How to apply

If you expect a visitor

• Complete the invitation
• Send the invitation to your guest, as well as to the diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate general) where your guest will submit his/her application
• Send a copy of the photo page of your passport and your residence permit (if applicable) to the diplomatic mission
• See the Foreign Ministry's list of Danish diplomatic missions

Tips for the applicant

• Bring the invitation from your Danish host
• Bring proof that you have travel insurance covering the entire Schengen area which is valid for the expected duration of your stay. The minimum coverage must be 30,000 €
• Bring a valid passport or other form of travel document
• Bring all relevant documentation
• Check the embassy’s website to find out whether there are any country-specific requirements

Read more about the general conditions for granting a visa.

Does it cost anything to submit an application?

Yes, if the applicant submits his/her application to a Danish diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate general) he/she will normally have to pay a fee. Most embassies and consulates charge a €60 (about DKK 450) fee. The individual diplomatic mission can also make further demands such as extra passport photos or duplicate copies of the application. We recommend that the applicant checks with the requirements on the website of the diplomatic mission before submitting the application.

Submission of application

Visa applications should be submitted at a Danish diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate general). The application form and form for required supplementary information are available below.

Application for visa
> Application for Schengen visa
> Supplementary information form
> Invitation forms

You can also obtain a printed version at the diplomatic mission. 

The application cannot be submitted earlier than three months before the expected date of arrival in Denmark. Individuals already holding a multiple-entry visa valid for more than six months can apply earlier. Read more about duration.

The application must normally be submitted in the applicant’s country of legal residence. The application can be submitted in another country if the applicant is there legally and there is a valid reason for not submitting the application in his/her country of legal residence.

Visa applications must be submitted in person. This requirement can be waived in certain cases, such as if the embassy has conducted business with the applicant before.

What should a visa application contain?

• A signed, completed application form
• A signed, completed supplementary application form
• A passport or other valid travel document. Travel document expiry dates must be at least three months after your planned departure date. Moreover, the travel document must have been issued within the past ten years and must have at least two blank pages
• A passport photo measuring 35mm x 45mm. Photographs should bear a close resemblance to your current appearance and you should be facing the camera directly. The distance from your chin to the top of your head should measure between 30mm and 36mm, and your forehead and hairline should be visible
• Payment of visa processing fee (typically €60)
• Relevant documentation, such as information about the reason for the trip, proof that you have someplace to stay, proof that you have enough money at your disposal to cover your living expenses as well as to travel home. You should also include information that will allow immigration authorities to determine whether you plan to stay within the Schengen area past your visa expiry date
• Proof that you have travel insurance. You must be insured for at least €30,000, and the policy must be valid throughout the Schengen area for the entire visa period

If your application is missing information, the diplomatic mission has the right to refuse it. Your application will be rejected if:

• You do not submit a Schengen application form
• You do not submit a valid travel document
• You do not submit a passport photo
• You do not pay the processing fee

If the application is missing other information, the embassy/consulate will accept the application, but the applicant and/or the host in Denmark will be asked to submit the required information. The application will be considered open, but the processing time will reflect the fact that it was incomplete at the time of submission.

Please note: The invitation form contains a list of additional required information. If the invitation form is submitted together with all required documentation, no further information will be necessary in most cases. Submitting a complete application will reduce processing times.

Representation agreements

In some countries, there is no Danish diplomatic mission to process visa applications. In such countries, Denmark will generally have a representation agreement with the diplomatic mission of another Schengen country to handle visa applications for Denmark.

Read more about representation agreements.

Stays in multiple Schengen countries

If you wish to visit multiple Schengen countries, you must submit your application at the diplomatic mission of the country in which the main part of your stay will take place, or in which the main purpose of your visit is.

This means that if the main purpose of your visit is in Denmark, or if you will be spending the majority of your stay in Denmark, then your visa application must be submitted at the nearest Danish diplomatic mission.

If, on the other hand, the main purpose of your visit is in another Schengen country, or if you will be spending the majority of your stay in another Schengen country, then your visa application must be submitted at that country's diplomatic mission.

If you plan to spend an equal amount of time in several Schengen countries, then your visa application must be submitted at the diplomatic mission of the first country you plan to enter.

If you have been granted certain types of residence or re-entry permits in another Schengen country, you do not need a visa to enter Denmark. Read more about residence permit issued by another Schengen country.

Duration

A visa to the Schengen countries is valid for a maximum of 90 days per 6 months, calculated from the date of first entry. Those 90 days may be spread across one or more visits, depending on the number of entries you have been granted.

Read more about duration.

Who makes the decision?

About 4 out of 5 visa applications are dealt with within 15 days by the Danish diplomatic missions around the world, amounting to about 70,000 visa permits for Denmark in 2008.

About 14,000 visa applications are sent to the Immigration Service in Denmark for further investigation and enquiry. This occurs because the diplomatic missions can only decide on visa applications that clearly merit approval. All other decisions, including all refusals, have to be made with by the Immigration Service.

When the Immigration Service processes the application

When the Immigration Service receives a visa application that does not include an invitation form, it will send a questionnaire to the person the applicant has indicated will be his/her host. Since the Immigration Service sends the questionnaire to the host’s address listed on the application, please ensure that the host’s address in Denmark is correct. Please note: Sending the questionnaire will increase the length of time it will take to process your visa application.

When the Immigration Service sends out a questionnaire to your host/contact in Denmark, it has yet to make a decision about whether you can be issued a visa to visit Denmark. The host in Denmark will be informed of the expected maximum processing time.

In certain cases you, your host/contact or both will be asked to provide further information or will be requested to provide a collateral guarantee. The Immigration Service will communicate with you in writing through the diplomatic mission where you submitted your application. The diplomatic mission will contact you when it has received letters for you. 

A decision on your visa application is sent to an embassy or a consulate general only. Your host/contact person does not receive a separate reply. 

When the diplomatic mission issues a visa you will also receive a special attachment in English, Annex 1, informing you about penalty periods, travel insurance and forfeiture of any collateral guarantee.