Extension of residence permit granted under the Special Act

If you were issued with a residence permit under the act on temporary residence permits granted to people who have been displaced from Ukraine (hereinafter the Special Act) before 3 November 2023, the Danish Immigration Service has automatically extended your residence permit until 17 March 2025 if you met the requirements for it to be granted.

If you have been granted a residence permit under the Special Act in the period from 3 November 2023 to 17 March 2024, your residence permit has been extended so that it is valid until 17 March 2025.

The Danish Immigration Service has sent the decision letter regarding the extension of your residence permit to you via Digital Post. You can access your Digital Post on borger.dk, e-Boks.dk, or mit.dk.

If you are exempt from Digital Post, we have sent the letter by regular mail to the address with which you are registered in the central national register (CPR). If your name is not indicated on the mailbox, there is a risk that the letter has been returned.

Yes, when the Immigration Service has processed your case, and your residence permit has been extended, you will receive a new residence card by mail in approximately 4 weeks. We send the card to the address you indicated when you registered with the Central National Register. It is important that your name appears on your mailbox to avoid the card being returned.

You do not have to have your biometric features (facial photo and fingerprints) for your new residence card recorded. We can use the original biometrics from when you obtained your current residence permit under the Special Act.

Yes, if your child already holds a residence card, the child will receive a new residence card in approximately 4 weeks, after we have extended your child’s residence permit. 

In general, the child does not need to have his/her biometrics recorded for the new residence card. However, this does not apply if your child had his/her biometrics recorded when the child was under 6 years old, and the child has now attained the age of 6. In this event, the child must have new biometrics recorded for the residence card.  The reason is that children aged more than 6 must have new biometrics in the form of facial photo and fingerprints recorded, whereas children under the age of 6 have only their facial photo taken. You can book an appointment on this page

If your child does not already have a residence card, your child can, upon request, receive a residence card. If you want your child to have a residence card, the child must have his/her biometrics recorded. You must book an appointment for the recording of biometrics with the Immigration Service. You can book an appointment on this page

When the child appears together with you at the Immigration Service to have his/her biometrics recorded, an identity check of the child will be carried out. Therefore, it is important that you bring the child’s passport or other identity documents.

Your old residence card was valid until 17 March 2024. You must keep the card until you have received your new residence card. After that, you must destroy the card.

In a small number of cases, the Danish Immigration Service has attempted, without success, to contact individuals who were granted a residence permit under the Special Act before 3 November 2023. In these cases, we were unable to extend the residence permits because necessary information was not available. As a result, these permits will expire on 17 March 2024. If you are among those individuals whom we could not contact, and consequently, you have not had your residence permit extended, you are requested to submit a new application for a residence permit under the Special Act, if you still wish to retain a residence permit in Denmark based on the Special Act.

Yes, you can call the Immigration Service on our telephone number: +45 35 36 66 00.

Residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine

 

You can be granted a temporary residence permit under the law on temporary residence permits for displaced persons from Ukraine (the Special Act), if you are staying in Denmark, and you are either a Ukrainian citizen or recognized as a refugee in Ukraine. 

Read more about residence permit to a person in Denmark displaced from Ukraine

You can also be granted a residence permit, if you are a close family member to a person in Denmark, who has been granted a residence permit under the Special Act.

Read more about residence permit to a family member to person in Denmark displaced from Ukraine

You can also be granted a residence permit if you are displaced from Ukraine and staying on the Faroe Islands. 

Read more about residence permit under the Special Act at the Faroe Islands

At the pages you can read more about which requirements you must fulfill and what type of residence permit you can get.

If you have had a child after coming to Denmark and have received residency under the Special Act for persons who have been displaced from Ukraine, you must also apply for a residence permit for your child.

You must apply for a residence permit for the child under the Special Act.

Read more on residence permits for family members of a person who has residency under the Special Act

The Immigration Service has made a webpage describing the terms of your stay in Denmark if you have applied for a residence permit in Denmark and are waiting for an answer.

The guidance is mainly aimed at applicants in Denmark, and among other things concerns the terms for health care, housing, work and travels out of Denmark. 

Go to the site relevant for you waiting for an answer

The Immigration Service has made a webpage with relevant information to you who have received an answer to your application for residence permit under the Special Act.

The guidance is different depending on whether you are granted a residence permit or your application is refused.

Go to the site relevant for you who have received an answer

You cannot obtain a permanent residence permit in Denmark on the grounds of a residence permit under the Special Act.

In order for you to obtain a permanent residence permit, it is a requirement that you must have resided in Denmark for 8 years or more (4 years in certain situations). In addition, during the entire period you need to have had a residence permit issued under the terms of the Aliens Act sections 7-9 f, sections 9 i-9 n, section 9 p or section 9 q (1) or (2) (residence permit granted on the grounds of family reunification, asylum, studies or work etc.).

If you have a residence permit under the Special Act, you do not meet this requirement and your residence cannot be included in the calculation of the 8 years of residence.

Visa-free stay

In order to have a visa-free stay as an Ukrainian citizen you must have a biometric passport issued after 12 January 2015. 

If you have a passport issued before 12 January 2015 it is not biometric, and therefore you need to have a short-term visa to enter Denmark. Read more about this in the question/answer further down at this page. 

If you are travelling visa-free, you can normally enter Denmark if you meet the following basic conditions:

  • You have a valid passport or other form of valid travel document. 
    As an Ukrainian citizen you must have a biometric passport issued after 12 January 2015 in order to be visa-free. If you have a passport issued before 12 January 2015 it is not biometric, and therefore you need to have a short-term visa to enter Denmark.
    The passport or travel document must be valid for three months past the intended date of departure from the Schengen area. Moreover, the passport or travel document must have been issued within the past 10 years.

  • You have the necessary means to pay for your stay and return trip. What will be considered as necessary funds depends on the length of your stay and whether you will stay at a hotel or in a privately owned home with family or friends. As a general rule, you must have at your disposal approx. DKK 350 per day. A smaller amount may be accepted if you are staying in a privately owned home and your host will cover all the costs. If you are staying at a hotel, you must have a greater amount at your disposal, approx. DKK 500 per day.

  • You can substantiate, and, to the required extent, document the purpose of your stay in Denmark. The purpose can e.g. be a stay with friends or family or a tourist stay. 

  • You are not registered as an undesirable in the Schengen Information System (SIS II).

  • You have not been expelled by court from Denmark and been banned from re-entering.

  • You are not listed on UN or EU sanction lists.

These conditions apply at the time you enter and stay in Denmark or another Schengen country. It is important that you are able to document at all times that you have the necessary funds to pay for your stay and return trip. If you do not meet these conditions, you can be refused entry at the border. 

You also have the possibility to apply for a residence permit under the Special Act.

There is no requirement to your housing, if you are in Denmark on a vise free stay. However, you must still meet the requirements for a visa free stay. Read more about this in the question above.

If you are travelling visa-free or on a short term visa, you may stay in the Schengen region for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The 90 days can be used either for one long stay or several shorter stays.

The Immigration Service recommends that you use a calendar to count days from the date of entry up to and including the date you leave the country. Note: Both the entry day and the exit day count towards the 90 days in any 180-day period – regardless of the time of day you enter or exit the country. It is always your own responsibility to be aware of how long you are allowed to stay in Denmark. Read more about maximum stay periods

This means that you cannot enter Denmark if you have already stayed 90 days in another Schengen country, for example Germany or Sweden. If you have resided in another Schengen country on a residence permit, it is not counted as part of the 90 days.

If you are in Denmark on a visa-free stay for example a private visit to family and you are not able to leave Denmark within 90 days, which is the allowed visa-free stay, you can apply to have your stay extended to cover up to 90 days more. 

The same applies if you stay in Denmark on a short term visa, and you are not able to leave Denmark within the allowed days of your visa.

You can submit an application for extension in the Immigration Service’ Citizen Service. You must book an appointment, before you show up in the Citizen Service. Read more about where the Immigration Service’ Citizen Service is located and how to book an appointment

Read more about the application and the requirements you must meet in order to be granted an extension of your stay 

You can also apply for a residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine, if you wish to remain in Denmark. Read more under the question above 'Who can obtain a residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine?'

Short term visa stay

 

If you as an Ukrainian citizen do not have a biometric passport, you must have a short stay visa in order to enter Denmark.

You must normally meet the following basic conditions in order to be granted a visa:

  • Your passport or other form of valid travel document must be valid for three months past the visa expiration date.

  • Your passport or travel document must have been issued within the past 10 years.

  • You must have the necessary means to pay for your stay and return trip. What will be considered as necessary funds will be determined by the Danish diplomatic mission and depends on the length of your stay, and whether you will stay at a hotel or with friends or family. As a general rule, you must have at your disposal approx. DKK 350 per day. If you are staying at a hotel, the amount must be greater, approx. DKK 500 per day.

  • You must hold a travel insurance policy to cover possible expenses in connection with a return for health reasons or death, indispensable medical treatment or acute hospitalisation during your stay. The insurance policy must cover all Schengen countries, and the minimum policy coverage is € 30,000. The insurance policy must be valid for the same period as the visa. The validity of the visa may be shortened if the insurance policy does not cover the entire period.

  • You may not be registered as an undesirable in the Schengen Information System (SIS II).

  • You may not have been deported from Denmark and given an entry ban.

  • You may not be listed on UN or EU sanction lists.

These conditions apply at the time your visa is issued, as well as when you enter and stay in the Schengen region.

If the Immigration Service suspects that you intend to seek permanent or long-term residency in Denmark, or that you may pose threat to national security or public safety, your visa application will be refused.

You can apply for a short-term visa via the Danish diplomatic mission abroad. Read more at the webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark about where to apply for a short-term visa to Denmark

If you have not been issued a short term visa from a diplomatic mission when entering Denmark, it is possible for you to apply for a short term visa at the border (emergency visa). You must apply at the police at the border. Your application will be processed by the Immigration Service. If you apply at the border, it is a requirement that you have not been able to apply beforehand, and you can be asked to document that your reason for entering is unpredictable and necessary.

You also have the possibility to apply for a residence permit under the Special Act.

There is no requirement for where you must stay if you are staying in Denmark on a short term visa. However, you must continue to meet the conditions for a short term visa stay. Read more about this in the question above.

Asylum

 

Any foreign national in Denmark can submit an application for asylum. You can apply for asylum regardless of whether you entered Denmark illegally or have a residence permit or visa.

 It is only possible to apply for asylum in Denmark if you are in Denmark. You can also apply for asylum in Denmark at the border, for eaxample if you do not meet the requirements for a visa free stay in Denmark. It is not possible to apply for asylum by enquiring at a Danish representation (embassy or consulate-general).

How you can apply for asylum depends on whether you have a residence permit in Denmark.

If you do not have a residence permit, you can apply for asylum by showing up in person at a police station in Denmark or at the police in Centre Sandholm.

If you already have a residence permit (on other grounds than asylum) in Denmark, you can apply for by showing up in person at the police in the district where you live.

Read more about the possibility to apply for asylum in Denmark

 

If you apply for asylum and you do not already have another residence permit in Denmark, you must live at an asylum center. This apply no matter if you have stayed in Denmark on a visa-free stay or short term visa, until you applied for asylum. 

Normally it is not possible to stay with family, friends, a spouse, children or other forms of private accommodation right after you have applied for asylum. 

As an asylum seeker, you can apply to the Danish Immigration Service for permission to live with family or friends in a private residence in Denmark. 

It is a requirement that you have stayed in Denmark for at least 6 months from when you applied for asylum in order to be allowed to move to a private accommodation. 

If you want to move in to your spouse, minor child or parent living in Denmark, you can apply to the Danish Immigration Service for permission to live with privately right after you have been granted residence permit. 

The permission to live privately last until you are granted a residence permit or leave Denmark.

Because it is the responsibility of the Immigration Service to ensure that asylum seekers’ living conditions are acceptable, the residence, as well as you and the person you would like to live with, need to meet certain requirements in order to be approved.

Read more about the requirements for residing privately with friends or family

Read more about the requirements for residing privately with a spouse

If you already have another residence permit in Denmark for example on the grounds of family reunification or as a farm worker, you are allowed to keep living in your current place of residence while your application is being processed. 

Other things

 

War crimes

The police in Denmark would like to hear from you if haven been a victim of or experienced war crimes. Read more at the police’s website

Human trafficking

The Danish Centre against Human Trafficking have made a flyer that warns against human trafficking and guides you on how to get help if you are a victim of human trafficking. See the flyer from The Danish Centre against Human Trafficking

If you brought a pet to Denmark it should be registered as soon as possible. You can do so by contacting the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. Read more about brought pets from Ukraine on the webpage of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration

Expiration of residence permit, deadline to leave Denmark or expiration of passport

 

As an Ukrainian citizen you can stay in Denmark for 90 days on a visa-free stay after your residence permit has expired.

Read more about visa-free stays

You can also apply for a residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine, if you wish to remain in Denmark. Read more under the question above 'Who can obtain a residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine?'

In February 2022 the Danish Immigration Service put asylum cases from Ukrainian citizens on hold. This was done on the basis of a decision made by the Refugee Appeals Board’s Coordination Committee on 24 February 2022 to put the board’s cases regarding Ukrainian citizens on hold due to the notifications of acts of war in great parts of the country and the introduction of a military state of emergency. 

Following a meeting of the Refugee Appeals Board's Coordination Committee on 12 October 2023, the Board has stated that the Committee has found that the situation in Ukraine is locked and with no immediate prospect of resolution. Therefore, the Refugee Appeals Board is lifting the suspension of the cases regarding Ukrainian citizens. At the same time, the Board refers the cases pending before the Board to the Danish Immigration Service for renewed processing in the first instance.

Based on the decision of the Refugee Appeals Board's Coordination Committee, the pending asylum cases in the Danish Immigration Service regarding Ukrainian citizens will no longer be put on hold, and the applicants will be contacted by the Immigration Service about the further processing of their cases.

If you have been given a deadline to leave Denmark which you cannot meet, you can ask to have your deadline extended.

If you have received a refusal to your application for a residence permit or right of residence on grounds of e.g. work, study or EU-regulations, you must contact The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). 

If you have received a refusal to your application for family reunification based on the Danish Aliens Act, you must contact The Danish Immigration Service.

Your deadline can be extended if there are special circumstances which affect your ability to leave Denmark. You need to apply for an extension yourself, and you must be able to document that leaving Denmark within the deadline is not possible.

Contact SIRI through our contact form

Contact The Immigration Service through our contact form

No, you do not have permission to work in Denmark, when you have been given a deadine for leaving.

As a citizen of Ukraine, you are from a country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland and therefore need a work permit before you can legally work in Denmark.

You can also apply for a residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine, if you wish to remain in Denmark and thus have the opportunity to continue working. Read more under the question above 'Who can obtain a residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine?'

SIRI does, as a rule, not grant residence permits to accompanying family mambers to an intern.

Ukrainian citizens can, however, under certain circumstances enter Denmark without a visa. Read more under the question above 'Can I stay on a visa-free stay in Denmark?'

You can also apply for a residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine, if you wish to remain in Denmark. Read more under the question above 'Who can obtain a residence permit under the Special Act on displaced persons from Ukraine?'

Foreign nationals who reside in Denmark are usually required to have a passport. However, certain foreign nationals can be issued a passport by the Immigration Service. This mainly applies to refugees. 

Therefore, if you are residing in Denmark and have a residence permit on other grounds than asylum, you initially have to contact the Ukrainian Embassy in Copenhagen to be issued a passport or have your passport be extended.  

If it is not possible for you to be issued a new Ukrainian passport or have your existing passport be extended due to extraordinary circumstances, you can apply for an alien’s passport. 

Read more about applying for a passport