If you want to move to Denmark, then most foreigners will need to get a residence permit. The rules for gaining an initial residence permit in Denmark vary depending on whether you are an EU/EEA/Swiss Citizen, from the Nordic countries, or from outside of the EU.
If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen and are planning to stay in Denmark for longer than 3 months, it is necessary for you to first gain a temporary EU residence permit through registering for a CPR number (Civil Registration Number) with a valid Danish address. Your CPR number is your social security number, and allows you to access healthcare and open a bank account, amongst other things.
READ ALSO: When do you get a Danish registration number after moving?
You can get temporary EU residence on the basis of being a student in Denmark, being employed or self-employed, or having sufficient funds. You may also gain temporary EU residency as an accompanying partner or child of an EU citizen, however your residency will be dependent on your partner’s or parent’s status.
If you are a non-EU citizen, then things become a little more complicated. You must obtain your residence and work permit before you arrive in Denmark. There are a number of schemes in which a non-EU citizen can gain a residence permit in Denmark, such as the “pay limit scheme”, the “positive list”, or the “start-up Denmark” scheme, and more.
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If you are a citizen of Finland, Norway, Iceland or Sweden then you are able to work, live and study in Denmark without a residence permit. However, you will still need to obtain a CPR to register for tax and healthcare.
Permanent Residency
So, you have now lived in Denmark for a while and want to stay. What should you do to make sure that you can obtain permanent residency?
Permanent residency means that a person is allowed to stay in Denmark and does not need to apply for residence again.
However, the term ‘permanent residency’ may also be misleading. It is important to note that if you leave Denmark for more than two years, your permanent residency will expire.
If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, then you have the right to apply for permanent residency if you have lived in Denmark for at least 5 consecutive years.
READ ALSO: When can I start counting my stay in Denmark towards permanent residency?
Once you have obtained your permanent residency, you can live in Denmark without having to meet the original requirements of your temporary EU residency (i.e. being employed, self-employed, a student, or through having sufficient funds).
If you are a non-EU citizen then you can be granted permanent residence once you have had a temporary residence permit for 8 uninterrupted years (in some cases 4). However, you must not have been convicted of certain crimes, and you need to have current employment.
There are also language criteria for non-EU citizens, who need to pass the Danish language test 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2), or a Danish exam of an equivalent or higher level.
READ ALSO: What are the language requirements for permanent residency in Denmark?
The rules are more lenient if you are between 18-19 years old, if you are a person of Danish descent, a former Danish citizen, or have ties to a Danish minority group.
Danish Citizenship
With Danish citizenship, you can legally be considered to have the same rights as someone who was born in Denmark with a Danish father or mother. Denmark allows dual citizenship, but bear in mind that you may lose the citizenship of your country of origin if it does not allow dual citizens.
Danish citizenship gives you the right to vote in national elections, and it is also the only way to make sure you always have the right to stay in Denmark, even if you leave for an extended period of time.
For most people who wish to obtain Danish citizenship, it is a requirement that you must have lived in Denmark continuously for 9 years.
If you are a Nordic citizen, you must have lived in Denmark for 2 continuous years before applying for citizenship. Different rules also apply for spouses of Danish citizens, and for those who entered Denmark before they were 15 years old.
Most foreigners, apart from certain Nordic citizens and those of Danish descent, will have to obtain Danish citizenship through a process of naturalisation.
This means that you have to fulfil certain conditions, such as evidence of self-sufficiency through employment history, residence in Denmark, Danish language skills and knowledge of Denmark. You must have permanent residence in Denmark before applying for Danish citizenship.
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To obtain Danish citizenship you must also provide evidence of your Danish language skills. This can usually be done through passing either Danish language test 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3) or Danish language test 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2).
Self-sufficiency means, for example, documenting that you have not received state social welfare support such as the basic unemployment support, kontanthjælp, or the welfare benefits provided to those granted refugee statues (integrationsydelsen), within the last two years.
Furthermore, you may not have received benefits of this type for more than a total period of four months within the last five years.
Knowledge of Denmark means that you must pass the Danish citizenship test (indfødsretsprøven). This tests you on your knowledge of Danish history, society and culture.
Furthermore, as a part of the citizenship application process, you must attend a municipal constitution ceremony where you must show that you fundamentally respect Danish values and public policies.
There are many exceptions to the rules above and they are subject to changes adopted by parliament. If you feel you do not fit well into the above categories, you can find out more via nyidenmark.dk.
Michael Barrett
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