Getting Married in Europe Between People of Different Nationalities

I honestly don’t know what the process is like for two nationals in your country getting married in your own country, but even in Denmark, it could be done faster—in just a couple of weeks. That might be interesting for you.

As for me, currently living in Berlin, I married someone of German nationality. Initially, we wanted to get married in Berlin for convenience. If that’s your case, here are the instructions from the Spanish embassy.

But when we saw that the paperwork would take a long time and that there was no way to speed up the process, we made a Plan B—Denmark.

Paperwork in Germany and Finland

In a future post, I’ll go into detail about getting married in Finland, but for now, here are the instructions provided by the Spanish embassy in Finland (you have to, of course, check your own embassy website). They’re slightly different from those in Berlin and always subject to change depending on the spouses’ nationalities. It’s easier if both are from the EU and harder if not.

Some common requirements in both countries:

• A literal and/or multilingual birth certificate (they are two different things). You can request it here, but it takes several weeks.
• A certificate of residence covering the last two years.
• Patience: The Spanish embassy is the bottleneck, so it’s best to start the process about three months in advance.

Paperwork in Denmark

Why do I mention the previous point? Because of the patience required and the long timeframe involved.

We barely made it, but in the end, the German administration rejected my international birth certificate because Spain hadn’t filled in all the required fields.

If you have to request the same document, make sure to ask for all fields to be filled in. If you receive it missing any optional fields, insist that they complete them. Otherwise, you’ll waste time and money, as I did.

And in Denmark? You don’t even need it. You basically only need the following for both spouses:

• A sworn declaration that you are legally eligible to marry (e.g., single/widowed/divorced, with proof for the latter two cases—if single, a simple sworn statement in plain language and signed is enough).
• Identification documents (EU/EEA ID or passport).
• Proof of residence for the last two years.

And that’s it. With these documents, the form, and the fees, you’re all set. The paperwork takes five business days, and you’ll know whether you’re approved or not.

How to Get Married in Denmark: The Steps

Besides reading what I’ve written here, I recommend checking the official government source, just in case anything has changed since I published this. You can find it on the International Marriage page of the Familieretshuset (something like Denmark’s family affairs office).

Step 1: Deciding Where to Get Married in Denmark

The first step is to decide where—in which municipality or Kommune—you want to get married. Below, I’ve compiled a table with (I believe) all the ones I found, in no particular order. You can contact them (I used email when available or the contact form on their website) to check if they have availability for your preferred date and reserve it.

In Denmark, as in Finland, people speak good English, so there’s no problem calling or writing.

The most common option—if you don’t live in northern Germany or can’t drive there—is to fly to Copenhagen and get married there.

This is what they replied when I asked about available dates:

At the moment, there is high demand for weddings at Copenhagen City Hall. The earliest available appointment in our system is currently (two months after I wrote to them).
Appointments booked through this system are free of charge.
However, we also offer weddings outside of regular working hours on Mondays and Fridays at City Hall for a fee of 1,500 DKK (€201.10).

E-mail from the Wedding’s section

If you change your mind about the Kommune, you can always write to Familieretshuset and request that they send the marriage certificate to a different Kommune. That’s what we did—we initially chose one that was convenient for driving, but once our application was approved, we couldn’t find a suitable date.

It’s better to do the opposite of what we did: book your date first, or start the process earlier (the certificate is valid for 4–6 months after approval).

Important Notes:

1. Vacations: In Denmark, people take vacations in July and early August (weeks 28–32 of the year), so securing a date during these weeks will be extra difficult. Start early!
2. Witnesses: Some Kommunes require one or two witnesses, while others don’t. In some cases, the witnesses can be municipal employees, but in others, you’ll need to bring a friend as a witness. Check the requirements of your chosen Kommune.

Step 2: Paperwork and Application

Before anything else: Documents must be translated into English or German.

The required documents vary depending on three scenarios:

• Both spouses are from Nordic countries.
• Both spouses are from the EU and/or Switzerland.
• Other cases.

I’m focusing on EU/Swiss citizens. If your case is different, check the Familieretshuset website for guidance.

To apply, you’ll need to register with your email and phone number and complete the necessary information, including details about how you met and your relationship. As a fun fact, one of the questions asked is: “How did you meet?” The two options given are “online” and “other.” A sign of the times.

By the way, can you imagine meeting on Tinder and getting married at the Kommune of Tønder? And if the idea of Tindering in Finland intrigues you, here are some guys and girls you might find on Tinder in Finland.

The form can be completed over a week, so there’s no need to block too much time for it. If you’re missing a document or need to discuss something with your future spouse, you can always save your progress and continue later. If you can’t provide a required document, you must clearly explain why. They will review your reasons and may call you during processing to clarify.

Remember, all documents and responses must be translated into English, Danish, or German. For example: the original + a translated copy. If in doubt, it’s best to re-read their website, call them (expect a 20-minute wait), or email them.

At the end of the process, you’ll receive a version to print, which must be printed and signed by hand (NO digital signatures). You then send them scanned copies or photos of the signed pages. Interestingly, they prefer photos over scans.

Once the form is completed, you can pay the fee by card or bank transfer. The cost is 1,900 Danish kroner (about €255).

Five business days later, you’ll receive your response and the certificate. Once issued, the certificate is valid for 4–6 months.

Step 3: Going to the Kommune

Some Kommunes require you to visit a day before or in the morning (if your appointment is in the afternoon) to show your original documents. This takes five minutes.

We traveled by train from Berlin to Velje, Denmark, arriving at 2 AM due to Deutsche Bahn delays (planned arrival time was 22h).

The next morning, we went to the municipal office, where they checked our documents and gave us our appointment for the ceremony. The ceremony took place that afternoon in a beautiful old town hall.

The whole process was quick—just a couple of formal questions to make it feel more like a real wedding than just signing paperwork. Five minutes later, we had our international marriage certificates and a small gift from the city.

We opened up some champagne and after finishing the bottle we took the Tesla (of course, the driver didn’t have a drink) and we made our way back to Germany. Some weeks later we celebrated with friends and family in Berlin.

Paperwork Upon Returning

Unfortunately, the paperwork doesn’t end there and the guide on how to get married in Denmark needs to address it too.

Remember to update your legal status with all the necessary authorities: civil registry, employer, tax office, insurance companies, etc.

At the time of writing, I still need to submit the form for registering our marriage at the Spanish Civil Registry, but there’s no rush—the important part is done!

Seems Complicated. Should I Use One of the Many Agencies Advertising This?

Many agencies promise to handle the paperwork for you and increase your chances of a positive resolution due to their experience.

Once I moved from research to actually doing it, I found the process straightforward and clear.

If you’re nervous, have 300–500 EUR to spare, or don’t have time to handle everything yourself, using an agency is an option. They might be particularly useful if one or both of you are non-European, to ensure everything goes smoothly. However, as an EU citizen, I found it simple. You’ll have to give the agency power of attorney. Here is the formulary to do so.

Budget for Getting Married in Denmark

One important question: How much does it cost?

Here’s what we spent:

• Application fee (Familieretshuset): 254.75 EUR
• Hotels: 184.00 EUR
• Transport (ours and witnesses’): 223.70 EUR
• Food: 135.00 EUR
• Miscellaneous expenses: 100.00 EUR
• Total: Just under 1,000 EUR

By the way, was there a surname change?

This is something that interests a lot of people, and the answer for us was: no.

The Spanish embassy advised us against it, giving a long and thoughtful explanation—including reasons related to the surnames of potential offspring—in plain terms: children. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the details very well, but in any case, neither of us wanted to change our surnames, so we were both happy that it was also the recommended option.

Of course, if you get married in Finland and want your surname to end in -nen, that’s pretty cool.

That’s it for this guide on how to get married in Denmark, including the steps and requirements.

Have you ever considered getting married in a Nordic country? What do you think of Denmark’s fast, simple, and low-bureaucracy process?

If you’ve gotten married in Finland and want to share your experience in a first-person post, get in touch with us, and we’ll arrange it for a future article.

The post How to Get Married in Denmark – A Practical and Easy Guide appeared first on Big In Finland.

AI and Finland

Finnish Stereotypes

We’ve talked at length on the blog about Finnish stereotypes.

For example, using real data, we’ve discussed the average Finnish man and woman (a post I should revisit, updating the figures based on inflation in Europe since its publication) and even their shopping list (ES).

You can find our full list of posts about surprising things about Finns at this link.

In any case, let’s look at the stereotypes that AI has uncovered through its training data.

The Most Finnish Finn

Without further ado, here’s what AI thinks is the most Finnish Finn in the world.

The Most Finnish Finn in the World (AI-generated): Here’s what a LLM creates.
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The prompts I used for the AI—in this case, Copilot—were inspired by images I had seen of people from other countries. After each image, I’ll comment on the particularly Finnish details that the AI added.

“Create a photo-realistic image of a Finnish man.”

“Make him more Finnish.”

“Even more Finnish!”

“I know you can do better—think BIG and MORE FINNISH!”

“Make him so Finnish, with so much Finnish context, that even Finns will say it’s too much. MORE FINNISH!”

“MORE FINNISH, MORE FINNISH, MORE FINNISH!”

“Make the ultimate Finnish man!”

“I know you can do better. MORE!”

“Even more!”

“Make him transcend into the ultimate Finnish being.”

“Make him almost divine!!!”

“He has surpassed even that status. Advance him to a higher-dimensional Finnish form!”

Which image was your favorite? Would you share an AI-generated one of your own?

Of course, the second part of this post will take a female perspective—we’ll ask another LLM to generate the most Finnish Finnish woman (and beyond). And naturally, we’ll turn this series into an animated video for our Instagram.

The post The Most Finnish Finn (According to IA) appeared first on Big In Finland.

Not being able to poop while on vacation: a problem many people have

Looking back, I think the first time I met someone with this problem was during the “Camino de Santiago“.

Everything started off great—lots of laughs and good vibes. But a few days in: sweating, general discomfort, bloated stomach, frequent gas that led nowhere…

Total blockage. Days went by, and our friend couldn’t get any relief. When he finally told us about it, he admitted it happened to him all the time. Even in university, he couldn’t go—only once he got home.

A laxative solved it, of course. But it’s an ordeal best avoided so you don’t have to fear traveling.

Luckily, there’s another way.

Why do some travelers have trouble going to the bathroom when they’re not at home?

It depends on the person.

For some, it’s about public restrooms—they either find them gross or simply can’t relax enough to do their business with people coming and going.

But for others, it’s even worse: if they’re not at home, they just can’t go. It doesn’t matter how clean or private the bathroom is. Even in a hotel or vacation rental, they struggle to let things happen naturally.

And these are the people who suffer the most.

Side note: A language curiosity and “false friends” on this topic

A fun fact for those learning Spanish.

A “false friend” is a word that looks similar in two languages but has a different meaning. For example, the Spanish word carpeta looks like the English carpet, but carpet actually means folder. If you find this topic interesting, Wiktionary has a list of false friends across languages.

For today’s topic, there’s one false friend worth knowing: the English word constipation or constipated.

A "false friend" in Spanish: "constipado" doesn't mean "constipated". It means "having a cold". Take this into account while in a Spanish speaking country.
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“Constipated” – not being able to poop – is not constipado in Spanish. “Constipado” means “having a cold”. So, if you have trouble pooping while on vacation, be careful not to tell your Spanish-speaking pharmacist or friends that you’re constipated unless you want them to offer you some cold medicine.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s look at solutions to bathroom troubles while traveling.

Pooping while on vacation: how to do it

As I mentioned earlier, my friend’s problem was solved with a laxative. This might be your go-to solution if you’re okay with medication—just pack it in your suitcase and take it when needed.

But if you don’t want to rely on meds, or if you’re worried about unpredictable timing (imagine visiting Santa in Lapland and suddenly needing to go), there’s a natural way to help your body do its thing.

Scrolling through Instagram, I found this video that might help. Below, I’ve summarized the key points in Spanish.

Three natural “tricks” to go to the bathroom while traveling

A pelvic health physiotherapist shares these tips (you can follow along in the video to see how to do them).

Trick 1

• Lie down with your knees bent and feet on the floor—so that your hips, knees, and feet form a triangle.
• Find your hip bones, apply gentle pressure, and press upward a few centimeters.
• Find a firm spot, press on it, and take three deep diaphragmatic breaths (expanding your diaphragm). This should help.

Trick 2: The “I L U” massage

• Using four fingers (excluding thumbs), press from your right hip bone and move up, left, and down.
• Why does this work? It follows the path of the intestine. If there’s material inside—which there probably is if you haven’t gone in days—this motion helps move it toward the exit.

Trick 3: A floor exercise to assist

• Still lying down, lift your knees, hold them with your hands, and keep your feet in the air, pulling your knees toward you.
• You can also rock from side to side in this position, take deep breaths (as in Trick 1), and then lower your knees.

If you’re someone who struggles to go to the bathroom while traveling, will you try any of these techniques? Let us know in the comments if they helped—or if you have another trick that doesn’t involve chugging massive amounts of Finnish coffee.

The post Pooping while on vacation: how to solve the trouble appeared first on Big In Finland.

Since the list is in Finnish we jumped quickly to translate it, in order to tell you the places to steal a kiss in the capital of Finland. The list was gathered for St. Valentine’s, so these recommendations are thought for a moment of cold weather in Finland. Since we are now in the Ruska time and the cold is coming, we thought it is the perfect time to publish it.

But do not worry: most of these places can be enjoyed during the Summer in Finland too.

Romantic places in Helsinki

Has your significant other ever told you that you need to make more romantic gestures? It has happened to all of us, I guess (not to me, but to a friend). If it is true in your case, you can surprise your other half with a trip to Helsinki and visit one of these ideal romantic spots.

1.- Hietaniemi beach. Hietaniemi is a nice neighborhood in Helsinki. It has a park-like cemetery where the state funerals take place and where important Finnish figures such as Alvar Aalto or Mannerheim rest forever. Nonetheless the Hietaniemi beach – the biggest beach of Helsinki – is the real romantic spot.

The Hietaniemi beach, in summer, and at sunset time. That adds up to romance. Source (CC: by).

The beach is near the cemetery, but not adjacent to it. It lies next to a nice forest. During winter you can see the frozen sea from the beach. To bring romance to the next level, the newspaper suggests doing a picnic on the ice, with good winter clothing and a nice hot beverage. In summer, the picnic will be easier under the sun.

2.- Any place to ice-skate. Like in a movie where you can see people skating on ice in the central square of the city, the second recommended place for romance is an ice rink. There, your partner and you can spend hours skating while holding hands, next to many other couples. The best place for this, as the article recommends, is Kallion kenttä, in Helsinginkatu; and it also suggests to go and have something hot to drink at the shop Villipuutarha, next to the ice rink.

Romance and ice: hand in hand. Source (by-sa-nd).

3.- A coffee shop in the centre where you can get some hot chocolate: a table and some mugs filled with hot chocolate is the next romantic place that Nyt suggests. They give some concrete picks: café The Exhibitionists (Museokatu 28) and the Fazer café (Kluuvikatu 3). You two can also try, of course, authentic Finnish coffee – a beverage some people try to avoid because they say it’s bland.

A romantic spot? A special coffee shop always works. Source (cc: by-sa).

4.- The Helsinki Zoo: if you just met, walking around the zoo and asking each other which animal is your favorite could be pretty revealing of the other’s personality. At least that is what the newspaper says. If it is cold outside, you can go to the tropical houses of the zoo.

A snow lion? No, it is a lion on the snow. Source (CC: by-sa-nd).

5.- The daring option: the Vermo’r race track. Why don’t you do it like Henry Chinaski and take your other half to the race track? It isn’t the same because here the horses don’t sprint, they trot. The jockey does not sit on the horse, but behind it in a two-wheeled cart called Sulki. A little more Ben-Hur than Barfly, but with the couple.

A trotting horse: metaphor about love from Nyt? Source (by-sa).

Do you know any other romantic spot in Helsinki that you can recommend to us? Have you visited any of the above spots?

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