How to apply for Denmark Visa

HOW TO APPLY FOR DENMARK VISA

Denmark is a Scandinavian country surrounded by numerous beautiful islands, rich in culture and architecture, and an attraction to tourists from around the world. However, not everyone can enter Denmark freely. Some people need to apply for a Denmark visa (also known as a Schengen visa) if they want to visit.

You can apply for a Denmark visa for various reasons such as business, family visit or reunion, travel, culture, or medical condition.

Who Needs a Visa for Denmark?

You do not need a Denmark visa if:

• You are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can visit, work, study, or live in Denmark without restrictions.
• You are from a country that has a visa-free agreement with Schengen. If you are a citizen from the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, etc., you can stay in Denmark without a visa for up to 90 days. Remember, you do not have permission to work during this time.

Note: Any non-EU/EEA citizen who wants to work or stay in Denmark longer than 90 days has to apply for a Danish long-stay visa (D visa).

Types of Denmark Visas

Depending on the purpose of your travel, the Denmark visas are divided into three main categories:

• Denmark Schengen Visas.
• Denmark Long Stay Visas.
• Denmark Transit visa.

The types of Danish visas that you can apply for, are the following:

• Danish Schengen Visa. The Denmark tourist visa is a Schengen visa that is issued for tourism or business purposes, allowing you to visit Denmark and all other countries in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days. You cannot work with a Danish Schengen visa, and you cannot extend your stay for more than three months unless you have extraordinary reasons (such as an illness, political turmoil in your home country, etc).
• Danish Work Visa. All non-EU citizens have to apply for a work visa and permit before starting work in Denmark. The application requires information from both you and your employer. You must have an employment contract before submitting your application.
• Danish Working Holiday Visa. The Denmark Working Holiday Visa is valid for 12 months. It allows you to get acquainted with Danish culture and lifestyle while working to support yourself. This visa is available to citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, and Chile who are between the ages of 18 and early- to mid-30s.
• Danish Student Visa If you are a non-EU national and want to study in Denmark for longer than three months, you need to apply for a student visa. This will allow you to stay and continue your education in Denmark for the entire duration of your course. Your student visa allows you to enter Denmark 30 days (1 month) before your educational program starts and stay for 14 days (2 weeks) after the program ends.  After your studies end, you must depart Denmark, unless you have found a job and can apply for a work and residence permit.
• Danish Startup Visa. A Denmark startup visa is dedicated to non-EU and non-EEA citizens allowing them to submit a business plan or idea, which needs to be approved by the panel of experts chosen by the Danish Business Authority. The plan may be presented in partnership with EU/EEA citizens, but non-EU/EEA citizens will need to obtain a residence permit after the business approval.
• Danish Family Visa. You can apply for a family visa if you have close family members (spouses, children) living in Denmark. After your application for family reunification is approved, you will be allowed a temporary residence permit with a validity of two years. The residence permit allows you to work when your permit is valid. You are also allowed to run your own business.
• Danish Airport Transit Visa. A Danish airport transit visa allows the holder to enter a Danish airport to catch a flight to a third country.

Difference Between a Denmark Type D Visa and a Schengen Visa

Here is a comparison between a Denmark Schengen visa and a type D national visa to help you determine what visa you need to apply for:

Denmark Schengen Visa	Denmark Type-D Visa
Short-stay visa	Long-stay visa
Allows you to stay for 90 days (3 months)	Allows you to stay for a period of up to 1 year
Cannot grant you a residence permit	Can grant you a residence permit
Recommended for traveling and tourism purposes.	Mandatory for living, studying, or working in Denmark.

 

Who Needs a Visa to Transit Through a Danish Airport?

You need a Danish transit visa if you are from one of the following countries:

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Iran
• Iraq
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka
• Syria

Citizens of other countries do not need a visa to transit in Denmark as long as they do not leave the airport transit area. Also, anyone who is exempt from a Danish Schengen visa is also exempt from a transit visa requirement.

Danish Visa Application Process

This is what you need to do to apply for a Denmark visa:

1.   Schedule an appointment. Book an appointment with the Danish representative (embassy/consulate) in your country. 

2.   Fill in the visa application form. The application form has 37 questions that you must answer honestly. Any false information will result in the rejection of your visa. Make sure to follow the instructions on how to fill in the application form

3.   Pay the visa fee. You have to pay the visa fee after filling in your application. The standard payment fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children.

4.   Write a cover letter. Write a letter stating the reason for your visit and provide details of your trip. Don’t make it longer than one to two pages, and make sure to include all the required information.

5.   Attach biometrics and documents. Compile all the required documents (passport, photographs, cover letter, etc.)

6.   Apply in person. You have to submit your application to your nearest Denmark Embassy or Consulate and wait for the decision.

7.   Wait to hear a decision. The approval process takes around two weeks. You will be notified via email or SMS of the board’s decision.

click here to download the Schengen Visa Application Form Download.

                                      Download here 

Denmark Visa Via Travel Agencies and Tourist Arrangements

Denmark has special travel agencies and tourist arrangements for tourists from Russia, China, Ukraine, and India. Applicants can apply through travel-related companies that have accredited up to 25 hotel chains and five holiday accommodation rental chains. The ADS arrangement in China applies only to tourist groups.

People from Russia, Ukraine, China, and India can use travel arrangement agencies if they meet the following requirements:

1.   The trip must be organized by hotel chains or holiday accommodation rental chains accredited by the Immigration Service and a Chinese, Indian, Russian, or Ukrainian travel agency accredited by the embassy/consulate.

2.   The hotel chains, holiday accommodation rental chains, and the Chinese or Indian travel agency must have accepted a collaboration agreement.

3.   Documents that prove the trip is a package deal (hotel transport and reservation, a holiday home, holiday center).

Required Documents for Denmark Visa

There are a few documents that are required when you apply for a Denmark Visa, such as:

• A valid passport. You must have a passport not older than ten years with at least six months of validity. The passport should have two blank pages for stamping.
• Two colored passport-sized photos (not older than six months, with a plain white background). Take photos according to the Schengen visa photo requirements.
• A cover letter stating the purpose of your visit. Write a letter stating the reason why you think the board should approve your application and the reason why you are visiting Denmark. You should send your letter to the Denmark Embassy or Consulate. Find samples and tips on how to write a cover letter online.
• Proof of financial income. Proof of financial income is required to show that the applicant can afford to travel and stay in Denmark.
• Proof of paid visa fee. You can pay the visa fee in the appointed Embassy/Consulate or online. Print the receipt and submit it together with your other documents.
• Proof of civil status. Your civil status will show whether you are married, divorced, widowed, or in a relationship.
• Confirmed accommodation. You need to submit proof that you have a place to stay in Denmark. The accommodation can be a hotel, family friend, relative, etc.

Processing Time for a Denmark Visa Application

The processing time for a Denmark Visa application may take up to 15 days. In certain situations, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be extended to a maximum of 60 days. You may submit your visa application up to six months before traveling.

How Can I Pay the Denmark Visa Fee?

Depending on where you submit your application, you can pay your fee:

• In cash
• Through a bank transfer, or
• Online (through the application website).

If you apply via a travel agency, you also have to pay an additional service fee.

Who is Exempt From the Visa Fees for Denmark?

The following categories of applicants are exempt from paying application fees when applying for a visa to Denmark:

• Children between the age of 0-6.
• Researchers and scientists.
• Family members of EU/EEA nationals.

What If the Danish Authorities Reject My Visa Application?

The embassy may reject your visa application if there are any missing documents or your application is not filled out in the correct way.

If your visa application is rejected, you can always write an appeal letter. You can appeal the visa rejection if you are confident that the officials at the embassy made a mistake during the process of approval by providing solid arguments to support your claims.

Your appeal letter should contain your personal information such as first/last name, passport number, address, date of birth, etc.

Aside from your personal data, you have to include the following:

• The refusal date
• The reason for the refusal
• The reason why the refusal was not the right decision
• Your signature.

If the appeal letter gets rejected, you can re-apply for a new visa.

How Long Can I Stay in Denmark With a Visa?

A Denmark Schengen visa allows you to stay a maximum of 90 days in 180 days, including all Schengen countries. If you are issued a multiple-entry visa, you can use the 90 days for more than one visit. The visa sticker on your passport presents the period of validity, which includes the day you enter the country and the day you leave. It is your responsibility to respect the period of validity.

Staying in Denmark Longer Than Three Months

If you plan on staying for longer than three months in Denmark, you will need to get a residence permit. You can only obtain a residence permit, if you initially apply for one of the Denmark long-stay visas which allow you to stay, work, or study in Denmark for more than 90 days.

Nordic and EU citizens can live and work in Denmark without a visa.

Danish Type D Visas

If you want to stay for an extended period in Denmark, you must apply for a Denmark long-stay visa. The D visa is the Denmark national visa and is not issued jointly with the other Schengen States. You apply for a long-stay visa if you want to work, study, or otherwise move to Denmark.

If you are issued a long-stay visa for Denmark, you cannot live elsewhere in Schengen or the EU. Unlike Schengen, the long-stay D visa is only valid for Denmark.

Airport Transit Schengen Visa

The Transit Schengen Visa is a document that has been established by the Schengen Area Member States with the sole purpose of facilitating traveling for non-EU/EEA nationals who have to land at an airport located in the Schengen Area, in order to take a flight to their non-Schengen destination country.

The document permits its holder to transit through a Schengen country to their non-Schengen destination country, without leaving the transit area of the airport.

However, travelers that need to land in more than one airport of the Schengen territory, should apply for a regular Schengen visa, instead of a Transit Schengen visa.

If the traveler is going to a Schengen member country, i.e in Finland, and has to transit through another Schengen country, i.e. Germany, then there is no need to obtain a Transit Visa, since the Schengen visa already permits the traveler to enter any Schengen country.

Here is the list of the 29 Schengen countries:

• Austria                 Belgium             Bulgaria
• Czechia               Croatia               Denmark
• Estonia                Finland               France
• Germany             Greece               Hungary
• Iceland                Italy                    Latvia
• Liechtenstein       Lithuania            Luxembourg
• Malta                   Netherlands        Norway
• Poland                 Portugal              Romania
• Slovakia              Slovenia              Spain
• Sweden               Switzerland