Guide · Certified translations
Which documents need translating to get married in Denmark?
Preparing a marriage in Denmark follows Danish requirements. A German registry-office checklist is not a complete substitute.
Reviewed on 27 October 2026
The short answer
First select the appropriate route through Familieretshuset or the competent municipality. Official guidance identifies Danish, English or German translations by an authorised translator for foreign-language records. Check attachments and authentication for your documents too. Existing German records do not need English translation solely because the destination is Denmark.
Identify the appropriate Danish authority
Have both parties’ nationalities and residence status available. Familieretshuset distinguishes several application situations; save the checklist selected for your circumstances.
Check which records already exist in an accepted language. Separate assessment of marriage eligibility from the ceremony and any later registration in Germany.
Read more: Danish Agency of Family Law: international marriages
Check previous marriages and joint children by document
Match requested birth, residence and marital-status records to the correct people. For previous marriages, check which decisions or death records and attachments are required.
Send complete files including attached confirmations. Danish guidance extends required translations to Apostilles and legalisation entries; agree the final source set before commissioning.
Read more: Life in Denmark: documents and translation for the Agency of Family Law
Coordinate the application, file versions and dates
Keep drafts and final versions separate. Record which certificates have been uploaded and which must still be obtained so different document sets are not used in parallel.
Include the planned date in your enquiry without treating translation turnaround as the authority’s decision time. Monitor application questions and report changes to the document set promptly.
Your next steps
Select the appropriate Danish application route.
Match records to each person and family event.
Check accepted languages and additional pages.
Enquire with final sources, checklist and date.
More questions
Must everything be in English?
The cited guidance also identifies Danish and German. Check the accepted version of your actual document.
Is this the same checklist as a German registry office uses?
No. Use the competent Danish authority’s instructions for the Danish application.
Does ordering a translation book the wedding?
No. Translation, the official application and the wedding appointment must be organised separately.
Sources and further reading
- Danish Agency of Family Law: international marriages
- Life in Denmark: documents and translation for the Agency of Family Law
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