Civil wedding in Sweden: how a civil ceremony works and what to arrange
Updated 26 October 2026 · Written by Lysela
A civil wedding is a legally valid marriage without a church. You apply to the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) for the marriage eligibility check (hindersprövning), book a civil officiant, bring two witnesses and marry at the time and place you have agreed. The ceremony follows a set form and can be short, but there is room around it for your own style. Here are the steps in order, who can officiate, where you can marry, words to borrow and what your guests need to know.
Try it yourself, no account neededHow does a civil wedding in Sweden work? The steps in order
Apply for the eligibility check
You apply to Skatteverket well before the wedding. The eligibility check is valid for four months and cannot be extended. If you do not marry within that time, you have to apply again.
Contact the officiant
Do this well in advance. You reach a civil officiant through the municipality where you want to marry, and some municipalities want the documents with a good margin.
Find two witnesses
Two adults must be present and confirm the ceremony. They can be friends or family. Some municipalities help with witnesses and others expect you to bring your own, so ask when you book.
Bring the documents
Skatteverket gives you a certificate of the eligibility check and a form for the marriage certificate. The officiant needs them, sometimes before the day. Expect you and the witnesses to show ID.
After the ceremony
The officiant fills in the marriage certificate and sends it to Skatteverket. If either of you wants to change surname, see the guide to changing your name.
Civil officiant in Sweden: who can marry you?
You can marry before an officiant who belongs to a religious community, such as a priest, or before a civil officiant. Both must be approved by Kammarkollegiet or the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen), which has decided that the person may officiate. For a civil wedding you contact the municipality where you want to marry.
Would you rather a friend or relative married you? The Stockholm County Administrative Board writes that it is very restrictive about appointing officiants for a single occasion, and that relatives and friends are generally not appointed. If it matters to you, ask the board well in advance.
Where can you have a civil ceremony? Town hall, outdoors or at home
Municipalities differ, so read the page for the one where you are marrying. This is what two of them write.
| Place | Good to know | What to ask the officiant |
|---|---|---|
| The municipality's own venue, such as a town hall | The municipality sets the days and times. Södertälje, for example, holds ceremonies on Saturdays that are not public holidays, at the Rådhuset. | Which days and times are available, and how many guests fit. |
| Another place | Several municipalities, such as Södertälje and Lomma, write that the ceremony can be held somewhere other than their own venue. | Who books the place and whether the officiant can come there. |
| Outdoors | That is up to the municipality or the officiant you book. | Whether your chosen spot works, and what you do if the weather turns. |
| At home | That is also up to the municipality or the officiant. | Whether the officiant marries couples at home. |
Civil ceremony words: what is said and your own vows
The ceremony follows a set marriage form, Lomma municipality writes, so you do not rewrite the questions themselves. Ask the officiant whether there is room for your own words before or after. Rings are optional. Södertälje books its slots in 20-minute blocks and says the ceremony is often quicker, so keep anything you want to say short.
Replace anything in square brackets.
I choose you, [name], because [reason]. You make me [what you value]. I promise [promise] and to keep doing it when everyday life takes over.
I promise to say so when something rubs, to make coffee on the mornings you are in a hurry and never to fall asleep before we have said goodnight.
Thank you, [name] and [name], for standing here with us. You have been with us since [when], and it feels right to have you beside us today.
Thank you for coming. We are serving [drink] outside, and dinner starts at [time] at [place].
What to wear, and what your guests need to know
You can see what a wedding website looks like with places and a programme on the example pages.
Ceremony and party can be in different places
Give the address and time of the ceremony separately, with how far it is to the party. Guests need to know when they must be there.
Number of guests
Some municipalities limit it. Södertälje writes that besides the couple and the witnesses, 19 people may attend. Check before you invite, and tell anyone who will not fit how it works.
Dress and suit
That is up to you. Put the dress code on the page, so guests know whether it is a jacket, a skirt or something more relaxed.
Arrive in good time
The slot is booked, so ask guests to arrive a little early. You can lay out the rest of the day in a timeline.
The ceremony is at [place], [address]. Please arrive by [time]; we start at [time]. There is room for [number] guests. Everyone else, meet us at [place] at [time].
The ceremony on your wedding website
With Lysela, you put the ceremony venue under Places, with a time, a note and a link for directions, and the ceremony as a line in the programme. The programme has a calendar link, and on the wedding day the page shows at the top what is happening now and next. It is in every tier, from Bas.
You pay once, SEK 795, SEK 1,795 or SEK 4,900 including VAT, and the site stays up for 12 months.
What usually goes on a wedding website, and what one costs, is in the checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a civil wedding take?
It varies. Södertälje books its slots in 20-minute blocks and says the ceremony is often quicker. Ask the officiant in your municipality.
Do you need witnesses at a civil wedding?
Yes, two adults must be present and confirm the ceremony. Some municipalities help, others expect you to bring your own.
Can a friend marry us?
Only if the friend is approved by Kammarkollegiet or the County Administrative Board. The Stockholm board writes that it is very restrictive about appointing officiants for a single occasion.
What should we do first?
Apply to Skatteverket for the eligibility check, which is valid for four months, and contact the officiant well in advance.