Permanent residence

In Denmark, all kinds of residence permit are initially granted as temporary, valid for 1 to 2 years, depending on the type of residence permit. Convention status is granted for 2 years, family reunification for 2 years, and the two kinds of protection status for 1 year. A refugee does not have to apply for an extension, this is done automatically, but not for the ones who are family reunified to a refugee! Remember, it can also be necessary to apply for extension for children. If a person’s residence permit expires then the person has to re-apply, i.e. travel to her/his country of origin and apply from there. It can take many months to process an extension.

After 8 years of legal residency in Denmark (the period as an asylum seeker does not count, a person can apply for a permanent residence permit. In order to achieve this, the person has to fulfill a number of different criteria in terms of Danish language skill, work/education, and crime. It's even possible to apply after 4 years if you fulfill all the criteria, both basic and supplementary.

NB: A permit under the special laws for Afghan evacuees or Ukrainians does not give access to permanent stay at all. So, for those people, the only way is to obtain another kind of permit (asylum, family reunification, work etc.).

Permanent residency means that a person is allowed to stay in Denmark and does not have to apply for a residence permit again – but if the person commits an act of crime then she/he can still be deported. Earlier on, it was allowed for refugees to visit their home country after 10 years if they had obtained permanent stay, but that is no loner allowed and will result in losing the permit to stay.

If a person applies for family reunification and is not a refugee, it is a requirement that the person has held a permanent residency for at least 3 years.  

The latest tightenings on the demands mean that it has almost become impossible for refugees to obtain permanent residency. In 2020, the number of permits was: On basis of family reunification: 1,684. On basis of asylum: 331.

The price differs according to which kind of permit you have. You must pay a fee of 4,836 DKR to apply (no matter the outcome) if you are refugee or family reunified, 7,355 DKR if you are her because of studies or work (prices 2023). If you have applied for permanent residence before your temporary permit expires, you don't have to apply for extension at the same time. The temporary permit wil be extended if the permanent is rejected.

If you are between 18 and 19 years old and have stayed legally in Denmark for at least 8 years, the requirements are easier to meet. But you can't apply before you turn 18.

Basic requirements (must all be met):

• You must still meet the requirements for the residence permit you hold. 
• You must be over the age of 18.
• You must have resided legally in Denmark for at least 8 years. If you meet all of the 4 supplementary requirements (see below) you only have to have resided legally in Denmark for at least 4 years.
• You must not have committed certain types of crime.
• You must not have any overdue public debts unless you have been granted an extension of the repayment of the debt.
• You must not have received public benefits within the last 4 years under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act or the Integration Act.
• You have to accept a Declaration of integration and active citizenship in Danish society.
• You must have passed the Danish language test 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2) or a Danish language test of an equivalent or higher level.
• You must have held a regular full-time employment (min. 30 hours a week) or been self-employed for at least 3 years and 6 months within the last 4 years.
• You must still be working at the time when the Danish Immigration Service decides the case.

Supplementary requirements (at least two of the following have to be met as well):

• You must have passed an active citizen exam test or have exhibited active citizenship in Denmark.
• You must have held a regular full-time employment or been self-employed for at least 4 years within the last 4 years and 6 months.
• You must have had a yearly taxable income that over the last 2 years has been DKK 292.256,68 kr. (2020-level) or above on average.
• You must have passed the Danish language test 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3) or a Danish language test of an equivalent or higher level.
  
  The 4 supplementary requirements are equally ranked and therefore it is insignificant which 2 of 4 requirements you meet. If you meet all 4 supplementary requirements, you can be granted a permanent residence permit after having resided legally in Denmark for at least 4 years.

The easier access for refugees has been abolished, so that now everybody has to meet the same requirements. The only way to dispensation is a documented, permanent disability which makes it impossible forever to meet some of the requirements (the Convention for Disabilities can be used here).

Quarantine period for criminal behaviour is 6 years in the event of a suspended sentence and 15 years in the event of a jail sentence of more than 60 days in duration. With a sentence of 6 months incarceration, you are permanently disqualified for permanent residency.

Permanent residency is a pre-requisite when applying for citizenship and the Danish passport citizenship bestows. You must also have had permanent residency for 3 years before you can apply for family reunification (unless you have been granted asylum and are still in need of protection).

The application must be done digitally with MitID on newtodenmark.dk. If you want to file a complaint over the decision, it must be handed in to Immigration Appeals Board, and the fee is 930 DKR.

Read more about permanent residence on newtodenmark.dk

Read more at nyidanmark.dk