Documents Needed to Get Married in Denmark
For most international couples, the starting point is valid identification and evidence of lawful stay in Denmark. Additional documents depend on your circumstances, particularly previous marriages, children together and a shared address abroad. Use this guide to prepare what applies to you before submitting the application.
This guide covers the standard international application to the Danish Agency of Family Law. For the full sequence from preparation to ceremony, see getting married in Denmark step by step.
Can you marry without your own birth certificate
Your own birth certificates are not on the Agency of Family Law's standard preparation list for an international marriage application. You should not need to obtain them as part of the usual document package. Follow any additional request made in your individual case.
Birth certificates are relevant when you have children together: the Agency's preparation list asks for birth certificates for your joint children. These are your children's documents, not the applicants' own certificates.
Do you need a single-status certificate
A separate foreign civil-status or single-status certificate, sometimes called a Certificate of No Impediment, is not on the Agency's current standard preparation list. Do not order one automatically. You must still declare your marital history truthfully and document the end of any previous marriage.
The Danish Certificate of Marital Status, or prøvelsesattest, is different: it is the approval you receive after your application is assessed. You need it before the ceremony. If the Agency requests additional proof of your marital status, check exactly which document it needs before ordering it.
Identification for each partner
A valid passport is the usual identification document. EU citizens may use a valid national identity card accepted for travel instead.
• For a passport, include every page, every blank page and both covers in clear colour photographs.
• For an EU identity card, include the front and back in colour.
• Show the complete document with all corners and edges visible.
• Keep names and document numbers consistent throughout the application.
Non-EU/EEA travellers should also check the entry rules for their passport: it generally needs to have been issued within the previous ten years, contain at least two blank pages and remain valid for at least three months beyond the intended stay.
Evidence of lawful entry and stay
The appropriate evidence may be a Schengen visa, visa-free travel evidence, a Schengen residence permit or citizenship-based rights. A residence permit from a country outside Schengen does not automatically give permission to visit Denmark.
Keep evidence of your intended or actual travel dates, including relevant tickets, boarding passes and entry records. Follow the current application instructions for EES calculator information where requested. Our tourist visa guide explains how travel permission differs from marriage approval.
Documents connected to your circumstances
Previous marriage or registered partnership
Provide final evidence of how the previous relationship legally ended: a divorce decree, death certificate or annulment decision, as applicable. A separation alone is not a final divorce. The document must clearly identify the relevant parties and demonstrate finality.
If you currently have a registered partnership with each other, ask how that specific partnership is treated before arranging a dissolution or a new marriage.
Shared address outside Denmark
If you live together abroad, prepare a residence certificate or similar evidence of your joint address. Submit information that accurately describes your arrangement. Couples who live apart should say so rather than try to produce evidence of a shared home.
Children you have together
Prepare the birth certificates of your joint children and any required translations. This requirement should not be confused with obtaining birth or baptism certificates for either adult applicant.
Relationship information
If relationship evidence is requested, explain how you met and how the relationship developed. Support your timeline with a selection of dated photographs, communication and visits. A short, well-organised account is easier to follow than a large collection of unexplained screenshots.
Other circumstances
Name changes, differing spellings, guardianship, military residence arrangements or a relevant Section 11b declaration may require additional information. Our nationality guides explain why your residence basis and the issuing country of a document matter alongside your passport.
Translation and authentication
Where translation is required, use an authorised translation into Danish, English or German. Include the original-language document and translate the full content, including stamps, seals and apostille or legalisation endorsements.
Authentication depends on the document and its issuing country. A foreign supporting document must be authenticated through the appropriate route in its country of origin. Read our apostille guide to distinguish this from an apostille on your Danish marriage certificate after the wedding.
Photograph documents so they are readable
• Place the document flat and use even lighting.
• Hold the camera directly above it and avoid glare or shadows.
• Check small text, stamps and security details before uploading.
• Use clear still-image files accepted by the form, rather than Live Photo files or compressed messaging-app copies.
Before you submit
Open each upload and check that nothing is missing or cut off. Complete the marriage application only when the relevant documents are ready. Correct preparation can prevent avoidable follow-up questions, although approval and processing time remain the Agency's decision.
Get your personal document list
Contact Copenhagen Weddings with both partners' nationalities, residence countries, marital history and preferred dates. We can help identify the documents that apply before you spend money on translations or certificates.