The registry office in Tønder is about 5 km from the German border and marries couples without Danish residence only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In the morning the municipality provides the witnesses, and you can book only after the approval.
Tønder registry office times: Tuesdays and Thursdays only
For couples who do not live in Denmark, Tønder has exactly two ceremony days. Which time you can book depends on who your witnesses are:
| Day | Municipal witnesses | Own witnesses |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 9:30–12:00 | 13:00–14:00 |
| Thursday | 9:30–12:00 | 13:00–15:00 |
These are the times on the municipality's German and English pages (as of September 2026).
For an overview of Tønder as a wedding location, see our page Getting married in Tønder.
Witnesses: in the morning the municipality provides them
Every ceremony needs two witnesses. Tønder provides them free of charge, but only for the morning slots from 9:30 to 12:00. The afternoon slots are meant for couples who bring their own witnesses.
Your own witnesses can be relatives or friends. The municipality sets two conditions:
- They should understand German or English.
- Their full names and addresses go on the reservation form or must reach the registry office at least one week before the ceremony.
Whether witnesses have to show ID is not stated on the municipality's pages. Give them a valid passport or ID card anyway. How other municipalities handle witnesses is compared in our guide Witnesses in Denmark.
Booking: approval first, then the date
You only get a date in Tønder once Familieretshuset, the Danish Agency of Family Law, has checked that you are free to marry. The order is fixed:
Apply
The fee is DKK 2,100 (about €281) and is not refunded once the application has been submitted. If the application is complete, Familieretshuset usually decides within 5 working days.
Name Tønder as your municipality
The approval is sent to the municipality you name in the application. Familieretshuset itself recommends checking which municipalities have free dates before you apply.
Book online
You receive the link to the municipality's booking system with the approval letter. Tønder does not take bookings by e-mail or phone.
The municipality does not publish how long you wait for a free date. Only the limit is fixed: the approval (prøvelsesattest) is valid for 4 months from the date of issue, and the ceremony must fall within that window. For other municipalities, see our wait-time comparison.
In the Complete package we check every document before submission and book your date in Tønder as soon as the approval arrives.
Closed days
In 2026 Tønder held no ceremonies on these days: 2 January, 2–6 April, 1 May, 14–15 May, 25 May, 5 June and during the summer break in calendar weeks 30 and 31 (20 July to 2 August). The municipality publishes its closed days on a separate page (see sources). Check it before you plan a date, especially in high summer.
The venue: Jomfrustien 8, first floor
Ceremonies do not take place in the town hall itself but in the registry office opposite: Jomfrustien 8, 1st floor, 6270 Tønder. The municipality's Danish page calls the room “Den Gamle Amtsrådssal”.
The building has no lift. Couples with a disability are therefore married in another building. If this applies to you, tell the registry office early: by e-mail to vielse@toender.dk or by phone on +45 74 92 97 09, Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 to 10. Visits are by appointment only.
Ceremonies are held in German or English. If one of you understands neither language, ask the registry office in advance whether you need an interpreter; more in our interpreter guide. The municipality's pages say nothing about the number of guests or about photography.
After the ceremony: two certificates, no new name
Right after the ceremony you receive two international marriage certificates in five languages: Danish, German, English, French and Spanish. A re-issue is possible and, according to the municipality, takes about 4 weeks. What to do with the certificate at home is explained in the guide to the international marriage certificate.
An apostille is issued only by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen, not by the registry office in Tønder. Whether you need one is covered in the apostille guide.
You cannot change your surname at the ceremony unless you are registered as living in Denmark. The certificate shows your names exactly as they appear in your passports on the wedding day. What happens next is explained in the guide to changing your name.
Getting married in Tønder in one day: the day plan
Tønder does not require you to register in person the day before. You can travel in the morning, get married and be home again in the evening. According to the municipality, Hamburg is about 200 km away and Flensburg about 50 km. By train you travel from Hamburg via Niebüll to Tønder. Check the current connection beforehand and allow a buffer.
Travel
By car across the border or by train via Niebüll. For a morning slot, coming from Hamburg means an early start.
To the registry office
Jomfrustien 8, 1st floor, opposite the town hall. Bring your passports: the certificate takes your names from them.
Ceremony
In the morning with the municipality's witnesses, in the afternoon with your own, in German or English.
Certificates in hand
You receive the two international marriage certificates right after the ceremony.
Home again
No overnight stay needed, though of course you are free to stay.
Sønderborg and Haderslev are different: there you register in person the day before the ceremony. Sønderborg marries couples from abroad only on Fridays from 8:30 to 14:00, in Gråsten or Nordborg; registration is on Thursdays from 9:00 to 17:00 at Borgerservice in Sønderborg. Haderslev marries on Fridays from 10:00 to 12:00. In both cases, plan at least one overnight stay.
Details are in our guides to Sønderborg and Haderslev. Besides Tønder, Aabenraa also needs no registration the day before. All border towns side by side: our comparison of registry offices near the border.
Sources and date checked
We checked every detail on these official pages:
- Tønder Municipality: Marriage (English page)
- Tønder Municipality: wedding page (German)
- Tønder Municipality: Når I vil giftes (Danish page)
- Tønder Municipality: Lukkedage (closed days)
- Familieretshuset: processing time for certificates of marital status
- Familieretshuset: note on choosing the municipality (May 2025)
- Life in Denmark (borger.dk): fee 2026
- Sønderborg Municipality: Wedding
- Haderslev Municipality: Marriage
As of: September 2026. Ceremony times, rules and waiting times can change. Check the municipality's current page before you book.
