Danish Citizenship

As a general rule, Danish nationals born abroad lose Danish nationality on reaching the age of 22. However, retention of Danish nationality may be granted. Read more about this below.

Retention of Danish nationality may be granted in the following cases:

1. If you have been a resident in Denmark before the age of 22
   The Danish authorities generally consider a continuous stay of a minimum of 3 months as being sufficient to meet this requirement. You must have been CPR-registered with the authorities in Denmark (Folkeregistret).
2. If you have been visiting Denmark before the age of 22
   The total of all visits, under circumstances indicating some association with the country, should add up to approximately 1 year and you should have a working knowledge of the Danish language. (Please note that the Embassy or consulate will conduct an interview with you in Danish).
   As all applications are assessed individually, it is advisable to apply, even if you are in doubt whether you qualify.

WHEN SHOULD I SUBMIT MY APPLICATION?
An application for retention of Danish nationality should not be submitted until you are 21 years old. However, it must be made before your 22nd birthday. Since the case processing in the Nationality Department may take 14-16 months, the application should be filed around the 21st birthday.

Under normal circumstances applications must reach the Embassy or the Ministry of Justice no later than the day before the applicant turns 22. However, the applicant may still apply for Evidence of Danish Nationality if over the age of 22, but total stays in Denmark must add up to at least 1 year prior to the 22nd birthday.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
Please contact the Ministry of Justice directly.
Tel:  +45 72 26 87 00 (between 9 a.m. and noon Danish time).
Fax: +45 33 93 35 10
E-mail: Indfoedsretskontoret@jm.dk

Step 1: Start the Application
A completed application form is a requirement for an admissible application.

Step 2: Collect Documents
Please click here for the application document checklist.

For quick and efficient processing you must collect all the required documents in the mandatory checklist before you submit your application. Failure to submit all the required documents may result in unnecessary delays or rejection.

Step 3: Submit the Application
You can mail the application directly to the Ministry of Justice at the following address:

Ministry of Justice
Nationality Division
Slotsholmsgade 10
1216 København K
Denmark  

There is no processing fee when mailing directly to the Ministry of Justice.

You may also submit your application at the Royal Danish Embassy or a Danish consulate, however there is a fee associated with this service. Please see the Embassy’s fee schedule.

When submitting your application at the Embassy, a short interview in Danish will be conducted to assess your language skills. If you submit at a consulate and there is no Danish-speaking Honorary consul or consular officer, the Embassy will call you to conduct the interview.