Retired employee of an international organisation

You would like to apply for a residence permit after retiring from a position in Denmark with international organisation or the like. You are over 60 years old and have lived in Denmark for more than 12 years.

The fee is
DKK 3,565,-

The expected maximum processing time is
7 months

What do you want to print?

Who can be granted a residence permit?

Special rules for residency apply if you as a foreigner held a position in Denmark with an international organisation, EU institution or the like. In order to qualify, you need to have a residence permit under the terms of Aliens Act section 47 (1). That is granted by the Danish Foreign Ministry.

You need to meet a number of requirements in order to qualify for a residence permit as a retired employee of an international organisation. Read more below.

What do you want to print?

What are the requirements?

In order to qualify for a residence permit as a retired employee of an international organisation or the like, you need to meet certain requirements.

You need to be over 60 years old. In addition, you need to have reached the pensionable age established by the organisation you work for. Read more below.

You can submit your application 6 months prior to turning 60.

You cannot be granted an exemption from this requirement.

You need to have retired after having reached the pensionable age established by the organisation you work for. Please be aware that the pensionable age established by an individual international organisation may differ from the pensionable age in Denmark. Your employer can tell you what the pensionable age is at your organisation.

You cannot be granted an exemption from this requirement.

Once you retire, you may only perform work that is unpaid and voluntary. If you are granted a residence permit as a retired employee of an international organisation and perform paid work, your residence permit can be revoked.

You cannot be granted an exemption from this requirement. 

You must have held a legal, uninterrupted residence in Denmark for the past 12 years. During this entire period, you need to have held a residence permit issued under the terms of Aliens Act section 47 (1).

If you have lived in your home country for an extended period, it is considered an interruption of your residence in Denmark. This means that the period you resided in Denmark prior to the interruption cannot be included in the 12-year requirement.

Short stays in your home country, for the purpose of holiday or work, is not considered an interruption of your residence in Denmark.

You cannot be granted an exemption from the requirement about 12 years legal stay. 

During your residence, you need to have formed an attachment to Denmark beyond your employment. This includes things like establishing familial ties or making friends in Denmark. You may meet this requirement if you have children who attend or have attended Danish schools.

You cannot be granted an exemption from the requirement about attachment to Denmark. 

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 posting 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 passed Prøve i Dansk 1 or another Danish test of an equivalent or higher level. See the full list of tests that meet this requirement

You cannot be granted an exemption from the requirement about passing a Danish test.

What do you want to print?

Which type of residence permit will you be granted?

If your application is approved, you will be granted a temporary residence permit, valid for up to two years. If you still meet the requirements for residency, your residence permit can be extended. Read more about extending residence permits 

When you hold a residence permit as a retired employee of an international organisation, you can qualify for a permanent residence permit after five years, if you meet certain requirements. Read more about permanent residence as a retired employee of an international organisation

If you are granted residence permit as a retired employee of an international organisation, you may not work. You may perform unpaid, voluntary work. If you perform paid work, your residence permit can be revoked.

What do you want to print?

Does your family also qualify for residence permit?

If you are granted residence permit as a retired employee of an international organisation, your spouse/partner as well as any children under the age of 18 living with you at home can also apply for residency. Read more about accompanying family. 

What do you want to print?

The information below explains how to apply for a residence permit as a retired employee of an international organisation.

We recommend that you make sure you know the requirements for obtaining a residence permit before paying the application fee. Read more about the requirements in the ‘Need to know’ tab.

You will need to include various forms of documentation when submitting your application. It is a good idea to gather the documentation before you start. Your application can be rejected if you do not submit all required documentation. 

You may need:

Set aside

20 to 30 minutes

to fill in the application form.

1 person

You, who are applying for a residence permit, need to fill in the application form.

The application form includes detailed instructions for how to fill it in and which types of documentation you need to enclose.

You can fill in the application form in Word format on your computer before printing it out. The application form is also available as a PDF file that can be printed out and filled in by hand.

 

Download form IP1 for print:

Download form IP1 (Word)

Download form IP1 (pdf)

When you submit an application to the Immigration Service, we will process your personal information. You can read more about your rights and how we process your information in the application form or on this page: Personal data – How we process your data

When processing your case, we may seek to verify the accuracy of the information you have given. Read more about verification at the Danish Immigration Service

Your application can normally only be submitted in Denmark, if you hold a residence permit issued by the Danish Foreign Ministry under the terms of Aliens Act section 47 (1). For this reason, you normally need to apply before your current residence permit expires. You can submit your application to the Immigration Service's Citizen Service.

You must book an appointment before you show up at the Citizen Service. Read more about where the Immigration Service’s Citizen Service has branch offices and how you book an appointment

You can also send your application to the Immigration Service.

Your application can be rejected if it is obvious that you do not meet the requirements. Among the reasons for rejecting an application is if you’re 50 years old when you apply.

 

When you submit your application, you will normally need to provide us with your fingerprints and a picture of your face (biometric features) within 4 weeks. Your biometric features are required in order for you to get a new residence card.

You can have your biometric features recorded at the Immigration Service’s Citizen Service. You must book an appointment before you show up at the Citizen Service. Read more about where the Immigration Service’s Citizen Service has branch offices and how you book an appointment

Read more about residence cards with fingerprints and facial pictures

What do you want to print?

Responsible Agency

Contact us
Send link

Last updated 06-02-2024 - Published by: The Danish Immigration Service

Also of interest to you