Apply for family reunification as the child of a refugee in Denmark

You want to apply for family reunification with a parent in Denmark. Your parent is a refugee in Denmark. This means that he/she has been granted a residence permit as an asylum seeker.

The expected maximum processing time is
7 months

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Who can be granted family reunification?

If you are under the age of 15 and have a parent who lives in Denmark you may qualify for a residence permit under the rules for family reunification. In special situations, you may qualify if you are between 15 and 18 years old.

If your parent has been granted temporary protected status in Denmark in accordance with the Aliens Act section 7 (3), he/she will normally need to have his/her residence permit extended beyond the initial two-year period. Read more about family reunification with individuals holding temporary protected status

You and your parent in Denmark need to meet certain requirements.
 

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What are the requirements if you are under 15 years old?

In order to qualify for family reunification, you, the applicant and your parent in Denmark both need to meet certain requirements.  

Requirements the applicant must meet

Normally, you may not be older than 15 years when you submit your application.

If you are older than 15 years, you will only qualify for a residence permit in special situations. Read more in the section ‘What are the requirements when you are between 15-18 years’

 If you are granted a residence permit, you must live at the same address as your parent in Denmark.

You cannot qualify for family reunification if you have started your own family. Starting your own family includes cohabiting with a partner or having a child.  

Granting you family reunification to live with your parent in Denmark must be in your best interest. That means the Immigration Service will consider whether the municipality where your parent in Denmark lives needs to provide us with a statement about your well-being, and how well your parent can take care of you.

The municipality can also be asked to assess whether it is in your best interests to move you away from where you live now to live with your parent in Denmark.

Granting you family reunification to live with your parent in Denmark would not be in your best interests if:

  • There is a risk you could have serious social problems in Denmark
  • There is significant risk that you would be removed from the home after you moved to Denmark
  • There is a risk you could be abused

Read more about acting in the best interests of child applicants 
 

If you stay with one of your parents or another permanent caregiver abroad, it is normally a requirement that you submit your application for a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification within a 3-month time limit.

You must apply for a residence permit no later than 3 months from the date on which your parent was granted a residence permit on the grounds of asylum in Denmark.

If your parent holds a residence permit in Denmark in accordance with the Aliens Act Section 7 (3) (temporary protected status), you cannot apply for a residence permit until your parent has had a residence permit for more than the last 2 years. You must then apply for a residence permit within 3 months after your parent’s 2 years of residence is reached.  

If you are born after your parent was granted a residence permit in Denmark, you must apply for a residence permit within 3 months from your birth.

If you are prevented from applying within the time limit

The Danish Immigration Service may not take the 3-month time limit into consideration, if you and your parent were prevented from submitting an application within the time limit.  It is a requirement that you apply for a residence permit as soon as possible when you are no longer prevented.

You must have been prevented because of obstacles which you and your parent were not able to control, e.g. a situation with disagreements about the custody wherefore it has not been possible to apply for family reunification until the custody is established. 

Exceptions from the 3-month time limit

In certain situations, the Immigration Service will not take the 3-month time limit into consideration, that is if:

  • your parent in Denmark still risks persecution in his/her home country and therefore cannot reside with you  in another country,
  • your parent in Denmark has minor children living at home who has an independent attachment to Denmark, or holds visitation rights of minor children from a previous relationship,
  • your parent’s spouse holds visitation rights of minor children from a previous relationship living in Denmark,
  • your parent in Denmark suffers from a serious illness or has a handicap and therefore cannot reside with you  in another country, or
  • you are without a permanent caregiver in the country where you reside.

 

Requirements the parent must meet

You, the applicant’s parent living in Denmark, must have:

  • a residence permit as a refugee or protected status under the terms of Aliens Act section 7 (1) or (2) or section 8
  • been a legal resident under the terms of the Aliens Act section 7 (3) for three years or longer, or
  • a permanent residence permit because you were granted asylum

If you are applying for family reunification at the same time as your child, your spouse/partner in Denmark must have been granted a residence permit for one of the reasons above.
 

You, the applicant’s parent, must have custody of the applicant. Joint custody is sufficient to meet this requirement.

You, the applicant’s parent in Denmark, may not have been found guilty by a Danish court of child abuse within the past 10 years. This also applies to your spouse/partner.

Abuse of a child includes, among other things:

  • Incest, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 210
  • Neglect, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 213
  • Prohibition on sending one's child abroad to circumstances that seriously endanger the child's health or development, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 215a
  • Rape, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 216
  • Sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 15, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 222
  • Recording of child pornography, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 230
  • Indecent exposure, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 232
  • Manslaughter, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 237
  • Assault and aggravated assault, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, sections 244-246
  • Confinement, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 261
  • Religious marriages of minors, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 260a

This requirement applies regardless of whether the sentence was served or suspended.

Exceptions from the requirement

The Immigration Service can suspend this requirement in special situations, such as if you:

  • were suffering from a psychiatric illness when the crime was committed. You may no longer be affected by the illness, or
  • committed the crime in connection with drug or alcohol abuse. You may no longer be a substance abuser.

In special situations, you, the applicant’s parent, will must have an independent, reasonably sized residence at your disposal. This is known as the housing requirement. Among the reasons for enforcing the housing requirement include voluntarily breaking contact with the applicant for an extended period.

An independent residence is a residence that has an entrance of its own and appears as one unit. An independent residence does not need to have a kitchen or bathroom of its own.

You have a residence at your disposal if you own, rent or sublet the place where you live. Owning property collectively as an andelshaver or anpartshaver also satisfies this requirement.

Your residence needs to be reasonably sized. This means that by the time your child is approved for family reunification, your residence needs to meet one of the following requirements:

  • The number of people living in the residence may not be more than double the number of rooms, or
  • There must be at least 20 sq. metres of living space for each person living there.

Read more about the housing requirement 

In special situations, you, the applicant’s parent, must be self-supporting. This may for instance be the case, if you have chosen not to have contact with the applicant for an extended period of time.

Being self-supporting means that you may not receive benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act (lov om aktiv socialpolitik) or the Integration Act (integrationsloven).

Read more about social benefits and the self-support requirement

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What are the requirements if you are between 15-18 years?

In order to be approved for family reunification to live with your parent in Denmark, you normally must be under 15 years old when you apply.

If you are between 15 and 18 years at the time of applying, you can be approved for family reunification if very special reasons apply. 

Your parent in Denmark needs to meet some requirements as well.

If you are older than 15, you can only qualify for family reunification to live with your parent in Denmark if special reasons apply.

Such situations include regard for family unity, whether it is in your best interests and Denmark's international obligations in general. If special reasons apply, you will be granted a residence permit in accordance with the Aliens Act section 9 (c) (1).

The Immigration Service will look at your personal situation when deciding whether there are very special reasons for granting you a residence permit. Some of the things we will look at are:

  • Whether you have family living in your home country
  • Whether you are applying for a residence permit together with the parent that you have been living with in your home country
  • Whether the parent you have been living with in your home country has been approved for family reunification in Denmark
  • Whether the parent you have been living with in your home country can take care of you properly
  • Whether you have been placed in foster care, or whether there is a risk you could be placed in foster care if you continue living with your parent in your home country
  • Whether it would be inhumane to ask your parent in Denmark to live with you in a country where there is no access to treatment for an existing illness or disability (if applicable)
  • Whether your parent in Denmark is raising minor children. Or if he/she has contact with other minor children who live in Denmark
  • Whether your parent in Denmark has been granted a residence permit as an asylum seeker
     

Requirements the applicant must meet

You may not be older than 18 when you submit your application.  

If you are granted a residence permit, you must live at the same address as your parent in Denmark.

You can’t qualify for family reunification if you have started your own family. Starting your own family includes cohabiting with a partner or having a child.

Granting you family reunification to live with your parent in Denmark must be in your best interest. That means the Immigration Service will consider whether the municipality, where your parent in Denmark lives, must provide us with a statement about your well-being and how well your parent can take care of you.

The municipality can also be asked to assess whether it is in your best interest to move you away from where you live now to live with your parent in Denmark.

Granting you family reunification to live with your parent in Denmark would not be in your best interests if:

  • There is a risk you could have serious social problems in Denmark
  • There is significant risk that you would be removed from the home after you moved to Denmark
  • There is a risk you could be abused

Read more about acting in the best interests of child applicants for family reunification

Requirements the parent must meet

You, the applicant’s parent in Denmark, must have permission to reside here legally.

You, the applicant’s parent in Denmark, may not have been found guilty by a Danish court of child abuse within the past 10 years. This also applies to your spouse/partner.

Abuse of a child includes, among other things:

  • Incest, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 210
  • Neglect, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 213
  • Prohibition on sending one's child abroad to circumstances that seriously endanger the child's health or development, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 215a
  • Rape, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 216
  • Sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 15, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 222
  • Recording of child pornography, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 230
  • Indecent exposure, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 232
  • Manslaughter, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 237
  • Assault and aggravated assault, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, sections 244-246
  • Confinement, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 261
  • Religious marriages of minors, cf. the Danish Criminal Act, section 260 a

This requirement applies regardless of whether the sentence was served or suspended.

Exceptions from the requirement

The Immigration Service can suspend this requirement in special situations, such as if you:

  • were suffering from a psychiatric illness when the crime was committed. You may no longer be affected by the illness, or
  • committed the crime in connection with drug or alcohol abuse. You may no longer be a substance abuser.

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Which type of residence permit will you be granted?

Temporary residence permit

If your application for family reunification is approved, you will initially be granted a temporary residence permit, typically valid until you turn 18. If your parent has a temporary residence permit, your residence permit will expire when your parent’s residence permit expires. Your residence permit can be extended if you and your parent still meet certain requirements.

When you turn 18, it may be possible for you to obtain a permanent residence permit by meeting relaxed requirements. Read more about permanent residence permit
 

What do you want to print?

The information below explains how to apply for a residence permit based on family reunification.

If you are applying at the same time as your parent who is applying for family reunification as a spouse, some of the steps will be different than if you are not applying at the same time as your parent. If there is a difference, the instructions will tell you what to do.

You and your parent each need to fill in part of the application form. You will also need to enclose documentation, so it is a good idea to gather it all before you start.  

If you are applying at the same time as your parent, you may need:

If you are not applying at the same time as your parent, you may need:

Set aside

30 to 40 minutes

 to fill in the application form

2 persons

You (or an adult who is applying on behalf of you) and your parent in Denmark each need to fill in part of the application form

If you are applying at the same time as your parent

The application form FA1 online includes detailed instructions for how to fill it in and which types of documentation you can attach. Your parent in Denmark starts the digital application form and he/she starts the application proces for both you and the parent you are applying concurrently with. Your parent in Denmark needs MitID when filling in the application form. Read more about MitID

If you want to resume filling in an application form online select ‘Start online application’. Once you are logged in, select ‘Continue a previously saved application’.

If you would like to make changes to an application after you have submitted it, you need to contact the Immigration Service. You do not need to submit a new application. Contact the Immigration Service

Start FA1 online application

We encourage you to use the digital application form. It adapts according to your answers and is automatically send to the Immigration Service, when you have submitted it.

You can also print out and submit the application form. You can fill in the application form in Word format on your computer before printing it out. The application form is also available as a PDF file that can be printed out and filled in by hand.

Download a printable version of FA11 in Word format

Download a printable version of FA11 in pdf format  

If you are not applying at the same time as your parent

The application form FA2 online includes detailed instructions for how to fill it in and which types of documentation you can attach. Your parent in Denmark starts the digital application form. Your parent in Denmark needs MitID when filling in the application form. Read more about MitID

If you want to resume filling in an application form online select ‘Start online application’. Once you are logged in, select ‘Continue a previously saved application’.

If you would like to make changes to an application after you have submitted it, you need to contact the Immigration Service. You do not need to submit a new application. Contact the Immigration Service

Start FA2 online application

We encourage you to use the digital application form. It adapts according to your answers and is automatically send to the Immigration Service, when you have submitted it.

You can also print out and submit the application form. You can fill in the application form in Word format on your computer before printing it out. The application form is also available as a PDF file that can be printed out and filled in by hand.

Download a printable version of FA12 in Word format

Download a printable version of FA12 in pdf format  

When you submit an application to the Immigration Service, we will process your personal information. You can read more about your rights and how we process your information in the application form or on this page: Personal data – How we process your data

When processing your case, we may seek to verify the accuracy of the information you have given. Read more about verification at the Danish Immigration Service

 

Applying from abroad

You can submit your application at a Danish mission (embassy or consulate), or an outsourcing office in the country where you live.

See the list of Danish missions or outsourcing offices where you can hand in your application

If there is no Danish mission or outsourcing offices in the country where you live, the list refers to missions Denmark shares a representation agreement with, e.g. Norway or Sweden. If there is no representation agreement, the list refers to the nearest Danish mission or outsourcing office in the region.

The Immigration Service recommends that you visit the website of the closest embassy or consulate before you submit your application. Individual offices might have additional requirements, such as extra passport photos or copies of your application.

Applying in Denmark

If you are in Denmark legally, you can normally submit your application in Denmark. You are in Denmark legally if you:

  • hold a valid visa
  • are not required to hold a visa, or
  • hold a valid Danish residence permit.

You can submit your application at the Immigration Service’s Citizen Service. You must book an appointment before you show up at the Citizen Service. Read more about where the Immigration Service’s Citizen Service has branch offices and how you book an appointment

You can also send your application to the Immigration Service in the post.

Read more about the rules for submitting your application in Denmark 

When you submit your application, you will normally need to have your fingerprints recorded and a picture of your face taken. These are also known as your biometric features. Your biometric features are required in order for you to get a new residence card.

When you live with your parent in Denmark, you don’t need a residence card. If you don’t want a card, you don’t need to have your fingerprints or picture taken.

Read more about residence cards with fingerprints and facial pictures

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Last updated 20-02-2024 - Published by: The Danish Immigration Service