Apply for a permanent residence permit

You must be over the age of 18 to qualify for a permanent residence permit.  

You must still meet the continuous requirements for your current residence permit.

You must be aware that normally it is a condition in order to get a permanent residence permit that you reside in Denmark, when the Immigration Service makes a decision in your case.

If you are applying for permanent residence permit as a family-reunified spouse, your spouse/partner in Denmark must meet some of the continuous requirements for qualifying as your sponsor. Your spouse/partner in Denmark must also complete part of the application form.
 

You must have resided in Denmark legally for 8 years or more uninterrupted. During the entire period, you must have had a residence permit issued under the terms of Aliens Act sections 7-9 f, sections 9 i-9 n, section 9 p or section 9 q (1) or (2) (residence permit granted on the grounds of family reunification, asylum, studies or work etc.).

Your current residence permit states which section of the Aliens Act applies to your situation.

In some cases, you can qualify for a permanent residence permit after 4 years uninterrupted as a legal resident in Denmark.

If you have a residence permit under the law on temporary residence permits for displaced persons from Ukraine, or the law on temporary residence permits for persons who have assisted Danish authorities, etc. in Afghanistan, you do not meet the residence requirement, and your residence cannot be included in the calculation of the 8 years of residence.

8 years’ legal residence

One of the basic requirements for permanent residence is that you have been a legal resident in Denmark for at least 8 years uninterrupted at the time the Immigration Service reaches a decision about your application for permanent residence.

4 years’ legal residence

If, in addition to the basic requirements for a permanent residence permit, you also meet all 4 supplementary requirements, you can qualify for a permanent residence permit after having lived legally in Denmark for 4 years uninterrupted at the time the Immigration Service reaches a decision about your application for permanent residence.

Discontinuation of legal residence

You should be aware that your legal stay may be assessed as interrupted if you apply for either a time-limited extension or a permanent residence permit after your current residence permit has expired. To ensure that the calculation of your residence does not go back to the beginning, you have to apply for a residence permit before your current residence permit expires.

If you apply for a residence permit after your previous residence permit has expired, you risk that the calculation of your stay in relation to the rules on permanent residence permits will start over. It is your responsibility to apply in time.

One or more grounds for residence

One way to meet the 8-year residence requirement (in some cases 4-year) is by holding the same residence permit (such as one based on family reunification) for the entire period.

You can also meet the requirement if you have had multiple residence permits during your period of residence. This would be the case if you were initially granted a residence permit as an au pair, and then as a family-reunified spouse.

However, you are not permitted to combine periods of residence based on multiple relationships (spouses and/or cohabiting partners). If you have had multiple spouses or cohabiting partners, you will need to live with your current spouse/partner for 8 years (in some cases 4 years) before you qualify for permanent residence.

If you remarry or enter into a new relationship with a cohabiting partner after divorcing and are granted a new residence permit on the basis of the new relationship, your period of legal residence starts anew.

Read more about how the 8-year (in some cases 4-year) residence requirement is calculated

You may not have been convicted of certain crimes.

If you were sentenced to less than six months of incarceration, or if the sentence was suspended, you will be temporarily ineligible for a permanent residence permit.You will also be temporarily ineligible for a permanent residence permit if you are charged or indicted for a crime that can result in a sentence of less than six months of incarceration, or a suspended sentence.

If you were sentenced to more than six months of incarceration, you are permanently ineligible for a permanent residence permit. You will also be permanently ineligible for a permanent residence permit, if you are charged or indicted for a crime that can result in more than six months of incarceration.

The list below provides an overview of certain types of sentences and how they affect your eligibility for permanent residence:

• Suspended custodial sentence without terms about community service entails a penalty period of 6 years starting from the time the final verdict is given

• Suspended custodial sentence with terms about community service entails a penalty period of 7 years and 6 months starting from the time the final verdict is given.

• Mandatory custodial sentence of less than 60 days entails a penalty period of 12 years starting from the time of release.

• Mandatory custodial sentence of less than 60 days for violations of part 12 or part 13 of the Danish criminal code entails a penalty period of 18 years starting from the time of release.

• Mandatory custodial sentence of 60 days or more, but less than 6 months entails a penalty period of 15 years starting from the time of release.

• Mandatory prison sentence of at least 6 months entails being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark. This applies to all types of crime.

• Mandatory prison sentence of at least 60 days for violations of part 12 of the Danish criminal code (crimes against the independence and security of the state) or part 13 of the Danish criminal code (crimes against the constitution of the state and the higher state authorities, terrorism, etc.) or sections 210, 216, 222-224, section 225 cf. section 226, or sections 243-246 of the provisions of the Danish criminal code (specific crimes concerning family affairs, sexual offence and crimes of violence) entails being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark.

• Mandatory prison sentence of at least 60 days for violations of the provisions of the Danish criminal code’s section 215 (child abductions), section 215a (re-education trips), section 260 (2) (forced marriages) and (3) (forced covering), or section 260a (religious marriages of minors) entails being barred from being granted a permanent residence permit in Denmark. This applies to all applications for permanent residence submitted from and including 27 January 2022.

• Sentence for working illegally in the country according to Section 59 of the Aliens Act, when the person does not have a residence permit in this country, entails a penalty period of 15 years and 22 years and 6 months if subsequent offence. The penalty period starts from the time of parole, the date of delivery of the final judgment, date of the parole’s expiration or date of the agreement on the fine, depending on which date entails the latest expiration of the penalty period.

• Sentence for working illegally in the country according to Section 59 of the Aliens Act, when the person has a residence permit in this country, entails a penalty period of 7 years for a subsequent offence. The penalty period starts from the time of parole, the date of delivery of the final judgment, date of the parole’s expiration or date of the agreement on the fine, depending on which date entails the latest expiration of the penalty period.

• Youth sanction entails a penalty period of 6 years starting from the time of termination of the measure.

• A sentence to be placed in an ambulatory psychiatric treatment with possible hospitalization in accordance with part 68 or part 69 of the Danish criminal code entails a penalty period of 6 years starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 9 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.

• A sentence to be placed in psychiatric treatment in accordance with part 68 or part 69 of the Danish criminal code entails a penalty period of 9 years starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 12 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.

• A sentence to be committed to a mental hospital entails a penalty period of 12 years starting from the time of termination of the measure. However, at least 15 years must pass from the date the final measure is given by the court.

• A sentence to be placed in secure detention entails a penalty period of 30 years starting from the time of termination of the measure.

If your application for a permanent residence permit is refused because you were charged or indicted for certain crimes, you can request for a re-opening of the application, if you have information, that you are expected only to be sentenced with a fine penalty, beside situations mentioned in the Alien’s Act section 11 b, or when the criminal proceedings have been concluded finally.

You may not have any overdue public debts. A debt is considered overdue if the public is entitled to payment of the debt, or if the amount due has not been repaid by the due date.

The following types of debt are those that are considered public debt. If you have overdue payments for any of the types of debt below, you cannot qualify for a permanent residence permit (conlusive list):

• Social Service Act or Active Social Policy Act benefits that you are required by law to repay (such as overpaid social benefits)
• Child support paid in advance
• Day-care payment
• Overpaid housing benefits
• Housing-subsidy loan 
• Taxes and levies, unless the amount in arrears is due to circumstances beyond your control

Other debts, such as student loans, bank loans or loans from a building society are not considered public debts and will not disqualify you from being granted a permanent residence permit.

Payment extension

You can still be granted a permanent residence permit if you have been granted an extension to repay outstanding debt. However, the amount you owe may not exceed DKK 132,180.25 (2024 level).

Being granted an extension means that the creditor (the state or municipality) has given the debtor (you) permission to postpone repayment of your debt until beyond the original due date. For example, SKAT, the Danish customs and tax administration, may award you an extension.

If you are uncertain whether you have been granted a payment extension, contact your municipality, SKAT or Udbetaling Danmark.

Repayment schedule

You cannot be granted a permanent residence permit if you have overdue public debts, even if you have been allowed to repay your debt in set number of instalments (also known as a repayment schedule).

If you have a repayment schedule, the state or municipality has agreed to let you pay back your debt in instalments, rather than as a lump sum. For example, you may agree to pay DKK 500 per month for three years.

If you repay your debt

If you repay an overdue public debt after you submit your application, but before the Immigration Service issues reaches a decision, you need to provide documentation showing you no longer have any public debt.

In order to qualify for a permanent residence permit you may not have received certain social benefits within four years of applying for a permanent residence permit. Nor may you receive them until the time when the permanent residence permit is granted.

The decisive factor when evaluating whether you have received social benefits is whether they have been awarded under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act (lov om aktiv socialpolitik) or the Integration Act (integrationsloven). If you have received social benefits under the terms of either law, you can normally only be granted a permanent residence permit four years after the date you received your final benefit payment.

Example: if you received cash benefits until 1 July 2014, you would first meet this requirement on 1 July 2018. However, some benefits do not affect your eligibility for permanent residence.

Read more about the types of benefits that affect your eligibility for permanent residence

Supplementary cash benefits

If your spouse/partner received cash benefits, you may have received supplementary social security during the same period. As a result, you need to be aware of whether he/she received social security at any time in the four years before you submitted your application, or while your application is being processed.

If your spouse/partner received cash benefits, you may have received supplementary social security during the same period. This could result in your application being refused. If you are uncertain whether you have received, or will receive, supplementary cash benefits, contact your municipality.

 You must accept a declaration of residence and self-support

The declaration is included in the online application and in the printable application form.

The declaration of declaration of residence and self-support is also available on the website of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration (site in Danish only)

You must be employed at the time the Immigration Service reaches a decision about your application for a permanent residence permit.

You meet this requirement if, at the time the Immigration Service reaches a decision about your application for a permanent residence permit, you:

• are employed in a non-terminated, permanent position
• can prove that you will continue to be employed (for example, if you employed in a non-terminated, temporary position but there is still a significant amount of time before the position ends), or
• are self-employed

Example: You are employed in a temporary position that is about to expire, but you can prove that you will continue to be working by providing a new employment contract or a statement from your employer stating that they expect to extend your position.

Your current employment does not have to be full-time, provided you meet the other employment requirements. However, you must work at least 15 hours per week.

Read more about the work requirement

You will not be considered employed if, at the time the Immigration Service reaches a decision about your application for a permanent residence permit, you:

• Are employed in a position with wage subsidies (løntilskud)
• Perform unpaid Work
• Are enrolled in an educational programme, including internships or other forms of work that are a part of the programme
• Work as a substitute hired through a temporary-employment agency
• Work fewer than 15 hours per week
• Work for a company that is in the process of liquidation, compulsory dissolution, announced suspension of payments or has been declared bankrupt, or
• Are self-employed and your company is in the process of liquidation, compulsory dissolution, announced suspension of payments or has been declared bankrupt

You may not have worked deliberately against the establishment of your identity in connection with your application for residence permit or extension of your residence permit.

This requirement applies if you have submitted your first time application for residence permit 1 January 2018 or later.

You can for example be considered to have worked against the establishment of your identity, if you have presented falsified identity documents including a passport or a Certificate of Personal Data (Birth Certificate), or if you have presented another person’s identity document.

It can also be the case if you have given untrue information about your name, your date of birth, your country of birth or your citizenship, and these conditions later in the processing of the case is being clarified either by you or the immigration authorities through control questions, tests, investigations etc.

If very special reasons apply you can be granted a permanent residence permit even though you have worked against the establishment of your identity.
 

You must pass the Danish language test 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2), or a Danish exam of an equivalent or higher level.

See a list of Danish language tests that are equivalent to or higher than the Danish language test 2

Supplementary requirement – Danish language test 3

You can meet 1 of the 4 supplementary requirements by passing the Danish language test 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3), or a Danish exam of an equivalent or higher level.

Read more about the supplementary requirements below and see list of Danish tests that are equivalent to or represent a higher level than Prøve i Dansk 3.

You can meet one of the supplementary requirements by passing the Danish language test 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3), or a Danish exam of an equivalent or higher level.

See a list of Danish language tests that are equivalent to or higher than the Danish language test 3

The tests on the list all have a higher level than Prøve i Dansk 2. If you pass one of the exams on the list, you will satisfy both a supplementary requirement for qualifying for a permanent residence permit, as well as the basic requirement that you pass Prøve i Dansk 2, or a Danish exam of an equivalent or higher level.

You can meet one of the 4 supplementary requirements by having regular, full-time employment or being self-employed in Denmark for at least 4 years during the 4 years and 6 months prior to the date the Immigration Service reaches a decision about your application for a permanent residence permit.

This means that during the past 4 years and 6 months you must have had a regular, full-time employment for a total 4 years or more. You do not have to have been continuously employed for 4 years. You could, for example, have worked full-time for 2 years, been unemployed for 6 months, and then worked full-time again for 2 years.

Read more about which types of employment can be considered regular, full-time employment when applying for a permanent residence permit

You can meet 1 of the 4 supplementary requirements by passing the active citizen exam or having displayed active citizenship in Denmark for at least a year by doing things like serving on a board or being a member of an association. 

The active citizen exam

The active citizen exam is a new written exam, which is held twice a year – summer and winter. The exam is held at several language schools across the country.

The current active citizen exam has been held since 2016. A previously passed citizen exam from before 2016 cannot meet the supplementary requirement of active citizenship. 

A passed Danish citizenship test (indfødsretsprøve) can also not meet the supplementary requirement of active citizenship.

Registration and date of exam

At the website Dansk og Prøver, you can read about how to register for the active citizen exam and about the exam. You can also see the date of the next exam and the registration deadline.

Read more about registration and the exam (in Danish only)

Preparation for the exam

The active citizen exam is designed as a multiple choice test and contains 25 questions about the Danish democracy and everyday life as well as Danish culture and history. On the website Dansk og Prøver, you can access study material to help you prepare for the exam. The exam questions are based on this material.

Find the study material for the active citizen exam (in Danish only)

Active citizenship

You can meet the supplementary requirement of active citizenship if you can present documentation that you have displayed active citizenship in Denmark for at least 1 year. This can be by participation in a board, organization, or the like. It is a requirement that it is a board, organization, or similar that in word and deed supports the fundamental democratic values and legal principles in Danish society. It is also a requirement that the activities contribute to strengthening your democratic development and integration in Denmark, and that they can help promote citizenship and community around the values, norms, and principles of Danish society.

It is not a requirement that you have participated in an organization or board continuously throughout a whole year. This means that you can combine more years of active citizenship to meet the requirement concerning 1 year of active citizenship.Furthermore, it is not a requirement that you still participate in an organization or board once the permanent residence permit has been issued. Finally, it is not a requirement that you have been a member of the same organization, board, or similar throughout the 1 year.

Membership of a parents’ committee, a school board, a board of a non-profit housing organization, an integration council or a senior council

You will be able to meet the requirement concerning active citizenship by e.g. being a member of a parents’ committee, a school board, a board of a non-profit housing organization, an integration council or a senior council for at least 1 year.

You can document a membership of a parents’ committee by e.g. enclosing a statement from the day-care center, the municipal day-care, the after-school center or the after-school club.

Membership of a school board or a board of a non-profit housing organization can be documented by e.g. enclosing a statement from the school or the housing organization.

Membership of an integration council or a senior council can be documented by e.g. enclosing a statement from the municipal council who has established the council.

Participation in work for children or young people

You can also meet the requirement by having exhibited active citizenship through at least 1 year of participation in work for children or young people e.g. by being a trainer in a sports club or by completing a referee or trainer education. The same applies when participating in a folk high school (højskole) stay, work as a role model or involvement in other organized spare-time activities for children or young people, e.g. help with homework.

You can document the participation by e.g. enclosing a statement from the club, organization or similar where you have worked. Or you can do so by enclosing documentation of completed referee or trainer education including the length of the education or by enclosing proof of participation in a folk high school (højskole) stay.

Participation in a non-profit organization

You can also meet the requirement concerning active citizenship through at least 1 year of participation in a non-profit organization, e.g. if you have participated actively in the management of an organization. The non-profit organization can e.g. be an organization that is entitled to subsidies under the Non-formal Education Act (folkeoplysningsloven).

If you have a residence permit on the grounds of work or as a religious worker, be aware that you may need a separate permit for volunteering beside your current temporary residence permit.

To the extent that Denmark’s international obligations, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, require it, the Immigration Service grants exemptions from (that is to say, you will not need to meet) one or more of the requirements for a permanent residence permit.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines a person with a disability as someone who has “long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”.

Read more about how to document your disability and which requirements you can be exempt from meeting

If you were granted a residence permit on the grounds of family reunification, your spouse/partner most likely had to post collateral in the form a financial guarantee.

In order for the Immigration Service to be able to extend your temporary residence permit, your spouse/partner needs to renew the original collateral guarantee or post a new guarantee. Read more about renewing a collateral guarantee when applying to extend a temporary residence permit

If you are granted a permanent residence permit, your spouse will no longer need to post a financial guarantee and any funds held by your municipality as collateral will be returned. All inquiries about returning collateral should be directed to the municipality where you live.