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DANISH CITIZENSHIP

Do you need to get a Danish passport after obtaining citizenship?

In Denmark, obtaining a Danish passport is not legally required after gaining citizenship. However, there are several reasons why getting one is a good idea.

Published: 27 December 2023 14:59 CET
Danish pas
A Danish passport allows hassle-free travel across the European Union (EU) and beyond. Photo by: Ida Marie Odgaard / Ritzau Scanpix

When you become a citizen of Denmark, you are eligible to apply for a Danish passport, but it’s not a legal obligation.

READ MORE: How to apply for citizenship in Denmark

This approach offers flexibility for those who may already have a travel document from other nations or do not wish to apply for a Danish passport immediately.

However, while not a legal requirement, there are considerable benefits to holding a Danish passport.

Why it’s a good idea to get a Danish passport

The document allows hassle-free travel across the European Union (EU) and numerous other countries, as it’s a reflection of the country’s strong diplomatic ties worldwide.

While new citizens of Denmark are not restricted to using a Danish passport for international travel travelling with a non-Danish passport might require additional visas or entry permits, depending on the destination.

Therefore, the Danish passport serves as a form of identification, simplifying bureaucratic and ID processes within and outside Denmark.

They also highlight to the Danish border force that you are exempt from any restrictions or requirements when crossing onto Danish soil.   

Consular assistance for passport holders

With a Danish passport, you can access consular services and assistance provided by Danish embassies and consulates worldwide.

They effectively extend the reach of Denmark’s government into foreign territories, offering a broad range of services – including emergency assistance, legal services, passport replacement, travel information, and others – that can be vital to Danish passport holders who encounter challenging situations during their travels abroad.

If you face a medical emergency, the consulate or embassy can help you locate medical facilities, contact your family, and provide guidance on dealing with local authorities.

Furthermore, they also offer notarial services such as document legalisations and certifications, often required for legal proceedings in foreign countries.

You can find the contact information for Danish embassies and consulates on this page of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dual citizenship and passports

Dual citizenship, which refers to people legally recognized as citizens of two countries simultaneously, makes things somewhat different.

READ MORE: What does gaining Danish citizenship mean to dual nationals?

Until 2015, Denmark’s policy was generally against dual citizenship. It required people to renounce their previous nationality when becoming Danish citizens.

In September 2015, Denmark changed its laws to allow dual citizenship. This means that you can now hold Danish citizenship and another nationality without giving up one of them.

Once your second citizenship is granted, provided it’s Danish, you’ll be eligible (though not obligated, as we’ve already explained) to apply for a Danish passport.

You’ll have to follow the standard application process, which involves applying at a local police station in Denmark or Danish consulates abroad if you’re residing overseas.

Furthermore, you’ll need to hand in the required documentation (proof of citizenship, ID, etc.) and pay a fee.

The Local has a deep-dive explainer on the rules for dual-nationals travelling in Denmark, where you can find more details on the issue.

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For members

DANISH CITIZENSHIP

EXPLAINED: Can children of Danes regain citizenship after EU Court verdict?

Children of Danes who have lost their Danish citizenship because they turned 22 without applying to retain it may now get a second chance following an EU ruling, the country's immigration ministry has said.

Published: 23 January 2024 16:20 CET
EXPLAINED: Can children of Danes regain citizenship after EU Court verdict?

According to the ministry, children of Danes who turned 22 on or after November 1st 1993, but failed to apply to have their Danish citizenship made permanent before the deadline of their 22nd birthday, will now be able to apply to have their application reopened in some cases. 

For the case to reopened, the removal of citizenship will have to have “had effects in relation to EU law”.

For this to be the case, the removal of Danish citizenship will, firsly, also generally have to deprive the person of EU citizenship, and as a result impact “a family or employment connection to an EU member state other than Denmark”, which has been established before the age of 22. 

The ministry will also, in all cases where the loss of Danish citizenship at the age of 22 also means a loss of EU citizenship, from now on automatically consider whether the effects in relation to EU law of the loss of EU citizenship are proportional to the reason for removing citizenship (normally the lack of a demonstrated connection to Denmark). 

What is the reason for the change? 

The EU Court of Justice ruled last September that a Danish law allowing citizenship to be revoked from people born abroad to one Danish parent who have never lived in the country, if they reach the age of 22 without applying to retain it, was acceptable.

The case concerned the daughter of a Danish mother and an American father who has held, since her birth in the United States, Danish and American citizenship. After reaching the age of 22, she applied to retain Danish nationality, but the national authorities told her that she had lost it when she turned 22.

The EU court ruled that anyone facing such a decision “must be given the opportunity to lodge, within a reasonable period, an application for the retroactive retention or recovery of the nationality”.

The decision was a development from a previous ruling from 2019, in which the court had ruled that any decisions to remove Danish citizenship should consider the consequences of a loss of EU citizenship as well as of national citizenship, in cases where EU citizenship was dependent on Danish citizenship.  

The ministry, it ruled, must ensure that any loss of EU citizenship was “in accordance with the the fundamental rights laid down in the EU charter of human rights, including the right to privacy and family life”. 

The ministry in 2019, however, interpreted this as only applying in cases where the application to retain citizenship was submitted before the deadline of the person’s 22nd birthday. 

What are the rules around citizenship for Danes born abroad?

When a child has a Danish parent, they are automatically given Danish citizenship at birth, with some exceptions.

They they have until they are 22 to apply to retain their citizenship, with citizenship normally only granted if the child can demonstrate a strong connection to Denmark, by, for instance, residing in Denmark for at least one year before turning 22 or living in another Nordic country for seven years. 

What do you have to do to regain Danish citizenship? 

You need to submit a request the ministry to resume their application, including documents demonstrating that the revocation of Danish citizenship has had an impact in relation to EU law, by, for instance harming the person’s relationships with family or their work in an EU member state other than Denmark.  

The ministry will not consider any ties to another EU country that arose after the applicant’s 22nd birthday.

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