Foreign couples flock to Denmark to get married. Copenhagen wants to save room for locals

By JAMES BROOKS Associated Press COPENHAGEN Denmark AP Facing complex bureaucracy at home in Poland Magdalena Kujawi ska and her Colombian fianc Heinner Valenzuela traveled to Copenhagen to become husband and wife We realized that it s not that easy to get married in Poland the -year-old Kujawi ska announced as the couple waited for their -minute ceremony at the Danish capital s th-century City Hall You need a certificate that you are not married she noted We tried to get it from Colombia but it s only valid for three months and it couldn t get to Poland from Colombia in three months It was just impossible for us The couple who live in Krakow had been engaged for more than three years when Kujawi ska heard about Denmark s relatively relaxed marriage laws from a colleague Working with an online wedding planner the couple prepared the necessary documents And in four days we had the decision that the marriage could be done here a grinning Kujawi ska noted Newlyweds Magdalena Kujawi ska right from Poland and Heinner Valenzuela from Colombia pose for photos at the Copenhagen City Hall in Copenhagen Denmark Wednesday July AP Photo James Brooks Copenhagen attracts couples from around the world Couples who don t live in Denmark both mixed- and same-sex are increasingly getting married in the Scandinavian country prompting several to dub Copenhagen the Las Vegas of Europe The head of the marriage office at Copenhagen City Hall Anita Okkels Birk Thomsen reported that about wedding ceremonies were performed there last year Of those chosen of them were for couples in which neither partner was a Danish resident That s almost double what we saw five years ago she noted They come from all over the world City wants to ensure room for locals But the city sees a downside to that demand for ceremonies at City Hall now far exceeds the number of slots available Mia Nyegaard the Copenhagen official in charge of civilization and leisure noted in a comment to The Associated Press that the essential rise in the number of foreign couples getting married in the capital poses challenges for Copenhagen-based couples wishing to get married Local bureaucrats plan to take action Nyegaard mentioned about of wedding slots available at City Hall will be reserved for Copenhagen residents starting from the end of October While booking a slot there is the bulk obvious way to get married in the city arranging a ceremony with a private registrar is also an option and that won t be affected Copenhagen lawmakers will look after the summer break at what else they can do to relieve overall pressure on wedding maximum in the city People gather in front of the Copenhagen City Hall in Copenhagen Denmark Friday July AP Photo James Brooks Liberal laws Denmark s marriage laws are liberal in several means In the country became the world s first to allow the registration of same-sex civil unions The legalization of same-sex marriage followed in For unions of all kinds Denmark unlike several other European countries doesn t require a birth certificate or proof of single status to obtain a certificate that grants the right to get married in Denmark within four months Representatives might in cases where divorce papers don t show clearly that a divorce has been finalized ask for a civil status certificate Applications to Denmark s agency of family law cost kroner and couples are issued with a certificate within five working days if they satisfy the requirements Non-resident couples can progress to Denmark and get married with just a valid passport and if required a tourist visa Related Articles US sanctions Brazil s Supreme Court justice overseeing affair against Bolsonaro Russian missiles hit a Ukrainian army training ground killing at least soldiers US-imposed tariffs spelled mishap for this factory that exported clothes to American stores Pope marks th anniversary of Cold War-era deal on protection and human rights Dozens of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in Gaza officers say as hunger dilemma grinds on We get that thing like Are you sure we do not need a birth certificate And we go Yes declared Rasmus Clarck S rensen director of Getting Married in Denmark Clarck S rensen a Dane began the wedding planning business with his British wife back in In the last years people just meet more across borders he disclosed Marriage rules are often made for two people of the same country getting married They kind of piled on patches onto marriage law and a lot of people get trapped in those patches he added His online company s Complete Facility package priced at euros includes help gathering all the necessary documents processing the certificate application and organizing the date of the ceremony The business says it helped over couples last year Copenhagen easily Denmark s biggest city with the country s best shipping links is the the greater part popular location and so far appears to be the only one struggling with demand Any changes to the city s rules will come too late to bother newlyweds Kujawi ska and Valenzuela who are now busy planning a celebration in Poland with family and friends It means a lot for us because we ve been waiting a lot for this Kujawi ska commented We re really happy