Requirements for Permanent residence

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To obtain permanent residency of Denmark:

• You must still qualify for temporary residence
• You must be over the age of 18
• You must have resided in Denmark legally for at least five years.
• You must not have a criminal record. If you have been sentenced to more than 18 months in jail you are disqualified from receiving permanent residence. If you have been sentenced to less than 18 months in jail (whether suspended or served) you are temporarily disqualified from receiving permanent residence.
• You must not have any overdue public debts.
• You must not have received certain types of public benefits for a period of three years prior to submitting your application for permanent residence, or while your application is being processed.
• You must have submitted a signed declaration of integration and active citizenship in Denmark.
• You must have passed Prøve i Dansk 1 or a Danish language test of an equivalent or higher level.
• You must have held regular full-time employment and/or been enrolled in an educational programme in Denmark for at least three of the five years prior to submitting your application for permanent residence.
• You must be working or studying at the time at the time of becoming eligible for permanent residence.

Please note there are special requirements if:

• You have had asylum in Denmark (refugees) for the past eight years, and have shown a willingness to integrate.
• You are between the ages of 18 and 19, and have worked or studied continuously since completing primary school (folkeskolen).
• You have strong ties to Denmark. This applies to the following groups:
  • applicants who belong to the Danish minority in South Schleswig
  • applicants who have affiliation to the Danish minority in Argentina
  • applicants who have previously held Danish citizenship
  • applicants whose parents were both born as Danish citizens, or in very special cases where only one parent was born as a Danish citizen
• You are a pensioners or early age pensioner.

If you do not meet the requirements you cannot obtain permanent residence, unless you belong to the special group that is exempt from one or more of the requirements or if Denmark's international obligations require that you be granted an exemption. If you do not meet the requirements for permanent residence, you can instead apply for an extension of your temporary residence permit and then apply for a permanent residence permit at a later time.

If you reside in Denmark under EU rules, you will need to meet other requirements for permanent residence. If you are covered by the EU’s free movement of persons rule (either as an EU citizen or as a family member of an EU citizen), and you have a right to stay in Denmark, you can qualify for permanent residence under the EU’s requirements after residing in Denmark for five years.