New to Denmark

On 12 June 2026, the AM Regulation entered into force in the EU and applies in the EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The AM Regulation replaces the Dublin Regulation and largely contains the same provisions as the Dublin Regulation. In Denmark, the AM Regulation has not yet been implemented into Danish law. As a general rule, it is therefore still the rules of the Dublin Regulation that determine which country is responsible for examining an application for asylum. During the period from 12 June 2026 until the Regulation is implemented into Danish law, only those provisions of the AM Regulation that are already authorised under Danish legislation will, as a general rule, be applied in the processing of asylum applications. At the same time, Denmark’s parallel agreement and fundamental principles of interpretation require Denmark, during this period, to apply and interpret existing Danish law, to the greatest extent possible, in accordance with the new rules of the AM Regulation.

Which country is responsible for your asylum application?

The AM Regulation contains a number of criteria for determining which country is responsible for examining your application for asylum. The criteria are applied in the following order of priority:

The country where your closest family members are legally residing or have applied for international protection.
The country that has issued you with a residence permit or a visa.
The country where you have obtained a diploma or acquired other similar qualifications.
The country that you entered as a visa-exempt traveller, or the country where you apply for asylum if you are also visa-exempt there.
The first country that you entered irregularly.
The country where you first applied for asylum.

How is the Regulation applied in practice?

After your application for asylum has been registered by the police, you may be invited to attend the first interview (AM interview) with the Danish Immigration Service. The Danish Immigration Service will prepare a written record of the interview.

During the interview, the Danish Immigration Service will collect information, including information about your travel route, in order to assess which country is responsible for examining your application for asylum.

The assessment of which country is responsible for examining your application for asylum is made on the basis of Danish legislation, interpreted in accordance with the rules of the AM Regulation. You cannot therefore choose which country will examine your application for asylum. If the Danish Immigration Service assesses that another EU Member State, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein is responsible for your asylum application, that country will normally be requested to take responsibility for the application. If that country accepts responsibility, you will be transferred there and your asylum application will be examined there.

If it is established that you have already applied for asylum in another EU Member State, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you will be returned to that country.

Appeals

If the Danish Immigration Service makes a decision to transfer you to another country, you may appeal the decision to the Refugee Appeals Board. You may also be represented free of charge by the Danish Refugee Council during the appeal proceedings.

You have 7 days to appeal the Danish Immigration Service’s decision after receiving the decision. The Danish Immigration Service must receive the appeal within the 7-day period. If you submit your appeal after the deadline has expired, the appeal will be rejected.

Information material

You can read more about your rights and obligations under the AM Regulation in the information material provided by the Danish authorities to asylum seekers and others.