Apply for a permanent residence permit as a young person

You must have turned 18 in order to qualify for a permanent residence permit.

If you have turned 19, you cannot be granted a permanent residence permit under lenient requirements.
 

To be able to qualify for a residence permit under lenient requirements, you need to have been enrolled in school or had regular, full-time employment continuously since completing primary school (folkeskolen).

The term ’folkeskolen’ also includes the independent schools in Denmark when the education in the independent and private schools match the requirements of primary school.

The requirement of having been enrolled in school or had regular, full-time employment continuously can also be met if you have combined education and full-time employment without interruption since you finished primary school.

See examples of uninterrupted/interrupted education and full-time employment since you finished primary school

Education abroad after the end of primary school can be a part of the calculation of uninterrupted education in some situations. The following requirements must be met:

• The education abroad must be comparable to a Danish 9th grade, 10th grade, STX, HF, HHX, HTX, EUX, EUD or AVU, or an education of a similar level.
• You must have has a valid residence permit in Denmark in the entire period of staying abroad, or have been granted a dispensation from lapsing of the residence permit in the period of the stay abroad.
• It is a maximum of one year of education abroad that can be part of the calculation.

You must be aware that normally it is a condition in order to get a permanent residence permit that you reside in Denmark, when the Immigration Service makes a decision in your case.

It matters to your application for a permanent residence permit whether you submit the application before you turn 18 or whether you submit the application when you are between 18-19 years old.

Submitting the application before you turn 18

If you submit the application for a permanent residence permit before you turn 18, you must have been enrolled in school or had regular, full-time employment continuously in the period from the end of primary school and until you turn 18.

Submitting the application when you are between 18-19 years old

If you submit the application for a permanent residence permit as an 18-year-old, you must have been enrolled in school or had regular, full-time employment continuously in the period from the end of primary school and until you submit the application for a permanent residence permit.

Submitting the application when you are 19 years or older

If you are over 19, you will not qualify for a permanent residence permit according to the lenient requirements.

Regular employment should be understood to mean that your employer does not receive public funding, such as wage subsidies (løntilskud), in connection with your employment. Your pay and working conditions should also meet the level established in the applicable collective-bargaining agreement, or otherwise be considered normal for the position. Read more about which types of employment can be considered regular, full-time employment.

Full-time employment should be understood to mean minimum 30 hours per week, or minimum 120 hours per month, at a job in Denmark.

If, since completing primary school, you have had periods when you were neither enrolled in school nor working, unless it is a usual holiday period, you will not qualify for a permanent residence permit under lenient requirements.

Youmust have resided in Denmark legally for 8 years or longer. During the entire period, you need to have had a residence permit under terms of the Aliens Act sections 7-9 f, sections 9 i-9 n or section 9 p (residence permit granted on the grounds of family reunification, asylum, studies or work etc.).

Your current residence permit states which section of the Aliens Act applies to your situation.

One or more grounds for residence

One way to meet the 8-year residence requirement is by having the same residence permit (such as one based on family reunification) for the entire period.

You can also meet the requirement if you have had multiple residence permits during your period of residence. This would be the case if you were initially granted a residence permit based on family reunification, and then as a refugee.

Read more about how the 8-year residence requirement is calculated

You may not have been convicted of certain crimes.

If you were sentenced to less than six months of incarceration, or if the sentence was suspended, you will be temporarily ineligible for a permanent residence permit.

If you were sentenced to more than six months of incarceration, you are permanently ineligible for a permanent residence permit.

The list below provides an overview of certain types of sentences and how they affect your eligibility for permanent residence:

• A suspended custodial sentence without terms about community service leads to a 6-year penalty period starting from the time the final verdict is given
• A suspended custodial sentence with terms about community service leads to a 7-year and 6 months penalty period starting from the time the final verdict is given.
• A mandatory custodial sentence of less than 60 days leads to a 12-year penalty period starting from the time of release.
• A mandatory custodial sentence of less than 60 days for violations of part 12 or part 13 of the Danish criminal code leads to an 18-year penalty period starting from the time of release.
• A mandatory custodial sentence of 60 days or more, but less than 6 months leads to a 15-year penalty period starting from the time of release.
• A mandatory prison sentence of at least 6 months leads to being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark. This applies to all types of crime.
• A mandatory prison sentence of at least 60 days for violations of part 12 of the Danish criminal code (crimes against the independence and security of the state) or part 13 of the Danish criminal code (crimes against the constitution of the state and the higher state authorities, terrorism, etc.) or sections 210, 216, 222-224, section 225 cf. section 226, or sections 243-246 of the provisions of the Danish criminal code (specific crimes concerning family affairs, sexual offence and crimes of violence) leads to being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark.
• A mandatory prison sentence of at least 60 days for violations of the provisions of the Danish criminal code’s section 215 (child abductions), section 215a (re-education trips), section 260 (2) (forced marriages) and (3) (forced covering), or section 260a (religious marriages of minors) leads to being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark. This applies to all applications for permanent residence submitted from and including 27 January 2022.
• A sentence for working illegally in the country according to Section 59 of the Aliens Act, when the person does not have a residence permit in this country, entails a penalty period of 15 years and 22 years and 6 months if subsequent offence. The penalty period starts from the time of parole, the date of delivery of the final judgment, date of the parole’s expiration or date of the agreement on the fine, depending on which date entails the latest expiration of the penalty period.
• A sentence for working illegally in the country according to Section 59 of the Aliens Act, when the person has a residence permit in this country, entails a penalty period of 7 years for a subsequent offence. The penalty period starts from the time of parole, the date of delivery of the final judgment, date of the parole’s expiration or date of the agreement on the fine, depending on which date entails the latest expiration of the penalty period.
• Youth sanction leads to a 6-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure.
• A sentence to be placed in an ambulatory psychiatric treatment with possible hospitalization in accordance to part 68 or part 69 of the Danish criminal code leads to a 6-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 9 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.
• A sentence to be placed in psychiatric treatment in accordance to part 68 or part 69 of the Danish criminal code leads to a 9-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 12 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.
• A sentence to be committed to a mental hospital leads to a 12-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 15 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.
• A sentence to be placed in secure detention leads to a 30-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure.

You may not have any overdue public debts. A debt is considered overdue if the public is entitled to payment of the debt, or if the amount due has not been repaid by the due date.

Below is an exhaustive list of the types of public debt that you cannot have if you want to obtain a permanent residence permit:

• Social Service Act or Active Social Policy Act benefits that you are required by law to repay (such as overpaid social benefits)
• Child support paid in advance
• Day-care payment
• Overpaid housing benefits
• Housing-subsidy loan 
• Taxes and levies, unless the amount in arrears is due to circumstances beyond your control

Other debts, such as student loans, bank loans or loans from a building society are not considered public debts and will not disqualify you from being granted a permanent residence permit.

Payment extension

You can still be granted a permanent residence permit if you have been granted an extension to repay outstanding debt. However, the amount you owe may not exceed DKK 132,180.25 (2024 level).

Being granted an extension means that the creditor (the state or municipality) has given the debtor (you) permission to postpone repayment of your debt until beyond the original due date. For example, SKAT, the Danish customs and tax administration, may award you an extension.

If you are uncertain whether you have been granted a payment extension, contact your municipality, SKAT or Udbetaling Danmark.

Repayment schedule

You cannot be granted a permanent residence permit if you have overdue public debts, even if you have been allowed to repay your debt in a set number of instalments (also known as a repayment schedule).

If you have a repayment schedule, the state or municipality has agreed to let you pay back your debt in instalments, rather than as a lump sum. For example, you may agree to pay DKK 500 per month for three years.

If you repay your debt

If you repay an overdue public debt after you submit your application, but before the Immigration Service passes a decision, you need to provide documentation showing you no longer have any public debt.

In order to qualify for a permanent residence permit you may not have received certain types of social benefits within four years of applying for a permanent residence permit. Nor may you receive them until the time when the permanent residence permit is granted.

The decisive factor when evaluating whether you have received social benefits is whether they have been awarded under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act (lov om aktiv socialpolitik) or the Integration Act (integrationsloven). If you have received social benefits under the terms of either law, you can normally only be granted a permanent residence permit four years after the date you received your final benefit payment.

Example: if you received cash benefits until 1 July 2014, you would first meet this requirement on 1 July 2018. However, some benefits do not affect your eligibility for permanent residence.

Read more about the types of benefits that affect your eligibility for permanent residence

Supplementary cash benefits

If your spouse/partner received cash benefits, you may have received supplementary social security during the same period. As a result, you need to be aware of whether he/she received social security at any time in the four years before you submitted your application, or while your application is being processed.

If your spouse/partner received cash benefits, you may have received supplementary social security during the same period. This could result in your application being refused. If you are uncertain whether you have received, or will receive, supplementary cash benefits, contact your municipality.

You need to accept a declaration of residence and self-support.

The declaration is included in the online application and in the printable application form.

The declaration of residence and self-support is also available on the website of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration (site in Danish only)

You need to pass the Danish language test 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2), or a Danish exam of an equivalent or higher level.

See a list of Danish language tests that are equivalent to or higher than the Danish language test 2

You must have been sent on a re-education trip or any other trip abroad with negative implications while you have had a temporary residence permit in Denmark. You have to have been under the age of 18 at the time of your departure.

After the trip, you must have received a dispensation from the lapse of your residence permit. This dispensation can either be granted by the Immigration Service or SIRI.

You must have turned 18 to obtain a permanent residence permit.

To obtain a permanent residence permit under more lenient requirements, you must either have been studying, working full-time, or been self-employed in Denmark for at least 1 year within the last 2 years prior to the time where we make a decision on permanent residence.

Education

You meet the requirement if you have been studying continuously for a year within the last two years.

This means that you must have completed one year of formal education. The requirement can be met by receiving one education, but also if you have combined two types of education.

Ordinary full-time employment

You meet the requirement if, within the last two years, you have been in work that can be included in the calculation for 1 year.

You do not have to have worked for 1 consecutive year. For instance, the requirement can be met by you having worked full-time for 9 months, followed by 1 month of unemployment, and subsequently 3 months of full-time employment.

Ordinary full-time employment means that your employer does not receive public funding, such as wage subsidies (løntilskud), in connection with your employment. Your pay and working conditions should also meet the level established in the applicable collective-bargaining agreement, or otherwise be considered normal for the position.

Full-time employment in Denmark means a minimum of 30 hours per week, corresponding to 120 hours per month.

If you have worked several places at the same time, you meet the requirement of full-time employment if the total weekly working hours have been at the minimum of 30 hours, corresponding to 120 hours per month. 

The following does not qualify as ordinary full-time employment:

• Receiving unemployment benefits.

• Unpaid work.

• Work with a wage subsidy

• Employment in job rotation.

• Periods with work of fewer than 30 hours a week.

Read more about which types of employment can be considered ordinary, full-time employment when applying for a permanent residence permit

Education and work

The requirement can also be met by combining education and full-time employment.

An example of this may be that you have been employed full-time for 8 months, but have enrolled in school and will be studying for 4 months such that you reach at least 1 year of combined full-time employment and study. This requires that you go directly from full-time employment to education.

You must be working or studying when a decision is being made regarding permanent residence permit.

Still studying

You meet the requirement if, at the time when a decision on permanent residency is made, you are still enrolled in an educational institution and are actively attending classes.

Still working

You meet the requirement if, at the time of the decision on permanent residency is being made, you:

• are still permanently employed in an indefinite position

• can otherwise prove that you expect to be in work in the future, e.g if you are an employee in a fixed-term position where a certain part of the employment period remains, or

• are self-employed.

Example: If you are employed in a fixed-term position that is about to expire, you can prove that you will continue to be employed by, for instance, enclosing a new employment contract or a statement from your employer that the employment is expected to be extended.

It is not a condition that your current job is a full-time job if the basic condition of work is otherwise met. However, you must work at least 15 hours a week.

You do not meet the condition of continuing to work if you at the time of the decision on permanent residency:

• have a job with a wage subsidy

• are doing unpaid work

• work as a temp at a temporary employment agency

• work under 15 hours a week

• work for a company that is in liquidation, compulsory dissolution, has notified suspension of payments or is in bankruptcy, or

• are self-employed and have gone into liquidation, compulsory dissolution, have notified suspension of payments or are bankrupt.

To obtain a permanent residence permit under lenient requirements, you may not have received certain forms of social benefits within the last year prior to your application and until the time when the decision on permanent residency is made.

The decisive factor when evaluating whether you have received social benefits is whether they have been awarded under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act (lov om aktiv socialpolitik) or the Integration Act (integrationsloven). If you have received social benefits under the terms of either law, you can normally only be granted a permanent residence permit 1 year after the date you received your final benefit payment.

Please note that there is also a deadline for when you can apply for a permanent residence permit at the latest according to the special rules. You must apply no later than 2 years after the decision on dispensation from the lapse of your residence permit.

Example: if you received cash benefits until 1 July 2018, you would first meet this requirement on 1 July 2019.

Some benefits do not affect your eligibility for permanent residence.

Read more about the types of benefits that affect your eligibility for permanent residence

Supplementary cash benefits

If your spouse/partner has received cash benefits, you may have received supplementary social security during the same period. As a result, you need to be aware of whether he/she received social security in the year prior to your application, or while your application is being processed.

If this is the case, it may mean that you have received supplementary social security during the same period. This could result in your application being refused. If you are uncertain whether you have received, or will receive supplementary cash benefits, contact your municipality.

You still need to meet the continuous requirements for your current residence permit.

Additionally, you have to be staying in Denmark when the Immigration Service is passing a decision on your application for permanent residency. If, for instance, you are working abroad or have travelled out of Denmark, you have to return to Denmark to obtain a permanent residence permit.

You need to have resided in Denmark legally for 8 years. During the entire period, you need to have had a residence permit issued under the terms of Aliens Act sections 7-9 f, sections 9 i-9 n, section 9 p or section 9 q (1) or (2) (residence permit granted on the grounds of family reunification, asylum, studies or work etc.).

Your current residence permit states the grounds on which it has been granted.

One or more grounds for residence

You can meet the 8-year residence requirement by holding a residence permit granted on the same grounds for the entire period, e.g family reunification.

You can also meet the requirement by having had multiple residence permits on different grounds during the 8 years. For instance, you may initially have obtained it as a family reunified and then as a refugee.

Read more about how the 8-year (in some cases 4-year) residence requirement is calculated

You may not have been convicted of certain crimes.

If you were sentenced to less than six months’ incarceration, or if the sentence was suspended, you will be temporarily ineligible for a permanent residence permit.

If you were sentenced to more than six months’ incarceration, you are permanently ineligible for a permanent residence permit.

The list below provides an overview of certain types of sentences and how they affect your eligibility for permanent residence:

• A suspended custodial sentence without terms about community service leads to a 6-year penalty period starting from the time the final verdict is given
• A suspended custodial sentence with terms about community service leads to a 7-year and 6 months penalty period starting from the time the final verdict is given.
• A mandatory custodial sentence of less than 60 days leads to a 12-year penalty period starting from the time of release.
• A mandatory custodial sentence of less than 60 days for violations of part 12 or part 13 of the Danish criminal code leads to a 18-year penalty period starting from the time of release.
• A mandatory custodial sentence of 60 days or more, but less than 6 months leads to a 15-year penalty period starting from the time of release.
• A mandatory prison sentence of at least 6 months leads to being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark. This applies to all types of crime.
• A mandatory prison sentence of at least 60 days for violations of part 12 of the Danish criminal code (crimes against the independence and security of the state) or part 13 of the Danish criminal code (crimes against the constitution of the state and the higher state authorities, terrorism, etc.) or sections 210, 216, 222-224, section 225 cf. section 226, or sections 243-246 of the provisions of the Danish criminal code (specific crimes concerning family affairs, sexual offence and crimes of violence) leads to being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark.
• A mandatory prison sentence of at least 60 days for violations of the provisions of the Danish criminal code’s section 215 (child abductions), section 215a (re-education trips), section 260 (2) (forced marriages) and (3) (forced covering), or section 260a (religious marriages of minors) leads to being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark. This applies to all applications for permanent residence submitted from and including 27 January 2022.
• A sentence for working illegally in the country in accordance with Section 59 of the Aliens Act leads, when the person don’t have a residence permit in this country, to a 15-year penalty period, if subsequent offence 22 years and 6 months. The penalty period starts from the time of parole, the date of delivery of the final judgment, date of the parole’s expiration or date of the agreement on the fine, depending on which date entails the latest expiration of the penalty period.
• A sentence for working illegally in the country in accordance with Section 59 of the Aliens Act leads, when the person has a residence permit in this country, for a subsequent offence to a 7-year penalty period. The penalty period starts from the time of parole, the date of delivery of the final judgment, date of the parole’s expiration or date of the agreement on the fine, depending on which date entails the latest expiration of the penalty period.
• Youth sanction leads to a 6-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure.
• A sentence to be placed in an ambulatory psychiatric treatment with possible hospitalization in accordance to part 68 or part 69 of the Danish criminal code leads to a 6-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 9 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.
• A sentence to be placed in psychiatric treatment in accordance to part 68 or part 69 of the Danish criminal code leads to a 9-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 12 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.
• A sentence to be committed to a mental hospital leads to a 12-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 15 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.
• A sentence to be placed in secure detention leads to a 30-year penalty period starting from the time of termination of the measure.

You may not have any overdue public debts. A debt is considered overdue if the public is entitled to payment of the debt, or if the amount due has not been repaid by the due date.

Below is an exhaustive list of the types of public debt that you cannot have if you want to obtain a permanent residence permit:

• Social Service Act or Active Social Policy Act benefits that you are required by law to repay (such as overpaid social benefits)
• Child support paid in advance
• Day-care payment
• Overpaid housing benefits
• Housing-subsidy loan 
• Taxes and levies, unless the amount in arrears is due to circumstances beyond your control

Other debts, such as student loans, bank loans or loans from a building society are not considered public debts and will not disqualify you from being granted a permanent residence permit.

Payment extension

You can still be granted a permanent residence permit if you have been granted an extension to repay outstanding debt. However, the amount you owe may not exceed DKK 132,180.25 (2024 level).

Being granted an extension means that the creditor (the state or municipality) has given the debtor (you) permission to postpone repayment of your debt until beyond the original due date. For example, SKAT, the Danish customs and tax administration, may award you an extension.

If you are uncertain whether you have been granted a payment extension, contact your municipality, SKAT or Udbetaling Danmark.

Repayment schedule

You cannot be granted a permanent residence permit if you have overdue public debts, even if you have been allowed to repay your debt in set number of instalments (also known as a repayment schedule).

If you have a repayment schedule, the state or municipality has agreed to let you pay back your debt in instalments, rather than as a lump sum. For example, you may agree to pay DKK 500 per month for three years.

If you repay your debt

If you repay an overdue public debt after you submit your application, but before the Immigration Service passes a decision, you need to provide documentation showing you no longer have any public debt.

You need to accept a declaration of residence and self-support.

The declaration is included in the online application and in the printable application form.

The declaration of residence and self-support is also available on the website of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration (site in Danish only)

You need to pass the Danish language test 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2), or a Danish exam of an equivalent or higher level.

See a list of Danish language tests that are equivalent to or higher than the Danish language test 2

You can apply for a permanent residence permit 3 months before you turn 18 at the earliest. If you apply for a permanent residence permit before you turn 18, it is a requirement that you have been taking an education without interruptions or have had full-time employment until you turn 18.

If you apply for a permanent residence permit after you turn 18 and before you turn 19, it is a requirement that you are taking an education without interruptions or have a full-time employment up to the time of submitting your application.

Full-time employment is work with an average working time in this country of at least 30 hours per week, which is at least 120 hours per month.

You should be aware that your residence permit might expire when you turn 18. It is important that you apply for an extension of your temporary residence permit or a permanent residence permit before your current residence permit expires. If you do not apply on the day your current residence permit expires at the latest, you are staying illegally in Denmark.

If you are covered by the special rules for foreign nationals who have been on a re-education trip, you can not apply for a permanent residence permit earlier than 1 year after the Immigration Service or SIRI has granted you a dispensation from your residence permit lapsing.

Additionally, you must apply for a permanent residence permit no later than 2 years after you have received dispensation from lapsing.

If you were staying abroad when the decision regarding dispensation from the lapsing of your residence permit was made, you must apply for permanent residence no later than 2 years after you entered Denmark. 

If the Immigration Service or SIRI has decided that your residence permit has lapsed, but the decision is reversed by the Immigration Appeals Board or the Refugee Appeals Board, you will have to apply for permanent residence no later than 2 years after the board has decided to grant dispensation from the lapsing of your residence permit.

If you do not apply for a permanent residence permit within the time limit of 2 years, you will not be covered by the special rules for people who have been on a re-education trip. Instead, you will have to meet the usual requirements for permanent residence.