EU/EEA and Nordic countries
At this page you will find questions and answers about nationals of EU/EEA Member States, Switzerland and the Nordic countries.
Nordic nationals may travel freely to Denmark to stay and work here. They need no work permit to work in Denmark. Learn more about the right of Nordic nationals to stay in Denmark.
Union citizens and EEA/Swiss nationals may stay in Denmark under the EU rules on free movement. Accordingly, they may stay freely in Denmark for up to three months, and if they are seeking employment, they may stay here for up to six months or even a longer period as long as it can be documented that the Union citizen/the EEA national is still seeking employment and has a genuine opportunity of employment. Persons wanting to stay in Denmark for a longer period than three months must apply for a registration certificate unless they are seeking employment. Learn more about the possibilities of Union citizens/EEA nationals to stay in Denmark.
How do you apply for a registration certificate?
Union citizens and EEA/Swiss nationals can apply to the Regional State Administration where they live for a registration certificate. The application is not to be submitted to the Danish Immigration Service. If an application is refused, the applicant may appeal such refusal to the Danish Immigration Service. Learn more about how to apply for a registration certificate.
Can a Union citizen/an EEA national working in Denmark bring his/her family?
Union citizens and EEA/Swiss nationals may bring their family members (spouse, registered partner or regular cohabitant, children under 21 years of age and family members dependent on the Union citizen/EEA national) for three months, or for six months or longer if the Union citizen or EEA/Swiss national stays in Denmark to seek employment. However, family members must always have a visa if they come from a third country in which a visa is required for Denmark. If the Union citizen or EEA/Swiss national satisfies the conditions of the Danish EU Residence Order for residence in excess of three months or six months or longer as jobseeker, his/her family members may also stay in Denmark. Learn more about the rules for bringing family members.
What does the requirement of a genuine and effective residence imply?
The Union citizen/EEA national must establish genuine and effective residence in Denmark in order to achieve family reunification under EU law.
The requirement means that it must be a genuine and effective move to Denmark. The move must be real, and a short stay at, for example, a hotel room is not sufficient.
The Union citizen also has to sign a sworn declaration included in the application form that s/he satisfies the requirement of genuine and effective residence.
If the application for family reunification makes the immigration authorities doubt whether the requirement of genuine and effective residence has been satisfied, the authorities will request the applicant to submit relevant evidence for such residence.
Learn more about the requirement of a genuine and effective residence.
Genuine and effective residence
Where an application is made for spousal reunification, it is also required that the marriage must be genuine
Learn more about the conditions for family reunification under EU law
What are the possibilities of having a case reopened?
A Union citizen/an EEA national who believes that s/he falls within the scope of the new practice following from the Metock judgment or is otherwise entitled to family reunification under EU law, and his/her previous application for family reunification under EU law was refused, may request the authority that most recently processed the application to reopen the case.
It will then be assessed whether there is any basis for reopening the case.
Learn more about reopening of cases.