Did you acquire Danish nationality at birth?

The Act in force at the time of your birth determines the relevant rules applicable to you:

If your natural parents were married at your birth, you acquired Danish nationality if you were born:

• before 1 January 1979 and your father is a Danish national; or
• on or after 1 January 1979 and your mother or father is a Danish national.

If your natural parents were not married at your birth, you acquired Danish nationality if:

• your mother is a Danish national, regardless of your date of birth; or
• only your father is a Danish national, and you were born in Denmark on or after 1 February 1999.

So, if your mother is a foreign national and your father is a Danish national, and you were either born before 1 February 1999 or born abroad, you are not a Danish national. However, if your parents subsequently marry, you will acquire Danish nationality with effect from the date of the marriage.

The current Nationality Act

According to section 1 of the current Nationality Act, a child automatically acquires Danish nationality at birth if the parents are married and either the father or the mother is a Danish national. This applies no matter where in the world the child is born.

If the child's parents are not married at the birth, the child automatically acquires Danish nationality if born to a Danish mother. If the mother is a foreign national and the father is a Danish national, the child will only automatically acquire Danish nationality if born in Denmark. If the child is born abroad, the child has to apply for Danish nationality by naturalisation.

For further details see section 1 of the Nationality Act (PDF).

Nationality through parents' marriage after birth

If a child of a Danish father and a foreign mother does not acquire Danish nationality at birth, the child will automatically acquire Danish nationality if the natural parents marry after the child's birth. This applies even if the parents are later legally separated or divorced.

It is also a condition that the child is under 18 years of age, has not married and did not acquire Danish nationality at birth.

For further details see section 2 of the Nationality Act (PDF).