen stop in Odense. From Austria and Switzerland you travel via Hamburg. Journey times and changes are shown by Rejseplanen and Deutsche Bahn; DSB points out possible engineering works in its timetable, so allow some buffer.
Because the municipality names no registration the day before, travelling in and marrying on the same day is possible in Odense. With a morning ceremony and a long journey, staying the night before is still more relaxed.
Odense as a short trip: the city of Hans Christian Andersen
Odense is Hans Christian Andersen's city, and you notice it on your wedding day. A few ideas for the hours after you say "I do":
- H.C. Andersens Hus: the museum about the writer, with his childhood home and a garden; it is part of Museum Odense.
- Sankt Knuds Kirke: Odense Cathedral stands on Flakhaven right next to the town hall, a photo spot without a long walk.
- Funen: if you stay a few days, you can reach the south coast and the ferries to the islands from Odense. Couples also marry on Ærø.
Odense or another municipality?
Odense suits you if you want flexibility on weekdays, travel by train and can allow two months' lead time. The open question is the language, because the municipality does not name one. For comparison:
| Municipality | Wedding days for couples from abroad | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Odense | Mon to Sat, from 10:00 | two months' lead time; at least one witness of your own on Saturdays; language not stated |
| Kolding | town hall Mon, Fri, Sat; Christiansfeld Mon to Sat | Danish, English or German; two witnesses of your own on Saturdays at the town hall |
| Ærø | by arrangement | date usually within 10 weeks according to the Danish page; travel by ferry |
| Copenhagen | Mon to Sat | German selectable; the city provides the witnesses; wait of up to 4 months |
| Tønder | Tue and Thu | close to the border; dates only 60 days ahead |
More in our wait time comparison 2026, our guide Copenhagen, Tønder or Ærø and, for the venues close to the border, our guide Marrying near the border. On the west coast the Municipality of Esbjerg marries couples in the Old Town Hall of Ribe. The rules of more municipalities are on our page Venues and rules by municipality.
If your approval has already been issued for another municipality, only Familieretshuset can forward it to Odense; the 4-month validity keeps running. We take care of this step as a change of municipality, more in our guide Approved but no date. Odense sometimes changes its rules and closing days, so check the municipality's current page before you apply.
