The prøvelsesattest is the Danish marriage approval: Familieretshuset's certificate that you meet the Danish conditions for marriage. Without it, no municipality may marry you. It is valid for 4 months from issue, or less if a passport, visa or residence permit ends earlier, and it goes to exactly one municipality. Once it has expired, only a new application with a new fee helps.
What does prøvelsesattest mean?
“Prøvelse” means examination, “attest” means certificate: literally, a certificate of examination. What is examined are the conditions for marriage under the Danish Marriage Act. Its section 19 states that a wedding may only take place once the competent authority has certified that the conditions are met (Ægteskabsloven). For couples from abroad, that authority is Familieretshuset; who has to apply there and how the application works is explained in our guide Familieretshuset explained.
You will see the same document under several names. In English, Familieretshuset calls it the Certificate of Marital Status, which is easily misleading, because it does not certify your marital status. On its German website it is the “dänisches Ehefähigkeitszeugnis (prøvelsesattest)”. Agencies and couples usually just say approval or marriage approval.
Prøvelsesattest or certificate of no impediment: what is the difference?
Many people confuse the two, and the authorities do not help: in German, Familieretshuset calls the prøvelsesattest a “Danish Ehefähigkeitszeugnis” (certificate of no impediment), and the German page of the Danish embassy in Berlin also says you need an Ehefähigkeitszeugnis before marrying in Denmark and refers you to Familieretshuset. In both cases, the Danish approval is meant. You do not need a certificate of no impediment from your registry office or from your partner's home country for Denmark.
| Prøvelsesattest | Certificate of no impediment under German law | |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it? | Familieretshuset in Denmark | the registry office of residence (§ 39 PStG), for foreigners the authority of their home country (§ 1309 BGB) |
| Under which law? | Danish Marriage Act | law of the home country |
| What for? | wedding in Denmark | Germans marrying abroad where the other country requires it; foreigners marrying in Germany |
| Validity | 4 months from issue, often less | 6 months |
| Needed for Denmark? | yes | no |
That is exactly why many couples whose home country does not issue a certificate of no impediment at all choose Denmark: Denmark does the examination itself. More in our guides Marrying without a certificate of no impediment and Exemption from the certificate of no impediment.
Two more Danish terms cause confusion. The ægteskabsattest is a Danish certificate for people connected to Denmark who want to marry abroad; Familieretshuset calls it an “international Ehefähigkeitszeugnis” in German, and you do not need it. The vielsesattest is the marriage certificate the municipality issues after the ceremony; more in our guide International marriage certificate from Denmark.
What is on the prøvelsesattest, and who receives it?
Familieretshuset issues the prøvelsesattest on an official form. It confirms that you both meet the Danish conditions for marriage and carries the date of issue, from which the four months run. If it is valid for less time because your lawful stay ends earlier, this is noted in the remarks field, according to the official Danish guidance.
What matters is not a paper in your hands: under the Marriage Act, Familieretshuset sends the certificate together with the necessary documents, including proof of your identity, by secure digital post to the municipality that is to marry you, and informs you. In our experience, the approval letters our couples receive state the case number, the municipality and the date until which the approval is valid. Keep this letter safe.
How long is the prøvelsesattest valid?
Four months from the day of issue; that is what section 19 of the Danish Marriage Act says. The wedding must take place within this time, and there is no extension. The approval is valid for less time if your lawful stay in Denmark ends earlier. According to Familieretshuset, that is the case if a passport, visa or residence permit ends before the four months are up:
| Your situation | Validity of the prøvelsesattest |
|---|---|
| Passports, visas and residence permits are all valid for longer than four months | 4 months from issue |
| Your partner's Schengen visa ends after six weeks | at most until the visa ends |
| A passport from outside Europe expires in two months | at most until the passport expires |
| A residence permit from a Schengen country ends before the four months | at most until it ends |
So count backwards: apply so that your preferred period falls within the validity and all documents are valid until after the wedding. Most municipalities only give a fixed date once the approval has reached them, and each has its own wedding days and rules; an overview is on our page Wedding rules of Danish municipalities. How to prove your stay since 10 April 2026 is explained in our guide EES proof of legal stay for your wedding.
Valid for one municipality: what happens with a change
The prøvelsesattest goes to the municipality you named in the application, and only that municipality can marry you with it. If it has no date in your time frame, Familieretshuset can forward the approval to another municipality. The municipality itself cannot pass it on, and you do not need a new application for this.
The problem is well known: in May 2025, Familieretshuset wrote that it receives a high number of requests to change the municipality on approvals already issued, and it recommends checking before you apply where you can get a date. Which options you have if it still goes wrong is explained in our guide Approved but no wedding date. We handle the change as our change of municipality service for €149.99; the Complete package includes one change.
Prøvelsesattest expired: what now?
If the wedding has not taken place within the validity, the approval lapses. You can then neither use it nor have it forwarded to another municipality. The only way is a new application to Familieretshuset, with all documents and the DKK 2,100 fee (about €281) again; the fee for the first application is neither refunded nor credited. This is how to proceed:
- Check passports. Passports from outside the EU must be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from Denmark, have at least two blank pages and be no more than ten years old.
- Prove your stay again. For a new trip you need new proof of lawful stay, such as the printout of the EES calculator for the new stay and your tickets.
- Renew certificates. If you live together abroad, the certificate of residence may be no more than four months old, according to Familieretshuset's application guide.
- Municipality first, then the application. Only apply once a date within the new four months is realistic.
- Submit a complete application. Familieretshuset then usually decides within 5 working days. With a request for further documents it takes much longer; as of 3 November 2026, cases from August 2026 are being processed. More in our guide Requests for documents or refusal.
If it becomes clear that your municipality has no date within the validity, a change is almost always the better route than letting the approval run out. Do not wait until shortly before it expires.
Lost or with wrong details: what to do?
Lost: the prøvelsesattest itself is with the municipality, so it is hardly ever lost. What matters is your case number. If you can no longer find Familieretshuset's letter, contact the authority in writing, with MitID through Digital Post, otherwise through the contact form on familieretshuset.dk, and give your full names and dates of birth.
Wrong details: if something is wrong, such as a misspelt name, a mixed-up passport number or the wrong municipality, write to Familieretshuset immediately, with your case number and proof. Do not wait until the wedding day: the municipality compares your ID documents with the copies Familieretshuset sent.
New passport: if you have received a new passport since the application, clarify in writing with Familieretshuset and the municipality before the wedding whether the new passport is enough, and if in doubt bring both. That is our advice from practice, not an official rule.
What the municipality does with the prøvelsesattest
Only once the municipality has received the prøvelsesattest from Familieretshuset may it marry you. You then agree the day and time with it under its own rules: on which days it marries couples who do not live in Denmark, whether it provides the two witnesses and in which language the ceremony is held. Who provides witnesses where is compared in our guide Wedding witnesses in Denmark.
On the wedding day, the municipality checks your identity against the ID documents whose copies it received from Familieretshuset. So bring exactly the passports or ID cards you used in the application. The ceremony itself takes 15 to 20 minutes, and afterwards you receive two international marriage certificates in five languages. How the day goes is explained in our guide How the ceremony in Denmark works.
How we help
Whether you have everything you need for Denmark is shown by our free eligibility check. In the Complete package for €649.99, including the DKK 2,100 fee, we file the application for you, check every document beforehand and keep an eye on the validity of your approval; one change of municipality is included. All services are on our prices page.
