Processing of an asylum case

In the introductory phase it is determined whether your application should be processed in Denmark or another country. Once you have applied for asylum and been registered with the police, you will be asked to complete an application for asylum. You will also be asked to appear at the Immigration Service for an interview to explain why you are seeking asylum in Denmark.

The first interview with the Immigration Service is intended to determine your motivation for seeking asylum and to obtain additional information. The interview will typically take place shortly after you have been registered as an asylum seeker in Denmark. The aim of the interview is to establish your identity, travel route and reason for applying for asylum.

Once a decision has been made to process your application in Denmark, it can be processed according to one of three sets of guidelines:

• Normal procedure

• Manifestly unfounded procedure

• Expedited version of manifestly unfounded procedure

If the Immigration Service decides that your application should be processed in Denmark, you can apply for a residence permit on humanitarian grounds. An application for a residence permit on humanitarian grounds should be submitted to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. Read more about residence permits on humanitarian grounds

Normal procedure

If your application is processed according to normal procedure, the Immigration Service will decide whether to approve or refuse your application based on the criteria for granting asylum. In some cases the decision will be made after the first interview. In other cases it may be necessary to call you in for a follow-up interview or to investigate your claims further. One reason for calling you in for a follow-up interview would be if your motivation for seeking asylum is complicated.

The Immigration Service decides whether to grant asylum on a case-by-case basis. The Immigration Service considers the information you provide, as well as general background information about conditions in your home country. Read more about general background information about countries

Manifestly unfounded applications

Your application will be considered manifestly unfounded if the Immigration Service finds that you have no valid grounds for seeking asylum, or if the Danish Refugee Council’s practice indicates that your grounds for seeking asylum are clearly unfounded.

If the Immigration Service finds that your application for asylum is manifestly unfounded, the Immigration Service will normally make a decision after the first interview.

If the Immigration Service finds that your application for asylum is manifestly unfounded, the application will be given to the Refugee Council for review.

If the Refugee Council agrees with the Immigration Service’s decision, your application will be refused. If the Refugee Council does not agree with the Immigration Service, your application will be processed according to the normal procedure. If your application is refused, it will be turned over to the Refugee Appeals Board for review.

Expedited version of manifestly unfounded application-processing

Expedited application processing has been established for asylum seekers from certain specific countries. The procedure is called ‘the expedited version of the manifestly unfounded procedure’. In these cases, it is presumed that the application is manifestly unfounded and can be refused.

The list of countries whose applicants are processed according to the expedited version of the manifestly unfounded procedure was most recently updated on 19 January 2023, and includes EU member states, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland, Albania, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Serbia and the United States. Georgia is also included on the list, but certain exemptions apply. 

If your request for asylum is processed according to the expedited version of the manifestly unfounded procedure, you do not need to fill in an application form, and you will be quickly referred for an interview with the Immigration Service. As in other manifestly unfounded requests, the Refugee Council will be asked for its assessment. If the Refugee Council agrees with the Immigration Service’s decision, a refusal will be granted after an expedited process.