Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who can come to Denmark?
Residence in Denmark is not freely available to all. Since 1973, Denmark has enforced an immigration embargo. Conditions to enter and reside in Denmark vary i.a. with the nationality of the applicant. It is up to immigration authorities to determine whether a foreign citizen is eligible for a residence permit in Denmark. This means that the Danish Immigration Service has the initial authority to examine and decide applications for residence permits on grounds of asylum, family reunification, or work

Q. Who can get a passport ?
There are two different types of passports available to foreigners:

Convention passport. This type of passport is issued to foreigners who have been granted asylum according to the UN's refugee convention.
Danish alien passport. This type of passport is issued to all other foreigners who have received residence permits in Denmark, including those foreigners who have received protection status.

Q. Under what circumstances are a person obliged to hand over their passport while the Immigration Service handles their application for residence?

Foreigners, who have made an application for residence, and who in so doing have given up their passport to the Danish Immigration Service, can have it returned at short notice. Foreigners should however be aware that if they wish to have a passport returned for the purpose of travel out of the country, he or she must ensure they are able to make the return trip back to Denmark

Q. Under what circumstances would a foreigner require a re-entry permit? – and for how long?

A foreigner with a valid residence permit, who wishes to travel out of Denmark and to subsequently return to this country at a point when the residence permit is still valid, does not require a re-entry permit,.

Q. What is the process of an application for naturalisation?
An application fee of DKK 1,000 is payable when you submit the application to the police.
The police will examine the application form and your enclosures.
The police will then forward the file to the Ministry of Integration.
You will receive a letter from the Ministry of Integration when the Ministry has received your application from the police.
According to the Danish Constitution, Parliament determines whether an alien will be granted Danish nationality. What happens in practice is that the Ministry of Integration examines whether you satisfy the general conditions of Danish nationality laid down by Parliament. If you satisfy these conditions, you will be listed in a naturalisation bill to be introduced to Parliament. The conditions that you have to satisfy to be listed in a naturalisation bill are described in the agreement on general guidelines for the preparation of naturalisation bills by the Minister of Integration.

Q. Is it possible to have an expedited processing of my application?
No. Generally, applications are processed in the same order as received by the Ministry.

Q. How do I obtain a Danish passport?
To acquire a Danish passport, you have to present your nationality certificate to your local authority. The authority will then issue a Danish passport to you.

Q. How my visa under Greencard Scheme will be extended?
Your residence permit can be extended by four years if you have worked for the past 12 months for a minimum of ten hours per week.

Your residence permit can be extended by one year if you have lost your job through no fault of your own (e.g. due to cutbacks) no more than three months before applying for an extension, and if prior to this, you worked for 12 months for a minimum of ten hours per week.