Wondering How To Become a Danish Citizen?


Denmark is one of the most expensive countries in Europe. However, it’s also one of the most desirable due to the high quality of life and salaries, not to mention the beautiful scenery across the country.

So, many like to know how they can become Danish citizens and what they’ll need to apply.

To become a Danish citizen, an applicant must be a resident of Denmark and have a permanent residence permit.

They must have no criminal record, good Danish language skills, and a decent knowledge of the country and its history. They’ll also need to submit an online application to officially apply.

This article will discuss how to become a Danish citizen and all the requirements in more detail. 

Also, see Why Are Danish People Depressed? to learn more.

Danish Citizenship Requirements 2022

Before continuing, remember that this article mainly discusses how to gain Danish citizenship through naturalization, the most common way people gain citizenship.

The Applicant Must Be a Current Resident of Denmark

When applying for Danish citizenship in 2022, the applicant must have been living legally in Denmark for the last nine years at the time of the application.

That proves they are serious about being a citizen and have a history of living in the country.

In addition to the 9-year residence rule, applicants must have permanent residence permits.

Even EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens will need permanent residence permits if they want to gain Danish citizenship, but residence permits should be relatively easy to obtain for those citizens.

People outside of the EU, EEA, and Switzerland must also prove that they can legally reside in the state permanently.

For example, that could be through a permanent visa from being married to a Danish citizen.

The Applicant Must Have a Clean Criminal Record

Before applying to become a Danish citizen, the applicant must consider whether or not they have a criminal history. If they have a criminal record, they won’t be able to gain citizenship. [1]

The criminal record can be from any country.

For example, suppose an applicant is applying for Danish citizenship from the US and has a criminal record in the US (but hasn’t committed any crimes in Denmark).

In that case, they still won’t be able to gain citizenship in Denmark. 

Denmark only wants decent, trustworthy, hard-working people to become citizens, so there’s no lee-way regarding a criminal record.

The Applicant Must Have Danish Language Skills

Danish is the only official language of Denmark, and the applicant must be able to speak it if they want to apply for citizenship.

All applicants must take a language test, known as a level 3 language test, to ensure they have the skills. [2]

However, some applicants may be eligible to take a level 2 test, which isn’t as complex.

Still, each applicant should be able to read, write, and converse in Danish if they want to be sure they’ll receive citizenship.

The Applicant Must Have Knowledge of Denmark

Applicants must also be able to display knowledge of Denmark and its history by taking a test.

The test occurs twice a year, once in summer and once in winter, so planning in advance is essential.

This exam not only asks questions about Denmark’s history but also about Danish laws and values.

Current affairs questions may also be asked, so applicants should know the latest Danish news.

There are 45 questions, and the applicant should answer at least 36 correctly to receive a passing score. [3]

The Applicant Must Have a Full-Time Job

The Danish government wants to ensure that all naturalized citizens work and help the country function by paying taxes and contributing to society.

Therefore, all people applying for citizenship should have had a full-time job for at least three and a half of the last four years. [4]

Self-employment also counts when applying for citizenship, as long as everything is legal and taxes are paid to the Danish government accordingly.

The Applicant Must Agree With the Values and Laws of Denmark

There’s no point in someone trying to gain Danish citizenship if they disagree with Danish values and laws.

As briefly mentioned, the citizenship test will have questions about values, and applicants must know and agree with the answers. 

Such values may include taking responsibility and gender equality.

If the person applying for citizenship doesn’t agree with some or all values and answers the questions incorrectly, they are less likely to gain citizenship.

How To Apply for Danish Citizenship

One of the most common ways to apply for Danish citizenship is through naturalization, and the process can be tedious and drawn out.

Below are the main things applicants need to do to apply for citizenship:

  • Have a NemID. Before applying for citizenship and submitting an application, all applicants must have a NemID. This ID allows the applicant to log in and fill out/submit the application form.
  • Take a language and citizenship test. As previously mentioned in this article, it’s necessary to take a citizenship and language test when applying for Danish citizenship through naturalization.
  • Fill out and submit an application form. An applicant must fill in the online citizenship application form, which needs the NemID. [5] Payment must also be made at this point.
  • Wait for a verdict. There’s not much else to do once the application form has been submitted. Applicants may need to wait months or longer for a ruling.

Is It Hard To Get Citizenship in Denmark?

It is hard to get citizenship in Denmark because most applicants must have been living in the country for at least nine years before they can apply.

Plus, the process is highly bureaucratic, as applicants must take tests and fill out lengthy applications.

It is often easier for citizens of other Nordic countries (like Sweden) to gain Danish citizenship because they only need to have lived in the country for an uninterrupted period of two years (if applying through naturalization). [6]

How Much Does It Cost To Become a Citizen of Denmark? 

As of 2022, it costs 4,000 DKK to become a citizen of Denmark, only counting the application form fee.

However, other costs also apply, including the naturalization test, which costs 825 DKK as of 2022. The level 3 Danish language test costs 1,434 DKK as of 2022.

References:
[1] Source
[2] Source
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[6] Source

Christian Christensen

Christian started Scandinavia Facts to explore his family heritage, raise awareness of one of his academic interests as a professor, and civilly promote the region. Please see the About page for details.

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