In Denmark, the requirements for obtaining citizenship by naturalization are among the most stringent in the world. But the authorities of the country said that they intend to tighten the rules even more.

The main change planned by the Danish government is that those who wish to acquire citizenship must reside in the country until the official ceremony (which follows the approval of citizenship) takes place.

“Not everyone can or should have Danish citizenship. But when it happens, it means you want to live in Denmark. Until you shake hands at the ceremony, you have to live in Denmark. It's common sense,” said Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad.

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What do I need at this point to become a Danish citizen?

  • Applicants must pass a separate language test as well as a citizenship test.
  • All applicants for citizenship must pay a fee, which was also introduced not so long ago. Applying for naturalization now costs 530 euros or 4000 Danish kroner. Previously, applicants could reapply without restriction and without having to pay.
  • The requirements also included applicants living in this Scandinavian country for 9 years (8 years for refugees or stateless persons) and supporting themselves financially.

According to data provided by Statista, the population of Denmark has increased significantly over the past 23 years. Only in the current year has the number of foreign citizens living in the country reached 620 thousand, twice as much as in 2000. At the beginning of this year, there were 5.31 million people with Danish citizenship in Denmark.

The Danish authorities tightened the rules for obtaining citizenship in 2021. These changes came a few months after the Danish Institute for Human Rights found that only 65% of young people born and raised in Denmark have acquired citizenship.

According to the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration, there were approximately 5,814 applications for citizenship in 2021. Of the total number of applications, 4,039 were approved and 1,315 were rejected.