Normally, you must pass the test in Danish at the A1 level, or a different test in Danish at an equivalent or higher level, within 6 months of being registered in the Central Registration System.

The 6-month deadline applies from the day your are granted residence permit as a spouse in case you are already a legal resident of Denmark on other grounds.

Normally, you must pass the test in Danish at the A2 levelor a different test in Danish at an equivalent or higher level, within 9 months of being registered in the Central Registration System.

The 9-month deadline applies from the day your are granted residence permit as a spouse in case you are already a legal resident of Denmark on other grounds.

However, if you have applied for family reunification of spouses before 1 July 2018, you must pass the test in Danish at the A2 level within 15 months.

If you take the language tests in Danish at the A1 level or A2 level before the 6- or 9-month deadline, but you fail to pass, you will be granted an additional 3 months to pass the tests.

Your specific deadline to pass the language tests by will be stated in the letter you will receive from the Immigration Service when you are granted a residence permit.

If you do not pass the language tests in Danish at the A1 level or A2 level within the deadlines, you may lose your residence permit. 

This, however, does not apply for the requirement of a passed test in Danish at the A2 level, if you applied for family reunification of spouses before 1 July 2018. If that is the case, a passed Danish language test at the A2 level is not a requirement for your continuous permit to stay in Denmark, but a passed Danish language test at the A2 level provides for the possibility of having the amount of collateral reduced. 

Postponement of deadlines

The deadlines for passing the language test in Danish at A1 level or A2 level can be postponed if you can document, that you are prevented from submitting to the test due to one of the following reasons:

  • Maternity
  • Illness of you or your minor child
  • Extraordinary unsuspected transportation difficulties

If you are prevented from submitting to the language test i Danish at the A1 level or A2 level within the deadlines, you must contact the Immigration Service as soon as possible and provide documentation as to why you are prevented.

The deadline for submission of the test runs until the Immigration Service receive your request for getting the deadline postponed.

The Immigration Service will assess whether your deadline to pass a language test in Danish at A1 level or A2 level may be postponed on the basis of your submitted documentation. Until the Immigration Service has assessed whether your deadline to pass a language test in Danish at A1 level or A2 level may be postponed, you must comply with the first announced deadline.

Read more about Test in Danish for family reunified spouses