Danish Citizenship
Danish Nationals Born Abroad - The 22-Year Rule - Retention of Danish Nationality
As a general rule, Danish nationals born abroad lose their Danish nationality when reaching the age of 22. However, retention (if you are between 20 and 22) of Danish nationality may be granted provided certain conditions are fulfilled.
Retention of Danish Nationality
If you are between the ages of 20 and 22 you can apply to retain your Danish nationality. According to the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration (in Danish only), retention may be granted in the following cases:
- If you have been a resident in Denmark before the age of 22
The Danish authorities generally consider a continuous stay of minimum 3 months as sufficient to meet this requirement. It is a requirement that you were registered in the Danish Civil Registration System (CPR) during your stay.
- If you were visiting Denmark before the age of 22
The total of all visits, under circumstances indicating some association with Denmark, must add up to at least one year.
In cases where at least one of the two above conditions is not met, it may still be possible to retain Danish citizenship. The Citizenship Office at the Ministry of Immigration and Integration processes all applications individually and, in cases where at least one of the two above conditions is not met, will also base its decision on other criteria listed in the application form.
Your application for retention of Danish citizenship must be received by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration no later than the day before you turn 22. If you apply after turning 22, you must apply for retention of Danish citizenship.
You can find further information, including links to the application form and payment of the fee, on the Ministry of Immigration and Integration's website.
An application for retention of Danish citizenship can be submitted directly to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration via Digital Post, by letter or by email. Contact details can be found in the application form. The embassy recommends that applicants keep the receipt for the application until a decision has been made in the case.
For applicants without MitID, it may be advantageous to appoint a representative in Denmark who can submit your application via their MitID and then communicate with UIM on your behalf.
Questions
Questions and inquiries should be directed to the Citizenship Office.
Contact information and telephone hours can be found here (Danish time).
Danish Nationals Born Abroad - The 22-year Rule - Proof of Danish Nationality
As a general rule, Danish nationals born abroad lose their Danish nationality when reaching the age of 22. However, proof (if you are older than 22) of Danish nationality may be granted provided certain conditions are fulfilled.
Proof of Danish Nationality
If you are older than 22 you can apply for proof of Danish nationality. According to the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration (in Danish only), proof may be granted in the following cases:
- If you have been a resident in Denmark before the age of 22
The Danish authorities generally consider a continuous stay of minimum 3 months as sufficient to meet this requirement. It is a requirement that you were registered in the Danish Civil Registration System (CPR) during your stay. - If you were visiting Denmark before the age of 22
The total of all visits, under circumstances indicating some association with Denmark, must add up to at least one year.
When applying after the age of 22, the Citizenship Office at the Ministry of Immigration and Integration no longer processes applications based on an individual assessment. This means that if you do not meet at least one of the two conditions mentioned above, you cannot obtain proof of Danish citizenship.
Your application for proof of Danish citizenship must be received by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration no later than the day before you turn 22. If you apply after turning 22, you must apply for proof of Danish citizenship.
You can find further information, including links to the application form and payment of fees, on the Ministry of Immigration and Integration's website.
An application for proof of Danish citizenship can be submitted directly to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration via Digital Post, by letter or by email. Contact details can be found on the application form. The embassy recommends that applicants keep the receipt for their application until a decision has been made in the case.
For applicants without a MitID, it may be advantageous to appoint a representative in Denmark who can submit your application via their MitID and then communicate with the UIM on your behalf.
Questions
Questions and inquiries should be directed to the Citizenship Office.
Contact information and telephone hours can be found here (Danish time).
Children Born out of Wedlock to a Danish Father and a Mother of Foreign Nationality
Children born abroad outside of marriage to a Danish father and a foreign mother between October 11, 1993, and June 30, 2014, did not acquire Danish citizenship at birth. As an alternative, children born under these circumstances can instead apply for Danish citizenship by being included in a bill on the granting of citizenship without meeting the general conditions. It is a prerequisite that the father had Danish citizenship at the time of the child's birth. Read more about the rules here.
If the parents have since married (before the child turned 18 and unmarried), the child automatically obtains Danish citizenship from the date of marriage. However, children born abroad must apply to retain Danish citizenship before they turn 22.
If a child was born abroad out of wedlock to a Danish father and a foreign mother before October 11, 1993, and the parents remained unmarried, the child cannot obtain Danish citizenship without meeting the general conditions. Children born on July 1, 2014, or later automatically acquire Danish citizenship at birth if the father, mother, or co-mother is Danish, regardless of whether they were born in or out of wedlock.
When applying for Danish citizenship without meeting the general conditions, there is no requirement to be resident in Denmark at the time of application. Nor is there a requirement to pass the Danish citizenship test, including the language test.
You can find further information, including links to the application form and payment of fees, on the Ministry of Immigration and Integration's website.
The application process is described here.
Applications for automatic acquisition of Danish citizenship must be submitted directly to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration via Digital Post. Contact information can be found in the application form. The embassy recommends that applicants keep the receipt for their application until a decision has been made in the case.
For applicants without a MitID, it may be advantageous to appoint a representative in Denmark who can submit your application via their MitID and then communicate with the UIM on your behalf.
Questions
Questions and inquiries should be directed to the Citizenship Office.
Contact information and telephone hours can be found here (Danish time).
The Princess Rule
Children born to a Danish mother and a foreign father between January 1, 1961, and December 31, 1978, did not acquire Danish citizenship at birth.
As an alternative, Danish mothers could instead submit a declaration whereby their child was granted Danish citizenship, cf. section 2(2) of Act No. 117 of March 29, 1978.
Children born during this period whose mothers did not submit the relevant declaration can apply for Danish citizenship by naturalization under the “princess rule.”
When applying for Danish citizenship under the princess rule, there is no requirement to be resident in Denmark at the time of application. Nor is there a requirement to pass the Danish citizenship test, including the language test. However, it is a requirement that you are able to participate in a normal conversation in Danish. Embassy staff will assess the applicant's Danish language skills.
It is also a condition that the other requirements for obtaining Danish citizenship through naturalization are met. This means that if you have been sentenced to more than 18 months in prison, you cannot obtain Danish citizenship through naturalization. If you have been convicted of other offenses, you can only obtain Danish citizenship after a certain period of time. Finally, you must not have any debts to the Danish authorities.
Please note that your children will not obtain Danish citizenship along with you under the princess rule when you are residing outside Denmark.
Further information is available on the website of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
You can find further information, including links to the application form and payment of fees, on the website of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
The application process is described here.
Applications under the princess rule are submitted directly to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration via Digital Post. Contact details can be found in the application form. The embassy recommends that applicants keep the receipt for their application until a decision has been made in the case.
For applicants without a MitID, it may be advantageous to appoint a representative in Denmark who can submit your application via their MitID and then communicate with the UIM on your behalf.
Questions
Questions and inquiries should be directed to the Citizenship Office.
Contact information and telephone hours can be found here (Danish time).
Reacquisition of Danish Citizenship
If you reside abroad and have lost your Danish citizenship by acquiring another citizenship before September 1, 2015, you have the opportunity to apply for reinstatement until June 30, 2026.
The rules are set out on the website of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration, where you can also find the form for declaring the reacquisition of Danish citizenship for former Danish citizens.
How could I have lost my Danish citizenship?
If you are a former Danish citizen who applied for foreign citizenship before September 1, 2015, you may have lost your Danish citizenship pursuant to the previously applicable Section 7 of the Danish Citizenship Act.
With effect from September 1, 2015, this provision was repealed, and Danish citizens who have applied for foreign citizenship after this date no longer lose their Danish citizenship.
How can you apply to regain Danish citizenship?
You can apply to regain your Danish citizenship by submitting a declaration directly to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration - even from abroad. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration's website provides information and guidance on the specific rules.
How do I obtain a Danish passport?
You will be able to apply for a Danish passport once the Ministry of Immigration and Integration has processed your case and decided that you have regained your Danish citizenship. The application can be submitted at any Danish diplomatic mission worldwide, provided they have biometric equipment. Please note that, as a general rule, you must make an appointment to submit your passport application, so you are also encouraged to visit your embassy's website for more information.
If You Have Lost/Misplaced Your Danish Certificate of Citizenship
If you are no longer in possession of your Danish certificate of citizenship, you can apply for proof of having been granted Danish citizenship. While a new certificate cannot be issued, this proof is sufficient to prove your status and can be used for, among other things, passport applications.
Read about the application process here (in Danish only).
It's specifically the section Bekræftelse på tidligere udstedt statsborgerretsbevis that applies.