Accompanying family members to students, PhDs and persons having or applying for a residence permit to obtain a Danish authorisation

You are an accompanying family member to a person who is going to study in Denmark in a higher educational programme or for a PhD, or a person who has been granted or is applying for a residence permit in order to obtain an authorisation in Denmark. 

Normal processing time
2 months

Due to the current large amount of cases, the processing time can take up to
3 months

Processing fee
DKK 2,880,-

What do you want to print?

What does it mean to be an accompanying family member?

You can be granted a residence permit as an accompanying family member if you are the

  • spouse
  • civil partner
  • cohabiting partner or
  • child under the age of 18

of a person (also called 'sponsor') from a country outside the EU/EEA who will be or is already residing in Denmark in order to study or obtain a Danish authorisation.

If you are a family member to a person with a Danish greencard, there is a specific page with guidance for you:

Read more about accompanying family to Greencard holders

You can apply for a residence permit as an accompanying family member at the same time as your sponsor applies for a residence permit in Denmark.

If the sponsor has a permanent residence permit or a Danish citizenship, there are specific pages with guidance for you

Special rules apply to persons born stateless in Denmark who apply for Danish citizenship.

Your options for becoming a Danish citizen as a stateless person born in Denmark depend on whether you are under 18, between 18 and 21 or over 21.

Read more about citizenship for stateless persons born in Denmark

What do you want to print?

What are the conditions?

In order to be granted a residence permit as an accompanying family member, you must meet a number of conditions.

Read here about which conditions apply to you.

Your marriage must be recognised under Danish law. This means that the marriage can be recognised if the marriage is legal in the country where it took place and that:  

  • you were both physically present at the wedding
  • you had both turned 18 years old at the time of the wedding
  • the marriage is not a marriage of convenience
  • the marriage does not violate fundamental legal principles.

If you are not married or if the marriage cannot be recognised under Danish law, we will instead assess if you can be considered as cohabiting partners.

A registered partnership can be recognised in Denmark if the partnership is equivalent to a marriage under Danish law. This means that the registered partnership must be legal in the country where the registration took place and that:

  • you were both physically present at the registration
  • you had both turned 18 years old at the time of the registration
  • the registration is not a registration of convenience
  • the registration does not violate fundamental legal principles.

If we assess that your registered partnership cannot be recognised under Danish law, we will instead assess if you can be considered as cohabiting partners.

Cohabiting partners over the age of 18 are equivalent to spouses. Cohabiting partners are people that live together in a committed relationship of longer duration. You must have lived together with the sponsor for at least the last 1.5-2 years prior to the application date.

Your committed cohabitation can, for instance, be documented by:

  • registration papers showing joint tenancy or rental agreements
  • shared bank accounts
  • shared loans
  • shared insurances and bills
  • official letters/documents sent to you both at your shared address during that period of time.

You can be granted a residence permit as an accompanying child if you are under the age of 18. You must document your family relation to the sponsor. For instance, documentation can be:

  • a copy of birth certificate
  • a Certificate of Personal Data
  • adoption papers.

If your parents have joint custody and only one of your parents is to stay with you in Denmark, you must get consent from your other parent that you can travel to Denmark. If one of your parents has full custody, you must document this.

Download declaration of consent (PDF)

You must submit a copy of the data page from the other parent’s passport or a copy of another valid photo ID from the other parent in order to validate the consent.

As a rule, a consent is valid until it is withdrawn.

It is a condition that you reside at the same address in Denmark as the sponsor when you are granted a residence permit as an accompanying family member. 

This also applies to children over the age of 18. You must still reside at the same address as the sponsor even if you turn 18 years old after you are granted a residence permit as an accompanying family member in Denmark.

You must have a valid passport in order to be granted a residence permit in Denmark. This applies to everyone – even if you are a child. 

You can only be granted a residence permit until 3 months before the expiry date of your passport. 

If your passport has a shorter validity than the possible period of time you can be granted a residence permit, the residence permit will be shortened. This means that you will be granted a residence permit for a shorter amount of time due to the expiry date of your passport. If you renew your passport, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit – however, the earliest you can apply is 3 months before the expiration of your current residence permit.

Read more about passport requirements

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What are the requirements for financial support?

When you are an accompanying family member to a sponsor who is to study or obtain an authorisation in Denmark, you must document that the sponsor has sufficient funds to support you during your stay in Denmark. The documentation of financial support can, for instance, be the sponsor’s bank statement. 

The bank statement must include the following:

  • The sponsor’s full name
  • Date of the statement (maximum 30 days old at the time of application)
  • Currency
  • Balance
  • If you submit multiple statements, they must be dated on the same date

If the sponsor is a PhD student who is employed and paid by a university or a company, we do not require documentation of your financial support.

You are not allowed to receive any benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, e.g. social security benefits.

You can see a list of benefits that you are not allowed to receive

You must document that the sponsor has sufficient funds to support you and other family members, if any, during the period of time you are to stay in Denmark, however no longer than 12 months.

Documentation can be, for instance, the sponsor’s bank statement, scholarship, student loans or similar.

  • If you apply alone as an accompanying family member to the sponsor, the amount is DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per month you are to stay in Denmark. If, for instance, you are to live in Denmark for a year or more, you must document that the sponsor has DKK 81,840 (2024 level) to support you. 
  • If you are multiple family members simultaneously applying as accompanying family to the sponsor, you must document that the sponsor has DKK 6,820 (2024 level) (2024 level) per family member per month you are to stay in Denmark.

Read more about the requirements for financial support and the amount

If the sponsor holds or is applying for a residence and work permit in order to obtain a Danish authorisation, you must document that the sponsor has sufficient funds to support you during your stay in Denmark.

  • If you are a spouse/cohabiting partner/registered partner and apply together with the sponsor, the amount is DKK 78,636 (2024 level).
  • If you are a spouse/cohabiting partner/registered partner and apply together with the sponsor and one or more children, the amount is DKK 94,338 (2024 level).
  • If you are a child and apply together with the sponsor, the amount is DKK 78,630 (2024 level).

Read more about the requirements for financial support and the amount

What do you want to print?

What are my rights if I am granted a permit?

What are you allowed do with a Danish residence permit as an accompanying family member to a student or a person having or applying for a residence permit to obtain a Danish authorisation and what are you not allowed to do?

A residence permit allows you to stay in Denmark for the period of time your permit is valid.

In addition, a permit allows you to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days. The permit, however, does not allow you to work in other Schengen countries.

You must not give up your Danish address or stay abroad for longer than 6 successive months. A violation will result in the lapse of your permit. This means that you will lose your right to stay in Denmark.

If you need to stay abroad for a longer period of time, e.g. if you wish to take parental leave in your home country, you can apply for a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing.

Read more about lapse of permit

Read more and apply for a dispensation to prevent a permit from lapsing

Holding a permit as an accompanying family member to a student or to a person having or applying for a permit to obtain a Danish authorisation grants you the right to work in Denmark. Therefore, you do not need to apply for a separate work permit if you get a job.

You are also allowed to run your own business.

In addition you can follow an educational programme in an educational institution.

If you are under 18 years of age, special rules apply to how much you are allowed to work. You can read more about these rules on the website of the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet).

A Danish residence permit does not allow you to work in other Schengen countries.

You and your family must support yourselves during your stay. You are not allowed to receive benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act.

During your stay, if you or the sponsor receive such benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, your permit can be revoked – and you will lose the right to stay in Denmark. If you receive benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, the sponsor also risks losing their residence permit.

If you are unsure whether a benefit is disbursed under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, your local municipality can provide you with the information.

If an authority, e.g. a municipality, disburses benefits to foreign nationals, SIRI will be notified.

 See a list of benefits that you are not allowed to receive

With a residence permit in Denmark, you are entitled to free Danish lessons. However, you must have turned 18 years and have your Danish address registered in the Danish National Register.

If you have a residence permit in Denmark based on work, study, etc. you have to pay a deposit before you can start receiving lessons. Be aware that you can lose your deposit if you do not pass the different modules within a specific timeframe.

Your municipality of residence is obliged to offer you Danish lessons and refer you to a language centre. If you have not been offered Danish lessons within a month after registering your address in Denmark, you can contact your municipality.

You will (typically) be taught together with other foreign nationals who have arrived in Denmark recently.

If you are going to stay and possibly work in Denmark, there are a number of things to acquaint yourself with. Depending on your personal situation, you might need other important information and options.

The portal lifeindenmark.dk provides you with information, links and in many cases also options concerning the most important subjects such as:

  • MitID
  • The CPR register
  • Health card
  • Tax matters
  • Holiday entitlements
  • School and daycare
  • Housing
  • Danish lessons
  • Car registration and driver’s license  

What do you want to print?

How long can I stay in Denmark?

If you apply from abroad at the same time as the family member, who is in Denmark to study or to obtain a Danish authorisation (the sponsor), you can be granted a residence permit for 1 month before the sponsor starts studying.

This will give you time to settle in Denmark.

In the application form, the sponsor must declare that he or she can support him- or herself and the accompanying family during this period.

If you are already in Denmark when applying, you can stay in Denmark while your application is being processed.

You will normally be granted a permit valid for the same period as the family member who is in Denmark to study or to obtain a Danish authorisation (the sponsor).

If the sponsor’s permit is extended, and you want to stay in Denmark, you must apply for an extension of your residence permit.

It is very important that you apply for an extension before your permit expires. If you submit your application after your residence permit has expired, you risk having your application rejected and having to leave Denmark.

If you submit your application for an extension in time, you can stay in Denmark even though your permit expires.

If you are an accompanying child and you are granted your first residence permit before you turn 18 years old, you can extend your permit, even if you have turned 18 in the meantime, if you still reside at the same address as the sponsor.

What do you want to print?

What more do I need to know before I apply?

An application for a residence permit as an accompanying family member to a student or to a person, who has or is applying for a permit to obtain a Danish authorisation, is processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). If you are in Denmark when submitting the application, you must be here legally. More about legal submission here.

Before submitting your application, you must create a case order ID for your application and pay a fee to cover SIRI’s case processing expenses. You can do this on the “How to apply” tab to the right. Here you also find the relevant application form, MF1. 

Each accompanying family member must submit an individual application. For example, if a spouse and two children are applying for residence permits as accompanying family members, 3 case order IDs must be created, 3 fees must be paid and 3 application forms must be submitted.

You can be represented by a third party. It can be a family member, attorney or relocation agency. If you choose to be represented, you must give the third party representing you power of attorney to handle the application on your behalf. However, you do not have to give a power of attorney if you want to be represented by someone who has an employment authorisation, e.g. an attorney.

Please note that, as a rule, SIRI will refuse your application for a residence permit on new grounds, if the application is submitted prematurely in relation to the wished for start date for your stay in Denmark.

If you submit an application earlier than 6 months before your stay in Denmark will begin, you can expect a refusal to your application. If you have paid SIRI's case processing fee, you will not receive a refund of the fee.

You will not receive a refund of the fee paid if you renounce your application or the application for some reason is no longer relevant to you. Nor will you receive a refund in case your application is rejected.

SIRI will contact you or the sponsor in Denmark if we need further information to process your case.

What do you want to print?

Below you will find a step-by-step guide to submitting an application to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

It is important that you have carefully read the conditions for being granted a residence permit before you begin step 1. You can do this on the tab “Need to know” on the left.

It is a good idea to gather the necessary documents before you start to complete the application form. You can use the check list below.

If you submit documents not written in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish, you must also submit certified translations into Danish or English.

You must submit:

If you are a spouse or registered partner, you must also submit:

If you are a cohabiting partner, you must submit:

If you are a child, you must submit

Expect to use

60 minutes

completing the application

1 person

You complete the application form yourself.

In this step you have access to the relevant application form MF1.

Make sure that you have completed all the preceeding steps before you begin.

All our application forms contain careful instructions on how to complete the form and what kind of documents you must submit along with the form.

You can read more about how we process your personal data here.

Make sure you have all documents ready in digital form, in order to attach them as you complete the application form.

If you do not have a MitID, you must sign, scan and attach to the application the document 'Sworn declarations and information'.

You can download the document 'Sworn declarations and information' here (also available in the form)

You can download the form for the declaration of consent here (also available in the form)

 

Use the form MF1

 

Please note that it is mandatory to use this application form. Under special circumstances, you can be exempted from the requirement to use an online application form. You can read more here. 

Please note that it is mandatory to fill in your passport number in this application form. If you are not in possession of a valid passport, you can contact us for guidance. You can find our contact information here.

When you apply for a residence permit, you must have your biometric features recorded. This means that you must have a facial photo taken and your fingerprints recorded. The facial photo and your fingerprints will be stored on a microchip embedded in the residence card, which will be issued to you if you are granted a permit.

If you do not agree to have your biometric features recorded, your application will be rejected. This means that your application will not be processed.

Read more about biometrics here

You must have your biometric features recorded no later than 14 days after you submitted your application.

If you are unable to have your biometric features recorded within the time limit of 14 days, because you are unable to book an appointment at a Danish diplomatic mission, you can inform us of the appointed time you will have your biometrics recorded. This way you can avoid having your application rejected.

You are abroad

If you submit an printable application form, you can have your biometric features recorded at a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in the country, where you reside.

See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of diplomatic missions or application centres where you can have your biometric features recorded (opens in a new window)

In certain countries Denmark does not have a diplomatic mission or application centre. In these instances the list will refer you to one of the Norwegian missions with which Denmark has made an agreement or to the nearest Danish diplomatic mission or application centre in the region.

If you submit your application to a Norwegian diplomatic mission, you must also submit one passport photo. If you are granted a residence permit based on your application, you must within a specific time frame after you entry to Denmark have your biometric features recorded.

We recommend that you visit the local diplomatic mission’s webpage to get more information before you submit the application. The individual diplomatic mission can have additional requirements regarding payment of additional fees, submission of additional passport photos or additional copies of the application.

You are in Danmark

If you are residing legally in Denmark, you are normally able to have your biometric features recorded in Denmark. This is the case, if you:

  • hold a valid visa
  • are exempt from the visa requirement or
  • already hold a valid residence permit.

Read more about the legal residence requirement and submission of your application in Denmark. 

You can have your biometric features recorded in one of SIRI’s branch offices.

If you plan to have your biometrics recorded in one of SIRI’s branch offices, you must remember to book an appointment.

You have submitted your application succesfully if you have:

  • created a case order ID
  • paid the fee
  • submitted the application
  • had your biometric features recorded

You can see the normal case processing time to the right on this page. When we make a decision in your case, you will receive an answer.

SIRI will contact you or your employer if we need further information to process your case.

Read more about what you can expect while you are waiting for an answer.

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Last updated 10-06-2024 - Published by: SIRI