Termination of your residence permit
Even though you have been granted a Danish residence permit, your permit can be
revoked or
denied extension, which removes your right to reside in Denmark. This can happen for a number of reasons. However, special rules apply in asylum cases. A refugee can only lose his/her residence permit when he/she has voluntarily returned to his/her country of origin or has been granted protection in a safe third country.
If your situation changes
The Immigration Service may revoke or refuse to extend your residence permit if the grounds on which it was granted no longer apply, for example, if the Immigration Service assesses that you no longer risk persecution if you return to your country of origin.
This may be the case if general conditions in your country of origin have changed considerably, for example, due to a shift in political power.
If you have a permanent residence permit as a refugee and you go on vacation or another short stay in your country of origin (or the country in which the asylum authorities have found that you risk persecution), the Immigration Service can revoke your residence permit. This can happen until ten years after the point where you were granted your original residence permit. In other words, ten years must pass between the date on which your first residence permit as a refugee was granted, and the date on which you enter your country of origin (or the country in which the asylum authorities found that you risk persecution).
If you have a temporary residence permit as a refugee and you go on vacation or another short stay in your country of origin (or the country in which the asylum authorities have found that you risk persecution), the Immigration Service can revoke your residence permit no matter how long you have held a residence permit.
Fraud
The Immigration Service has the right to revoke or refuse to extend your residence permit if you are found to have obtained it by giving the authorities false information. This applies regardless of whether you hold a temporary or a permanent residence permit.
Other circumstances
The Immigration Service has the right to revoke or refuse to extend your residence permit if you are considered a threat to national security, to public order, safety or health. Your residence permit can also be revoked if you are a war criminal, or have committed serious non-political crime outside Denmark. Finally, your residence permit can be revoked if, while outside Denmark, you have been convicted of a crime which would warrant deportation if committed in Denmark.
Your personal situation is taken into consideration
If your personal situation indicates that losing your residence permit would be particularly traumatic, the Immigration Service may chose not to revoke it. The following factors will be taken into consideration:
Your connection with Danish society, including the duration of your residence in Denmark.
Your age, health, and other personal circumstances.
Your connection to other residents of Denmark.
Your connection to your country of origin.
Whether returning to your country of origin would endanger you.
Residence abroad can make your residence permit lapse
If you leave Denmark for an extended period of time, or if you no longer maintain a residence in Denmark, your residence permit can lapse.
If you keep a residence in Denmark (that is, if you are registered at a Danish address), there is a limit to how long you may be outside the country if you wish to keep your residence permit. If you do not return to Denmark within the time limit, your residence permit will automatically lapse.
Read more about how to keep your residence permit from lapsing if you leave Denmark.
Repatriation offers the right to a period for reconsideration
If you give up your address in Denmark due to repatriation, i.e. a voluntary, permanent return to your country of origin, you have the right to a period to reconsider. This means that your residence permit is not annulled until 3 or 12 months after giving up your Danish address. The duration of this period depends on the type of residence permit you hold.