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 it materially affects timelines. Danish citizenship is granted by an act of the Folketing, not by an administrative decision, and the Naturalisation Committee processes only two bills a year. Even 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
- Minimum
- 6.3k DKK
- Total landed cost
- DKK 6,270 fee (2026), plus language tuition and exam costs.
- Route type
- By residence
- Timeline
- 9–12 years (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
- A separate prerequisite track
- Citizenship
- 9 years
- Language test
- Prøve i Dansk 3 (B2 level, testing all four skills), plus the Indfødsretsprøven, a 40-question multiple-choice test requiring at least 32 correct answers (80%).
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- 9 years' continuous residencepermanent residence permitPrøve i Dansk 3Indfødsretsprøven, with at least 32 of 40 correctself-sufficiency and a 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 has to wait for a legislative slot.
- 9 years' continuous residence is among the strictest requirements in Europe.
- Prøve i Dansk 3 is a B2-level exam covering all four skills. It is a serious undertaking.
- The Indfødsretsprøven requires 32 of 40 correct, or 80%.
- The handshake requirement is real. There is a mandatory in-person ceremony in your municipality, where you sign a loyalty declaration and shake hands with the presiding official. Refusing on religious or cultural grounds ends the application.
- Dual citizenship has only been permitted since 1 September 2015. It is a relatively recent change.