Denmark Announces How Many Years Foreigners Must Live in the Country to Qualify for Citizenship
- The Danish government published the residence requirements foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship
- The standard rule requires nine years of continuous residence, but several categories of applicants qualify for shorter periods
- Refugees, Nordic citizens, spouses of Danish nationals, and students each face different residence timelines under Danish law
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Denmark requires most foreigners to have lived continuously in the country for nine years before they can apply for citizenship, according to guidance published by the Danish government.
The requirement also takes into account how applicants have spent their time in Denmark.
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Long breaks away from the country, or a pattern of frequent international travel during the residence period, can affect whether a person is considered to meet the standard.
Who qualifies for shorter wait
The Danish government has set out six categories of applicants who are eligible for reduced residence periods:
1. Recognised refugees, persons treated as refugees, and stateless individuals need eight years of continuous residence.
2. Citizens of Nordic countries are only required to have lived in Denmark for two years.
3. Spouses of Danish citizens, where the Danish partner has held citizenship for at least three years, must show between six and eight years of continuous residence, depending on how long the marriage has lasted.
4. Anyone who arrived in Denmark before the age of 15 may apply for citizenship upon turning 18, provided their education during that period was Danish in character.
5. Persons who completed a significant portion of their general or professional education in Denmark may apply after five years of continuous residence, if that education was Danish in character, lasted at least three years, or ended with a recognised exam.
6. Former Danish citizens and members of the Danish minority community in Southern Schleswig, Germany, are also covered by separate provisions.
The government additionally recognises a group of individuals born between January 1, 1961, and December 31, 1978, to Danish mothers, who may have been eligible for citizenship had a declaration been made on their behalf between 1979 and 1981.
When a parliamentary committee gets involved
In certain cases, applicants can have their situation referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Naturalisation, which reviews whether an exemption from the standard residence requirement should be granted.
The committee considers cases where a spouse of a Danish citizen lives at a different address, raising questions about whether the couple actually lives together.
It also examines applications from former Danish citizens, spouses of Danes whose partners work abroad under unclear conditions, and applicants whose residence in Denmark has been interrupted beyond what is normally permitted due to a long-term posting abroad for a Danish employer.
Additionally, cases in which it is uncertain whether an applicant completed a substantial portion of their education in Denmark or whether that education qualifies as Danish in character may be submitted to the committee for review.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Denmark had published the names of African countries eligible for its visa-free entry.
Countries ineligible for Denmark visa-free entry
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported a full list of countries that do not qualify for Denmark's visa-free entry.
Details on the website of the Danish government show a long list of countries whose citizens require a visa to travel to Denmark.
Despite this, Denmark stated that some citizens of Moldova, Kosovo, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Ukraine, Taiwan, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro may be exempt if they hold biometric passports issued under the conditions specified by the Danish authorities.
Source: Legit.ng
