Apply for residence permit as accompanying family of a retired employee of an international organisation

Legally valid marriage

If you are married, your marriage needs to be legal under Danish law. In order for your marriage to be declared valid in Denmark, it needs to have been valid in the country where it took place. A marriage can’t be declared valid in Denmark if it violates Danish laws.

This means that:

• Both you and your spouse need to have been present during the wedding ceremony
• Neither you nor your spouse can have been represented by someone else during the wedding ceremony
• You and your spouse need to have been over 18 at the time of the wedding

Permanent cohabitation

The Immigration Service defines ‘permanent cohabitation’ as living together at the same address for a minimum of 18 months. Read more about documenting whether you and your partner have been permanent cohabitants

You cannot be granted an exemption from the requirement about having a legally valid marriage or being cohabiting partners.

A marriage or relationship that has the primary goal of qualifying you for a residence permit will be considered a ‘marriage of convenience’. The Immigration Service will look at all aspects of your application to determine whether your marriage/relationship is a marriage of convenience, or whether it qualifies you for a residence permit.

Examples of the things the Immigration Service will look at when evaluating your marriage/relationship are:

• Whether you have lived together
• Whether you can communicate in the same language
• Whether there is a big age difference between you
• How well you knew each other before getting married or moving in with each other
• Your previous marriages
• Whether you have children together
• Whether the sponsor previously married a foreign national for family reunification, and then divorced the individual shortly after he/she was granted a permanent residence permit.

You cannot be granted an exemption from the requirement that your marriage or relationship is not of convenience.

The Immigration Service will not grant you a residence permit if it is doubtful that either you or your spouse/partner entered into your marriage/relationship voluntarily.

The Immigration Service looks at all aspects of your application when assessing this.

If you and your spouse/partner are closely related, the Immigration Service will most likely find that your marriage/relationship is not voluntary.

Examples of the things the Immigration Service will look at when evaluating your marriage/relationship are:

• The wedding and the contact you had with your spouse before you got married
• Your age
• How long you have been married
• How much contact you had with each other’s families before getting married
• Your finances, work history, educational history and other personal details
• Information about any contact that either of you have had with a crisis or counselling centre
• The Immigration Service may also consider the role your families had in the marriage. But just because your parents or your spouse’s parents were involved in arranging your marriage does not make it a forced marriage.

You cannot be granted an exemption from the requirement that your marriage or relationship must be voluntarily.

You need to have a residence permit granted by the Danish Foreign Ministry under the terms of Aliens Act section 47 (1) (ii) as the accompanying family of the sponsor. You cannot be granted an exemption from this requirement.
 

If you are granted a residence permit as an accompanying spouse or partner, you need to live together with the sponsor at the same address in Denmark. You cannot be granted an exemption from this requirement.

You need to have DKK 57,000 (2024 level) set aside to repay your municipality should it pay you social benefits.

The money can be posted as a demand guarantee (anfordringsgaranti) or placed in an escrow account (deponeringskonto). Read more about the financial guarantee. The procedure for posting collateral is the same as the procedure for posting collateral for a family-reunified spouse.

You cannot be granted an exemption from the requirement about posting collateral.

You need to have a residence permit issued by the Danish Foreign Ministry under the terms of Aliens Act section 47 (1) (ii) as an accompanying family member of the sponsor. You cannot be granted an exemption from this requirement.  

If you are granted a residence permit as an accompanying child, you need to live together with the sponsor at the same address in Denmark. You cannot be granted an exemption from this requirement.

The sponsor needs to have partial or full custody over you. You cannot be granted an exemption from this requirement.

If you are accompanying a spouse or partner, you will be granted a temporary residence permit, valid for 2 years or less. If you still meet the requirements for residency, your residence permit can be extended.

If you are an accompanying child you will be granted a temporary residence permit, typically until you turn 18. If the primary applicant has a temporary residence permit, your residence permit will expire when his/her residence permit expires. Read more about extension of residence permit

When you hold a temporary residence permit as an accompanying family member of someone who has retired from an international organisation, you can apply for permanent residence permit once you have held a temporary residence permit for 8 years, provided you meet certain requirements. In some cases, you can qualify after 4 years. Read more about applying for a permanent residence permit