Denmark Lists 11 Debts Foreigners Must Clear before Seeking Citizenship, Gives Exceptions
- The Danish government has published the categories of overdue debt to public authorities that can disqualify a citizenship applicant
- The official list covers 11 debt types, ranging from student loans and nursery payments to police fines and unpaid taxes and duties
- Applicants with certain debts may still qualify if they have an approved instalment agreement or meet specific exemptions
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The Danish government has confirmed that owing certain types of overdue debt to public authorities is a direct barrier to acquiring Danish citizenship, with 11 specific debt categories listed as potentially disqualifying.
The conditions form part of Denmark's official citizenship requirements for foreign nationals and make clear that applicants who have not cleared or arranged repayment of listed debts may be denied citizenship under paragraph 22 of the citizenship guidelines.
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Debts that can affect your citizenship application
According to the Danish government, the following categories of overdue debt to public authorities can block a citizenship application:
1. Repayable benefits under the Law on social service or the Law on active social policy.
2. Repayable benefits under the now-repealed Law on social assistance.
3. Child support paid in advance by public authorities under the Law on child allowance and advance payment of child support.
4. Nursery payments.
5. Student loans, known as SU-loans.
6. Repayment of overpaid housing allowance under Paragraph 47 of the Law on individual housing allowance.
7. Penalty fares to transport services of DKK 3,000 (N628,973) and above.
8. Police fines and victim contributions.
9. Court fees, fees, and costs in litigation and enforcement proceedings.
10. Repayment of housing deposit loans, unless an instalment agreement for repayment has been entered into and the applicant complies with it.
11. Taxes and duties, unless the applicant is in arrears through no fault of their own.
When debt may not disqualify an applicant
The government noted that certain exceptions apply. For housing deposit loans and tenant deposit loans, an active and compliant instalment agreement can prevent the debt from blocking a citizenship application.
On taxes and duties, applicants who fell into arrears through circumstances beyond their control may still be considered eligible.
Where no extension of payment has been granted, and no instalment agreement is in place, the Danish government warned that the outstanding debt could preclude the transmission of citizenship.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the Danish government had explained how many years a foreigner must live in the country to qualify for citizenship.
African countries on Denmark's visa-free entry list
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Denmark had listed some African countries whose citizens can visit its territories without a visa.
In a detailed report on the official Denmark website, the names of many countries were listed, separating those whose citizens need a visa to visit Denmark from those whose citizens do not.
Findings revealed that citizens of only a few African countries can visit Denmark without the need for a visa, and this article focuses only on those countries.
Source: Legit.ng
