A request for further documents is not a refusal. Familieretshuset needs more documents or information, tells you what is missing and sets a deadline. Your application then moves into a longer queue: as of 3 November 2026, the authority is working there on cases received in August 2026. Answer completely and within the deadline. A refusal (afslag), by contrast, can only be challenged in limited ways, and the DKK 2,100 fee is not refunded in any case.
What does a request from Familieretshuset mean?
In Danish it is called anmodning om yderligere oplysninger, a request for further information or documents. Familieretshuset works to a five-day principle: within 5 working days of receipt, it either issues the approval or asks for what is missing, also if it has doubts about the authenticity of documents or about the relationship. According to its statistics for 2023, it met that in 94 % of cases. A request therefore usually comes in the first week.
It is not yet a decision. Under the official Danish guidance on marriage cases, Familieretshuset must:
- say exactly which information or documents it needs,
- explain how you can obtain them where necessary,
- point out that without an answer it can decide on the basis of the documents it has,
- set a reasonable deadline, which must be extended if you ask.
In addition, according to the guidance, the authority may not demand anything that is impossible or very difficult to obtain. If a document does not exist in your country, say so in your answer and back it up, rather than simply not responding.
How long does it take after a request?
Familieretshuset states these times on its page Sagsbehandlingstider (as of 3 November 2026):
| Situation | According to Familieretshuset |
|---|---|
| Application complete, conditions met | approval usually within 5 working days |
| Familieretshuset has asked for more documents or information | currently working on cases received in August 2026 |
For cases from August, that means a good two months of waiting instead of a week. The authority gives no fixed time, and a phone call does not speed anything up: the phone is answered only by the general Citizen Information desk, which gives no information on the status of your case.
For your planning, this means: the four-month validity of the approval only starts when it is issued, so the waiting time does not eat into it. Your visa, your passport or the travel dates you gave for the EES proof keep running, though. After every request, check whether your proof will still fit at the end, and if possible only book non-refundable flights and accommodation once you have a date. What the approval is exactly and how long it is valid is explained in our guide Prøvelsesattest.
The most common reasons for requests
From our work with applications, these are the reasons we see most. They match exactly the requirements Familieretshuset itself sets out:
| Reason | What Familieretshuset asks for |
|---|---|
| Apostille or legalisation missing | documents from many countries outside the EU need an apostille from the issuing country, those from countries without the Apostille Convention a legalisation. In Europe this applies, among others, to Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Kosovo. |
| Incomplete translation | a translation by an authorised translator into Danish, English or German that also covers the apostille or all legalisation stamps, done before you apply |
| Divorce without proof of finality | for divorces outside the Nordic countries: the divorce document, an endorsement that the divorce is final and a translation with all endorsements |
| Lawful stay not proven | since 10 April 2026, for third-country nationals without a residence permit: a printout of the data and result pages of the EES calculator and plane or train tickets or boarding passes |
| Unusable passport photos or unsuitable passport | good-quality colour photos of every page including the cover and blank pages; passports from outside the EU valid at least 3 months beyond departure, 2 blank pages, at most 10 years old |
| Questions about the relationship | information on how long you have known each other, where you met, joint children and living together; possibly unedited photos of you as a couple or a meeting |
| Proof of single status in individual cases | a civil status certificate from your country of residence, for example if you do not live in Denmark, if there is a specific suspicion of an existing marriage, or as a spot check |
Which countries need an apostille or legalisation is shown in our country list 2026; who may translate is explained in our guide Certified translations. On divorce, read our guide Marrying in Denmark after a divorce, on your stay the EES proof, on questions about the relationship our guide Proof of relationship and the sham marriage check and on the civil status certificate our guide Certificate of marital status.
How to answer a request properly
- Read the letter carefully. What exactly is missing, for which of you, and by when? The deadline is in the letter.
- Send everything at once. Collect all the documents requested and send them in one complete answer. Every further query costs time again.
- Follow the same quality rules as for the application. The whole document with all corners, colour photos in high resolution, ideally taken with a phone rather than a scanner, even light without reflections, original file format, no compression and no images pasted into text documents.
- Deliver the translation and apostille complete. The apostille and all stamps must be translated as well.
- Answer through the right channel. With MitID through Digital Post, otherwise through Familieretshuset's contact form or the channel named in the letter; always with the case number and both your names. By post, send only copies to Ringkøbing, because paper letters are shredded after four weeks.
- Ask for an extension in time. If you cannot get a document in time, for example because the apostille is still in progress, ask in writing for more time before the deadline and attach proof.
What a refusal (afslag) means
An afslag is the decision not to issue the prøvelsesattest. It must be given in writing with reasons. In 2023, Familieretshuset made about 20,500 decisions and issued the approval in about 18,500 cases, which is 90 %. About 2,000 cases, or 10 %, ended without approval, through refusal, closure or withdrawal. According to Familieretshuset's statistics, they break down as follows:
| Reason | Share of cases without approval, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Other cases: closed because the couple did not cooperate, for example no answer came within the deadline, or withdrawn without any suspicion | 34 % |
| Lack of lawful stay | 33 % |
| Sham marriage | 19 % |
| Suspected forged documents | 7 % |
| Withdrawn after suspicion of forged documents | 5 % |
| Withdrawn after suspicion of a sham marriage | 2 % |
So a third of the cases without approval fail not on the merits but because an answer is missing. Another third fail on lawful stay; anyone who only has a German Duldung or a pending asylum case does not meet this condition, see Marrying with a Duldung and Marrying with refugee status.
The DKK 2,100 fee (about €281) is not refunded once the application has been submitted, not even after a refusal.
Can you appeal a refusal by Familieretshuset?
There is no appeal to Ankestyrelsen, the Danish appeals board for many official decisions: under section 39 of the Act on Familieretshuset, its decisions cannot be appealed to a higher administrative authority (Lov om Familieretshuset). What you can do depends on what was decided:
| Decision | What you can do | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Refusal of the prøvelsesattest because a condition is not met, for example missing documents or a sham marriage | ask Familieretshuset in writing to reconsider (genoptagelse); on request, the authority must reopen the case. The law excludes taking these decisions to court. | none stated in the law |
| Refusal of an exemption from the lawful stay requirement, non-recognition of a foreign divorce, refusal of a permission under section 7 of the Marriage Act or of overriding a guardian's consent | ask Familieretshuset to bring the decision before the family court (familieretten); before that, the authority can reopen the case itself, for example with significant new information or procedural errors | 4 weeks from notification; Familieretshuset still forwards late requests, and the court can accept them in special cases |
Whether your refusal falls into the first or the second group follows from the reasons given in the decision. Also check whether Familieretshuset considered an exemption regarding your stay at all: according to the guidance, it must do so of its own accord where there is reason to.
Reconsideration, family court or a new application: what fits when?
- A document was missing and you now have it: a new, complete application. According to the guidance, a refusal for missing documents does not prevent this, but you pay DKK 2,100 again.
- Familieretshuset overlooked or misunderstood something: ask in writing for reconsideration, with your case number, reasons and evidence.
- Your foreign divorce was not recognised: ask within 4 weeks for the case to go to the family court, or apply again once you have the missing proof, such as the endorsement of finality and a complete translation.
- Lawful stay was missing: a new application only helps once you can prove it, for example with a visa or a residence permit. How this works with a Schengen visa is explained in our guide Getting married on a Schengen visa.
- Refusal because of a sham marriage: get advice before applying again.
- The approval has expired: that is not a refusal, but here too you need a new application; more in our guide Prøvelsesattest.
How to avoid requests for documents
The surest route to a quick 5 working days is a complete application. Before submitting, check that each document carries the right apostille or legalisation, that the translations include the apostille, that a divorce has its endorsement of finality and that the proof of stay matches your travel dates. Which rules apply to your partner's nationality is shown on our page Marrying by country of origin, and our free eligibility check creates the right document list for you.
We submit applications to Familieretshuset regularly, and Alexander personally reads every application before it is submitted. In the Complete package for €649.99 including the fee, we check every document beforehand, file the application and answer requests for documents together with you; all services are on our prices page. If you applied yourselves and received a request, write to us via contact with what the letter says; we will tell you honestly whether and how we can help. Our case studies show how real cases went.
