Denmark · Citizenship by naturalisation
Danish Citizenship by Naturalisation
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open but among Europe's strictest. Dual citizenship has been permitted since 1 September 2015.
The parliamentary-act quirk is real and materially affects timelines: Danish citizenship is granted by an act of the Folketing, not an administrative decision, and the Naturalisation Committee processes only two bills a year. A perfect file still waits for the next legislative window. Build that into any plan.
Qualifying routes
6.3k DKK
Standard naturalisation
9 years' continuous residence; granted by act of the Folketing, not by an agency
The facts
- Qualifying figure
- 6.3k DKK
- Total landed cost
- DKK 6,270 fee (2026) plus language tuition and exam costs.
- Timeline
- 108–144 months — 9 years' residence, then a wait for the next of two annual naturalisation bills
- Physical presence
- 9 years' continuous residence
- Family
- each adult applies individually
- Permanent residency
- Separate prerequisite track
- Citizenship
- 9 years
- Language test
- Prøve i Dansk 3 (B2 level, all four skills) plus the Indfødsretsprøven — 40 multiple-choice questions requiring at least 32 correct (80%)
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- 9 years' continuous residencepermanent residence permitPrøve i Dansk 3Indfødsretsprøven with at least 32 of 40 correctself-sufficiency and clean criminal recordattendance at the naturalisation ceremony including the handshake
What can go wrong
- Citizenship is granted by act of parliament, and the Naturalisation Committee handles just two bills a year. Even a flawless application waits for a legislative slot.
- 9 years' continuous residence is among the strictest in Europe.
- Prøve i Dansk 3 is a B2-level exam across all four skills — a serious undertaking.
- The Indfødsretsprøven requires 32 of 40 correct (80%).
- The handshake requirement is real: a mandatory in-person ceremony in your municipality with a signed loyalty declaration and a handshake with the presiding official. Refusal on religious or cultural grounds ends the application.
- Dual citizenship has been permitted since 1 September 2015 — a relatively recent change.