Apply for a short term visa to private visits and tourist visits

You want to apply for a short term visa because you are going for a private visit or tourist visit in Denmark for up to 90 days.

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Who needs a visa?

If you wish to visit Denmark for a short period of time and you are a citizen of a country with a visa requirement, you must have a visa.

See list of countries with a visa requirement

Special regulations apply to certain groups of people:

  • Denmark has made visa-facilitation agreements with a number of countries: Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Moldova and Armenia. Denmark has also concluded a bilateral visa-facilitation agreement with Russia. However, this agreement is fully suspended from 16 September 2022. Read more about the visa-facilitation agreements
  • Turkish citizens who are to perform a service in Denmark do not need a visa. Read more about visa exemption for certain Turkish citizens
  • People holding certain types of residence permits in another Schengen country do not need a visa. Read more about residence permits issued by another Schengen country
  • People holding certain types of residence permits issued by Cyprus are permitted to travel through Denmark to Cyprus but may not stop over without reason. The journey through Denmark may last no longer than five days.
  • People holding a residence card issued under the EU regulations on free movement issued by a Schengen country do not need a visa. People holding an EU residence card issued by an EU country that is not a Schengen country, can enter Denmark without a visa only if they are accompanied by, or will join, an EU citizen. This applies to both residence cards issued in accordance with Directive 2004/38/EC and residence cards issued before this directive took effect. Residence cards are in the form of a plastic card the size of a credit card or a residence sticker placed in the passport.
  • Family members of an EU/EEA citizen or Swiss citizen who is exercising his/her right to free movement in Denmark, as well as family members of a Danish citizen who is exercising or who has exercised his/her right to free movement to relocate to another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, have the right to have a visa application processed in accordance with EU regulations. Read more about visas issued under EU regulations

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Who can be granted a visa to private visits and tourist visits?

You can normally get a visa if the authorities assess that you undoubtedly intend to return home before your visa expires and that you will also comply with the conditions for your visa. This applies regardless of which country with a visa requirement you come from.

However, if the authorities assess that there is doubt as to whether you will travel home or leave the Schengen countries before your visa expires, or whether you will otherwise comply with the conditions for your visa, the authorities will investigate your case further. When the authorities then decide whether you can get a visa, the authorities will emphasize which of the 5 main groups of countries with a visa requirement, you belong to.

Countries whose citizens must hold visas in order to enter Denmark are divided into five main groups.
Different guideline requirements for obtaining a visa apply to each group.

Different countries are grouped based on the overall risk of a citizen remaining within the Schengen countries after the individual’s visa expires.

The division of countries into 5 main groups serves only as a rough guideline. All applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For instance, it will be taken into consideration whether you have previously been issued a Schengen visa and you have complied with the terms of the visa. Other special situations that may be considered include: whether you are seeking to visit an individual suffering from a terminal illness, or if the purpose of the trip is to attend the funeral of a close friend or relative.

Regardless of which group of countries you belong to, the immigration authorities will refuse a visa if there is a risk that you:

  • will seek to reside in Denmark or another Schengen country permanently or for an extended period, or
  • pose a security risk.

Decisions on visas are made in accordance with the rules of the EU Visa Code and the rules in the Visa Executive Order and the Visa Guideline.

Read Executive Order on aliens’ access to Denmark on the basis of a visa 

Read also Guideline for processing an application for a Danish visa
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Main group 1

 

Angola, Bahrain, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Cambodja, Comoros, Dominican Republic, Dem. People's Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Cape Verde Islands, China, Laos, Lesotho, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Sao Tomé & Principe, Saudi Arabia, Suriname, South Africa, Tajikistan, Taiwan i, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea.

Notes

i Holders of passports issued by Taiwan which include an identity card number are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark. The same applies to holders of passports on which the words ”Republic of China” are stated on the face, and where the place of birth is stated as Taiwan, provided that the passport contains an identity card number.

Main group 2

Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovinaii, Burkina Faso, Congo (Brazzaville), Cuba, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Moldovaiv, Mongolia, Montenegrov, Nepal, Niger, North Macedoniaiii, Serbiavi, Chad, Thailand, Togo, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Notes

ii Holders of biometric passports issued by Bosnia and Herzegovina are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
iii Holders of biometric passports issued by North Macedonia are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
iv Holders of biometric passports issued by Moldova are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
v Holders of biometric passports issued by Montenegro are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
vi Holders of biometric passports issued by Serbia are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark. However, the exemption from the visa requirement does not apply to holders of passports issued by the coordinating directorate (“Koordinaciona uprava”).
Main Group 3   

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Philippines, Georgiavii, Ghana, Belarus, India, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Morocco, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraineviii, Vietnam.

Notes

vii Holders of biometric passports issued by Georgia are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
viiiHolders of biometric passports issued by Ukraine are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.

Main Group 4

Algeria, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Iran, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, stateless Palestiniansix, Senegal, Sudan, South Sudan, Tunisia, Vanuatux, Yemen.

Notes                    

ix Other stateless persons than stateless Palestinians are considered in relation to the country where they reside.
x Holders of ordinary passports issued by the Republic of Vanuatu before 25 May 2015 are exempt from visa requirement when entering Denmark.

Main Group 5

Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Syria.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Group 1 includes countries whose citizens present a very limited risk of illegal immigration to Denmark or another Schengen country.

The following countries are currently in Group 1:

Angola, Bahrain, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Cambodja, Comoros, Dominican Republic, Dem. People's Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Cape Verde Islands, China, Laos, Lesotho, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Sao Tomé & Principe, Saudi Arabia, Suriname, South Africa, Tajikistan, Taiwan i, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea.

 i Holders of passports issued by Taiwan which include an identity card number are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark. The same applies to holders of passports on which the words ”Republic of China” are stated on the face, and where the place of birth is stated as Taiwan, provided that the passport contains an identity card number

As a citizen of a country in Group 1, you are as a starting point eligible for visas for purely tourist-related visits even if the visits will not be hosted by anyone in Denmark.
However, your visa application will be turned down if the immigration authorities have reason to believe that you may seek permanent or long-term residency in Denmark or another Schengen country. This would be the case if you express intentions of not leaving after your visa expires or if you previously have shown a behaviour that indicates that you might want to stay longer in Denmark than on a short term.

This would also be the case if you previously have violated the rules for a visa or a residence permit, or if there is reason to believe that former guests of your host have violated the terms of a visa.

Group 2 includes countries whose citizens present some risk of illegal immigration to Denmark or another Schengen country.

The following countries are currently in Group 2:

Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovinaii, Burkina Faso, Congo (Brazzaville), Cuba, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Moldovaiv, Mongolia, Montenegrov, Nepal, Niger, North Macedoniaiii, Serbiavi, Chad, Thailand, Togo, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

ii Holders of biometric passports issued by Bosnia and Herzegovina are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
iii Holders of biometric passports issued by North Macedonia are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
iv Holders of biometric passports issued by Moldova are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
v Holders of biometric passports issued by Montenegro are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.
vi Holders of biometric passports issued by Serbia are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark. However, the exemption from the visa requirement does not apply to holders of passports issued by the coordinating directorate (“Koordinaciona uprava”).

As a citizen of a country in group 2, you can as a starting point be issued a visa, regardless of the nature of the relationship with your host. Your visit must be hosted by someone in Denmark, but there is no particular form of relationship that is required in order to be a host. Spouses, cohabiting partners and boy/girlfriends as well as minor children of Danish citizens who live abroad also qualify for visas.

If you are someone other than the spouse, cohabiting partner, a child under the age of 18 or a parent of a person living in Denmark, your application will be refused if we assess that your attachment to the home country is not of such a strength that it is likely that you will return home after your visa expires. In such cases, we will take into account what type of residence permit you would be able to apply for.

If the types of residence permit you could qualify for do not require a penalty period (such as family reunification), a visa can be granted, even if we assess that there is a risk that you will apply for long-term residence while in Denmark.

Your application will be refused, no matter what relationship you have with the host, if we assess that there is a high risk that you take permanent or long-term residence in Denmark or in another Schengen country.

This would be the case if you express intentions of not leaving after your visa expires or if you previously have shown a behaviour that indicates that you might want to stay longer in Denmark than on a short term, or if there is reason to believe that one of your host’s previous guests violated the terms of a visa.

Group 3 includes countries whose citizens present a significant risk of illegal immigration to Denmark or another Schengen country.

The following countries are currently in Group 3:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Philippines, Georgiavii, Ghana, Belarus, India, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Morocco, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraineviii, Vietnam.

vii Holders of biometric passports issued by Georgia are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.

viii Holders of biometric passports issued by Ukraine are exempt from the visa requirement when entering Denmark.

As a citizen of one of the countries in Group 3, you must as a starting point have a certain relationship with your host.

Visa will normally be granted to:

  • Spouses
  • Cohabiting partners or boy/girlfriends
  • Children (regardless of age) and their accompanying spouse
  • Parents and their accompanying spouse
  • Siblings and their accompanying spouse.

Visas can also be granted to:

  • Nieces, nephews and grandchildren under the age of 18 seeking to travel to Denmark on holiday unaccompanied by an adult
  • Close acquaintances of a Danish citizen who previously worked abroad for a Danish company
  • Sponsor children under the age of 18
  • Individuals accompanying an elderly weak family member.

Spouses, cohabiting partners and boy/girlfriends as well as underage children of Danish citizens who live abroad also qualify for visas.

In order for a boy/girlfriend to qualify for a visa, the applicant and the individual living in Denmark must prove that they have had and still have a long-term relationship. This involves: proving that both host and applicant are unmarried or divorced, that they have met in person and have been together within the past year. If the relationship only involves telephone, written or online communication, a visa will not be granted.

Moreover, visa will not be granted to a boy/girlfriend if you, as an applicant, and/or your host are registered as married to another person, since the relationship between you and the host cannot be regarded as documented. However, you can get a visa if it is documented that the marriage has ended by a final divorce.

If you are someone other than the spouse, cohabiting partner, a child under the age of 18 or a parent of a person living in Denmark, your application will be refused if we assess that your attachment to the home country is not of such a strength that it is likely that you will return home after your visa expires. In such cases, we will take into account what type of residence permit you would be able to apply for.

If the types of residence permit you could qualify for do not require a penalty period (such as family reunification), a visa can be granted, even if we assess that there is a risk that you will apply for long-term residence while in Denmark.

Your application will be refused, no matter your relationship to the host, if we assess that there is a high risk that you take permanent or long-term residence in Denmark or in another Schengen country.

This would be the case if you express intentions of not leaving after your visa expires or if you previously have shown a behaviour that indicates that you might want to stay longer in Denmark than on a short term, or if there is reason to believe that one of your host’s previous guests violated the terms of a visa.

 

Group 4 includes countries whose citizens present a high risk of illegal immigration to Denmark or another Schengen country.

The following countries are currently in Group 4:

Algeria, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Iran, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, stateless Palestiniansix, Senegal, Sudan, South Sudan, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Yemen.

ix Other stateless persons than stateless Palestinians are considered in relation to the country where they reside.

As a citizens of a country in Group 4 you can as a starting point be issued a visa if you are the spouse, cohabiting partner, minor child or a parent of an individual living in Denmark. You will be considered to be a ‘cohabiting partner’ if it can be documented that you have lived together for at least 18 months.

Your application will be refused, if we find likely that you will take permanent or long-term residence in Denmark or in another Schengen country.

This would be the case if you express intentions of not leaving after your visa expires or if you previously have shown a behaviour that indicates that you might want to stay longer in Denmark than on a short term, or if there is reason to believe that one of your host’s previous guests violated the terms of a visa.

If you are a parent applying for a visa to visit your children living in Denmark, your application will usually be refused if the immigration authorities assess that your attachment to your home country or country of residence is not of such a strength that we can assume with sufficient certainty that you will return home after the visa stay.

Special visa rules currently apply to Gambian nationals. Read more about the temporary visa rules for Gambian nationals

Special visa rules currently apply to Ethiopian nationals. Read more about the temporary visa rules for Ethiopian nationals

Group 5 includes countries whose citizens present a particularly high risk of illegal immigration to Denmark or another Schengen country, and countries that individuals cannot easily be repatriated to.

The following countries are currently in Group 5:

Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Syria.

As a citizen of a country in Group 5, you are subject to a number of restrictions and as a starting point you only qualify for visas if there are extenuating circumstances, such as the death or terminal illness of a family member living in Denmark.

In certain instances, a visa can be granted if you as a citizen of a country in Group 5 are seeking to visit a spouse or cohabiting partner in Denmark and you previously have applied for family reunification with that person and the application was refused due to the fact that you have never been in Denmark (visitation requirement). In order to qualify for family reunification, all the other requirements for family reunification must be met. A financial guarantee would only need to be paid in the event of a new application for family reunification. 

 

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Travel agency and tourist arrangements

Denmark has for a number of years had special travel agency and tourist arrangements for tourists from China, Ukraine and India. The so-called ADS arrangement in China is only applicable to tourist groups. The extended travel agency arrangement in China does also include tourists travelling alone.    

These arrangements make it easier for citizens of those countries to visit Denmark as tourists.

The visa applicants must still meet the general requirements in order to get a short term visa.

Read more about travel agency and tourist arrangements

 

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What are the conditions?

You must normally meet the following basic conditions in order to be granted a visa:

  • Your passport or other form of valid travel document must be valid for three months past the visa expiration date.
  • Your passport or travel document must have been issued within the past 10 years.
  • You must have the necessary means to pay for your stay and return trip. What will be considered as necessary funds will be determined by the Danish diplomatic mission and depends on the length of your stay, and whether you will stay at a hotel or with friends or family. As a general rule, you must have at your disposal approx. DKK 350 per day. If you are staying at a hotel, the amount must be greater, approx. DKK 500 per day.
  • You must hold a travel insurance policy to cover possible expenses in connection with a return for health reasons or death, indispensable medical treatment or acute hospitalisation during your stay. The insurance policy must cover all Schengen countries, and the minimum policy coverage is € 30,000. The insurance policy must be valid for the same period as the visa. The validity of the visa may be shortened if the insurance policy does not cover the entire period.
  • You may not be registered as an undesirable in the Schengen Information System (SIS II).
  • You may not have been deported from Denmark and given an entry ban.
  • You may not be listed on UN or EU sanction lists.
  • You may not be listed on the national sanction list of religious preachers with entry ban.

These conditions apply at the time your visa is issued, as well as when you enter and stay in the Schengen region. It is therefore important that you are able to document at all times that you have the necessary funds to pay for your stay and return trip, and that you hold a valid travel insurance policy. If you do not meet these conditions, your visa can be confiscated and revoked, in which case you will be required to leave the Schengen region immediately.

If the Immigration Service suspects that you intend to seek permanent or long-term residency in Denmark, or that you may pose a threat to national security or public safety, your visa application will be refused.

 

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Qualifying as a host - group 2, 3, 4 and 5

If you are a citizen of a country places in group 2, 3, 4 or 5, you can normally only be granted a visa, if you have a host in Denmark. The host in Denmark must meet certain requirements:

  • The host must confirm that your visit is expected. The Danish Immigration Service recommends using invitation form VU2, but this it is not a requirement. Read more about invitation of a visa applicant
  • The host must have a permanent place to live in Denmark. This requirement can be waived in certain cases, such as if you are a spouse, a cohabiting partner, a boyfriend or girlfriend or minor child of a Danish national who has settled down permanently abroad and if the Danish national wishes to spend a vacation in Denmark with his immediate family.
  • The host must normally be either a citizen or resident of Denmark. If the host holds an expired residence permit, but has applied for renewal, the Danish Immigration Service will make a decision based on the specific details of the situation. One of the Danish Immigration Service’s considerations will be whether the host will be permitted to apply for permanent residence at some point.

 

 

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How long is a visa valid?

A visa allows you to stay a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period in Denmark and is normally valid for the entire Schengen region.

If you wish to stay in Denmark for longer than 90 days, for example, because you are married to a person living in Denmark, you can apply for family reunification instead of a visa. Read more about the duration of the visa stay

If you remain in Denmark after your visa expires or if you attempt to use your visa stay to obtain permanent or long-term residency in Denmark, you can be given a penalty period of 3 or 5 years.  In the penalty period you will generally not be able to get a visa to visit Denmark. Read more about misuse of a visa

Multiple-entry and long-term visas

If you need to travel to Denmark and the other Schengen countries on a regular basis you can apply for a long-term visa that is valid for multiple entries. 
Read more about multiple-entry and long-term visas

 

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What does a visa entitle you to?

A visa normally grants you the right to stay in the entire Schengen region. The Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

A visa does not allow you to work

A visa does not allow you to work in Denmark unless the Immigration Service has explicitly granted you this right.

However, during visits of less than 90 days you may carry out certain work-related activities without holding a work permit. Read more about visa and work permit

 

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The information below explains what you and your host (only private visits) need to do when applying for a visa.

Read more about the conditions for a visa in the ’Need to know’ tab.

The Immigration Service recommends that the host of your visa visit fills in an invitation form provided by us as a paper or online form, but it is not a requirement.

If you submit your application at another country's diplomatic mission with which Denmark has representation agreements, the online invitation form can only be used to a limited extent.

Read more about invitation to a visa visit 
 

It is a good idea to gather the documentation before you start. 

You may need:

The diplomatic mission may request further documentation, multiple passport photos or copies of the application. Therefore, you should check the mission’s website, to find out which documentation is required when submitting a visa application.

The Immigration Service recommends that you do not buy a plane ticket before receiving your visa. However, local agreements between Schengen countries representations may imply that you must have bought a plane ticket.

 

You must appear in person and submit your visa application.

You can submit your application in your country of residence. However, You can submit it in another country if you are there legally and there is a valid reason for not submitting the application in your country of residence.

See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of Danish diplomatic missions or outsourcing offices where you can hand in your application

If there is no Danish mission or outsourcing offices in the country where you live, the list refers to missions Denmark shares a representation agreement with, e.g. Norway or Sweden. If there is no representation agreement, the list refers to the nearest Danish mission or outsourcing office in the region.

The Immigration Service refers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ webpage for more information about how a visa application should be submitted and about payment of the visa application.

Apply for a short term visa at um.dk

When you submit an application your personal data will be processed. Read more about how we process your data and about your rights

Applications submitted at another country's diplomatic mission

When you submit your application to a foreign diplomatic mission processing visas for Denmark, the mission will determine whether a visa can be granted in accordance with the country’s own visa regulations.

Foreign diplomatic missions with which Denmark has representation agreements, can refuse the application without prior consulting with The Danish Immigration Service. These applications are processed in accordance with the respective country regulations. Should you wish to appeal such a decision, the appeal should be filed with these countries’ authorities duly authorized to process the appeal. Thus, The Danish Immigration Service, The Immigration Appeals Board, and The Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration are not involved in the outcome of these appeals.

Should you wish to have your visa application processed and decided by a Danish authority, the application must be submitted to a Danish diplomatic mission or outsourcing office processing visa applications. It is a prerequisite that the applicant is staying legally on a permanent or temporary basis in the country in which the application is submitted.

If the visa application is to be submitted to a foreign diplomatic mission, the online invitation forms can only be used to a limited extent. Though it may be possible for the host to use the online form, the foreign diplomatic missions cannot see the invitation in their case processing system as they do not have access to the Danish authorities' systems. Consequently, the host will have to download a pdf-version of the completed invitation on MyPage, print it, sign it by hand and finally send it to the applicant who can then hand it in to the diplomatic mission.

Stays in multiple Schengen countries

If you wish to visit multiple Schengen countries, you must submit your application at the diplomatic mission of the country in which you will be staying for most days, or in which the main purpose of your visit is.

This means that if the main purpose of your visit is in Denmark, or if you will be spending the most days in Denmark, then your visa application must be submitted at the nearest Danish diplomatic mission.

If, on the other hand, the main purpose of your visit is in another Schengen country, or if you will be spending the most days in another Schengen country, then your visa application must be submitted at that country's diplomatic mission.

If you wish to make several separate visits within a period of two months, you must also submit the application to the country's representation where you will be staying for most days or where the main purpose of your visit is.

If you plan to spend an equal number of days in several Schengen countries, then your visa application must be submitted at the diplomatic mission of the first country you plan to enter.

Normally you have to pay a fee in order to submit an application. The visa fee is normally 90 euro and for children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years 45 euro. Furthermore you have to pay a service fee to the outsourcing company (VAC).
 

When you submit your application, you will normally need to have your fingerprints recorded. 

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Last updated 02-07-2024 - Published by: The Danish Immigration Service

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