Denmark is a member of the European Union and in the Schengen area, so EU citizens and citizens of Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein—the European Free Trade Association (ETFA)— just need a valid passport or ID card to enter.Citizens of many countries, from Argentina to Australia and the UAE to the United States, do not need a visa to enter, so long as they are planning to visit for business or pleasure, stay less than 90 days in a 180-day period and have a passport issued within 10 years that is valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the Schengen zone.
For all Denmark visas you need the following:
• A completed application form
• A covering letter explaining the purpose of your visit to Denmark and your itinerary
• Two passport photos
• Your passport with at least two blank pages
• Proof of travel health insurance (with at least 30,000€ coverage)
• Proof of financial means (bank statement from the last six months)
• Travel information: flight and accommodation records or reservations
You may also be asked for other information depending on your intended purpose and your status. For some applications you will need an invitation from a host in Denmark.
All Danish visas cost 60€ for adults and 35€ for children aged 6 to 11 years old (free for younger children). All visas can be prepared and paid for online through the Danish system ApplyVisa, but need to be completed in person at a Visa Application Center or Danish mission. At that point you will need to provide fingerprints.
Tourist Visa
This visa allows visitors to be in Denmark for less than 90 days for the sole purpose of tourism and recreation.
Business Visa
This visa lets visitors engage in temporary work or business in Denmark (not take a job in Denmark, though). For this visa you need the above information as well as an invitation letter from a Danish company, a letter from your employer explaining the purpose of your travel, bank statements for the last six months and an explanation of how your expenses will be paid during travel (whether the Danish company or the foreign company is responsible).
Student Visa
This visa is for people who want to study in a Danish institution or conduct research in Denmark. Valid for less than 6 months, student visas require proof of acceptance into a course or university, proof of courses or study completed prior to arrival and proof of financial means.
Transit Visa
This visa is required if you have a layover in a Danish airport. To get it you’ll need a copy of a valid visa for your final destination.
Medical Treatment Visa
To get this visa, valid for entering the country and staying less than 90 days for medical treatment, you will need a medical report from your doctor and a note from a doctor in Denmark, confirming your appointment and your plan of treatment.
Work Permits
Almost all EU, EEA, and Nordic (Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden) citizens do not need a work permit for Denmark. Citizens from other countries need to apply for residence and work permits before entering Denmark, unless they already legally reside in Denmark, in which case they can submit their application at a Danish police station. Work and residency permits usually take 1-3 months to be approved.
For the work permit part, you will be asked which situation you are in from the list of the following possibilities.
Fast-Track Scheme
In this situation, you have been offered a job in Denmark by a Danish Immigration Service (SIRI certified company) and want to start quickly and have flexibility in spending time working abroad.
Pay Limit Scheme
For this type of permit, you have been offered a job with a yearly salary of at least DKK 436,000.
Positive List
You have received a job offer in a profession experiencing a shortage of qualified workers.
Researcher
You have received an offer to be a researcher at a private or public institution.
Employed PhD
You have received an offer to work as a PhD in a study program in Denmark.
Guest Researcher
You have been invited as a guest researcher to Denmark
Special Individual Qualifications
You have a job offer that only you are qualified for i.e. as an athlete or artist.
Herdsmen and Farm Managers
You have been offered one of these jobs in the agricultural sector.
All work permit applications require sending in the employment contract or job offer (that cannot be more than 30 days old), documentation of education and qualifications, a completed application form and biometrics including photos and fingerprints, as well as the payment of an application fee of about 400€.
All work permits allow for your family, which can be a spouse or a cohabitating partner and children under the age of 18, to come with you to Denmark. You will be asked for documentation like a marriage certificate or birth certificate and to prove that the sponsor (the person with the work permit) can support their family. Find more information on family sponsorship here.
Residency
In Denmark, applying for a visa and applying for a residency permit follow the same process. If you apply for a work permit, it will come with a temporary residency permit that cannot last longer than four years.
To apply for permanent residency in Denmark, you need to have lived in Denmark for 8 years ( sometimes can be shortened depending on your job and your ties to Denmark) or for 5 years as an EU citizen. You’ll be required to pay a fee of about 300€, fill in an online application form TU1-4 and update your biometrics, as well as provide the following documents: proof that you meet the housing requirements, proof of employment, proof of language competency, proof of income and proof of active citizenship.
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