Denmark permanent residence permit

A prison sentence of 6 months or more bars permanent residence for good. Shorter or suspended sentences and convictions for illegal work create waiting periods, for example 6 years after a suspended sentence and 12 to 15 years after short prison terms. You may have no overdue public debt; with a payment extension, debt up to DKK 143,100.98 (2026 level) is allowed, but a repayment plan does not help. You must not have received benefits under the Active Social Policy Act or the Integration Act in the 4 years before applying.

You must be over 18, have lived legally in Denmark for at least 8 years without interruption at the time of the decision, and still meet the conditions of your current permit. Permits under the special laws for displaced persons from Ukraine and for Afghans who assisted Danish authorities do not count. Periods with different spouses cannot be combined. You must pass Danish test 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2) or an equivalent exam, sign a declaration of residence and self-support, and have had regular full-time employment or self-employment for at least 3 years and 6 months in the 4 years before the decision.

You must meet at least two of these four: Danish test 3 or an equivalent exam; regular full-time employment or self-employment for 4 years within the last 4 years and 6 months; the active citizen exam or at least one year of active citizenship, for example on a school board, a parents’ committee or as a sports coach; and an average annual taxable income of at least DKK 346,155.57 (2026 level) over the 2 years before the decision. Meeting all four reduces the residence requirement to 4 years.

Apply from Denmark to the Danish Immigration Service online or with the printable form, after paying DKK 7,570 (work or study) or DKK 4,970 (family or asylum). Attach documentation of your Danish tests, employment, income such as annual tax assessments and payslips, and any active citizenship. Income earned abroad counts only if SKAT confirms it would have been taxable in Denmark.

Economically active Turkish nationals who obtained permanent residence on applications from 15 March 2017 need to have held it for only 1 year, instead of 3, before bringing a spouse under the family reunification rules. Turkish workers can also gain residence rights under the Association Agreement after one year of legal work with the same employer, independent of the original permit.

The expected maximum processing time is 12 months. A refusal can be appealed to the Immigration Appeals Board as explained in the decision, for DKK 1,040. If you were refused because of a pending charge, you can ask for the case to be reopened once the proceedings end or you expect only a fine.