Apostille for a Danish Marriage Certificate
An apostille confirms the official origin of your Danish marriage certificate for use abroad. You only need one if the authority receiving the certificate requires it. Check this before paying for legalisation.
Ask the receiving authority whether it needs an apostille, a translation and a physical original or an electronic document. These requirements depend on the country and the purpose for which you will use the certificate.
Is an apostille always needed
No. Some authorities accept the certificate without additional authentication. Within the EU, rules on certain public documents remove legalisation requirements for covered documents presented to public authorities in another member state. Translation and recognition of marriage itself are separate questions.
If the receiving country does not use the Apostille Convention for the document concerned, a different legalisation route may be necessary. Get the required sequence from the receiving authority before paying for a service.
Before and after the wedding are different processes
Foreign documents for marriage application
A supporting document issued abroad, such as a divorce decree, may need authentication before Denmark will accept it. This is handled through the competent authorities in the issuing country.
Nationality alone does not decide the requirement. See our nationality guides and required documents guide for how a document's origin affects preparation.
Your Danish marriage certificate
After the wedding, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles apostilles on eligible Danish marriage certificates. The municipality that registered the civil marriage issues the certificate.
Arrange this after the wedding using the marriage certificate issued by the municipality. The Certificate of Marital Status is your pre-wedding approval and serves a different purpose.
Ask these questions first
• Do you require an apostille for this specific use?
• Must the marriage certificate be physically original?
• Will you accept an electronic apostille?
• Is a translation needed, and must it include the apostille?
• Are there further registration or embassy requirements?
Keep the reply so you can order the correct certificate and service.
Obtain an acceptable certificate
For a physical submission, ask the municipality for a certificate with an original handwritten signature. A scan or printout of that paper document is not an equivalent original for legalisation.
Electronic submission has its own requirements. Receiving a PDF by email does not automatically mean it has a certified digital signature. Follow the Ministry's instructions for digitally signed documents or eligible direct forwarding from Digital Post.
Purchase and submit the apostille request
Make the legalisation purchase through the Ministry's web shop before submitting or forwarding the certificate. Use the submission route appropriate to the document: personal attendance, post or courier for a physical original, or an eligible digital route.
Consult the Ministry's marriage-certificate instructions for current submission and collection details.
Cost and timing
The 2026 official fee is DKK 250 per document, around €35. Return delivery and optional assistance cost extra. See the full wedding costs guide to keep this separate from the marriage-application fee.
An eligible document submitted in person may be legalised during the visit, subject to the Office's arrangements and capacity. For documents received by post or courier, the published estimate is five to seven working days after receipt, with longer handling possible during busy periods. Delivery adds time.
Avoid common mistakes
• Ordering an apostille without checking that it is needed.
• Sending a scan instead of the required physical original.
• Assuming every PDF qualifies for an electronic apostille.
• Asking Denmark to apostille a foreign-issued document.
• Translating the certificate while omitting endorsements that also need translation.
Recognition and registration abroad
An apostille does not automatically register the marriage in another country. Ask where the certificate must be submitted and what happens next. For same-sex couples, recognition can also depend on local law; our same-sex marriage guide explains this distinction.
Help after your wedding
Copenhagen Weddings can explain the Danish document process and the practical next steps. Contact us with the receiving authority's requirements, and use our wedding checklist to keep post-wedding tasks together.