To start the process, you must first meet the following requirements:

• You must pledge allegiance and loyalty to Denmark and Danish society, and you must comply with the Danish law.
   
• You must have a permanent residence permit and residence in Denmark. There are a few exceptions - read more here (in Danish only).
   
• You must have had 9 consecutive years of residence in Denmark. Exceptions for applicants married to a Dane, Nordic citizens and others are stated here (in Danish only).
   
• You must be financially independent for the last 5 years within no more than 6 months of public support.
   
• You must have passed “Prøve I Dansk 3”. If you have been financially independent (meaning that you have not claimed state benefits such as "kontanthjælp") the last 8½ year out of the previous 9 years, it is sufficient to pass “Prøve i Dansk 2”. Read more here (in Danish only).
   
• You must have passed the citizenship test (indfødsretsprøven in Danish) about Danish society, culture, and history, which takes place twice a year - in June and December. You have to sign-up in advance for the test and pay a fee of 717 DKK. Read more here (in Danish only).
   
• You may not have debt to the public with regard to repayable benefits, child care support, day-care payment, unpaid housing benefit, taxes, etc. Read more here (in Danish only). 
   
• Applicants, who have committed heavy crimes cannot apply for Danish citizenship.
  
  There are stricter waiting periods for applicants who have committed crimes and special requirements for applicants who have received fines in between 3,000 DKK and 10,000 DKK for breaching the law outside the boundaries of the Criminal Code, Traffic Code, the weapon laws and drug laws. Read more here (in Danish only).
   
• To get exemptions due to mental illnesses, you need a doctor’s permit with an account from a psychological specialist or another state approved medical practitioner.

 

I think I meet all the conditions, but I don’t have evidence to prove it. What do I do?

This is particularly relevant in the language requirement (danskkundskaber). E.g. you may have been living in Denmark for a long time and be fluent in Danish but without any evidence to prove it.

As the requirements are now, you will need to provide evidence in the form of exam certificates to support your application. If you have taken a form of higher (university) education where the primary language was Danish, you may be able to submit this in place of a language school exam.

There is a list of accepted evidence listed here - see "Bilag 3"(in Danish). The list includes the following exams:

"Prøve i Dansk 3", STX, HF, HHX, HTX, AVU ("almen forberedelseseksamen")

Exams from higher educations e.g. universities.

If you do not have the required evidence, it may be that you need to take an exam in Danish. You can sign up to take the exam from many language schools without attending classes, although a fee will likely be charged for this.
 

So many exams! What is the citizenship test and how do I take it?

You are lucky as the citizenship exam (Indfødsretsprøve) has been changed to make it a bit easier! There are now fewer obscure Danish history questions and more focus on Danish values and society.

You can take a practice exam online here http://statsborgerskabsprove.com/gratis/, which is highly recommendable prior to the official test.

You can sit the exam twice a year (in June and December). You can book your place online at http://tilmelding.statsborgerskabsprove.com/om-proeven.html.

It costs DKK 717 to take the exam.


This article was lastly updated on 1 September 2017. 
 

When you believe you fulfil the requirements, you could be eligible for citizenship. You can apply online through the “Ansøgningsskema” (application form) available on the Ministry of Immigration, Integration and Housing’s website.

Along with the completed application form, you must be sure to include the following supporting documentation:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your permanent residency permit
• Original or officially verified (stamped and signed) copies of test or exam results as documentation for Danish language requirements.
• Original or officially verified (stamped and signed) copies of Citizenship test or naturalisation test results
• Completed declaration of self-support

And in some cases:

• Documentation of parental responsibility if you wish your child(ren) to be included in the application.

A fee of DKK 1200 is payable when you submit your application.

Summary of the naturalisation application procedure

​After you submit your online application, the procedure takes place in two phrases.

1. The application is received by the Ministry of Immigration, Integration and Housing and is terminated as refused or included in the bill.
2. The Parliament, which gathers twice a year in April and October passes the bill.

More information about the procedure is available here (in Danish only). 
 

What happens after I submitted my application?

The process of applying for citizenship can take time; particularly in the assessment of your application phase. After your application is approved, it will be included in a parliamentary bill called an Act of Naturalisation. A bill is only introduced twice a year - in April and October. The bill passes through a few months later (usually December and June).

The current handling time of applications, from the moment they are received by the Ministry of Immigration, Integration and Housing until they are approve to be included in an Act of Naturalisation, is around 10-12 months. This applies to both first time applicants and requests for revision.

However, the Ministry of Immigration, Integration and Housing is working to reduce the handling time of cases with a target of 7 months for applications submitted in 2015. In any case, expect a long wait (up to 2 years at worst) from the point of sending in your application until obtaining Danish citizenship.

I have children in Denmark – can they receive citizenship?

There are special rules regarding applying for citizenship of children in Denmark, and it can seem a rather complicated process. The basic details are as follows:
From the 1 July 2014, any child born in Denmark automatically receives Danish citizenship if the father, mother, or co-mother is a Danish citizen.

Children born before this time to a foreign mother and a Danish father out of wedlock may be able to receive citizenship after application. The child may also be able to attain citizenship if the parents marry.

It may also be possible to include your children in your application for citizenship. If so, you will need to provide evidence of parental responsibility.

If you think that you and your child(ren) could fit in any of these situations, then there may be the possibility of applying for Danish citizenship for them.
 

I have children in Denmark – can they receive my homeland citizenship as well as Danish citizenship?

In theory, yes, they could hold two nationalities. However, this depends on the requirements of your homeland country.

The Ministry of Justice clarifies that access to multiple nationality is not decided by Danish law alone. For a person to acquire multiple nationality this must be allowed in the nationality laws of each of the states in which the person wishes to hold nationality.

Contact the state department or relevant authority from your homeland for further information on their citizenship requirements.
 

I am Danish and live abroad. My children have never lived in Denmark. Can they still become citizens?

If your children have never lived in Denmark and were born abroad, they will lose their Danish citizenship when they turn 22 (unless this would leave them stateless).

However, it is possible for them to apply to keep their citizenship. They will need to supply evidence that they fulfil a number of criteria, including whether they are proficient in the Danish language and that they still have a connection to Denmark (such as through visiting relatives and friends).

The application should be submitted when your child is around 20 years old, due to the processing time of application. It should be sent to the Ministry of Justice.

I previously held Danish citizenship but lost it when I became a citizen of another country. Can I get my Danish citizenship back?

According to the Ministry of Justice guidelines:
Former Danish citizens, who have lost their Danish nationality by acquiring a foreign nationality will be able to reacquire their nationality by making a declaration to The State Administration (Statsforvaltningen), provided they fulfil certain requirements. The declaration must be made between 01 September 2015 and 31 August 2020.

The declaration form is available on the website of The State Administration (Statsforvaltningen). There is a fee of DKK 1100 for this.

 In Danish:

• Contact "Indfødsretskontoret"
• Application form for foreign applicants

In English:

• The Ministry of Immigration and Integration - Dual Citizenship in English
• JustLanded – Unofficial, brief description of the naturalisation process