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DANISH CITIZENSHIP

What’s the difference between getting Danish citizenship and permanent residency?

Gaining permanent residency or citizenship in Denmark could give many foreigners peace of mind. But what’s the difference between the two and how do you know if you are eligible?

Published: 10 May 2021 14:12 CEST
Updated: 15 September 2024 08:25 CEST
What's the difference between getting Danish citizenship and permanent residency?
Citizenship and permanent residency both have a long list of criteria. Photo: Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix

If you want to move to Denmark, then most foreigners will need to get a residence permit. The rules for gaining an initial residence permit in Denmark vary depending on whether you are an EU/EEA/Swiss Citizen, from the Nordic countries, or from outside of the EU. 

If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen and are planning to stay in Denmark for longer than 3 months, it is necessary for you to first gain a temporary EU residence permit through registering for a CPR number (Civil Registration Number) with a valid Danish address. Your CPR number is your social security number, and allows you to access healthcare and open a bank account, amongst other things. 

READ ALSO: CPR number: When do you get a Danish registration number after moving?

You can get temporary EU residence on the basis of being a student in Denmark, being employed or self-employed, or having sufficient funds. You may also gain temporary EU residency as an accompanying partner or child of an EU citizen, however your residency will be dependent on your partner’s or parent’s status. 

If you are a non- EU citizen, then things become a little more complicated. You must obtain your residence and work permit before you arrive in Denmark. There are a number of schemes in which a non-EU citizen can gain a residence permit in Denmark, such as the “pay limit scheme”, the “positives list”, or the “start-up Denmark” scheme, and more. 

READ ALSO:

If you are a citizen of Finland, Norway, Iceland or Sweden then you are able to work, live and study in Denmark without a residence permit. However, you will still need to obtain a CPR to register for tax and healthcare.  

Permanent Residency

So, you have now lived in Denmark for a while and want to stay. What should you do to make sure that you can obtain permanent residency? 

Permanent residency means that a person is allowed to stay in Denmark and does not need to apply for residence again. 

However, the term ‘permanent residency’ may also be misleading. It is important to note that if you leave Denmark for more than two years, you will have to revoke your permanent residency. 

If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, then you have the right to apply for permanent residency if you have lived in Denmark for at least 5 consecutive years. 

READ ALSO: When can I start counting my stay in Denmark towards permanent residency?

Once you have obtained your permanent residency, you can live in Denmark without having to meet the original requirements of your temporary EU residency (i.e. being employed, self-employed, a student, or through having sufficient funds). 

If you are a non-EU citizen then you can be granted permanent residence once you have had a temporary residence permit for 8 uninterrupted years (in some cases 4). However, you must not have been convicted of certain crimes, and you need to have current employment.

There are also language criteria for non-EU citizens, who need to pass the Danish language test 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2), or a Danish exam of an equivalent or higher level.

READ ALSO: What are the language requirements for permanent residency in Denmark?

The rules are more lenient if you are between 18-19 years old, if you are a person of Danish descent, a former Danish citizen, or have ties to a Danish minority group.  

Danish Citizenship 

With Danish citizenship, you can legally be considered to have the same rights as someone who was born in Denmark with a Danish father or mother. It is possible to have dual citizenship with Danish citizenship. However, this differs depending on the rules regarding dual citizenship of your original nationality. 

For most people who wish to obtain Danish citizenship, it is a requirement that you must have lived in Denmark continuously for 9 years. However, if you are living in Denmark with refugee status, the required period of continuous residence is 8 years. 

If you are a Nordic citizen, you must have lived in Denmark for 2 continuous years before applying for citizenship. Different rules also apply for spouses of Danish citizens, and for those who entered Denmark before they were 15 years old. 

Most foreigners, apart from certain Nordic citizens and those of Danish descent, will have to obtain Danish citizenship through a process of naturalisation. 

This means that you have to fulfil certain conditions, such as evidence of self-sufficiency through employment history, residence in Denmark, Danish language skills and knowledge of Denmark. You must have permanent residence in Denmark before applying for Danish citizenship. 

READ ALSO:

To obtain Danish citizenship you must also provide evidence of your Danish language skills. This can usually be done through passing either Danish language test 3 (Prøve I Dansk 3) or Danish language test 2 (Prøve I Dansk 2).

Self-sufficiency means, for example, documenting that you have not received state social welfare support such as the basic unemployment support, kontanthjælp, or the welfare benefits provided to those granted refugee statues (integrationsydelsen), within the last two years.

Furthermore, you may not have received benefits of this type for more than a total period of four months within the last five years.

Knowledge of Denmark means that you must pass the Danish citizenship test (indfødsretsprøven). This tests you on your knowledge of Danish history, society and culture.

READ ALSO: QUIZ: Can you pass the 2024 Danish citizenship test?

Furthermore, as a part of the citizenship application process, you must attend a municipal constitution ceremony where you must show that you fundamentally respect Danish values and public policies. 

There are many exceptions to the rules above and they are subject to changes adopted by parliament. If you feel you do not fit well into the above categories, you can find out more via nyidenmark.dk. 

Member comments

  1. The rules for Permanent Residency differ between this article and the linked website nyidanmark.
    For instance, “Prøve i Dansk 2” is required for Permanent Residency. Other rules are different as well.

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For members

DANISH CITIZENSHIP

How Danish Olympic medal highlighted slow citizenship process

The success of one of Denmark’s medallists at the Paris Olympics has reignited discussion of the country’s drawn-out citizenship process after it was revealed his case could have been concluded too late for him to compete.

Published: 12 August 2024 11:55 CEST
How Danish Olympic medal highlighted slow citizenship process

Wrestler Turpal Bisultanov, who last week won a bronze medal for Denmark in the Paris Olympics, was almost unable to represent his country at the games because of the long processing time on citizenship applications.

Bisultanov’s story has highlighted the long waiting times applicants must wait before being given citizenship rights, despite fulfilling Denmark’s strict requirements for naturalisation.

Several politicians have subsequently criticised the slow processing times, broadcaster DR reports.

The current average processing time of a citizenship application is 19 months.

READ ALSO: 

“Waiting several years to have your application processed is far, far too long,” Christina Olumeko of the Alternative party told DR.

“This is simply embarrassing and very demeaning for the people who have spent time and money fulfilling the many criteria. It is not reasonable of Denmark,” she said.

Bisultanov passed the Danish citizenship test in 2022 and was subsequently informed the waiting time on his application was 22 months.

That would have meant he would not have received citizenship in time to represent Denmark at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where he eventually went on to win a bronze medal.

The Danish sports federation DIF subsequently applied for dispensations on the wrestler’s behalf, which reduced the processing time for his case to 14 months.

The vast majority of applicants for Danish citizenship are unable to get their cases expedited in this way.

In DR’s report, another left-wing party, the Red Green Alliance, along with an association for immigration lawyers, Foreningen af Udlændingeretsadvokater, also criticise the current processing times.

Going further back, the centre-right Liberal (Venstre) party said in 2012 that it was taking too long – then 16 months – to process citizenship claims.

On social media X (Twitter) Samira Nawa of the centre-left Social Liberals (Radikale Venstre) remarked on Bisultanov’s case and highlighted another potential Danish Olympian who missed out because of the same issue.

“Turpal got Denmark a bronze in the Olympics. But he almost had to stay at home because of unreasonably long processing times. Crazy citizenship rules and long waiting times have meanwhile prevented Rico Coker from participating in the breakdancing,” she wrote.

Coker, who was born in Denmark to Gambian parents, had to cancel plans to represent Denmark in the Olympic breakdancing competition.

READ ALSO: Do children born in Denmark automatically get Danish citizenship?

Minister for Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek told DR in a written statement that he admitted “processing times for naturalisation cases have been long – and too long – for a number of years”.

But he added that “more citizenship cases are currently processed than are submitted”, and that he therefore has “no plans at this time to initiate further measures.”

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