Denmark is probably the best place to live, only a handful of other countries match the standard of living that Denmark offers. Denmark is a Kingdom in Northern Europe and one of the 5 Nordic states; all of which are among the best countries to live in.
The country has a remarkably stable and booming economy and commands a respectable position among the EU and the rest of the world. World over, young and old aspire to become part of the Danish society, but unfortunately one can only get a Danish passport (citizenship) by statute. This means that the list of foreign applicants is presented and approved by the parliament by passing the naturalization bill.
To qualify for the application, one has to undergo a rigorous process and must fulfill all the conditions laid out in the Danish constitution. The process includes fulfilling various conditions over a long period of time before being eligible to apply for a Danish passport.
- Must declare allegiance with Denmark and the Danish society
- Must have permanent residence status
- Stay a certain period of time in Denmark with permanent residence status
- Must be financially self-sufficient
- Must not have a criminal record in past and no affiliation with any prohibited activity
- Must have a stable source of income (employment, business, etc.)
- Knowledge of the Danish language and culture
- Succeed in the naturalization test
- Attend the municipal constitution ceremony
Eligibility for obtaining a Danish passport
A Danish passport can be applied for only after a person has obtained Danish citizenship status. It is compulsory to reside in Denmark for a minimum of 9 years to qualify for citizenship. However, this duration may vary depending on the situation. Few of which are highlighted as under.
- Refugees or equated as refugees and stateless persons the required period is 8 years continuously
- For Nordic citizens, the required stay is 2 years continuously
- For a Danish spouse who has been a citizen for at least 3 years, the obligatory period is 6 to 8 years
- If the applicant came to Denmark at the age of 15 or below, can apply for citizenship and subsequently the Danish passport as he/she turns 18 provided the education received is of Danish character
- Applicants who have received a substantial part of their education in Denmark or is of Danish character can apply for citizenship and subsequently the Danish passport after 5 years of continuous stay
Permanent residence
For someone to be eligible to apply for citizenship in Denmark, he/she must have stayed in the country as a permanent resident for 9 years legally, in normal cases. In other cases, the applicant must have spent at least 2 years from when the bill of naturalization is passed.
For people who are living under refugee status, stateless persons, or persons that can be equated with refugees (political asylum, etc.) the compulsion to stay is reduced to a minimum of one year. Note that a resident means that the person is living in Denmark habitually and has an address registered in the Central Population Register (CPR).
There are situations where the condition to reside with permanent residence is revoked, some of them are listed below:
- The applicant is married to a Dane but lives in a different residence and it is unclear if they will live together
- Where the applicant is a former Danish citizen
- The applicant has had interruptions during the required stay in the country, and the absence can be justified as critically important (caught in a warzone, illness, death, long-term foreign posting, etc.)
- Uncertainty whether substantial education is acquired from Denmark or is of Danish characteristics
Exemptions for a permanent residence permit
The condition to have stayed in Denmark for a minimum of 2 years when the bill is passed does not apply in the following cases:
- Citizens of the Nordic region
- Former Danes
- Having Danish descent
- A spouse living abroad due to their partner’s Danish interests
- Children applying for residence without parents
Stable revenue stream
Danish authorities are very particular when it comes to financial means of subsistence. In order to qualify for citizenship and a Danish passport, the applicant must be engaged in employment or self-employed for at least 3 years and 6 months in a 4-year period of stay.
The applicant must have a stable revenue stream when the bill on the notification of citizenship is tabled in the parliament. The employment requirements are assessed further on the following basis:
- Have earned minimum average income for at least a 30-hour work week for ordinary employment in Denmark (odd jobs where wages are paid hourly)
- Have been working abroad for Danish interests for not more than 2 years
- Employed abroad for not more than one year and the significant part of the deployment is essential to the applicants for employment in Denmark
The language knowledge test for acquiring citizenship (passport) in Denmark
One of the conditions to qualify for citizenship is to clear the language tests put in place to gauge the cultural and social assimilation of the applicant. One of the two Danish language tests Dansk 2 and Dansk 3 are taken by the applicants depending on the criteria they fall under.
The Dansk 3 test is the test all applicants must pass under normal situations; however, the Dansk 2 test is attempted by those who have not received assistance according to the social policy law on integration or active social policy law for more than 3 months over the 9-year compulsory stay.
Details regarding which tests are applicable under what circumstances and the criteria applied to the applicant can be read in Appendix 3a and 3b of the Circular on Naturalization.
Convention or alien passport
Under normal circumstances, eligible foreigners residing in Denmark apply for and are provided with a regular national Danish passport. National passports are issued and renewed by the diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate general).
People registered as refugees, stateless persons, and people who can be equated as refugees cannot apply for a national Passport hence, they are provided with a convention or alien passport.
