How to Get Married in Denmark – The Full Process Explained
- Updated: Juli 24, 2026
Getting married in Denmark is simple – but only when you understand each of the steps and what is required of you from start to finish. Get any of the steps wrong and you’ll experience long delays.
This page is your complete guide of the entire process, from preparing your documents to celebrating your wedding day and everything in between!
Whether you’re an EU / non-EU couple, same-sex couple, or marrying on a tourist visa, this is where to start.
Ihr Weg bis zur Hochzeit im Überblick
- Schritt 1: Warum ist Dänemark die richtige Wahl für Sie? → Warum Dänemark?
- Schritt 2: Prepare your documents → Get it right first time
- Schritt 3: Submit your application → The Marriage Process (you’re here)
- Schritt 4: Buchen Sie Ihre Trauung → Rathäuser und Standorte
- Schritt 5: Feiern Sie Ihre inklusive Hochzeit → LGBTQ+-Hochzeiten
Step 1: Prepare Your Documents
Before you can apply, your paperwork must be complete and correct.
While the documents required are straightforward, your documents must be prepared to adhere to the Danish Agency of Family Law’s very strict requirements. Get this preparation wrong and you’ll encounter long delays.
- See which documents you will need to prepare for your application
Step 2: Submit Your Application to the AFL
Once your documents are ready and properly prepared, the next stage is submitting your application to the Agency of Family Law (AFL). The AFL is the Danish government agency that is responsible for processing and approving all international marriage applications. You cannot get married in Denmark if your application has not been approved by the AFL.
You (or your chosen agency) will upload your carefully prepared documents through the official AFL portal and pay the required processing fee.
- Read more about the AFL and why getting your application right the first time is so important.
Step 3: How the AFL Reviews and Approves Your Application
After submission, the AFL reviews every file carefully to make sure all legal requirements are met. Here’s what happens behind the scenes:
- Document verification: ID checks, are you legally able to travel to Denmark (visa / passport stamp checks), that residence details are valid and consistent and that your relationship is a genuine and stable one.
- Additional questions: If anything is unclear or your documents do not meet their requirements, the AFL will ask for clarification, resubmission or extra documents.
- Approval timeline: By Danish law, the AFL has to respond to your initial application within five working days (see this stated on the AFL website).
- If your application is not approved the first time: then you will encounter delays, sometimes of up to 6 months
By choosing to apply through an experienced Danish marriage agency, your file will be checked and formatted in the precise way the AFL requires, preventing unnecessary delays and fast approval.
Need help submitting your AFL application correctly?
- Get guidance with our Complete Service
Step 4: Receive Your Approval & Book Your Ceremony
Once your approval is issued by the AFL, it’s then time to contact your preferred town hall and book your wedding date!
If you have chosen an agency to help you with your wedding in Denmark, then they will be able to take care of this part for you too!
Learn how to pick and book your location:
- Explore Town Halls & Wedding Locations
Step 5: Get Married in Denmark
It’s time to come to Denmark and get married! The final step in the bureaucratic process – you must present your travel documents to the marriage office before you can get married. Once this is done, you can relax into your day, enjoy your ceremony and celebrate becoming newlyweds!
Afterwards, you’ll receive two international marriage certificates which are yours to take home with you immediately after your ceremony. Make sure to check before you get married, if you need them legalised with an Apostille stamp!
- Learn more about the Apostille legalisation!
Tip: Do you want to get married fast?
There can be any number of reasons why couples want to get married quickly;
- expiring visas,
- pregnancy,
- tax reasons (yes really)
- the rush of being in love and being in the moment…
We hear it all!
Whatever your reasons, there are things you can do to help move forward through the process quickly, if that’s what you need to do!
- Tips for How to Get Married in Denmark Fast!
Häufige Fragen
Wer kann in Dänemark heiraten?
Menschen aus der ganzen Welt können in Dänemark heiraten - und zwar unabhängig vom Geschlecht. Die einzige Ausnahme könnte bestehen, wenn Sie aktuell den Aufenthaltsstatus eines Asylbewerbers oder Flüchtlings haben.
Dürfen gleichgeschlechtliche Paare in Dänemark heiraten?
Ja, natürlich!
Dänemark ist ein beliebtes Ziel für gleichgeschlechtliche Paare, die heiraten möchten.
Dänemark war das erste Land der Welt, das 1989 gleichgeschlechtliche Ehen anerkannte. Inzwischen wurde diese Regelung durch ein neues Gesetz für die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe ersetzt.
Bedingungen für die Eheschließung in Dänemark
Heiraten in Dänemark ist sehr einfach, aber es gelten auch einige strenge Vorgaben.
Sie müssen mindestens 18 Jahre alt sein, um in Dänemark heiraten zu können.
Wenn einer von Ihnen schon einmal verheiratet war, muss diese Ehe rechtskräftig aufgelöst worden sein, bevor Sie erneut heiraten können.
To get married in Denmark you need to be able to legally enter the country. Therefore you need to either have a valid visa or a type of residency that allows entry into Denmark.
Wann sollten wir mit der Planung unserer Hochzeit beginnen?
Der wichtigste Teil des gesamten Prozesses ist natürlich Ihr Hochzeitstag und wir hoffen, dass Sie so bald wie möglich mit der Planung beginnen können.
We always advise you to wait until we have processed your documents. We also recommend that you wait until the town hall of your choice has confirmed the date of your ceremony.
Danach können Sie mit vollem Eifer mit der Planung Ihrer Hochzeit und Ihres Aufenthalts in Dänemark beginnen.
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Rasmus Clarck Sørensen
Gründungspartner und digitaler Hausmeister bei GMiD