Getting married in Sweden or abroad

Do you want to get married in Sweden?

Before you can get married in Sweden, you must apply to the Swedish Tax Agency for consideration of impediments to marriage. We will then issue you with a certificate of no impediment to marriage. When you have received this certificate, you must give it to your marriage officiant (the person conducting the ceremony).

• Before your wedding: consideration of impediments to marriage
  

You can get married in the presence of:

• a marriage officiant who belongs to a church or other religious organisation, such as a priest
• a civil marriage officiant.
  

This person must be authorised to act as a marriage officiant. A Swedish government agency must have decided that this person can act as a marriage officiant. Either the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (“Kammarkollegiet”) or the County Administrative Board can reach this decision.

• If you want to be married by an officiant who belongs to a particular religious organisation, you must contact that religious organisation.
• If you want to be married by a civil officiant, you must contact the municipality in which you want to get married.

When you are married, the marriage officiant will inform the Swedish Tax Agency.

Do you want to get married at a Swedish embassy abroad, or in the presence of a Swedish marriage officiant in another country?

In some countries, there are marriage officiants who are authorised by the Swedish Government to conduct wedding ceremonies abroad. You must check for yourself whether there is an authorised Swedish marriage officiant in the country in which you want to get married. Before you can get married, you must apply to the Swedish Tax Agency for consideration of impediments to marriage.

Find out more on the websites of the Swedish Government and the Church of Sweden.

• Getting married abroad (Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs) (in Swedish)
• Getting married abroad (Church of Sweden) (in Swedish)

If you get married abroad in the presence of a Swedish marriage officiant, this person will inform the Swedish Tax Agency that the marriage has taken place.

Do you want to get married abroad in accordance with the law of a country other than Sweden?

You must find out which requirements you have to fulfil in order to get married in the country in question. In some countries, you may need a marriage licence issued by the Swedish Tax Agency if you are a Swedish citizen. If you are listed in the Swedish Population Register, you apply to the Swedish Tax Agency if you need a marriage licence. If you live in a country other than Sweden, and you are not listed in the Swedish Population Register, you need to apply to a Swedish embassy or consulate abroad instead.

• Marriage licence, application and affidavit (SKV 7881, in Swedish)
  

Have you gotten married abroad according to the law of a country other than Sweden?

After getting married abroad, you need to inform the Swedish Tax Agency. You can do this by sending us a letter. Alternatively, you can visit a Swedish state service centre in person.

You must provide the following information:

• your names
• your personal identity numbers or dates of birth
• your telephone numbers or email addresses
• confirmation that you are now married
• details of your wedding – for example, whether it was a civil or church ceremony, and the country in which it took place
• the date on which you got married
  

To facilitate the registration process, it’s a good idea to attach a copy of a document confirming that you are married. It’s also helpful to include copies of your passports or proof of identity documents. We will contact you if we need any additional information.

Please send the details above to the Swedish Tax Agency at the following address:
Skatteverket
Folkbokföringen
205 30 Malmö

• Visiting a service centre

The Swedish Tax Agency will assess whether your marriage is valid in Sweden. We will notify you when we have reached a decision.

Do you want to get married at a foreign embassy in Sweden?

You can only get married at a foreign embassy in Sweden if the Swedish Government has authorised its embassy staff to conduct wedding ceremonies in Sweden. If you get married at an embassy that has not been granted this authorisation, your marriage will not be valid in Sweden. Please contact the Government Offices of Sweden (“Regeringskansliet”) for further information about which embassies are authorised to hold wedding ceremonies.

Do you intend to take your spouse’s surname when you get married?

If you and/or your spouse wish to change your surname when you are married, you must apply separately for a name change.

• Taking your spouse’s surname (in Swedish)
  

Do you want to convert your registered civil partnership into a marriage?

You can convert your registered civil partnership into a marriage by notifying the Swedish Tax Agency. You can do this by sending us a letter. Alternatively, you can visit a Swedish state service centre in person.

You must provide the following information:

• your names
• your personal identity numbers or dates of birth
• your telephone numbers or email addresses
• confirmation that you want to convert your registered civil partnership into a marriage
  

• Visiting a service centre (in Swedish)

Another way to convert your registered civil partnership into a marriage is through a wedding ceremony conducted by an authorised marriage officiant. If you are in a registered civil partnership, you do not need to apply for consideration of impediments to marriage. Your marriage officiant will inform the Swedish Tax Agency of your wedding.

Processing times: how long does it take?