How to Elope in the Faroe Islands (Cliffs, Waterfalls, and Not a Soul Around)

There’s a place in the North Atlantic where the cliffs drop straight into the ocean, waterfalls pour off the edge of the land, and there are more sheep than people. Nobody is around. I mean nobody. If you want to elope in the Faroe Islands, that quiet is the whole point. In fact, you can stand on a hillside for an hour and the only thing that moves is the weather.

I photographed an elopement there, and if you’ve been quietly wondering whether you could elope in the Faroe Islands too, this is everything I wish someone had told me before I got on the plane. Two planes, actually. We’ll get to that.

First, where are the Faroe Islands?

Eighteen small islands halfway between Iceland and Norway, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with their own language, their own flag, and about 54,000 people. Picture green cliffs, black sand, turf-roof houses, and fog that rolls in and out like it’s on a schedule. As a result, it looks like nowhere else on earth, which is exactly why couples are starting to elope there.

How I got there (and how you will too)

From Boston it’s two flights: one to Copenhagen or Reykjavík, then a short hop on Atlantic Airways to Vágar, the little airport on the western island. Then comes the second flight, the one where you look out the window and gasp.

The couple I photographed rented a cabin about twenty minutes from the airport, and honestly that’s the move. We went in mid-April: windy, a few light snow flurries, and completely beautiful. After all, Vágar has some of the best scenery on the islands within a short drive, the roads are easy, and a cabin means you can eat breakfast in your pajamas while looking at a fjord. We spent four days there and never once felt rushed.

You’ll want a rental car. The islands are connected by bridges, ferries, and long tunnels under the sea (the subsea tunnels have tolls, billed automatically to your rental). Ferries to the outer islands are weather-dependent, so never plan the ceremony itself around a single ferry day, and build a buffer day into the flights too, because fog can ground the small planes. Also, sheep have the right of way. Always. Distances are short. Even so, the driving is slow because you’ll stop every five minutes to take a photo.

Can you legally get married in the Faroe Islands?

Yes, and this is the part that surprised me: it’s one of the easier places in Europe to legally elope.

Visitors can have a civil ceremony at the City Hall in Tórshavn, the capital, and the ceremony itself is free.

The paperwork

You apply by email at least four weeks ahead (six weeks in late August, and they close for a few weeks in high summer), send copies of your passports, birth certificates, and a recent certificate of marital status, plus final divorce papers or a former spouse’s death certificate if either of you has been married before, all with certified English translations if they aren’t already in English. Two or three months ahead is more comfortable than four weeks, since the mail moves slowly.

The ceremony

One working day before the wedding, you bring the original passports to City Hall in person for a quick check (a Monday wedding means a Friday visit). On the wedding day itself, the mayor marries you in Faroese with an English translation, and you need two witnesses. Bring your own, let the City Hall staff stand in, or have me sign as one of them, since your photographer counts. Afterwards you get an international marriage certificate in Faroese and English, and you can request a Danish apostille so it’s recognized back home. Also, it’s weekday daytime slots only. Same-sex marriage has been legal there since 2017.

Two ways to do it

The catch is that the legal ceremony happens at City Hall, not on a cliff. So most couples do one of two things:

Option one: legal in Tórshavn, vows on the cliffs. First, do the paperwork ahead of time. Next, have the short civil ceremony in the city, then drive out to the landscape and say your real vows to each other with me and the sheep as your witnesses.

Option two: legal at home, vows in the Faroes. This is how I usually do it with couples. If you’re in Massachusetts, I can legally marry you before you leave, since I’m an ordained officiant and it’s included in every elopement collection. As a result, the entire trip is just the beautiful part: a symbolic or humanist ceremony anywhere on the islands, no offices, no witnesses, no schedule.

Either way, the ceremony that matters happens outside.

Where to elope in the Faroe Islands

When you elope in the Faroe Islands, you could throw a dart at the map and land somewhere stunning. These are the spots I’d start with, and the first two are where we shot.

Múlafossur waterfall at Gásadalur

The postcard. A waterfall drops off the edge of a green cliff straight into the ocean, with the village of Gásadalur perched above it. It’s a short walk from the parking area, it’s free, and it’s about fifteen minutes from the airport. Go early or late, because midday brings the tour vans.

Saksun and Tjørnuvík

Two villages on the north side of Streymoy, about an hour from Vágar. Saksun is a handful of turf-roof houses above a tidal lagoon ringed by mountains, with a small landowner fee (around 75 DKK) to walk down to the beach. Tjørnuvík is a black sand beach at the end of a valley with sea stacks offshore. Both are quiet. Both are also private land, so stay on the paths and be kind to the sheep.

Trælanípa and Sørvágsvatn

The famous “lake above the ocean” view, where a lake appears to float hundreds of feet over the sea. It’s an easy hike of about an hour each way on Vágar. The landowners charge a hiking fee (around 200 DKK per person on your own, more with a guide), and it’s worth every krone.

Kalsoy and the Kallur lighthouse

A ferry from Klaksvík, a drive through one-lane tunnels, then a hike out to a tiny lighthouse on a ridge with cliffs on both sides. There’s a fee here too (200 DKK). In short, this is a full-day adventure and the most dramatic spot on the islands.

Gjógv

A village built around a natural sea gorge, with a walk along the cliff edge. Gentle, pretty, and therefore a good option if you don’t want to hike.

Mykines

The puffin island, reachable by ferry or helicopter in summer, with a mandatory guide and a fee. If puffins are your love language, this is the one. Check the trail status before you plan around it.

Honestly, though, some of my favorite frames from the trip were on the side of the road. Pull over. Walk up the hill. That’s the Faroes.

When to elope in the Faroe Islands

June through August is the sweet spot: up to nineteen hours of daylight, the greenest green you’ve ever seen, puffins on Mykines, and the most reliable (still not reliable) weather. However, it’s also peak season, which in the Faroes means you might see a tour van at the famous spots. That’s it. That’s peak.

September is a quiet favorite. Fewer visitors, moodier skies, and the light gets long and golden.

April, which is when we went, is the underrated pick. We had wind, a few snow flurries, and some of the most dramatic light I’ve ever shot in, with the famous spots completely to ourselves. Bring a hat. Bring two.

Winter is for the brave: five hours of daylight, possible snow on the peaks, and a real chance of not seeing the view you came for. Beautiful, but plan a long trip so that you have weather days.

The rule for any season you elope in the Faroe Islands: pack for all four of them, every day. Rain shell, warm layers, waterproof boots, and something pretty underneath for the photos. The weather changes in minutes and then changes back.

A sample Faroe Islands elopement day

• 7:00 am. Coffee at the cabin. Check the weather, check it again, laugh, go anyway.
• 8:00 am. Múlafossur before anyone else arrives. First portraits with the waterfall.
• 10:00 am. Drive to Streymoy. Stop wherever the light is doing something.
• 12:00 pm. Saksun. Walk down toward the lagoon if the tide is out. Vows here, or save them.
• 2:00 pm. Lunch back in the car or in Tórshavn. It’s probably fish. It’s good fish.
• 4:00 pm. Tjørnuvík. The black sand beach, the sea stacks, the wind in everything.
• 6:00 pm. Vows on the beach or on the hillside above the village, on Super 8 with a mic if you want your voices on film.
• 8:00 pm. Back at the cabin, boots off, still light out. You’re married. Nobody saw. Everybody will.

That’s one day. We had four, so I’d recommend at least three so the weather can’t ruin the plan.

What it costs to elope in the Faroe Islands

Photography and officiating. My elopement collections start at $1,800 and include officiating, so a legal ceremony in Massachusetts before you go is covered. International travel starts at $4,000 with a custom quote based on how many days you want me there. Super 8 film is an add-on at $1,000 per hour.

The trip. Two flights from Boston, a rental car, a cabin or guesthouse for a few nights, groceries and a couple of dinners out, plus hiking fees at a few spots (roughly 200 DKK, or about $30, per person per hike). Admittedly, the Faroes aren’t cheap. Still, there’s no venue, no vendor list, and no guest count, so most couples spend far less than a wedding at home and get a trip they’ll talk about forever.

The legal ceremony. Free if you do it at Tórshavn City Hall. About $50 for a marriage license if you do it in Massachusetts first.

A few honest tips

Nobody is around, and that’s the point. If you want privacy, this is the most private place I have ever photographed. The couple I worked with wanted to keep their elopement to themselves, and the islands made that effortless. You will not be in anyone’s vacation photos.

Respect the land. Almost all of it is privately owned, mostly by farmers. So stay on paths, close gates behind you, don’t walk through the sheep, and if you’re not sure you’re allowed somewhere, ask a local. They’re lovely about it.

Build in weather days. Fog can erase a view for a whole afternoon. For that reason, give yourself three or four days and stay flexible about which spot gets the vows.

Bring snacks from home. The food is a lot of fish. Really good fish! But by day three I would have traded my lens cap for an Uncrustable. Pack the comfort food.

Skip the drone over villages and birds. Between the wind, the rules, and the puffins, it’s not worth it. Besides, the cliffs are dramatic enough at ground level.

Faroe Islands elopement FAQs

Can Americans legally marry in the Faroe Islands? Yes. Apply to Tórshavn City Hall at least four weeks ahead with passports, birth certificates, a marital status certificate, and divorce or death papers if you’ve been married before. You present the original passports in person one working day before the ceremony, and you need two witnesses (City Hall can provide them, or I can sign). The civil ceremony is free and held at City Hall on weekdays. Otherwise, get legally married at home and save the islands for your vows.

Do you travel to the Faroe Islands? Yes! I’ve photographed an elopement there (in April, in the snow flurries, and loved it) and I’d go back tomorrow. International travel starts at $4,000, custom quoted.

How many days should we plan? Three at a minimum, four is better. The weather decides which day is the wedding day.

Is it hard to get to? Two flights from Boston: one to Copenhagen or Reykjavík, then a short flight to Vágar. After that, rent a car at the airport and you’re twenty minutes from the scenery.

Do we need permits to elope outdoors? Not for a ceremony itself, but several famous hikes charge a landowner fee, and all land is private. I handle the logistics as part of planning.

What about the weather? Assume rain, wind, and sun in the same hour. Pack layers and a rain shell. Meanwhile, some of the best photos happen in the fog.

Ready for cliffs and waterfalls?

If the Faroe Islands have been sitting in your saved folder for a year, take this as your nudge. Tell me your dates and we’ll map out the flights, the cabin, the legal part, and the spot where you’ll say your vows with nobody around for miles.

Prefer a city with cafes? Here’s how to elope in Paris. Staying closer to home? My ten favorite places to elope in and around Boston.

Or see the whole map closer to home: where to elope in New England.

xo erin