Lapsing permit – Persons in Denmark displaced from Ukraine
If you leave Denmark for an extended period, or if you no longer maintain a residence in Denmark, your residence permit can lapse. If your residence permit lapses, you lose your right to reside in Denmark.
Questions and answers
If you have received a residence permit under the law on temporary residence permits for displaced persons from Ukraine (the Special Act) it is a requirement that you have a residence in Denmark in the same way as with residence permits under the Alien’s Act.
When you have been granted a residence permit under the Special Act it can lapse in two different ways. It can happen if you either:
- no longer have a residence in Denmark, or
- stay outside Denmark for more than 6 months in a row.
If you as an Ukrainian citizen have stayed in Ukraine for more than 6 months with a well-founded purpose your residence permit will however not lapse.
The Immigration Service assess what is considered as a well-founded purpose. It can for example be the case if you:
- serve in the Ukrainian military,
- do relief work or other humanitarian work, or
- help family or other close relatives out of Ukraine.
The exemption due to a well-founded purposedo not apply if you have given up your residence in Denmark.
What does it mean to ’give up your residence in Denmark’?
According to the Immigration Service’ practice you are considered to have given up your residence, when you with your own actions have indicated so. It can for example be the case if you:
- move abroad, or
- get rid of your residence and belongings and leave Denmark.
It will however always be assessed based on all the information in the case whether the residence is considered as given up.
If your residence permit under the Special Act has lapsed you can submit a new application for residence permit under the Special Act. Read more about how to apply for residence permit under the Special Act
If you believe that your residence permit should not have lapsed because you had a well-founded purpose with your travel to Ukraine, or because you mean, that you have not given up your residence in Denmark, you can apply for your residence permit not to be considered as lapsed. You can do this further down this page.
The Immigration Service will afterwards decide whether your residence permit should not lapse anyhow.
If you return to Denmark and you do not have a place to reside while the Immigration Service processes your case, you can be housed at an asylum center by meeting up in person at Centre Sandholm.
If you want to stay outside Denmark for more than 6 months but do not wish to give up your residence and lose your residence permit in Denmark, you can apply for a for dispensation from lapsing before you leave Denmark. You can do this further down this page.
You can get a dispensation if you are a Ukrainian citizen and you have a well-founded purpose with your stay abroad.
How to apply
Fill in application
You can use the BF2-3/US application form if you want to apply for your residence permit to remain valid, even though you:
- have stayed outside Denmark for an extended period
- no longer maintain an address in Denmark or
- are otherwise not included in the Civil Registration System (CPR)
If you are outside Denmark and wish to apply for your residence permit not to be considered as lapsed, you must submit your application before returning to Denmark.
The application form includes detailed instructions for how to fill it in and which types of documentation you need to enclose. The form is available in Danish and English.
If you want to resume filling in an application form online select ‘Start online application’. Once you are logged in, select ‘Continue a previously saved application’.
If you would like to make changes to an application after you have submitted it, you need to contact the Immigration Service. You do not need to submit a new application. Contact the Immigration Service
Start BF2-3/US online application
We encourage you to use the digital application form. It adapts according to your answers and is automatically sent to the Immigration Service, when you have submitted it.
You can also print out and submit the application form. 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.
If you are over the age of 18 or a child applying together with a child you can use the application form BF2.
Download a printable version of BF2 in Word format
Download a printable version of BF2 in pdf format
If you are a minor child not applying together with an adult, you can use the application form BF3.
Download a printable version of BF3 in Word format
Download a printable version of BF3 in pdf format
Attach documentation
You must attach:
- Copy of your passport (all pages)
- Documentation that your stay abroad has had a well-founded purpose. This can for example be an employment contract, confirmation from an employer or education place, posting contract or documentation for illness and the need for nursing.
- Documentation of the unforeseen event that prevented you from returning to Denmark, such as a doctor’s statement (if applicable).
Submit application - only paper-based forms
You can submit your application to the Immigration Service by sending it. You can send it via our contact form or by regular mail. See our contact information
If you are outside of Denmark, you can submit your application at a Danish mission (embassy or consulate), or an outsourcing office in the country where you live.
See the list of Danish 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 recommends that you visit the website of the Danish mission before you submit your application. Individual offices might have additional requirements, such as extra passport photos or copies of your application.
Fill in application
You must use the BF1/US online application if you want to apply for your residence permit to remain valid, even though you intend to leave Denmark for an extended period.
Start BF1/US online application
You need MitID when filling in the application form. Read more about MitID
Attach documentation
You must attach:
- Copy of your passport (all pages)
- Documentation of the reason for your stay abroad, such as an employment contract, statement from your employer, statement from an educational institution, foreign posting contract or documentation for illness and the need for nursing.
If you are in Denmark, the Immigration Service will send the ruling digitally to your Danish digital postbox or to your attorney if applicable.
If you are outside Denmark, the Immigration Service will send the ruling to your Danish digital postbox or to the diplomatic mission where you submitted your application.
The diplomatic mission will then either send the ruling to you or ask you to pick it up in person. If the Immigration Service has decided that your residence permit has lapsed, you can normally not return to Denmark but will have to apply for a new residence permit.