Denmark student visa (higher education)

You must be admitted to a full-time higher educational programme in Denmark; part-time study does not qualify. The programme must be approved by a state authority or have a valid advisory statement from the secretariat of the Danish Accreditation Council, which took over this task on 15 September 2026 after the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA) closed on 1 July 2026. You must understand the language of instruction well enough to take part actively. Applicants under 18 need consent from both parents and a declaration from the school.

Show DKK 7,426 (2026 level) for each month you will study, capped at DKK 89,112 for programmes longer than a year. Accepted proof is a bank statement in your own name, or a granted scholarship or student loan of the same amount; statements in your parents’ names or letters promising support are not accepted. If you submit two statements they must have the same date. A receipt for first-semester tuition already paid is also accepted as proof.

The institution starts the online ST1 form; you then receive an e-mail link to complete your part. Before that you create a case order ID and pay DKK 3,060; a payment status screen is not accepted as a receipt. Attach the passport copy and proof of funds. Biometrics are recorded within 14 days at a Danish mission or visa application centre. You may not receive SU grants, housing benefit or social benefits.

Register your address to get a CPR number within 5 days of moving in, at the municipality or an International Citizen Service centre; the residence card is sent to that address. You must not give up your Danish address or stay abroad more than 6 consecutive months. Free Danish lessons require a deposit for students. A SIRI refusal can be appealed to the Immigration Appeals Board within 8 weeks for DKK 1,040.

Apply for an extension no earlier than 4 months before and no later than the day the permit expires; the permit can be extended by at most 1 year beyond the standard study period. After completing a state-approved degree you receive a job seeking permit, generally 1 year for applications from 1 October 2026 and 3 years after a PhD, with the same work rights as during studies.

PhD students may bring a spouse, registered or cohabiting partner and children under 18. For bachelor, master and similar state-approved programmes, family could come only when both the student and the family member applied before 1 October 2026; children cannot accompany students who applied on or after that date. Students of non-state-approved programmes who applied from 2 May 2025 cannot bring family, except Turkish citizens covered by the Association Agreement, whose spouse, partner and children under 18 may still be granted permits.

Students in state-approved programmes may work 90 hours a month from September to May and full time in June, July and August; more hours count as illegal work and can lead to a fine or revocation. Students in non-state-approved programmes who applied on or after 2 May 2025 get no work permit, but Turkish citizens covered by the EU–Türkiye Association Agreement can still be granted the limited work permit. A mandatory internship in the programme comes with a full-time permit for its duration.