General information

The Schengen area consists of 26 countries (see the list of countries on the right) who have agreed on common visa rules. Generally this means that a visa issued by one of the member states is also valid for travel to all the other member states (based on your travel document exceptions might apply and will be stated on your visa sticker).

If your travel will take you to more than one Schengen destination, you must apply for the visa based on your main purpose, or the point of first entry if your stay is equally long at each destination.

A normal Schengen visa is not valid for the Faroe Islands or Greenland. If you are travelling to these destinations you will need a Schengen visa issued by Denmark with the wording "Valid for the Faroe Islands" or "Valid for Greenland" in the comments section on the visa.

The conditions for granting a visa are applicable both at the time your visa is issued and when you enter and stay in the Schengen area. It is therefore important that you are able to document, at all times, that you have sufficient funds to pay for your stay 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 area immediately.

For more information regarding the Schengen agreement, please visit the website of the European Commission.

Canadian Citizens

Canadian citizens carrying valid Canadian passports do not need visas when visiting Denmark, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, as long as they do not stay longer than 90 days within a 6 month period. Canadian passports are not required to be valid for a certain period of time beyond the intended stay in Denmark.

Non-Canadian Citizens

If you are not a Canadian citizen please click here to find out if you need a visa. Bearers of a Canadian refugee's travel document and/or a Canadian permanent residence card generally require a visa, as this is determined based on nationality, not residence. Please visit the above link to determine if you require a visa.

In order to qualify as a business traveller, you must fulfill at least one of these requirements: 

• You can document that your trip is work-related 
• You can document that you are presenting at, or participating in, a conference 
• You have an invitation from an educational or governmental institution 
• You are participating in a cultural or athletic event

If you do not fulfil at least one of these requirements, you will need to apply for a visitor visa.

If your employer documents that you have a need for multiple entries over an extended period of time, the embassy will consider issuing a 1- or 2-year multiple entry visa. The total duration of your stay(s) must not exceed 90 days within a 6-month period.

You should apply for a Schengen Visitor Visa if the purpose of your trip is personal, such as tourism or visiting family or friends. The total duration of your stay must not exceed 90 days within a 6-month period.

All applicants must register at the Visa Self Service website, submit an electronic application form and pay the non-refundable visa processing fee online, in order to start the application process. When you have successfully completed the online application form, and paid the fee, you must print off the receipt and include it with the supplementary documentation listed in the mandatory checklist. Business visa applicants can send their visa application package to the Royal Danish Embassy in Ottawa. We recommend using a courier when sending your passport.

Please note that all visitor visa applicants must make a personal appearance at a consulate or at the Embassy.

In order to ensure quick and efficient visa processing, please make sure you have included all the required documents in the mandatory checklist before you submit the application package.

Failure to submit all required documents will result in unnecessary delays or rejection. If anything is missing from your application, the Embassy will contact you once ONLY. If you do not submit the missing information within 5 calendar days after handing in your application, the Embassy will forward your application to the immigration authorities in the country you plan to visit with a recommendation that your case be closed due to incomplete documentation. Please note that you should not apply earlier than 3 months prior to departure and that the processing time is approximately 2 weeks from when the Embassy receives your application. According to the Schengen rules the Embassy retains the right of a 15-day processing time, exclusive of shipping time to and from the Embassy. The 15-day time frame may be extended up to 60 days if further examination is needed.

Please note that special procedures apply for diplomats, spouses of Danish and other EU/EEA nationals, as well as citizens of countries with bilateral agreements with Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

The Embassy will notify you as soon as a decision has been made in your case or if an interview is necessary. You must meet the following basic conditions in order to be granted a visa:

• All requirements in the document checklist must be fulfilled
• You must not be registered as an undesirable in the Schengen Information System (SIS)

You must not be listed on the national entry ban list. In other words, you cannot be granted a visa if you have previously been deported from Denmark (the Faroe Islands or Greenland) Iceland, Norway or Sweden and given an entry ban.

When a decision has been made, your passport will be returned to your home address, using your preferred method of shipment as indicated in the mandatory checklist. Please note that the Embassy only uses traceable methods of shipment. If you wish to pick up your passport in person or have it sent to another address, please inform the Embassy of this in your application.

If it is suspected that you intend to seek permanent or long-term residency in a Schengen country, or that you may pose a threat to national security or public safety, your visa application will be refused.

If your application for a visa is refused, you can appeal the decision to the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs. The appeal must include the case number, your full name, nationality and the date the ruling was given.

An incomplete application will not be accepted. If the application is deemed in-admissible you cannot file a complaint regarding the rejection by the Danish Embassy.

Any complaints regarding the conduct of a Danish diplomatic mission can be made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.