Passports for foreign nationals
Foreign nationals residing in Denmark will normally hold a national passport. When the time comes to renew it, this will normally be done by the Embassy of the person’s country of origin, either in Denmark or abroad.
However, some foreign nationals cannot obtain a passport from the authorities in their country of origin, e.g. if they are refugees and cannot, or are ill advised to, contact the relevant authority in their country of origin. In some cases, the authorities of the refugee’s country of origin may not wish to issue the refugee a national passport. In such cases, the Danish authorities may choose to issue the refugee with a Danish passport. He or she will not be issued a Danish national passport, as this requires Danish citizenship, but a Danish passport for foreign nationals.
There are two types of passports issued to foreign nationals:
Convention passport
A Convention passport can only be issued to a person who has been granted a residence permit on the grounds of asylum, i.e. a person who is recognised as a refugee as defined in the United Nations Refugee Convention. This means persons who have been granted a Danish residence permit pursuant to Section 7, 1 or Section 8, 1 of the Danish Aliens Act.
In some cases, a Convention passport can also be issued to a person who has initially been granted a residence permit on the grounds of asylum in another country, but who has later been granted a Danish residence permit on the grounds of family reunification.
Alien's passport
A person who does not meet the conditions for the Convention passport may be eligible for an Alien’s passport. Normally, the person must document that his/her country of origin refuses to issue a national passport. Sufficient documentation will normally be a letter from the Embassy in question, stating that it will not issue a national passport to the person, despite having received all necessary documentation.
The following categories of persons do not need to document this:
Persons who have been granted Protected Status. These are persons who have been granted a Danish residence permit pursuant to Section 7, 2 or Section 8, 2 and Section 8,3 of the Danish Aliens Act.
Children under the age of 18 whose parents have been granted a residence permit on the grounds of asylum or Protected Status.
Unaccompanied children who have been granted a residence permit.
How to apply
The application form contains a detailed description of how you should complete the form, and which documents you must attach.
Application for passport for foreign nationals in Denmark
> Application form PA1 (available in Danish only)
Please note that you must pay a fee to apply for a passport. If your application is rejected, the fee will be returned to you. Also make sure to include an approved passport photo. See overview of requirements for passport photos (available in Danish only).
Foreign children on school trips
Children who are non-EU citizens who wish to go on a school trip to another EU country will normally be able to travel without a passport, provided that they are registered on the school’s school travel list. Read more about school travel lists.
Travel restrictions for refugees
When a refugee with a temporary residence permit receives a passport, the passport will state that it is invalid for travel to the country or countries where the refugee risks persecution. You can apply to the Immigration Service to have this travel restriction revoked. Please note that travel to your country of origin may lead to a revokation of your residence permit.
Application for revokation of travel constraint
> Application form G (available in Danish only)
Passport travel restrictions are automatically revoked if you are granted a permanent residence permit.
Passport extension
A passport is valid for a limited period of time. The validity can be extended on certain conditions.
Application for an extension of a Danish Alien's passport
> Application form D2
Application for an extension of a Danish Convention passport
> Application form PA2 (available in Danish only)
There is no fee when applying for an extension.
If your passport is damaged
If your Convention passport or Alien’s passport is damaged, you can apply for a new one. Make sure to enclose the damaged passport with the application.
If you lose your passport
If you lose your Convention passport or Alien’s passport, you must report it to the police. If you live in the Greater Copenhagen area, make sure you get a police report stating that you have lost your passport. You must bring this report when you submit your application for a new passport to the Service Centre of the Immigration Centre. If you live outside the Greater Copenhagen area, you must apply for a new passport at your local police station.