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DANISH CITIZENSHIP

How does Denmark’s citizenship application fee compare to other countries?

Denmark’s government on Tuesday announced it will rise the fee for applying for citizenship from 4,000 kroner to 6,000 kroner. How do other European countries compare?

How does Denmark’s citizenship application fee compare to other countries?
Danish passports. Photo: Scharvik/Getty Images

In a statement, the government said it was raising the fee for apply for citizenship to 6,000 kroner so that it “more closely reflects the costs of case processing”.

The current fee, 4,000 kroner, has applied since 2021 when it was raised from 3,800 kroner.

The 3,800 kroner fee was introduced in 2018, when the then-government tripled it from the fee of 1,200 kroner that had been payable until that point, saying this was needed to pay for new mandatory citizenship ceremonies.

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Even before the new fee hike takes effect, Denmark’s citizenship costs are among Europe’s highest. However, the new fee will not take it above the cost of becoming a naturalised Austrian, where the initial application fee of €130 is followed by additional fees of up to €1,500 if citizenship is granted.

Next door (but outside the EU), prices skyrocket even further. In Switzerland, applicants need to pay local, regional, and federal fees, which vary depending on cantons. In certain regions, costs could surpass an eye-watering CHF 3,000 (around €3,100). 

For context, the new Danish fee of 6,000 kroner corresponds to around €800, while 4,000 kroner is around €530.

France’s application fee is just €55 but people aiming for French nationality must also pay additional costs for things like certified translations and language tests.

In Spain, the fee is €104 and in Italy it is €250.

READ ALSO: Which European countries have the toughest rules for gaining citizenship?

Closer to home, neighbouring Norway’s application fee is far lower than Denmark’s at 2,500 Norwegian kroner, around €250. Like Denmark, Norway has various citizenship criteria relating to things like length of stay, language proficiency and criminal record, but doesn’t have a Danish-style citizenship ceremony.

In Sweden, the fee is 1,500 kronor or €130, the cheapest of the three Scandinavian countries. Sweden does not have a language requirement for citizenship to be granted, although plans are afoot to introduce one.

As things stand, Germany’s citizenship application fee is €255. However, extensive changes to German citizenship rules are set to be announced in the coming weeks, meaning this is expected to change.

Although Denmark figures near the top of the list of countries detailed above, other countries (not covered by The Local) do have similarly high citizenship fees. These include The Netherlands (€925), Ireland (€175 on application, €950 if approved) and the UK, where the £1,630 application fee for naturalisation is by far the highest of any country in Northern Europe.

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DANISH CITIZENSHIP

How Danish Olympic medal highlighted slow citizenship process

The success of one of Denmark’s medallists at the Paris Olympics has reignited discussion of the country’s drawn-out citizenship process after it was revealed his case could have been concluded too late for him to compete.

How Danish Olympic medal highlighted slow citizenship process

Wrestler Turpal Bisultanov, who last week won a bronze medal for Denmark in the Paris Olympics, was almost unable to represent his country at the games because of the long processing time on citizenship applications.

Bisultanov’s story has highlighted the long waiting times applicants must wait before being given citizenship rights, despite fulfilling Denmark’s strict requirements for naturalisation.

Several politicians have subsequently criticised the slow processing times, broadcaster DR reports.

The current average processing time of a citizenship application is 19 months.

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“Waiting several years to have your application processed is far, far too long,” Christina Olumeko of the Alternative party told DR.

“This is simply embarrassing and very demeaning for the people who have spent time and money fulfilling the many criteria. It is not reasonable of Denmark,” she said.

Bisultanov passed the Danish citizenship test in 2022 and was subsequently informed the waiting time on his application was 22 months.

That would have meant he would not have received citizenship in time to represent Denmark at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where he eventually went on to win a bronze medal.

The Danish sports federation DIF subsequently applied for dispensations on the wrestler’s behalf, which reduced the processing time for his case to 14 months.

The vast majority of applicants for Danish citizenship are unable to get their cases expedited in this way.

In DR’s report, another left-wing party, the Red Green Alliance, along with an association for immigration lawyers, Foreningen af Udlændingeretsadvokater, also criticise the current processing times.

Going further back, the centre-right Liberal (Venstre) party said in 2012 that it was taking too long – then 16 months – to process citizenship claims.

On social media X (Twitter) Samira Nawa of the centre-left Social Liberals (Radikale Venstre) remarked on Bisultanov’s case and highlighted another potential Danish Olympian who missed out because of the same issue.

“Turpal got Denmark a bronze in the Olympics. But he almost had to stay at home because of unreasonably long processing times. Crazy citizenship rules and long waiting times have meanwhile prevented Rico Coker from participating in the breakdancing,” she wrote.

Coker, who was born in Denmark to Gambian parents, had to cancel plans to represent Denmark in the Olympic breakdancing competition.

READ ALSO: Do children born in Denmark automatically get Danish citizenship?

Minister for Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek told DR in a written statement that he admitted “processing times for naturalisation cases have been long – and too long – for a number of years”.

But he added that “more citizenship cases are currently processed than are submitted”, and that he therefore has “no plans at this time to initiate further measures.”

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