The residence cards or opholdskort must be updated by people who reside in Denmark as family members of EU citizens, the Danish Agency for Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) said in a statement.

Specifically, people who are not themselves citizens of EU or EEA countries (as well as Switzerland), but are family members of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals, and have permanent residency in Denmark on this basis, are affected by the announcement.

Not all people who fall into the category will be required to update their residence cards. Rather, whether your card needs to be replaced depends on how long ago it was issued. More detail on this follows below.

The reason for the requested exchange of residence cards is new security requirements for the cards, meaning that some cards will become invalid either this year or in 2026.

It should be noted that you do not lose your residency rights in Denmark if you do not have a valid residence card, but it can cause difficulties in situations where you need to document your status, for example when returning to the country after travel abroad.

Residence cards issued before 1998 to third-country nationals who are the family members of EU citizens resident in Denmark, where the family member has the right to permanent residence in Denmark, expire on August 3rd this year. That date applies regardless of the expiry date stated on the card.

Residence cards issued between 1998 and 2011 to third-country nationals who are the family members of EU citizens resident in Denmark, where the family member has the right to permanent residence in Denmark, expire on August 3rd 2026. That date applies regardless of the expiry date stated on the card.

Residence cards issued between August 3rd 2016 and August 3rd 2021 to third-country nationals who are the family members of EU citizens resident in Denmark, where the family member has the right to permanent residence in Denmark, also expire on August 3rd 2026.

If you are in one of the above groups and still live in Denmark, you will need to apply for a new residence card. Instructions on how to do this can be found on SIRI’s website.

There is no fee for applying for a new residence card in the above circumstances.

If you are abroad and your residence card has expired, you must apply for a re-entry permit at the nearest Danish embassy to your location, SIRI, states.