Getting married in Denmark: Costs, requirements, documents and how does it work for foreigners

Looking for a beautiful location for your wedding, somewhere which is known for efficient, easy and streamlined marriage processes? You may want to learn more about how to get married in Denmark.

This guide looks at how to apply to get married in Denmark, and what the process looks like as an Irish citizen. Plus if you’re marrying overseas, we suggest ways to save on foreign exchange fees with the Wise Account, which offers simple and secure currency exchange with the mid-market rate and low, transparent fees.

Wise: EUR and DKK
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Why do people get married in Denmark?

Before we look at how to get married in Denmark for foreigners let’s start out with a few great reasons why you might want to:

• Denmark boasts a great selection of beautiful locations to host a wedding and come away with fantastic photos
• Denmark is known for having simple and streamlined marriage bureaucracy, and there’s no language barrier as processes can be managed in English
• Marriages in Denmark are globally recognised, and there’s no need to be a Danish resident
• Denmark is inclusive and allows same sex marriages, with plenty of wedding agencies on hand to help you plan.

How to get married in Denmark as an Irish citizen?

Marriage in Denmark falls under the jurisdiction of the Danish Agency of Family Law¹. The exact process, documents and rules about marriage may depend on your situation, but everything is set out pretty clearly in the information provided by the Danish authorities if you ever have any questions.

Getting married as Irish residents of Denmark

If you and your partner have permanent residence in Denmark, you must apply to marry at the municipality where you reside.² You’ll be able to learn more about the process in your specific location, through your municipality.

Getting married in Denmark as Irish citizens living in Ireland

If you’re an Irish citizen living in Ireland, you’ll need to provide some extra paperwork to get married in Denmark.³

The specific documents needed might vary a little bit depending on whether both you and your partner are from the EU or an EEA country, and whether you’ve always lived in Ireland or moved around.⁴

Broadly speaking though, you must prove you’re legally entitled to enter Denmark for the purpose of your marriage, and you need a certificate showing you’re free to legally marry. We’ll look at this in more detail later.

One more common question - can you get married in Denmark with a tourist visa? Getting married in Denmark with a tourist visa is possible, but bear in mind that rules are in place to prevent sham marriages, and the authorities may ask for more details about you and your relationship if there’s any reason to suggest that your marriage is specifically in order to gain residence in Denmark or another European country.

How to get married in Denmark as a foreigner living in Ireland?

If you’re getting married in Denmark, requirements may vary a bit depending on where you and your partner are originally from, and where you reside ordinarily now.

If you’re a foreigner living in Ireland, you’ll need to provide the Danish authorities with a Certification of Marital Status which must be either originally or translated into Danish, English, or German.

Depending on the situation you may need to provide this paperwork from Ireland, your home country, or any other country where you’ve lived for a significant period of time. For documents originating from some countries, you also need an apostille - a form of legalisation of your document.

If you’re an Irish citizen, living in Ireland with a partner from elsewhere, and planning a Danish marriage, you’ll need to provide a certificate of freedom to marry from Ireland.⁵

What documents do I need to get married in Denmark?

The basics of what you need to get married in Denmark are the same, no matter where you and your partner come from. However, the specifics may vary slightly, so it is important to read the rules very carefully before you apply to be married.

The key document you need is your Certification of Marital Status which is proof you are not already married. You’ll also need to be over 18 and have the legal right to enter Denmark for the wedding.

In practice this means you need:

• Your passport and a visa if one is needed to enter Denmark
• A Certification of Marital Status or the equivalent from the country you reside in.

If your Certification of Marital Status is in a foreign language other than English or German, it must be translated. And in some cases it also has to be apostilled.

If you’re at all unsure about the documents needed you can contact the Danish embassy or consulate in your country of residence to check what’s required.

How much does it cost to get married in Denmark?

The actual cost of getting married in Denmark can be extremely low if you plan to set everything up yourself and only pay the absolutely necessary fees. Or you might choose to employ an agency to offer support - this can make the planning process simpler, and make sure you get everything arranged correctly the first time.

Here are some example prices for getting married in Denmark:

*Details correct at time of research - 21st March 2025

Use Wise when you get married in Denmark

While you’re thinking about arranging your Danish wedding, why not also open a Wise Account and order a Wise card for simple, low cost ways to send and spend Danish Krone.

Hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account, including DKK and EUR. You can use your account to send fast low cost payments to Denmark to cover agency and official marriage fees, and order your Wise card to spend and withdraw money in the local currency when you arrive in Denmark for your wedding.

Make cash withdrawals to get krone in cash on arrival - with 2 free withdrawals up to 200 EUR a month before any Wise fee begins. And then just tap and pay with your physical card, or use your Wise virtual card with a wallet like Apple Pay.

Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate with no markups, and with low and transparent fees. That keeps down the costs of converting currencies and makes spending overseas simple.

Open your personal Wise Account
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FAQ about getting married in Denmark

Can you get married in Denmark without an agency?

Yes. You can manage all of the processes required for your marriage yourself if you would like to. Use the information provided online by the Danish Agency of Family Law to understand how this works, and avoid agency costs entirely.

Do you need witnesses to get married in Denmark?

You’ll need 2 witnesses for your marriage in Denmark. This is usually friends or family members, but if you’re unable to provide your own witnesses, the venue you’re marrying in may be able to help with this.

How long does it take to get married in Denmark?

A Danish wedding ceremony can take as little as ten minutes - but you’ll need to make sure you have all your paperwork lined up well in advance.

Getting a Certificate of Freedom to Marry in Ireland can be done 4 months prior to your marriage date, and the turnaround time for your Danish marriage license is likely to be about 5 days as long as you provide all of the required information and documents. If you do not, processing time can take 6 weeks or more.

Can same sex couples get married in Denmark?

Yes. Denmark is known for its inclusivity and accepts same sex marriage.

What are the most common places to get married in Denmark?

One of the most common places to get married in Denmark is in a town hall. Different town halls offer wedding services in different ways - some operate daily, while some only have the option for marriages on certain days of the week.

Other options include hotels, specialist wedding venues, beaches and other outdoor locations. Contact the town hall or venue you’re interested in using in advance to check the options available.

Sources used:

1. Familiereshuset - international marriage
2. Familiereshuset - marriage for permanent residents of Denmark
3. Familiereshuset - marriage for EU/EEA citizens
4. Familiereshuset - marriage for non EU/EEA citizens
5. Citizens information - Certificate of freedom to marry

Sources last checked on date: 21-03-2025