About the immigration test
The immigration test is an oral test consisting of two parts: a
language test testing your Danish language skills and a
knowledge test testing your knowledge about Denmark and Danish society. The two parts of the test are taken in succession, without a break in between. You must pass both tests in order to pass the immigration test. The entire test takes approximately 30 minutes.
The test contains 70 questions: 40 questions designed to test your Danish language skills, and 30 questions about Danish society. In order to pass, you must have at least 28 correct answers in the language test and at least 21 correct answers in the knowledge test.
In the language test you must understand and answer simple questions as well as understand everyday terms and a number of standard Danish expressions.
The knowledge test contains questions about Danish norms, values and fundamental rights, such as the principles of democracy, the personal freedom and integrity of the individual, gender equality and freedom of expression and religion. There are also questions about practical, specific issues such as the ban on circumcision, the ban on forced marriages, parenting, education, health, work, tax etc.
Please note that all questions in both the language and knowledge tests are asked in Danish, and that you must answer in Danish.
Taking the test
The test is held at Vestegnens Sprog- og Kompetencecenter in Glostrup (outside Copenhagen).
Make sure to turn up in good time when you are to take to test. You must bring picture ID and the letter from the Danish Immigration Service informing you that you need to take the test.
You may not have any aids such as telephone, computer, books or notes with you while you are taking the test.
The immigration test is an oral test. It is computer-based, but you will not need to operate the computer or use a keyboard or mouse. During the test, you will be sitting in front of a computer wearing headphones while the computer plays the questions. Most questions are accompanied by a picture. You will answer the questions orally using a microphone attached to the headphones. Your answers will be recorded and sent to two examiners for assessment.
The entire immigration test takes approximately 30 minutes. There are not breaks between the language and the knowledge tests. You may not stand up or speak to the other people taking the test. It is not possible to stop the test to take a break or go to the toilet. Likewise, it is not possible to repeat a question in case you did not hear it the first time, so it is important that you remain focused. After each question, you will hear a tone. This means you now have five seconds to answer the question. When the test is over, you must remain seated until the staff tells you that you may stand up.
Preparing for the test
If you are applying for family reunification from abroad and come to Denmark in order to take the immigration test, you must pass the test no later than three months after entering Denmark. If you apply in Denmark, you must pass the test no later than three months after the date of the letter from the Immigration Service informing you that you need to take the test. The three months are including the time it takes for the two examiners to assess the test.
If you do not pass the test within the three-month limit, your application for family reunification will be turned down and you will have to leave Denmark. Because you will have limited time to prepare for the test after arriving in Denmark it is a good idea to start preparing as early in the process as possible. There is no reason to wait for the letter from the Immigration Service - you can start preparing as soon as you have submitted your application for a residence permit.
It is your own responsibility to learn Danish to the necessary extent. You can do this by following a Danish course, with the help of your spouse/partner, by buying language courses in the form of books or CDs, or by taking online language courses.
The Danish Ministry of Integration has developed a preparation packet which you can use to prepare for the test. The preparation packet consists of an educational film, a recorded vocabulary list for the language test, 100 images from the film with information about Denmark and Danish society, two examples of the language test and test instructions. It is a good idea to study the preparation packet carefully.
The educational film 'Et liv i Danmark' ('Life in Denmark') is about Denmark and Danish society. The film is approximately 90 minutes long and consists of 17 chapters. It has been recorded in Danish and 18 other languages. This means that it is possible to prepare for the knowledge test about Denmark and Danish society in your own language, but remember that all questions in the test about the film are in Danish and must be answered in Danish, so it is also a good idea to watch the film in Danish.
You can buy the preparation packet for the immigration test from Airplay Sony DADC Denmark. You can order it by completing and submitting an online form. Fill out online form
You can also contact the company by post, telephone or email. Please remember to clearly state in your letter or email that you wish to order the preparation packet for the immigration test, and to state your full name and the address the packet is to be sent to.
Airplay Sony DADC Denmark
Montanagade 29 D-E
DK - 8000 Aarhus C
Phone: +45 86 19 12 12
Email: info@airplay.dk
The packet costs DKK 206,25 including VAT. The price includes distribution and administration fees.
The preparation packet can only be shipped to addresses in Denmark. If you are outside Denmark and wish to receive the preparation packet there, you need to ask your spouse/partner or another person in Denmark to order the package and send it to your address.
When you have ordered the packet you will receive an invoice which can be paid by bank transfer or at a post office. You will normally receive the packet three to five work days after you have paid.
Please note that due to holidays, ordering and shipping of the packet will not be possible between 11 July and 20 July 2011.
You can watch 'Et liv i Danmark' ('Life in Denmark') in both Danish and English on this website. Watch the film in Danish. Watch the film in English. In order to watch the film in any other language, you must buy the preparation packet. It is a good idea to watch the film many times, first in your own language, then in Danish. It is also a good idea to talk to your spouse/partner or other acquaintances in Denmark about the information in the film, as the questions in the knowledge test are based on the information in the film.
The preparation packet contains a recorded vocabulary list in Danish which allows you to hear all the words used in the language test. You can use the vocabulary list as a check list to make sure you understand all the words.
The preparation packet contains 100 images from the educational film 'Et liv i Danmark' ('Life in Denmark'). Each image is accompanied by important information about Denmark and Danish society. The information will be read aloud in Danish and the language you chose when inserting the DVD. All words used in the knowledge test are included. The 100 images and the information can be used to practice the Danish words you must know in order to pass the knowledge test.
The preparation packet contains two examples of the language test. The language test which you will be taking is not the same as the two in the preparation packet, but the two examples will give a realistic example of the type of questions you will be asked at the test.
The preparation packet contains test instructions in the form of an oral explanation of what happens when you take the immigration test. The instructions are recorded in Danish and 18 other languages.
Signing up and paying
It is your own responsibility to sign up for the immigration test - this will not happen automatically. You must sign up at Vestegnens Sprog- og Kompetencecenter in Glostrup (outside Copenhagen). This is the language centre where the immigration test is held. The easiest and quickest way is to sign up and pay online on the language centre's website:
www.indvandringsproven.dk
You can also sign up in person:
Vestegnens Sprog- og Kompetencecenter
Skolevej 6
2600 Glostrup
Tel: +45 24 98 55 42
The language centre is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 noon to 3 p.m. You can be given a test date within 14 days.
When you have signed up and paid you will receive confirmation, including the date and time for your test and information about where to go on the test date.
The signup fee for the immigration test is DKK 3,000. You can pay the fee online or in person.
Deadlines
There are many deadlines to remember if you are to take the immigration test. It is very important that you meet all deadlines. If you do not, your application for a residence permit may be turned down, and you will have to leave Denmark. It is your own responsibility to meet all deadlines.
To help you understand all the deadlines, you can read the following descriptions of two typical situations: one where you apply in your own country, and one where you apply in Denmark.
Applying in your own country
You submit your application for a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification at a Danish diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate general) in your country. Soon after, your spouse/partner in Denmark will receive a letter from the Immigration Service confirming that your application has been received. The letter also states whether your application is considered simple or complicated.
Simple, fully completed applications which include all necessary information and documentation are expected to be processed within a maximum of three months. If you are required to take the immigration test, the Immigration Service will inform you within the three months that you need to take the test. If you are exempt from taking the test, you will normally receive a decision within the three months. An application is considered simple if it appears that the normal requirements for family reunification are met or, conversely, that a basic requirement is not met – for example if the marriage is not valid.
Complicated applications are expected to be processed within a maximum of seven months. If you are required to take the immigration test, the Immigration Service will inform you within the seven months that you need to take the test. If you are exempt from taking the test, you will normally receive a decision within the seven months. An application is considered complicated if it requires further investigation in order to ascertain if the normal requirements for family reunification are met, or if there is a need to carry out further enquiries, such as to confirm an individual's familial relations or age.
It is a good idea to start preparing for the immigration test already at this point, for instance, by ordering the preparation packet and by beginning to learn Danish. If you wait until your application has been processed you will have limited time to prepare for the test which will make it harder for you to pass it.
Once your application has been processed, you will receive the Immigration Service's ruling from the Danish diplomatic mission in your country. Your spouse/partner in Denmark will receive a copy of the letter. If you and your spouse/partner meet all the requirements, the Immigration Service will send you a letter informing you that you need to take the immigration test. If you pass the immigration test and if your spouse/partner in Denmark provides a financial guarantee (cf. the collateral requirement), you will be granted a residence permit.
Deadline 1: In the letter from the Immigration Service informing you that you need to take the immigration test, you can find the date on which it was sent. Within three months of this date you must appear at the diplomatic mission where you submitted your application and obtain a special visa allowing you to travel to Denmark in order to take the immigration test. The letter from the Immigration Service will state the deadline for obtaining this visa. After this date, the diplomatic mission cannot issue you this type of visa. The visa is a special entry visa valid only for entry into Denmark. It does not give you the right to reside long-term in Denmark, nor does it allow you to travel to any country other than Denmark.
Deadline 2: The entry visa is valid for 28 days from the date of issue. This means that you must enter Denmark no later than four weeks after being issued the visa.
Please note: If you are not required to hold a visa to enter Denmark, you must enter Denmark no later than three months after receiving the letter from the Immigration Service informing you that you need to take the immigration test. When you arrive in Denmark, you must meet the same deadlines as visa holders, see below. Read more about which nationalities need a visa to enter Denmark.
Deadline 3: When you arrive in Denmark, the Immigration Service needs to see documentation of your entry date in order to check that you entered Denmark within your visa's 28 days validity period. Before your entry visa expires, you must send a copy of your passport with entry stamp, boarding card, plane ticket or similar to the Immigration Service. You can also submit it in person to the Service Centre of the Immigration Service. If you do not submit this documentation to the Immigration Service before your entry visa expires, you will be staying illegally in Denmark and will not be able to take the immigration test.
Please note: If you are not required to hold a visa to enter Denmark, you must submit documentation that you entered Denmark no later than three months after receiving the letter from the Immigration Service informing you that you need to take the immigration test. When the Immigration Service has received this documentation, you will receive a letter informing you that you have the right to stay in Denmark while your application for a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification is being processed. This type of stay is called a procedural stay. The letter will also contain practical information about the immigration test such as the date by which you must have passed it.
Deadline 4: From the day you enter Denmark you have three months to pass the immigration test. The three month deadline is calculated from your entry date, not from the date you send the documentation to the Immigration Service. The three months include the time it takes the two examiners to assess your test, and the Immigration Service recommends that you take the test no later than 75 days after your entry date.
However, it is a good idea to take the test before this point in order to give yourself time to retake the test if you do not pass it the first time. It can take up to 14 days to receive your results. Please note: You must pay a fee each time you take the immigration test.
It is your own responsibility to plan your travel and to sign up and prepare for the test, and it is up to you whether you will leave time to retake the test in case you do not pass it the first time. It is possible to take the test after you have been in Denmark for more than 75 days, but if you do, you cannot be sure that it will be assessed within the three months that you can stay in Denmark.
It is also possible to take the immigration test before you have received the letter from the Immigration Service informing you that you need to take it. However, if it turns out that you or your spouse/partner in Denmark do not meet the basic requirements for family reunification the test fee will not be refunded.
It can take up to 14 days to receive your test results. If you pass the test you will be informed of the further process towards obtaining a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification in Denmark. Among other things, you and your spouse/partner in Denmark must sign a sworn declaration, and your spouse/partner must provide a financial guarantee.
If you do not pass the test you will be given a deadline for leaving Denmark by. If there is enough time you can retake the test. If you do not pass the test before the deadline, your application for a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification will be turned down. After leaving Denmark you can submit a new application for a residence permit.
Applying from Denmark
You submit your application for a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification either by sending it by post to the Immigration Service, by submitting it in person at the Service Centre of the Immigration Service, or by submitting it in person at a police station.
Soon after, you will receive a letter of confirmation from the Immigration Service, which will be sent to the Danish address you have given in your application. The letter serves as confirmation that the Immigration Service has received your application. The letter also states whether your application is considered simple or complicated.
Simple, fully completed applications which include all necessary information and documentation are expected to be processed within a maximum of three months. If you are required to take the immigration test, the Immigration Service will inform you within the three months that you need to take the test. If you are exempt from taking the test, you will normally receive a decision within the three months. An application is considered simple if it appears that the normal requirements for family reunification are met or, conversely, that a basic requirement is not met – for example if the marriage is not valid.
Complicated applications are expected to be processed within a maximum of seven months. If you are required to take the immigration test, the Immigration Service will inform you within the seven months that you need to take the test. If you are exempt from taking the test, you will normally receive a decision within the seven months. An application is considered complicated if it requires further investigation in order to ascertain if the normal requirements for family reunification are met, or if there is a need to carry out further enquiries, such as to confirm an individual's familial relations or age.
It is a good idea to start preparing for the immigration test already at this point, such as by ordering the preparation packet and by beginning to learn Danish. If you wait until your application has been processed you will have limited time to prepare for the test which will make it harder for you to pass it.
Once your application has been processed you will receive the Immigration Service's ruling. If you and your spouse/partner meet all the requirements, you will receive a letter from the Immigration Service informing you that you need to take the immigration test. If you pass the immigration test and if your spouse/partner in Denmark provides a financial guarantee (cf. the collateral requirement), you will be granted a residence permit.
Deadline: You have three months to pass the immigration test from the date on the letter from the Immigration Service informing you that you need to take the test. The three month deadline is calculated from the date of the letter, not from the date you received the letter. The three months include the time it takes the two examiners to assess your test, and the Immigration Service recommends that you take the test no later than 75 days after the date of the letter.
However, it is a good idea to take the test before this point in order to give yourself more time to retake the test if you do not pass it the first time. It can take up to 14 days to receive your results. Please note: You must pay a fee each time you take the immigration test.
It is your own responsibility to plan your time and to sign up and prepare for the test, and it is up to you whether you will leave time to retake the test in case you do not pass it the first time. It is possible to take the test later than 75 days after the date of the letter, but if you do, you cannot be sure that it will be assessed within the three months.
It is also possible to take the immigration test before you have received the letter from the Immigration Service informing you that you need to take it. However, if it turns out that you or your spouse/partner in Denmark do not meet the basic requirements for family reunification the test fee will not be refunded.
It can take up to 14 days to receive your test results. If you pass the test you will be informed of the further process towards obtaining a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification in Denmark. Among other things, you and your spouse/partner in Denmark must sign a sworn declaration, and your spouse/partner must provide a financial guarantee.
If you do not pass the test you will be given a deadline for leaving Denmark by (unless you have a valid residence permit on other grounds). If there is enough time you can retake the test. If you do not pass the test before the deadline, your application for a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification will be turned down. After leaving Denmark you can submit a new application for a residence permit.
Nationalities exempt from taking the test
Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Korea and the USA are exempt from taking the immigration test.
Dispensation
The immigration test requirement can be suspended if special reasons apply. This could be the case, if your spouse/partner in Denmark:
- is a refugee or has protected status and still risks persecution in his/her country of origin. Read more about refugees
- has children under 18 living in the home who have formed an individual attachment to Denmark, or has children from a previous relationship and has custody of the child or has visitation rights and sees the child on a regular basis. Read more about children under 18
- is seriously ill. Read more about serious illness/disability
You may also be exempt from taking the immigration test if you have a physical or mental disability which prevents you from completing the test, for example if you are blind, deaf or suffer from a severe speach disability.
Furthermore, you will not be required to take the immigration test if it is clear that you already have fundamental Danish language skills and knowledge about Danish society.
Consequently, the immigration test requirement can be suspended if you have already held a Danish residence permit for no less than five years, and you can document that you possess Danish language skills at a level equivalent to Prøve i Dansk 2.
If in doubt about whether you may be exempt from the immigration test requirement, please contact the Danish Immigration Service.
An assessment of the details of your case will be needed in order to establish whether or not you are required to take the immigration test. The Danish Immigration Service can provide more detailed information about this.
Please note that such an assessment will be made on the grounds of your exact family situation immediately before a residence permit could be granted. As such, you cannot be given a binding answer about whether or not you will be required to take the immigration test.
Dispensation from paying the fee
In 1963, Turkey and the EU entered into an association agreement as a way to extend certain rights to Turkish citizens working or otherwise economically active in some other way in an EU country. The European Court of Justice has issued a number of rulings that have determined how this agreement should be interpreted.
Rulings by the European Court of Justice in the case of T. Sahin (issued on 17 September 2009, C-242/06) and the Commission v the Netherlands (issued on 29 April 2010, C-92/07) have taken up the question of whether charging fees to Turkish citizens is in accordance with the association agreement.
The decisions should be interpreted to mean that family members of Turkish citizens who are economically active in Denmark cannot be charged fees that are not normally charged to family members who are family reunified with EU citizens living in Denmark.
Based on these decisions, the immigration authorities have concluded that foreign nationals seeking to be family reunified with a Turkish citizen living in Denmark who is economically active as an employee, self-employed person or service provider cannot be required to pay the test fee.
Such individuals are required to pass the immigration test, but are exempt from paying the test fee.
Appeal
If the Immigration Service informs you that you have not passed the immigration test you can appeal to the Ministry of Integration. The Ministry must receive your appeal no later than seven days after you have been informed by the Immigration Service that you did not pass the test.
If you take the immigration test and you feel that there were conditions during the test which made it difficult to complete the test, you should inform the staff immediately after the test. If you wish to file a complaint, the Immigration Service must receive your complaint no later than seven days after the test.
Read more about the immigration test, deadlines, signing up etc. in the immigration test information packet and the immigration test folder.