You residence permit will lapse if:

  • You give up your residency and leave Denmark
  • If you do not enter Denmark, after you have been granted a residence permit
  • If you stay out of Denmark for more than 6 months

The permit will lapse automatically, and you will not receive any decision in form of a letter or similar.

Be aware that special rules apply if you, as a minor, have been sent on a re-education trip or any other trip abroad which can have negative implications for you.

Read more about re-education trips

If your permit has lapsed it will mean that you no longer have the right to stay in Denmark. You can also risk that you will not be allowed to enter Denmark upon your return from abroad.

If your residence permit has lapsed you must start over again by applying for a new residence permit in Denmark. Your application will be processed according to the prevailing law at the time of your new application. It will have no significance when or why you originally obtained a residence permit.

In some instances it is possible to give a dispensation from the rules that can cause your permit to lapse. This will entail that your permit has not lapse after all.

You can read more about, and apply for, a dispensation here.

There are types of residence permit that does not lapse.

If you have a permit based on the following schemes, your residence permit does not lapse:

  • Fast-track Scheme – or as an accompanying family member to a person with a permit under the Fast-track Scheme

  • Researchers - – or as an accompanying family member to a person with a permit under the Researcher Scheme

  • The ESS Scheme

  • PhD student (if you are enrolled in a full PhD programme in Denmark)

  • student at a joint degree programme