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DANISH CITIZENSHIP

Do children born in Denmark automatically get Danish citizenship?

A Danish passport comes with many benefits, and the country allows dual citizenship. But what are the rules for the children of foreign nationals born in Denmark?

Published: 15 September 2022 13:00 CEST
Updated: 24 November 2023 16:43 CET
Newborn baby in mother's arms
Not all newborn babies in Denmark are eligible for Danish citizenship upon birth. Photo: Linda Kastrup/Ritzau Scanpix

Denmark allows dual citizenship, meaning it is possible for foreign residents to gain Danish citizenship without giving up their old citizenship, if their country of origin also permits dual citizenship. There are a few benefits that only Danish citizens have, such as an absolute right to live and work in the country and the right to vote in Danish parliamentary elections.

Some jobs are only open to Danish citizens as well: you must be a Danish citizen if you wish to be elected to parliament or join the police.

In addition to this, Danish nationals hold EU citizenship, which gives them the right to free movement in EU member states, making it easier for them to live and work in other parts of the bloc.

Danish at birth

Unlike in other countries such as the United States, people born in Denmark do not automatically gain Danish citizenship.

Danish citizenship is granted at birth to children who have at least one Danish parent, regardless of whether the child is born in Denmark or not. For children born before July 1st 2014, this depends on the law in force when the child was born and other requirements may need to be fulfilled.

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Dual citizenship

On the September 1st 2015, a new Nationality Act meant foreign residents could gain Danish citizenship without giving up their old citizenship.

It also meant that former Danish citizens who lost their Danish nationality by acquiring a foreign nationality could become Danish citizens again by making a declaration to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. The new timetable to make this declaration is between July 1st 2021 and June 30th 2026.

Children born abroad: The 22-Year Rule 

Children born abroad to a Danish parent but who have never lived in Denmark, or visited for a lengthy period of time (adding up to at least a year which has to be documented) lose their Danish citizenship at the age of 22, unless it means the person becomes stateless.

Danish children born abroad must therefore apply to retain their Danish citizenship before the age of 22. If they are still living abroad at the time, their connection to Denmark will be assessed. This takes into account the number of visits to Denmark and level of Danish.

The Princess Rule

Children born in marriage to a Danish mother and a father of foreign nationality during the period of January 1st 1961 to  December 31st 1978 did not obtain Danish nationality by birth. As an alternative, Danish mothers had the option to make a declaration by which their child obtained Danish nationality.

Children born during this period whose mother did not make a declaration to this effect may apply for Danish nationality by naturalisation according to the “Princess Rule”.

Does a child born to foreigners need a residence permit?

If you are a child born in Denmark by foreign national parents, you need to apply for a residence permit.

The requirements for qualifying for a residence permit are more relaxed than for children born abroad. The child needs to either be registered as a family member to an EU citizen if under the age of 21, or registered under family reunification if the parents are not EU citizens.

The child’s residence permit will expire when the parent’s residence permit expires and can also be extended with the parent’s permit. It may also be possible for the child to obtain a permanent residence permit aged 18 by meeting more lenient requirements.

READ ALSO: What’s the difference between temporary and permanent residency in Denmark?

When can my child gain Danish citizenship?

If your child is born in Denmark but neither parent is Danish, they have to wait until one parent is granted citizenship.

Danish requirements for citizenship are some of the toughest in the world and you must meet a number of closely-defined criteria in order to be eligible for citizenship by naturalisation.

The wish to include a child in the application has to be stated and they must be under the age of 18, have Danish residency, not have committed any crime and be unmarried. No fee is payable for minors. Children aged 12 or over must give their consent to becoming Danish.

READ ALSO: How to apply for citizenship in Denmark

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DANISH CITIZENSHIP

‘It’s a concern’: How foreigners view Denmark’s move to hike citizenship fee

We asked our readers in Denmark about the government’s decision to make applying for citizenship 50 percent more expensive.

Published: 6 June 2024 18:43 CEST
'It's a concern': How foreigners view Denmark's move to hike citizenship fee

Denmark’s government on Tuesday announced it will rise the fee for applying for citizenship from 4,000 kroner to 6,000 kroner.

The government said it was raising the fee for apply for citizenship to 6,000 kroner so that it “more closely reflects the costs of case processing”.

The current 4,000 kroner fee, has applied since 2021 when it was raised from 3,800 kroner. The new hike means the fee is five times more than the 1,200 kroner that was charged to applications prior to 2018.

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We asked for your thoughts on this and it’s fair to say we got differing takes.

“If a person really loves Denmark and needs the citizenship of Denmark, then he/she should be ready to accept Denmark for what it is and be ready to contribute to the society as a future Dane,” said Selina.

Selina, who lives in Esbjerg, stated she would be happy to pay up to 20,000 kroner in fees to apply for Danish citizenship.

She also pointed out that, even with the incoming increase, the cost of applying for citizenship in Denmark remains less than the fee for non-EU nationals applying for permanent residency.

READ ALSO: What’s the difference between temporary and permanent residency in Denmark?

“We need to also respect that there is a cost incurred to the government to source employees to check our applications. The hourly wage here is high compared to other countries, which is why in return we also get paid high salaries,” she continued.

Selina said that, during five years living in Denmark, she had spent “nearly 15,000 kroner [on] application fees for me and my family just for residency visas, and I don’t complain!”

“I am not at all concerned about any cost for application fees and I do not understand why people make it a topic of discussion when a fee increases for them to apply for citizenship in one of the world’s happiest countries, actually,” she said.

Selina was not the only person to mention the cost of various types of residency permit against the citizenship fee.

“(The) initial family reunification application is 8,575 kroner, with renewal costs of 4,075 kroner, so 4,000 kroner for Citizenship seems like a bargain!”, Caz, who lives in Randers said.

READ ALSO: ‘A noticeable change’: What Denmark’s plans to change family reunion rules mean

A British national who is the spouse of a Dane, Caz said she plans on applying for citizenship “when the time comes around”.

“But so far it costs a small fortune to live here,” she said.

“The journey towards a citizenship is becoming more and more expensive, if you also add the cost of the permanent residence (which is required for citizenship),” said Salvador from Chile, a six-year resident of Denmark.

“The value becomes quite high for some households,” he noted, adding that he plans to apply for citizenship in around two years.

Some of the readers who responded to our survey rejected the government’s explanation that the fee raise was related to costs.

“A succession of steep price rises clearly indicates the government wants to reduce the amount of new citizens, instead of welcoming them. This is not about covering costs,” James, a UK national who lives in Gentofte said.

Although he is working towards qualifying for citizenship, James described the cost as a “concern”.

“I recently received my permanent residency in Denmark and do have some eventual plans to apply for the Danish citizenship as soon as I become eligible,” wrote Anuradha, who lives in Farum.

“The cost does seem to be on a higher side, however I see it as a one-time cost and definitely there is no guarantee that I will get the Danish citizenship so it is a calculated risk with no guarantee of getting the citizenship, either,” she said.

“I am sure that there are certain percentage of people who would still be applying irrespective of this cost and it would not really impact as long as they are motivated to apply for the citizenship,” she reflected.

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