Eligibility quiz
Were you born in Denmark?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Danish passport
Danish citizens can get a Danish passport in Denmark or through Danish embassies and consulates abroad.
The passport must be renewed when it expires; citizenship itself does not expire with it.
Live in Denmark for life
Danish citizens can enter, live in and return to Denmark without a residence permit.
Study in Denmark
Danish citizens can access education on the terms that apply to Danish citizens.
Work in Denmark
Danish citizens can work in Denmark without immigration permission.
Danish citizenship is also a qualification for certain civil service jobs, though exceptions apply and many public jobs are open to others.
Settle in another EU country
After five years of continuous legal residence in another EU country, Danish citizens can gain a permanent right to live there under EU rules.
Get help abroad
Danish embassies and consulates can help citizens abroad, including with emergency travel documents and contacting family, insurers, lawyers or local authorities.
Denmark generally will not pay hospital, legal, travel or other emergency costs, lend money, guarantee release from prison or get someone a job or work permit.
Outside the EU, Danish citizens can seek help from another EU country if Denmark has no embassy or consulate there.
Vote and run for office
Danish citizens aged 18 or over can vote in parliamentary elections if they live permanently in Denmark and have not had their legal capacity fully removed.
Citizens abroad generally must apply to be added to the voting list and meet special conditions.
Citizens aged 18 or over can also vote in local and regional elections if they live permanently in the relevant area.
In another EU country, citizens can vote and run in local and European Parliament elections under that country's conditions.
Use public healthcare
Danish citizens can use public healthcare when covered under Denmark's residence and social-security rules.
GP, specialist and public hospital treatment is normally free.
People who move abroad normally lose Danish coverage unless another rule keeps them covered.
Receive social support
Danish citizens may qualify for social-security benefits, including family, unemployment and sickness benefits and pensions.
Payments depend on conditions such as residence, work, insurance and contributions; citizenship alone does not guarantee them.
How to apply
Applying by mailApplying by mail
Download the application form
Download the form “Ansøgning om dansk indfødsret ved naturalisation – Til statsløse født i Danmark” for yourself or your child.
Download the formFill in the form
Complete and sign the form; if you are applying for your child, help your child complete it and sign where required. For an applicant under 18, complete only sections 1–6 and 9; an applicant aged 18 or older completes the whole form.
Get help filling itSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the Denmark citizenship by naturalisation form for stateless people born in Denmark?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your or your child's application to the ministry.
See required documentsPay the application fee
If you are 18 or older, pay the fee using the ministry's payment instructions. Your child does not pay an application fee if they are under 18.
Find payment instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the Denmark citizenship by naturalisation application fee for stateless people born in Denmark?”
Mail your application package
Mail your or your child's completed and signed form and attachments to Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet, Indfødsret, Slotholmsgade 10, 1216 København K, Denmark.
Get the mailing addressWait for the decision
Wait while the ministry considers your or your child's application, and answer any requests for more information. If the conditions are met, you or your child may be included in a citizenship bill; citizenship is granted through an Act of Parliament, not by applying alone.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens after I apply for Denmark citizenship by naturalisation as a stateless person born in Denmark?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Parents' marriage certificate *
Send a copy of your parents' marriage certificate. Ask the office that issued it for a copy if you do not have one.
* Only if your parents have a marriage certificate.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Military service
Danish men living in Denmark must attend a military service assessment and may have to serve.
Women who turn 18 after 1 July 2025 are also covered by the mandatory assessment and service system.
Service can be in the armed forces or the Emergency Management Agency, with civilian alternatives in appropriate cases.
Citizenship lost at 22
A person born abroad can lose Danish citizenship at 22 if they have never lived in Denmark or stayed there enough to show a sufficient connection.
This does not happen if it would leave them without any citizenship.
In relevant circumstances, they can seek permission to keep their citizenship.
Citizenship taken away
A court can take away Danish citizenship if false or misleading information or concealed facts contributed to obtaining it.
Citizenship can also be taken away after a conviction for conduct seriously harmful to Denmark's vital interests, within Denmark's international obligations.
Related rules can affect a child who gained citizenship through the parent.
Giving up citizenship
Danish citizenship can end if a person is released from citizenship in permitted circumstances, including when they have another citizenship and live permanently abroad.
Different rules apply to someone living in Denmark.
Loss under older rules
Older rules also cover some past cases where citizenship was lost after voluntarily acquiring another citizenship or entering public service in another country.
Acquiring another citizenship today does not by itself normally end Danish citizenship.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Foreigners in Denmark
English Facebook group for people living in Denmark interested in Danish local life
Join on FacebookAarhus Internationals
English Facebook group for people living in Denmark interested in Danish local life
Join on Facebookr/NewToDenmark
English Reddit group for people living in Denmark interested in Danish local life
Join on RedditConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
Adavia doesn't provide advice, but we're building a directory of professionals who do. If you'd like, we can notify you when help is available.
Updated