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It is likely if you are reading this that you are looking at or considering how to get married abroad, or you have already chosen a wedding in Denmark – and a huge congratulations to you! Next step is to get your your application for a marriage license submitted and documents approved by the Danish Agency of Family Law - which is called the Familierethuset. And be issued a Marital Status Certificate to get married.
This article explains simply the process and changes in the Danish marriage
rules and laws since January 2019 – as there is a lot of out of date information
out there, but if you are looking for a simple wedding, or a dream about marrying
on one of the stunning Danish Islands, Denmark is still an easy place to get
married abroad. How to get married abroad is a common question and here in
this article we will answer that question.
Historically, Denmark has always been seen as the “Las Vegas” of Europe, but if
you thought about getting married in Vegas, but wanted to stay in Europe then a
Danish elopement may be for you. A refuge and bolt hole for wonderful people
in love who found it difficult through residency, citizenship, religious, or sexual
orientation reasons to marry in their home countries. It is still one of the best
places to get married in Europe.
Also there is little or no residency required, so should you wish to elope and
marry quickly – and lets be real and honest here, sometimes you need to marry
for administrative purposes and separate it from the romance and mass social
event. For example, moving to an Arab country, or an unexpected (but welcome!)
little bundle of joy arriving.
Why did everything change in 2019?
There are also a video guide available on our YouTube channel about the Danish Agency of Family law, what they are, what they are not, and what part they play in the process of getting married in Denmark.
In 2018 a new Government unit along with the four political parties got together to put into place a method to change the ways marriage documents are processed to try and stop sham or proforma marriages. Some of these were being done by criminal groups using the easy relaxed rules to obtain EU residency permits.
So as of January 1st 2019, rather than each Town Hall respectively looking after their own couples and each one having different variations on documents – it is now handled by a central unit and all documents for each Town Hall are standardized. Which has altered the cost, process and documents – but it is still SUPER easy to marry in Denmark.
Who can marry in Denmark?
Thankfully Denmark and the Danes in general are all about the love! And it is very easy for any couples of any gender, nationality, sexual orientation to marry.
There are many venues also just over the German border, and the Marriage Certificates are issued in German, Danish, English, Spanish & French – so it is a particularly appealing venue for Germans, as the process, bureaucracy and
paperwork in Germany to marry is much greater. So if it is a registry office wedding, a marriage on a Danish Island, getting married in Denmark is one of the best places to get married abroad.
How to do it
There are a variety of wedding agencies and wedding planners out there, all offering slightly different things and services depending on what you want and what your budget is. You can do it yourself, with the new Central Government Unit it is not as simple as it was before to do it yourself – but it is possible. You can see if some agencies offer an SOS service to give post application help as a safety net.
If you want to go for an Agency, choose one that you feel you can trust, and that is responsive to the initial enquiries. You are going to be working with this Agency for the organization of one of the biggest events of your life (whether it just be to get the paperwork in place or as a romantic elopement), so you need to feel it is a shared project rather than another file for them.
What you need to know
Think about your time frame, a marriage license issued from the Danish Government is only valid for a ceremony 4 months from the date of issue. So if you want to marry in 18 months time, do not make your application now as you
will have to pay the €217 Government processing fee again as your license will expire, this is the cost to get married in Denmark. The Government office state they will come back to you within 5 working days, but in reality this is more like 15, it will generally be faster if you are working with an Agency.
Think about your location, and whether the venue you are looking at has ceremonies on the days that you want to marry, and what the connections are from the airport or your place of arrival into Denmark. Copenhagen City Hall is an amazingly beautiful venue, and the city is gorgeous, so much to do, hotels, restaurants, Airbnbs, shopping, the inner harbor – the energy is amazing. It is a stunning backdrop for your wedding! City Hall has an online calendar for you to book, and generally is booked at least 4-6 weeks in advance.
https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/copenhagen-visitor-service
There are many other venues all over Denmark and near the German border, and
you can marry as quickly as a few days after you are approved. Getting married in a registry office is a wonderful option to get the legal side of the marriage done when planning a wedding abroad.
Required Documents - Contact us for a free no obligation documents list HERE
Due to the central unit handling this can be slightly different for each situation and case, and if you are NON EU, EU, VISA or Permit holder. And the website does not accurately reflect this.
- Passports
- Residency permit/VISA/EU stamp
- Divorce or Death Certificate
- Evidence you are living together (if applicable)
- Birth certificates of any SHARED children.
- You no longer need a Marital Status document or a Birth certificate
Once approved
You just need to book the town hall you chose in your application for the wedding date that you would like, and confirm with them the document presentation requirements (which are usually the business day before). And also if they provide witnesses, or if you are taking them to let the town hall know
The Ceremony
This is usually held in a ceremony room in the Town Hall, unless you are having a special open external venue. The registrar will deliver a very nice short 10 minute speech, where you will be asked if you want to marry each other.
You can exchange rings and add your own vows if you would like. You then kiss and sign the register – and you are a married couple!
Once you have both signed the register the marriage is legal and bound, and you are issued 2 copies of the International Marriage Certificate by the registrar right there and then, and you are free to leave Denmark.
After the ceremony
If you would like to have the Marriage certificate or certificates legalized after your ceremony, you can do this yourself at the sit and wait service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen and you can find the details on the link www.um.dk
The Legalisation office is easy to find, it is just off the metro stop Christianshaven, near the inner harbour, go in, take a number, and your receipt of pre payment.
Or you can take a Legalisation service if you have to leave, and it will be couriered back to you. They also offer a postal service.
And do not forget to look into how or if you need to register the marriage once you are back home!
"I can really see the positives in getting married in Denmark, it is a lovely country, welcoming to all situations, there is no such thing as a complicated situation for a good wedding planner with experience, they are well placed for International couples for documents and location.
And the Marriage certificates are legally recognized worldwide." Says Leanne an expert wedding planner in Denmark
If you are thinking of Getting married in Denmark, and can see that is an easy place to marry abroad, looking for where to get married fast, register to get married, then please visit www.marryabroadsimply.com, where we can take you
through the process.
We can offer you a free documents list to show what is required to get married in Denmark.
Please contact us anytime via our contacts page by clicking here by e-mail at [email protected] or call us on +447934933356 or what’s app +4571493483
We would love to hear from you! And please do get in touch for a FREE no obligation documents list.
