Documents to Get Married in Denmark: A Conditional Checklist for Both Partners

Short answer: there is no single document list that fits every couple. This guide focuses on international couples applying through the Danish Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset/FRH). Nationalities and the basis of each partner's residence determine whether FRH or a municipality handles the application; living outside Denmark alone does not decide jurisdiction. Check the official international-marriages overview for the relevant municipality routes, including Danish/Nordic cases and qualifying residence in Denmark. The documents depend on each partner's nationality, residence, legal stay and previous marriages. Start from the branches below, then confirm the list for your own case before ordering anything abroad.

Baseline identification for an FRH application

• A valid passport is the baseline. An EU citizen may use an accepted national ID card instead. Non-EU citizens need a passport or accepted travel document that meets the official conditions, including validity; a national ID card is not a general substitute.
• Provide clear colour photos of all passport pages, including blank pages and the front and back covers. Keep all corners and edges visible, without glare or blur. For an accepted EU national ID, photograph both sides. Follow the official application and image-quality instructions.
• A completed application with both partners' details, submitted with the FRH application fee (currently DKK 2,100). This is not a universal fee for every Danish wedding.
• Answers about where each partner lives and your marital history, given accurately for both of you.

Notice what is not on this list. Some websites tell everyone to bring a birth certificate, a "certificate of no impediment" or a civil-status certificate. These can be relevant in individual cases, but the official guidance does not establish them as universal requirements, so do not order them until you know they apply to you.

Shared residence and children: conditional documents

If you live together outside Denmark, FRH asks for a residence certificate or equivalent evidence of your shared residence. If you have children together, provide your children's birth certificates. Include the original-language documents and translations into Danish, English or German where required. These branches are not a universal requirement for the couple's own birth certificates.

When one or both partners have been married before

If a previous marriage ended, the authority needs documentation that it has legally ended:

• Divorced: the final divorce decree or equivalent document showing the divorce is final.
• Widowed: the death certificate of the former spouse. Provide additional evidence of the relationship only if the authority requests it.
• Annulled or other: the decision ending the marriage. Unusual situations are assessed individually.

Each previous marriage counts, not only the most recent one. If papers come from several countries, or a divorce was granted in a different country from the marriage, expect closer review. Our previously married page explains this further.

Legal stay for non-EU/EEA citizens

A partner who is not an EU/EEA citizen must document legal entry and stay in the Schengen area. What that evidence looks like depends on how you travel:

The EES cutoff of 10 April 2026 matters because entry stamps are being replaced by electronic records. Follow the official Schengen legal-stay and EES guidance for the exact printouts and the separate rules for earlier entry/exit. For maritime travel, ask the authority which evidence it accepts; do not substitute cruise paperwork by assumption.

Translation and authentication are decided per document

The authority states that foreign documents may need to be translated and, depending on the issuing country, authenticated (for example with an apostille or legalisation). This is decided per document and per issuing country. The accepted document languages are Danish, English or German. Where translation is required, use an authorised translator and include relevant apostille endorsements, stamps and markings. Norwegian and Swedish are not automatically accepted alternatives. Simplified EU rules apply to covered public documents, not to everything issued in an EU country. Before paying for translations or apostilles, check what is needed for the specific document. Our apostille guide explains the difference between preparing documents before applying and handling the Danish certificate afterwards.

Case-preparation checklist

1. Passport or accepted travel document for each partner, or accepted national ID for an EU citizen, checked for validity and photographed as instructed.
2. Each partner's country of residence and nationality written down separately.
3. Legal-stay evidence for any non-EU/EEA partner, matching the route in the table above.
4. Final divorce, death or annulment documents for every previous marriage.
5. A list of the countries that issued each document.
6. A note of documents or relevant stamps/apostille text not in Danish, English or German, with authorised translations where required.
7. Shared-residence evidence if living together abroad, and birth certificates for children you have together.
8. A record of any earlier application or refusal.

What cannot be guaranteed

Nobody outside the authority can guarantee that a document will be accepted, that no further documents will be requested, or that the requirements will not change. We check documents against current guidance before a managed submission, but the decision belongs to Familieretshuset.

Next step

If you would like this list worked out for your situation, use the free case assessment enquiry. We review your answers and tell you what appears to apply before you pay for a service.

General information, not legal advice. The Danish authorities and municipalities make all decisions.