Information to persons from Ukraine
Due to the war in Ukraine, the Immigration Service and SIRI have made this information page with a Q&A aimed at persons from Ukraine who wish to reside in Denmark or are in Denmark. The page will continuously be updated and expanded with relevant information.
FAQ
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.
On 23 May 2022, a bill was proposed to amend the law on temporary residence permits for persons who have been displaced from Ukraine (the Special Act).
The bill is passed and in effect from 16 June 2022.
The bill state that persons who have departed from Ukraine on 1 February 2022 or later, will be able to obtain a residence permit under the Special Act if all the other conditions are met.
If you have applied and have not received a decision
If you have a pending case for a residence permit under the Special Act, do not take any action. Your case will be dealt with according to the new rules.
If you received a refusal
If you have been refused a residence permit under the Special Act because you departed from Ukraine between 1 February and 24 February 2022, your case will be re-evaluated.
Thus, you do not have to take any action. You will hear from us.
If you have been refused a residence permit under the Special Act because you departed from Ukraine before 1 February 2022 or for other reasons, your case will not be re-evaluated.
If you disagree with the Immigration Service’s decision, you can submit an appeal to the Immigration Appeals Board. You must be aware of the appeal deadlines that are stated on the decision that you have received from the Immigration Service. Read more about how to appeal
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.
How you can apply under the Special Act depends on the reason for your application.
Read more about how to apply, if you are a family member to person in Denmark displaced from Ukraine
Read more about how to apply, if you are displaced from Ukraine and staying on the Faroe Islands
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.
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.
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:
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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.
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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.
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You are not registered as an undesirable in the Schengen Information System (SIS II).
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You have not been expelled by court from Denmark and been banned from re-entering.
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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
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:
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Your passport or other form of valid travel document must be valid for three months past the visa expiration date.
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Your passport or travel document must have been issued within the past 10 years.
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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.
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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.
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You may not be registered as an undesirable in the Schengen Information System (SIS II).
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You may not have been deported from Denmark and given an entry ban.
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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 relevant information
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
For persons from Ukraine who already have a residence permit in Denmark or a pending case with the Immigration Service or SIRI
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?'
The Immigration Service has decided to put cases for asylum from Ukrainian citizens on hold. This is done as a result of a decision made by the Refugee Appeals Board’s coordination committee on 24 February 2022 to put the board’s case 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.
On 28 April 2022, the Board decided to continue to put the cases on hold, and thus the Immigration Service’s cases continue to be put on hold as well.
The affected asylum seekers will be notified directly about the cases on hold. Please note that the Refugee Appeals Board’s coordination committee will consider the situation again at their next meeting on 23 June 2022.
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.
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?'
The deadline for having biometric features recorded at SIRI and the Immigration Service is 14 days.
If you are not able to meet this deadline, you must contact SIRI or the Danish Immigration Service with an explanation of why you have not been able to have your biometrics recorded.
Recording biometrics outside Denmark
If you are going to have your biometrics recorded outside Denmark, you can find information on where you can have biometrics recorded on the webpage of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Where to apply. Please note that for many locations, you must appear at a Visa Application Center (VFS) and you must book an appointment beforehand.
Recording biometrics in Denmark
If you are submitting an application to SIRI in Denmark, you must have your biometrics recorded in one of SIRI’s branch offices. You must book an appointment before appearing in person.
Read more about how to book an appointment in one of SIRI’s branch offices
If you are submitting an application to the Danish Immigration Service, you must have your biometrics recorded in the Citizen Service of the Danish Immigration Service. Citizen Service has branch offices several places in Denmark. You must book an appointment before you appear in person.
Read more about the Citizen Service of the Danish Immigration Service and how to book an appointment
Asylum seekers will have their biometrics recorded as part of the registration procedure in Center Sandholm.
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
NemID and MitID are personal digital IDs for login and digital signature. NemID and MitID give you access to public and private self-service solutions in Denmark. MitID is the next generation NemID. MitID will finally be phased in during 2022. During the phase-in period, you may need both NemID and MitID.
To use several of the digital self-service solutions on nyidanmark.dk, you must have a NemID. So far, you will not be able to use MitID as a digital signature on nyidanmark.dk.
If you do not have a NemID, you can order a NemID at your municipality.
Read more about MitID and NemID at lifeindenmark.dk