Documents for Denmark

Before your arrival, it is very important to get all your documents for Denmark in order. Take my word for it, it will make your life so much easier. The bureaucratic wheels turn slowly - very slowly at times.

You may wish to check out the new Green Card Scheme , which may help you qualify for both residency and work permits on a point system. It is not easy, but for many it may be a blessing.

Passports

A valid passport, which is good for at least 3 months longer than your arrival date, is needed to visit Denmark. So if your passport is going to expire within 3 months of your arrival date, it is advisable to get it renewed before arriving. Since people are traveling to Denmark from all over the world, it would be hard for me to list all the exceptions and rules. I will try to be as up-to-date as possible, but please do check with your local Danish Embassy or consulate, as well as your own embassy, for confirmation.

EU citizens can enter Denmark using only identity cards, but there are exceptions for some of the Slavic countries. Again, you can check with your local embassy for more details, since they are changing constantly.

When traveling it is always best to have your travel documents for Denmark with you at all times; never leave them at your hotel or in your vehicle. Keep photocopies of your documents (passport, birth certificate, driver's licence, identity card, etc.) in a safe place in case the originals get lost or stolen. This can save you a lot of aggravation if something does go wrong.

More details can be found at Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Visa

If you are planning on staying longer than 3 months in Denmark, you will need to get a visa. A visa is a stamp in your passport that gives you permission to extend your stay in Denmark for various reasons.

There are various visa documents for Denmark such as work permits, study permits, tourist permits, and business permits. It is best to get your visa before you arrive in Denmark, even though you can get one after you arrive. The problem is that the system can be very slow at times. You may have to relinquish your passport if you are sending in an application. That can cause problems if you need your passport for other things. Personally, I recommend doing it before you travel.

Get all your documents for Denmark you need in order; it will make your life simpler.

Generally, you don't need an entry visa to visit, but check with your local Danish Embassy or with your local travel agency to confirm.

If you have a passport from one of these countries, you do not require a visa to enter Denmark:

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei Darussalem, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Salvador, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Venezuela

Citizens of These Countries Need a Visa

This applies to you, if you are citizen of any of these countries:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua/Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Macedonia, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldovia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Northern Marianas, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tomé and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St. Christoffer and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tadjikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunesia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Passports issued by the Palestinian Authority

The following are not documents for Denmark, but more a list of conditions that may help or impede your application.

For instance:1. You must have funds to cover the cost of your stay.2. You must not be on the SIS undesireable list.3. You must not be listed on the Danish Entry Ban List. 4. You may be required to have insurance to cover any medical expenses incurred while in Denmark or enough money cover for your trip home.

Work and Residence Visa

Important Note:: Please be aware that there are now NEW fees for applying for some of the work schemes available. You can download it here - application fees

Work visas are granted to people who are planning to reside and work in Denmark. These are stamped inside your passport and state that you are allowed to live and work in Denmark. Usually, they are valid for 4 years and can be renewed.

The current rules for working in Denmark are as follows:

If you are a citizen of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, or Iceland there are no restrictions on living and working in Denmark.

If you are a member of any EU country you can come to Denmark and seek work. If you get work you can apply for a residency permit without much of a problem. If you have criminal ties or other background problems, you may find it a bit difficult to be granted either a work or residency permit, since Denmark is really coming down hard on such individuals.

If an EU citizen gets work and the job pays enough to support them, they will usually be granted a residency permit.

If you come from outside the EU, you will need to get a work permit before coming to Denmark. If a company offers you a position in Denmark, they will usually secure your work permit for you. You can also apply for a work permit if you are living here, but it is much harder to get and there is no guarantee that it will be given to you.

PLEASE NOTE: Immigration rules have tighten over the past year and it is very important that you have your permits in order before arriving in Denmark.

Download a residency application based on a job offer.

There are several other immigration schemes available, such as the Green Card Documents for Denmark You can aslo try to work/residence permit under one of these other immigration schemes.

Salaried Worker : Download the Salaried Job Application Form

Green Card Scheme: Download the Green Card Application Form

Religous Worker: Download the Religous Scheme Application Form

Self Employed: Download the Self Employed Application Form

Researcher or Research Assistant:Download the Researcher Application Form

Corporate Scheme: Download the Corporate Scheme Application Form.

There are a few others such as working as a nanny, being a student and asylum seekers.

You can find more details about all these schemes and more about integration at Ny i Danmark.

Ny i Danmark, just means new to Denmark and is the official immigration site with all the latest official documents. But the best way is to contact the Immigration Service by phone on 0045 35 30 87 71 between the office hours of 9am to 3PM.

If you are in Denmark, go by their office at Ryesgade 53,2100 Copenhagen Ø. The service center opens at 8:30AM, but suggest you get there earlier since lines form sooner than that and the wait can be quite long. Opening hours 8:30 to 12noon and Thursday evenings from 3:30 PM to 5:30PM.

P.S. I got there one day at 7AM and the line had already started forming.

Consult your local embassy for assistance if you find yourself living in Denmark and unable to get a work permit. They may be able to help.

Family Reunification Plan Documents for Denmark

The Danish Immigration Service has always wanted the Danish partner to have at least 63,000 kroner in their bank account to help cover living costs and expenses before the applicant was allowed to bring their spouse or family into Denmark.

This has now changed to 126,000. Twice the amount, which will be hard for many expats considering their is still the application fee, immigration tests and expense of moving.

Your spouse will now have to visit Denmark twice before being allowed to immigrate. The rule use to be once was enough, but now it will be two times. On one of the trips, your spouse will have to sit for a language test.

The application fee will increase by 1800 kroner to 7775 kroner. (was 5975)

Immigration test fee goes from 3000 to 3600kr.

These changes are in part being instigated because the costs associated with immigration has increased dramatically and they are trying to offset some of the costs and also weed out some of the immigrants who are coming to Denmark to live off the social system.

There could be more fee increases and other changes to immigration policies if the past trends continue.

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