Denmark

A short, closed list of exceptions

Danish law recognizes a foreign marriage as valid unless: the spouses weren’t both present at the same time, it was a sham marriage for residency purposes, either spouse was under 18, or recognizing it would contradict fundamental Danish legal principles. That’s the complete list. Nothing in it turns on whether an officiant or witnesses were present, which is the detail that causes problems elsewhere in this library.

Danish domestic marriages do require an authorized official and two witnesses, but that requirement doesn't appear to extend into the closed exception list governing foreign marriages. We found no case or guidance addressing a self-solemnized marriage by name, so this is a reasoned reading of the closed list, not a tested confirmation.

Registering it is optional here

Unlike most of this library, Denmark is explicit that registering your foreign marriage in the civil registry (CPR) afterward is a convenience, not a requirement. Skipping it just means the marriage doesn’t show up automatically in Danish records, affecting things like name changes or pension paperwork down the line, not that the marriage itself is in question.

What this means practically

• If either of you is Danish, this is one of the more reassuring answers in this library, though still not a tested legal guarantee.
• Register the marriage with your local civil registry if you’ll want it reflected in your Danish records, but know it’s not a precondition for the marriage being valid.
• Keep your apostilled Colorado certificate as your primary proof either way.
• Same-sex marriage has been legal in Denmark since 2012, so this applies the same way regardless of the couple’s sex.

See does it matter what country we’re from for the broader picture.