Residence permit

All foreign nationals need a residence permit to stay in Denmark for more than 90 days. Citizens of the EU/EEA countries, Switzerland or the Nordic countries can reside in Denmark according to special regulations.

How to apply

Denmark’s external service provider, VFS Global, receives applications for residence permits at the Denmark visa application centre in Tokyo.

The applicant prepares the application in accordance with the instructions on the website of the Denmark visa application centre. After preparations, the applicant makes an appointment with the visa application centre, and on the day of the appointment, the applicant submits the application and supporting documentation at the centre. At the same time biometric data of the applicant is recorded. The applicant also agrees with the application centre how to receive the decision, either by postal mail (a service fee applies) or to pick up the decision letter personally.

Once the application has been submitted with all the necessary documentation, the application, the documentation and the biometric data are forwarded by the visa application centre to the Danish Embassy in Tokyo, after which the Embassy forwards the application and the biometric data to the Danish immigration authorities (DIS or SIRI) for processing.

Please note: regardless whether you apply online or you apply by a paper application, you must still appear in person at the visa application centre for submission of documents and recording biometrics. The difference between the two forms of application is that with online application you submit much less documents on the day of application at the visa application centre.

Please visit the website of the Denmark visa application centre for information about how to book an appointment and how to submit an application.

NOTE: Applications for residence permits to Iceland must be submitted to the Icelandic immigration authorities.

Fees for residence and work permits

1. There is a fee to be paid to the Danish immigration authorities. The fee is paid online at the website of the Danish immigration authorities https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB. The fee is paid when the applicant creates a Case Order ID. Please see the website of the Danish immigration authorities for the fee rates and how to pay. The applicant must bring the receipt to the Visa Application Centre when they appear at their scheduled appointment.

Exemptions from the fee to the Danish immigration authorities:

Japanese applicants for Working Holiday are exempt from paying the fee to the Danish immigration authorities. All other applicants must pay the fee.

2. There is a fee to be paid to the Embassy. Applicants for residence and work permit must pay the Embassy fee using the Webshop of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://dys.um.dk/Permit. Applicants must bring the receipt for payment to the visa application centre when they appear at their scheduled appointments. Please see the table below for the fee rates.

Exemptions from the Embassy fee:

Japanese nationals are exempt from paying the Embassy fee for residence and work permits. All other applicants must pay the Embassy fee for residence and work permits.

3. There is a fee to be paid to the visa application centre. The fee is paid in accordance with the instructions on the website of the visa application centre: https://www.vfsglobal.com/Denmark/Japan/.

Leaving for Denmark

If you are visa exempt to Denmark and you decide to go to Denmark before receiving the decision letter, make sure to inform the Danish immigration authorities (DIS or SIRI) directly about your new address in Denmark. The visa application centre and the Embassy are unable to register your new address in Denmark, and they will not contact the Danish immigration authorities on your behalf.

If you fail to inform DIS/SIRI directly about your new address in Denmark, they will send the decision letter to the Embassy, and then the letter will be sent to the visa application centre for pickup. Once that process has begun, there is no way for the visa application centre or the Embassy to re-direct your decision letter to another address. If you fail to follow this guide and leave for Denmark without notifying DIS or SIRI about your new address, you must contact the immigration authorities directly to get your decision.

Japanese citizens are visa exempt to Denmark. Therefore, Japanese citizens do not need a visa sticker in their passport to go to Denmark.

If you decide to go to Denmark on a visa-free stay, are you allowed to study and work before you have been granted a permit?
Please see the Danish Immigration authorities website for more information: https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/You-are-waiting-for-an-answer.

If you are not visa exempt to Denmark and you receive an approval, you will, in addition to your decision letter, also be granted an entry visa. The visa is a sticker which must be inserted in your passport. The visa allows you to enter Denmark within a specific period of time (which is typically shorter than the validity of your residence permit). If you are not visa exempt to Denmark, you cannot go to Denmark before you have received the visa. You must agree with the visa application centre in advance how to get the passport sent back and forth to you, or handing it in and picking it up in person.

Residence card

If you are granted a residence permit to Denmark, you will receive a residence card once you have arrived in Denmark. The decision letter will instruct you how to receive the residence card. The visa application centre and the Embassy are not able to offer guidance regarding what to do, once you have arrived in Denmark.