Accompanying family member in Greenland

You want to apply for a residence permit as an accompanying family member to a person who has been granted a residence permit in Greenland.

Normal processing time
3 months

Processing fee
No fee

Accompanying family member in Greenland

If you are a spouse, registered or cohabiting partner, or a child under the age of 18 of a person who has been granted a residence and work permit in Greenland (the sponsor), you can apply for residence permit as an accompanying family member.

Greenland and Denmark are two distinct travel areas. This means that a residence permit in Denmark does not give you the right to stay in Greenland.  Likewise, a residence permit in Greenland does not allow you to stay in Denmark.

What are my rights if I am granted a permit?

What are you allowed to do with a permit as an accompanying family member in Greenland? – and what are you not allowed to do?

As a holder of a permit as an accompanying family member, you are allowed to work during your stay in Greenland.

A residence permit allows you to stay in Greenland for the period of time your permit is valid. 

You must not give up your address in Greenland or stay abroad for a longer period of time. A violation will result in the lapse of your permit. This means that you will lose your right to stay in Greenland.

If you have been staying in Greenland legally for less than 2 years, you are allowed to stay outside of Greenland for 6 successive months. 

If you have been staying in Greenland legally for more than 2 years and you hold a residence permit that can be made permanent, or if you already hold a permanent residence permit, you are allowed to stay outside of Greenland for up to 12 months.

If you need to stay abroad for an extended period of time, e.g. if you are stationed abroad for a period of time by your employer, you can apply for a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing.

Read more about lapse and dispensation options

Staying abroad while serving in the military as a conscript or performing required community service will not be considered time living outside of Greenland.

Stays in Denmark or the Faroe Islands are considered as time abroad.

You must be able to support yourself and your family during your stay. You are not allowed to receive public benefits.

If you or your family members receive such benefits during your stay, your permit can be revoked – and you will lose the right to stay in Greenland. 

How long can I stay in Greenland?

You will usually be granted a permit valid for the same period as the family member who is in Greenland on the basis of work (the sponsor). If your sponsor’s residence permit is extended and you want to continue to stay in Greenland, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit.

If your sponsor has a residence permit based on work in Greenland, you can only get a residence permit for 2 years, and the residence permit can be extended for 2 years at a time. 

If your sponsor has a residence permit based on something other than work, e.g. studies, you can only get a residence permit for 1 year, and the residence permit can be extended for 1 year at a time.

It is very important that you apply for extension before your permit expires.

If you apply for an extension in time, you are allowed to stay in Greenland even though your permit expires.

If you are an accompanying child, and you are granted your initial residence permit before you turn 18, you are able to extend your permit even though you turn 18 in the meantime. However, you must still be living together with the sponsor.

A residence permit can only be valid until 2 months before the expiry date of your passport.

If your passport has a shorter validity than the otherwise possible period of stay, your residence permit will be shortened. This means that the validity of your residence permit will be shorter than it could be. When you have renewed your passport, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit – however, this can only be done 2 months before your permit expires at the earliest. 

Read more about the passport requirements

What more do I need to know before I apply?

Under the section 'How To Apply' on the right side of the screen, you have access to the relevant applications. You can choose between a digital and a printable application.

SIRI will contact you or your sponsor if we need further information to process your case.

Below you will find a step-by-step guide to submitting an application to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

It is important that you have carefully read the conditions for being granted a residence permit before you begin step 1. You can do this on the tab “Need to know” on the left.

1

It is a good idea to gather the necessary documents before you start to complete the application form. You can use the check list below.

If you submit documents not written in English, German, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish, you must also submit certified translations into Danish or English.

If you are applying as a spouse, registered or cohabiting partner you must enclose:

If the applicant is a child under 18 years of age you must enclose:

Download the declaration of consent if the child has a custody holder abroad (PDF)

2

Sworn declarationExpect to use

30 minutes

completing the application

1 person

You complete the application form yourself.

In this step you have access to the relevant application form GL2. You can choose between a digital and a printable version.

Make sure that you have read the instructions under the tab 'Need to know', and that you have completed all the proceeding steps under this tab before you begin.

All our application forms contain careful instructions on how to complete the form and what kind of documents you must submit along with the form.

Read more about how we process your personal data

Digital application

If your are applying digitally, you must choose the digital GL2 below.

Make sure to have all of the necessary documentation at hand digitally, in order for you to attach them to the application during the process.

GL2

If you do not have MitID, you can submit the application by signing the sworn declaration by hand, which you will then attach to the application. It is important that you sign and attach our sworn declaration.

Download our sworn declaration (PDF)

You can also download the sworn declaration within the application.

Printable application

You must send us the necessary documentation along with the application.

The application in Word format can be completed on the screen, before you print it out. The application in PDF format must be completed by hand, after you have printed it out.

Download the printable form GL2 (Word format)

Download the printable form GL2 (PDF format)

3

You can find your ongoing and completed applications for 30 days from your last login.

Log in to see your applications

4

If you have used our digital application, you have already submitted the application.

If you have used the printable application instead, please continue to read the following text.

You are are submitting the application abroad

The application can be submitted to a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in the country where you are residing.

See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of diplomatic missions or application centres where you can hand in your application (opens in a new window)

In certain countries Denmark does not have a diplomatic mission or application centre. In these instances the list will refer you to one of the Norwegian missions with which Denmark has made an agreement or to the nearest Danish diplomatic mission or application centre in the region.

We recommend that you visit the local diplomatic mission’s webpage to get more information before you submit the application. The individual diplomatic mission can have additional requirements regarding payment of additional fees, submission of additional passport photos or additional copies of the application.

You are submitting the application in Greenland

If you are staying legally in Greenland, you are able to submit the application in Greenland. This is the case, if you:

  • have a valid visa
  • are exempt from the visa requirement or
  • already hold a valid residence permit in Greenland.

You can send the application directly to SIRI via our contact form, by attaching the application form and the relevant documents to the contact form.

Find SIRI's contact form

You can also submit the application in person:

  • either at SIRI's branch office in Nuuk, or
  • at the local Greenlandic police, if you are not staying in Nuuk.

See the address and the opening hours for SIRI's branch office in Nuuk

Please contact the police in order to find out where in Greenland you can submit your application outside of Nuuk.

You are submitting the application in Danmark

If you are residing legally in Denmark, you are normally able to submit the application in Denmark. This is the case, if you:

  • hold a valid visa
  • are exempt from the visa requirement or
  • already hold a valid residence permit.

Read more about the legal residence requirement and submission of your application in Denmark

You can send the application directly to SIRI via our contact form, by attaching the application form and the relevant documents to the contact form.

Find SIRI's contact form

You can also submit the application in one of SIRI’s branch offices.

You must remember to book an appointment before you show up in person to submit your application.

Find more information about booking an appointment

5

You can see the normal case processing time to the right on this page. When we make a decision in your case, you will receive an answer.

SIRI will contact you or your sponsor if we need further information to process your case.

Responsible agency

Contact SIRI
Send link

Last updated 11-05-2026 - Published by: SIRI