Danish Citizenship Requirements 2026: Residence and Language

Quick answer: The main requirements for Danish citizenship are 9 years of uninterrupted residence, a permanent residence permit held for at least 2 years by the time the bill is passed, a pass in Prøve i Dansk 3 (Dansk 2 if you have been self-supporting for a long time), a pass in the citizenship test, Indfødsretsprøven af 2021, 3 years and 6 months of full-time work within the last 4 years, no social assistance in the last 2 years, no overdue public debt and no disqualifying criminal record. On 6 March 2026 the Ministry of Immigration and Integration (UIM) paused processing of naturalisation applications until it is clear, after the general election, which conditions will apply.

Where Things Stand in 2026

A foreign national can only become Danish by a law passed by the Folketing, under conditions set in a political agreement (UIM, 6 March 2026). Bills are normally presented twice a year, in April and October (UIM, processing).

Because of Denmark's EU presidency in the second half of 2025, only one bill was planned for the 2025-26 session. That bill, L98, lapsed on 26 February 2026 when a general election was called (UIM citizenship office news). On 6 March 2026 the ministry announced that naturalisation applications were on hold; declaration cases, such as Nordic citizens declaring themselves Danish, are still processed (UIM, 6 March 2026). On 7 September 2026 it also announced a hold on pending cases where an error found in the Central Criminal Register may matter (UIM, 7 September 2026).

The ministry's processing-time page gives an average of 24 months, with faster handling for straightforward first applications (UIM processing times). The conditions below are those the ministry publishes today. Since processing resumes only once the conditions are settled, the rules applied to your case may differ.

How Many Years of Residence Do You Need?

Source: UIM's residence page. The spouse periods apply only when the Danish spouse has been a citizen for at least 3 years, and the education route requires education of Danish character lasting at least 3 years or ending with an exam. Long or frequent trips abroad can mean you do not meet the requirement.

You must also live in Denmark with an address registered in the CPR register, and hold a permanent residence permit (tidsubegrænset opholdstilladelse) for 2 years by the end of the month in which the bill is expected to pass, or 1 year for refugees and stateless persons (UIM). Nordic citizens are exempt from the permanent-permit condition.

EU and EEA citizens are not exempt: an EU registration certificate does not prove a right to permanent residence, which SIRI documents on application (UIM). Our EU residence certificate guide covers the first step.

What Level of Danish Do You Need?

The main rule is a pass in Prøve i Dansk 3 or one of the equivalents in appendix 3.a of the circular (UIM). Equivalents include a Danish upper-secondary exam (stx, hhx, htx, eux), an hf exam, or the folkeskole 9th or 10th grade leaving exam with an average of at least 02 in the Danish subjects, excluding orden.

Prøve i Dansk 2 is enough if you have received no help under the Active Social Policy Act or the Integration Act in the last 2 years and no more than 3 months of such benefits in the last 9 years (UIM). Swedish- and Norwegian-speaking applicants can instead show a leaving exam from a Swedish- or Norwegian-language primary school. The free courses that lead to these exams are covered in our guide to Danish language courses.

The Citizenship Test (Indfødsretsprøven)

The format, from the official test page:

• 45 written questions in 45 minutes, with no aids allowed
• 35 questions from the official learning material, 5 on current affairs from the previous six months, and 5 on Danish values
• Pass mark: 36 correct, including 4 of the 5 values questions
• If you fail, you can resit at the next session and pay a new fee

The next test is on 25 November 2026, the registration deadline is 21 October 2026, and the fee is DKK 946 for 2026 (test dates and fees). You register with a language centre. The learning material and past papers are free (preparation page). A pass in the 2015 test, taken between June 2016 and June 2021, also counts (UIM).

Work and Self-Support

Employment. You need at least 3 years and 6 months of ordinary full-time work, meaning at least 120 hours a month, or equivalent self-employment, within the 4 years before the bill is presented (UIM). You must also be in work of at least 15 hours a week when the bill is presented. Study and internships do not count, and temp-agency, wage-subsidised or unpaid work at that point does not meet the second part.

Self-support. You must not have received help under the Active Social Policy Act or the Integration Act in the last 2 years, or for more than 4 months in total in the last 5 years (UIM). That covers benefits such as kontanthjælp and integrationsydelse. Dagpenge periods (unemployment, sickness or maternity benefit) totalling more than 4 months do not disqualify you; they are added to the period you must have been self-supporting. Receiving SU, the state education grant, does not count against you either (Life in Denmark).

Debt to Public Authorities

You cannot have overdue debt to the public sector (UIM). The list includes taxes, police fines, daycare payments, overdue SU loan instalments and public-transport penalty fares of DKK 3,000 or more. Debt under a deferral or instalment plan can still block citizenship, except housing deposit loans on a plan you keep to.

Criminal Record

Under the guidelines, the exclusions include (UIM):

• A prison sentence, suspended or unconditional
• Measures under chapter 9 of the Criminal Code
• Convictions under chapters 12 and 13 of the Criminal Code, which include terrorism
• Permanent expulsion from Denmark
• Gang crime, violence against children under 18, or sexual offences

Smaller penalties create a waiting period instead. A fine of DKK 3,000 or more means waiting 4 years and 6 months from the decision date in the Central Criminal Register, and that includes speeding fines. Each further speeding fine extends the wait by 3 years. Fines under DKK 3,000 generally do not trigger a wait. Offences abroad count and must be declared, and you cannot be granted citizenship while a charge against you stands. The ministry rechecks the register 2 years after the law passes; in some cases, concealing an offence can lead to revocation.

Dual Citizenship

Since 1 September 2015, foreign nationals included in a naturalisation bill no longer have to renounce their previous citizenship (UIM, in English). Whether you keep it depends on your other country's law too, because multiple nationality has to be allowed by both states.

How the Application Works

You apply online with MitID (UIM); see our MitID guide if you do not have it yet. In the application you sign a declaration of allegiance and loyalty to Denmark (UIM). Attach a copy of your passport photo page, your permanent residence permit, your language certificate and your citizenship test certificate.

Fees from 1 January 2026 (UIM citizenship office news):

You pay by Dankort, Visa, Mastercard or MobilePay after signing, and the fee is not refunded if you are refused or withdraw (UIM). Meet every condition before you submit: the ministry does not hold an application open while you finish a test or a work period (UIM). You normally have to keep meeting the conditions until the bill is passed (UIM).

From Bill to Ceremony

If you qualify, the ministry puts you on a naturalisation bill. The Folketing reads it three times, which usually takes 2 to 3 months, and your name, municipality, birth year, country of birth and current citizenship are published in it (UIM).

Most adults then attend a constitution ceremony (grundlovsceremoni) in their municipality, held between 1 and 4 months after the law enters into force. You sign a declaration and shake hands with the mayor or an alderman, and you must attend within 2 years of the law entering into force or apply again (UIM). You become Danish on the day of the ceremony. Your residence permit then lapses, and you can vote in general elections and get a Danish passport (UIM).