3 Entry and residence in Denmark
Nordic passport-free zone
If you are a citizen of Norway, Sweden, Finland or Iceland, you can freely enter Denmark and reside in the country for as long as you want. The reason for this is that Denmark has a special agreement with the other Nordic countries.
The Schengen Agreement
Most EU member states are part of the Schengen Agreement*. This means that citizens living in the Schengen countries can travel freely between the countries without any form of border control.
Registration card for EU citizens
If you are a Swiss national or come from a country which is a member of the EU or the EEA*, you can obtain a special registration card from the Danish state administration. Denmark is a member of the EU and therefore adheres to the Union's rules regarding freedom of movement. For example, you can enter Denmark and seek employment. Others too, for example people with sufficient means and pensioners, can obtain a registration card and residence in Denmark.
As an interim measure, special rules apply to citizens from certain EU countries seeking paid work in Denmark. We refer to the section on Employment.
Visa
If you come from a country outside Europe with the aim of participating in a cultural event, or if you are visiting Denmark as a tourist or because you have family here, or if you are on a business trip, it may be necessary to apply for a visa. At www.newtodenmark.dk/visa you will find a list of the countries whose citizens require a visa when visiting Denmark. You must apply for a visa before travelling to Denmark. This is done by applying to the Danish consulate or mission in your home country. A visa is valid for up to three months and does not give you the right to work in Denmark. Under normal circumstances, a visa is valid for the whole Schengen area.
Employment
If you come from a country subject to EU regulation, you can seek and accept employment in Denmark in accordance with the special EU regulations. You have to apply for a registration card from the state administration no later than three months following your entry into the country. Find out more by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/eu
As an interim measure, special rules apply to nationals of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary seeking paid work in Denmark. You can find out more by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/new-eu.
If you want to work in Denmark and come from a country which is not a member of the EU or the EEA, you must apply for permission prior to entering the country. You must apply to the Danish consulate or mission in your home country for a residence and work permit.
You can obtain a residence and work permit if you have received an offer of work featured on the positive list. This is a list of employment areas where there is a shortage of qualified labour. The positive list includes IT specialists, engineers, doctors, pharmacists and nurses. For example, to work as a doctor, pharmacist or nurse in Denmark you must obtain Danish authorisation. You can view the entire positive list by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/greencard.
You can also obtain a work permit in Denmark if you have been offered a job with a minimum annual salary of DKK 450,000 (approx. 60,000 Euros).
If you obtain a residence and work permit in Denmark, you can apply to have your family join you. It is a provision of the Danish Aliens Act that those seeking residence and work permits are able to provide for themselves. Special rules apply to EU citizens. You can find out more by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/eu.
Residence permit to seek employment - green card
Denmark also has a special green card scheme. A green card is a permit that allows you to come to Denmark for six months and look for work. To qualify for a green card you must obtain a sufficiently high score using a point system. You are awarded points for education, language proficiency and job experience. You can find out more about the green card scheme by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/greencard.
Periods of study abroad
As an EU citizen you are entitled to study in Denmark. If you intend to study in Denmark you will receive a registration card. To qualify you must be enrolled at an approved private or public institution. You must also be able to provide for yourself. You have to apply for a registration card from the state administration no later than three months following your entry into the country. Find out more by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/eu
If you want to study in Denmark and come from a country which is not a member of the EU or the EEA, you must apply for permission prior to entering the country. You must apply to the Danish consulate or mission in your home country for a residence permit.
You can obtain permission to study in Denmark if you are enrolled in basic education, youth education, a folk high school or further education. It is, however, a precondition that you are able to provide for yourself during your stay and understand the teaching language used on the course. You can find out more about general conditions by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/study.
If you have been granted a residence permit to follow a course of further education in Denmark, you can apply for permission to seek a part-time job.
Residence permit to seek employment - green card
If you finish your further education in Denmark, you are allowed to remain in the country in the six months following the conclusion of your studies. You can thus obtain a green card that gives you the right to seek work in Denmark. If you have been offered employment, you must apply for a residence and work permit.
Asylum
It is possible to seek protection as a refugee in Denmark if there is reason to fear that a person will be persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, social status or political convictions. Refugees can also seek asylum if they risk the death penalty, torture, inhuman or humiliating treatment or punishment by returning to their native country.
When a person seeks asylum in Denmark, it is the Danish Immigration Service that decides whether the case is to be handled in Denmark or by another EU member state. The Immigration Service can also decide to refuse to provide asylum and refer the person to a safe third country outside the EU.
The Danish Immigration Service is the name of a public department under the Ministry for Refugees, Immigration and Integration. The ministry administers the Danish Aliens Act and in this connection handles cases regarding immigrant access to residence in Denmark, including asylum, family reunification and visas. We refer to www.newtodenmark.dk/contact-dis.
Yes to asylum
If the Immigration Service assesses that an asylum seeker meets the requirements for obtaining asylum in Denmark, the person will be given refugee status.
The municipal authority provides housing
If you are recognised as a refugee, the Immigration Service will select the municipal authority where you are to live. Here you will be offered a special introductory programme which includes Danish language tuition and help to find employment. We refer to Chapter 4, New citizen in Denmark. The Immigration Service selects the municipal authority where you are to live based on your professional skills, family ties in Denmark and other factors. It is the authority's job to provide you with housing.
You can choose to move to another municipal authority. But it is a good idea to talk to your authority first if you move before completing the introductory programme. The reason for this is that your authority must consent to taking over responsibility for your introductory programme. If the authority fails to agree, you may risk losing your right to follow an introductory programme and with it the right to claim your introductory payment. The introductory payment is a special form of financial assistance which you are entitled to if you are unable to find work immediately. Find out more in Chapter 4, New Citizen in Denmark.
No to asylum
If the Immigration Service is unable to approve an application for asylum, a complaint is automatically registered with the Refugee Board.
The Refugee Board is an independent, court-like body. The decisions of the Board are final and can not be overturned or amended by others.
The Refugee Board can either uphold the decision by the Danish Immigration Service to refuse asylum or overturn the decision and award asylum status. If the Refugee Board upholds the decision, the Immigration Service sets a deadline for the person to be out of the country. This deadline must be observed. If you leave of your own accord, you can seek help from the police and you may also be eligible for financial assistance. If you do not leave of your own accord, you will be expelled by the police.
Family reunification
Spouse, regular partner and children
If you have permanent residence in Denmark, you can be joined here by your family if you meet certain conditions in the Danish Aliens Act. You may be joined by your spouse, your regular partner or children under 15. This is known as family reunification and it requires that you fulfil a number of conditions. In special cases, and where it is deemed in the best interests of the child, children over the age of 15 may be allowed to join their families.
Housing, financial and co-habitation requirements
In order for your spouse, for example, to obtain a residence permit in Denmark, you must have suitable housing, you must live together when your spouse arrives in the country and you must be able to provide for your spouse. Both of you must be over 24 and have stronger ties to Denmark than any other country. The aim of these requirements is to ensure the family a solid foundation in Denmark and to protect very young people from being forced into marriages they do not want. It is also a requirement that your marriage and co-habitation are genuine and are not merely a means of securing a residence permit for the person in question.
Special conditions apply to the right to family reunification for EU citizens, for example, a citizen from another EU country working in Denmark. If you believe you are covered by EU regulations, it is important you draw attention to this fact when you apply for family reunification.
You can find out more about family reunification in accordance with EU regulations and those of the Danish Alien Act by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/eu.
Duration of residence permit
Permanent
You can obtain a temporary residence permit or a residence permit with the option of permanent residency. If you have arrived in Denmark as a refugee or because you have joined your family, you will normally be given a residence permit that can later be extended to permanent residence.
If you have a residence permit that can be extended to permanent residence, you can obtain a permanent residence permit after several years provided you fulfil certain conditions. Among other things, you must have made an effort to become integrated in Danish society.
You must make an effort
This might be that you have had a job or worked for a time, that you pass a Danish language proficiency test, that you do not owe the state more than a certain sum or that you have not committed a serious crime.
Permanent residence permits for EU citizens
In accordance with special EU regulations, EU citizens and their families may obtain permanent residence following five years' legal residence in Denmark. You can find out more by logging onto www.newtodenmark.dk/eu.
The Immigration Service and state administration can advise you about your rights in connection with permanent residence. We refer to www.nyidanmark.dk/integrationskontrakt.
You can lose your residence permit
The Immigration Service can revoke a temporary residence permit if the conditions for issue no longer exist. For example, if you have joined your spouse but no longer live together with this person, you can lose your right to a residence permit. You may, however, keep your residence permit if you have left your spouse because they have been physically violent towards you, and if you have been in Denmark so long that you have other strong ties with the country, or if you are unable to return to your native country because you have left your partner because of physical violence.
If you have falsely obtained your residence permit or if you have been reported to the Schengen information system* as an undesirable, you risk losing your residence permit. This holds true regardless of whether the residence permit is temporary or permanent.
An EU citizen's temporary right to reside in Denmark can also cease to exist if a person no longer complies with EU regulations or if the person has abused their right.
Safe repatriation
If you have arrived in Denmark as a refugee, your residence permit may be revoked if conditions in your native country change so that it is safe for you to return.
In this event, you can seek financial repatriation assistance. Read more in Chapter 13, Repatriation.
If you leave the country
If you travel home on holiday, this may affect your possibilities for continued residence in Denmark.
Your residence permit will be cancelled if you relinquish your home in Denmark or remain outside the country for 6-12 months, regardless of whether your residence permit is temporary or permanent. Whether it is six or twelve months will depend on which type of residence permit you have and how long you have lived in Denmark.
Expulsion
If you are found guilty of committing a serious crime, you may lose your residence permit or be expelled from the country.