Danish Citizenship

Dual Citizenship

Dual Citizenship 

On September 1, 2015, a new Nationality Act concerning multiple nationality came into force. The law means that:

• Danish nationals who wish to acquire a foreign nationality may do so without losing their Danish citizenship. In this regard they do not need to take any action in relation to the Danish authorities.
• Foreign citizens, who are included in a bill on naturalization, are no longer required to renounce their previous nationality.
• Former Danish citizens, who have lost their Danish nationality by acquiring a foreign nationality before September 1, 2015, have the opportunity to reacquire their Danish nationality by making a declaration to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
• An initial 5-year transition period expired on August 31, 2020. 
• As of July 1, 2021, former Danish citizens are again able to reacquire Danish nationality provided they fulfil certain requirements. The declaration must be made between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2026.

For more detailed information regarding dual citizenship, please see the following websites:

• Multiple nationalities
• Tidligere Danske statsborgere
  

Children born abroad

For information regarding citizenship for children born abroad, please click and read more here.

The rules regarding automatic acquisition of Danish citizenship at birth for children born before July 1, 2014 have changed several times. The child’s citizenship is determined by the law on Danish nationality in place at the time of the child’s birth. The determination may depend on which parent was a Danish citizen, whether the parents were married at the time of the child’s birth, and whether the child was born in Denmark or abroad.

For children born abroad before July 1, 2014, a distinction was made between children born in and out of wedlock. If only the father was a Danish national, the child had to be born in wedlock to become a Danish national by birth. 

As of July 1, 2014, the Law on Danish nationality changed to the effect that a child acquires Danish nationality at birth if either the mother or the father is Danish, regardless of whether the child is born in or out of wedlock. The child also acquires Danish nationality if the co-mother is Danish. 

Children born out of wedlock to a Danish father and a foreign mother between October 11, 1993 and June 30, 2014 may apply for Danish citizenship. For detailed information, see Børn født uden for ægteskab af en udenlandsk mor og en dansk far.

The 22-Year Rule – Retaining Danish Citizenship beyond the age of 22

According to the Danish Nationality Act, any person born abroad who has never been resident in Denmark nor stayed in Denmark under conditions indicating some close association with Denmark shall lose his/her Danish nationality on reaching the age of 22, unless this will make the person concerned stateless. 

Please read more about the 22-year rule under “What is the “22-year-rule” in the passport FAQ.

For detailed information, please see Bevarelse af dansk statsborgerskab. 

Please note: When applying for a Danish passport, Danish citizens born abroad and above the age of 22 must show a certificate of citizenship or be able to document that they have fulfilled the residency requirements for retention. In order to avoid delays, all Danish citizens born abroad are strongly encouraged to apply for retention of/proof of their Danish citizenship.

The Princess Rule

Children born in wedlock to a Danish mother and a father of foreign nationality during the period of January 1, 1961 to December 31, 1978 did not obtain Danish nationality by birth. As an alternative, Danish mothers had the option to make a declaration by which their child obtained Danish nationality, cf. s. 2(2) of Act No. 117 of March 29, 1978.

Children born during this period whose mother did not make a declaration to this effect may apply for Danish nationality by naturalization according to the “Princess Rule”.

Applying for naturalization under the Princess Rule does not require current residence in Denmark, however you must have either lived in Denmark for a continuous period of 3 months or visited for a cumulative 12 months before the age of 22 (see the 22-year rule above).

You are also exempt from passing the Danish citizenship test, including the language test. However, you must be able to conduct an ordinary conversation in Danish, evaluated by a Danish embassy or consulate.

Other requirements for obtaining Danish nationality by naturalization must be fulfilled. You may not be eligible, if you have been sentenced to imprisonment longer than 18 months or have been convicted of other offences, and you may not have debt to the Danish authorities.

Children cannot be included in the application, unless they are residents of Denmark. 

Please see Application for Danish citizenship (naturalization) for link to the application form. In order to schedule evaluation of Danish language proficiency, please contact the Embassy or nearest Danish speaking consulate.

For further information, please contact the Embassy or the nearest Consulate General.