Citizenship by declaration

Citizenship by declaration

The groups of persons mentioned below may acquire Danish citizenship by submitting a declaration to the High Commissioner. This will save the persons the longer processing times required to acquire citizenship by naturalisation.

Danish citizenship is acquired on the date of submission of the declaration, on the condition that the requirements are subsequently found to have been met. The declaration is submitted using a specific form, which is available from the High Commissioner’s Office or can be downloaded using the links in the text below. The declaration and any documents mentioned therein must then be submitted to the High Commissioner’s Office. If the application meets the requirements, the applicant will receive proof of Danish citizenship. The High Commissioner’s Office will also notify the relevant authorities of the applicant’s acquisition of Danish citizenship.

Nordic citizens, pursuant to Art. 3:

A Nordic citizen may acquire Danish citizenship by declaration when the person:

• has had their 18^th birthday, but not yet their 23^rd birthday,
• at the time of making the declaration is resident in the Realm,
• has been resident in the Realm for a total of at least 10 years, of these at least 5 years within the last 6 years
• has no criminal record and has not been sentenced to any measures pursuant to Section 9 of the Criminal Code, and
• is not charged with any violation of the Criminal Code

Application forms for persons aged 18 to 23 is available below:

In addition, declarations may be submitted by persons, who:

• have acquired citizenship of a Nordic country by means other than naturalisation
• are aged 18 or older
• have been permanently resident in the Realm for the last 7 years and
• during this period have not been handed a prison sentence or been sentenced to any measure that can be considered equivalent to a custodial sentence

Application for persons aged 18 or older:

Persons resident in the Realm who wish to regain Danish citizenship, pursuant to Art. 4:

If a person, who acquired Danish citizenship at birth and has lived in this Realm until their 18^th birthday, has lost their Danish citizenship, the person may regain their citizenship by declaration to the High Commissioner, provided that the person has been resident in this Realm for the last 2 years.

In addition, a person who has lost Danish citizenship and thereafter has remained a citizen of a Nordic country may regain his or her citizenship when the person, after establishing permanent residence in the Realm, submits a declaration to this effect to the High Commissioner’s Office.

Application form – regaining citizenship resident in the Realm:

Transition scheme – Reacquisition of Danish citizenship for former Danish citizens, pursuant to Art. 3:

Former Danish citizens, who lost their Danish citizenship as a consequence of the now repealed Art. 7 of the Citizenship Act (e.g. on account of applying for and obtaining citizenship of another country), may during a five-year period starting on August 3^rd, 2019, regain Danish citizenship by submitting a declaration to this effect to the High Commissioner’s Office in the Faroe Islands.

It is a condition for regaining Danish citizenship by declaration, that the former Danish citizen must not have been sentenced to any unconditional prison sentence between the time when they lost Danish citizenship and the time of submission of the reacquisition declaration.

For former Danish citizens over 22 years, who were born abroad, it is the case that if no decision was made by their 22^nd birthday to maintain their Danish citizenship, pursuant to Art. 8 of the Citizenship Act, it is a further condition that said person before their 22^nd birthday must have been resident in this Realm or have stayed in this Realm for a period of at least 1 year in total.

Application form – transition scheme – reacquisition:

Transition scheme – Foreign nationals naturalised by statute on the condition of release, pursuant to Art. 4:

Foreign nationals naturalised by a citizenship statute, which was adopted in December 2016 or later, with a requirement that they renounce their hitherto citizenship, and which were not released from their hitherto citizenship may, for a two-year period starting on August 3^rd, 2019, submit a declaration to the High Commissioner in the Faroe Islands whereby they acquire Danish Citizenship without renouncing their current citizenship.

Application form – transition scheme – naturalised by legislative act:

Children, pursuant to Art. 5:

When a person acquires Danish citizenship by declaration the naturalised person’s children, including adoptive children, also become entitled to that citizenship, unless it is expressly stated that the child shall not be included.

It is a condition that:

• the declaring person holds custody over the child,
• the child is unmarried,
• the child is under the age of 18, and
• the child is resident in this Realm.

For adoptive children it is also a condition that the adoption is valid pursuant to Danish law.

Fee:

On submission of a Danish citizenship declaration to the High Commissioner’s Office in the Faroe Islands, a fee of DKK 1,100 is payable before processing of the application can begin. 

The fee is payable by bank transfer to:

Danske Bank, Reg. no.: 0216, Account no.: 4069069991

The applicant’s name must be included as a reference when making the transfer.

A receipt for the fee payment must be attached to the application.

 A person who has been sentenced to expulsion, or who is the subject of a case where expulsion has been requested by the prosecution service, cannot acquire Danish citizenship by declaration.