Quick answer: Yes — getting married in Sweden as a foreigner is fully possible, without being a resident or citizen. Both partners must be at least 18, and you must first obtain a certificate of no impediment from the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) by applying for consideration of impediments — form SKV 7880, free of charge. The certificate is valid for four months, and the ceremony must be performed by an authorised officiant.
That is the short version. The longer version is mostly about documents — which is where many international couples get stuck, and where this guide (written by a notary public firm that handles these documents daily) goes deeper than most.
Getting married in Sweden as a foreigner: quick facts
- Who can marry: anyone 18 or older who is not already married and not closely related to their partner. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Sweden since 2009.
- The application: “consideration of impediments to marriage” (hindersprövning), form SKV 7880, submitted to Skatteverket. Free of charge.
- Validity: the resulting certificate of no impediment is valid for four months and cannot be extended.
- Processing time: about 2 weeks if both of you are registered in the Swedish Population Register — but around 9 weeks if neither of you is a Swedish citizen or resident, so apply early.
- After the wedding: your officiant reports the marriage to Skatteverket; registration of a marriage performed in Sweden takes about 2 weeks to be assigned.
- Using the marriage abroad: authorities outside the EU often require an apostille, which in Sweden is issued by a notary public — not by Skatteverket.
Step 1: Apply for consideration of impediments (hindersprövning)
Before anyone can marry in Sweden, Skatteverket must confirm there are no legal impediments — that both of you are 18 or older, not already married or in a registered partnership, and not close relatives. You apply with form SKV 7880 (“Consideration of impediments to marriage, application and affidavit”), by post or at a state service centre. Couples who are both listed in the Swedish Population Register and have Swedish e-identification can use Skatteverket’s e-service instead. Full details are on Skatteverket’s official page.
A detail that trips up many guides: SKV 7880 is the form for marrying in Sweden. Form SKV 7881 is something else entirely — the marriage licence (äktenskapscertifikat) some countries ask for when a Swedish citizen marries abroad under foreign law.
When the application is approved you receive two documents: a certificate of no impediment and a wedding certificate form for your officiant. The certificate is valid for four months — if you have not married within that window, you apply again.
Step 2: The documents foreigners need
If you are not registered in the Swedish Population Register, Skatteverket will ask for more than the form:
- Passport or equivalent identification showing your date of birth.
- A marital status certificate issued by a public authority in your country of residence, showing that you are unmarried — ideally issued within the past four months.
- Proof that you may marry under your home country’s law, if you are not a Swedish citizen.
- If you have been married before: the divorce decree or the former spouse’s death certificate. Note that some foreign divorces must be confirmed by a Swedish court of appeal before Skatteverket can accept them.
Some countries have no central registry that issues marital status certificates. US citizens, for example, typically use a state or county “Record of No Record” — and Skatteverket may waive the requirement when such a document genuinely cannot be obtained.
Foreign documents in other languages may also need a certified translation into Swedish or English. Our authorised translators handle exactly this, and we can notarise supporting documents the same day at our Stockholm office.
Step 3: The ceremony
Swedish weddings — religious or civil — must be performed by an authorised officiant: religious officiants through communities authorised by the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet), and civil officiants appointed by the county administrative board (Länsstyrelsen). Civil ceremonies at Stockholm City Hall are a popular choice for international couples: short, beautiful and legally identical to any other wedding. The formal rules are set out in Sweden’s marriage legislation.
Bring your certificate of no impediment and the wedding certificate form — your officiant needs both. Two witnesses must be present at the ceremony.
Step 4: Registration — and your marriage certificate
After the ceremony, the officiant completes the wedding certificate form and sends it to Skatteverket, which registers the marriage; for weddings performed in Sweden this takes around two weeks to be assigned for processing. Once registered, you can order an English-language extract from the population register (personbevis) showing both spouses — this is the document most foreign authorities accept as a Swedish marriage certificate.
Step 5: Using your Swedish marriage certificate abroad
Here is the step most couples discover last. If your marriage certificate is going to be used outside the EU — for a name change, residency application, or registration in your home country — the receiving authority will usually require an apostille. Skatteverket itself does not issue apostilles; in Sweden, only a notary public can.
The process is straightforward: order the English personbevis from Skatteverket, then have it apostilled. We issue apostilles on marriage documents the same day, in person at Kungsgatan 37 in Stockholm or entirely by post. If your destination country is not part of the Hague Convention, the document instead needs legalisation through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs — we can guide you through that route too. For countries with specific formats, an international marriage certificate may be the right document.
Planning the opposite journey — a Swedish citizen marrying abroad? Then you will likely need the marriage licence (SKV 7881) and possibly a certificate of no impediment with an apostille.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners get married in Sweden?
Yes. Foreigners can marry in Sweden regardless of citizenship or residence, as long as both partners are at least 18, legally free to marry, and Skatteverket has issued a certificate of no impediment before the ceremony.
How long does it take to get married in Sweden as a foreigner?
Plan for two to three months. Skatteverket’s consideration of impediments takes about 9 weeks when neither partner is a Swedish citizen or resident, the resulting certificate is valid for four months, and registration after the wedding takes about two weeks.
What does it cost to get married in Sweden?
Skatteverket’s consideration of impediments is free of charge. Costs only arise around the documents: certified translations, and an apostille (998 SEK per document at Apostille24) if your marriage certificate will be used abroad.
Do I need an apostille on my Swedish marriage certificate?
If the certificate will be used in a country outside the EU that is party to the Hague Convention, the answer is usually yes. The Apostille is issued by a notary public in Sweden — Skatteverket does not provide it.
Which form do I use — SKV 7880 or SKV 7881?
SKV 7880 is the application for consideration of impediments when marrying in Sweden. SKV 7881 is the marriage licence used when a Swedish citizen marries abroad under foreign law.
Apostille24 is a notary public firm in central Stockholm (Kungsgatan 37). We notarise, apostille and arrange certified translations of wedding and civil status documents for international couples. If you are getting married in Sweden as a foreigner and need the paperwork handled — in person or entirely online — we are happy to help.