It is possible to move to Denmark from Australia for various reasons, such as studying, working, or starting a business there. However, Australian citizens need to apply for a Danish residence permit in order to reside in the country legally. Permanent residency is possible after eight years of holding a temporary residence permit, with some exceptions. Citizenship is possible after living continuously in the country for 9 years.
Our team describes the main steps for moving to Denmark in this article, starting with applying for the right type of residence and work permit and ending with the conditions for permanent residence in the country.
Our team specializes in offering tailored solutions if you are interested in Denmark immigration. You can reach out to our agents for more information apart from what is highlighted in this article as well as personalized advice on relocation matters.
Table of Contents
Residence and work permits in Denmark
Australian citizens who wish to move to Denmark from Australia will need a permit that will allow them to stay for more than 90 days. Foreign nationals applying for a Denmark residence permit or a work permit with the Danish Embassy through the Danish Immigration Service or the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Visa requirement to enter Denmark | Visa-free entry for up to three months. |
|
Types of temporary residence permits for those who relocate to Denmark from Australia |
– work (including special qualifications and business purposes); – study; – family reunification. |
|
Documents for temporary residence permits |
Permit-specific documents (employment agreement, educational institution acceptance letter, etc.), and general documents (ID, proof of accommodation and income, criminal record, etc.) |
| Approximate time needed to obtain a temporary stay permit | Normal processing time of 1 month for work permits, more for other types. |
| Residence permits for investors who relocate to Denmark from Australia |
Under the Start-up Denmark regime (subject to conditions for the business). |
| Temporary residence permit duration |
2 years for the Start-up permit (renewable); usually does not exceed the duration of the work agreement. Permits are renewable. |
| Post-arrival registration with the Danish authorities |
Yes |
| Australian permit holder can bring dependents to Denmark |
Yes, possible for several types of permits, subject to conditions. |
| Facilities for Australian nationals married to a Danish citizen |
The foreign spouse can qualify for residency under daily reunification. Special conditions apply when the couple has an underage Danish child. |
| Minimum lawful stay before applying for permanent residence | 8 years |
| Minimum time in the country before applying for citizenship |
9 years; long residence interruptions will affect the application. |
| Naturalization requirements |
Language skills, self-sufficiency, naturalisation, participating in a municipal constitution ceremony. |
| Dual citizenship |
Yes |
| Australian pension available in Denmark |
Yes |
| Taxes for Australian nationals in Denmark | Progressive tax rates starting at 8%, up to 56.521%. |
Our immigration lawyer in Denmark describes the following types of permits:
- Work: for employment under the fast-track scheme, for researchers as well as those who have special individual qualifications (for example, specialized chefs);
- Study: for those who have been admitted by the Copenhagen University or another higher education institution;
- Family reunification: for Australians who have a family member who is lawfully living in Denmark (can be a spouse, cohabiting partner or another family member);
- Business: if you want to open your own business in Denmark (that is innovative and can create jobs – not applicable in case of restaurants or retail shops and other business ventures).
Each of these types of permits has certain conditions for application. Our team can help you with detailed information on each one if you wish to move to Denmark from Australia.
Our team can give you complete details on the most important steps for moving to Denmark, starting with the residence permit application, and continuing with matters that need to be handled even before you arrive in your chosen Danish city. Our services are tailored to individual needs, and we can answer questions for students, just as well as for families moving with their children.
Permanent residence in Denmark
Once you have lived in Denmark for some time you can apply for a permanent residence permit. It is useful to know that special rules can apply in certain cases based on your ties to the country or your particular situation. Our Denmark immigration specialists list the periods of time after which an Australian national can apply for permanent residence:
- 8 years: this is the period after which you can apply for a permanent residence permit in Denmark under the general rules; this applies to many of those who move to Denmark from Australia.
- 5 years: for those who have stayed in the country with a residence permit as a retired employee of an international organization;
- 4 years: this is possible if the applicant meets all four of the supplementary requirements (for the language test, the minimum employment period, the active citizenship exam and the certain annual average income);
- 1 or 2 years: for special categories of foreign nationals; for Australians, this is possible if both parents are natural-born Danish citizens or, in very particular cases, if only one of the parents is a natural-born Danish citizen.
Please note that a number of particular requirements apply in all of these cases. Our immigration lawyer in Denmark can help you with detailed information about obtaining permanent residence in the country based on your particular status and the conditions you meet.
Obtaining Danish citizenship
If you want to move to Denmark from Australia and obtain Danish citizenship through naturalization, you must respect specific criteria. In terms of residency requirements, you must know the following aspects:
- You must live continuously in Denmark for at least 9 years. Within the last 2 years, you must have obtained a permanent residence permit in Denmark. Under special circumstances, you might be allowed for interrupted residence of up to 2 years;
- If you have received a significant portion of your general or professional education in Denmark, you are required only 5 years of continuous residence;
- In case you are married to a Danish citizen, you can receive a maximum reduction of 3 years of the total residency requirement. Special criteria for absence are also awarded to Australians married to Danish citizens.
Other than the residency requirement, you must also respect the following criteria in order to immigrate to Denmark from Australia and obtain citizenship:
- Do not have any criminal sentence (conditional or unconditional);
- Declare loyalty to Denmark;
- Do not have fines (for certain offenses) or debts exceeding 3,000 DKR;
- Do not receive social benefits for more than 4 months over the last 5 years;
- Pass the Danish language skills test;
- Have a full-time job (or be self-employed) at the time of application. Additionally, you must also have worked for at least 3 and a half years of the last 4 years;
- Participate in a local ceremony where a physical handshake is required.
Our immigration specialists in Denmark can offer more details about citizenship.
Dual citizenship in Denmark
Dual citizenship in Denmark is allowed. This means that if you move to Denmark from Australia and acquire Danish citizenship, you do not have to renounce your Australian citizenship.
Additionally, former Danish citizens who lost their Danish nationality by acquiring Australian citizenship before September 1, 2015, can reacquire their Danish nationality. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration handles this procedure.
Our immigration lawyers in Denmark can assist individuals with dual citizenship.
Living in Denmark
Once you decide to move to Denmark from Australia, you will need to become accustomed to the Nordic lifestyle as well as the Danish language. There are plenty of courses for adults and you will want to enroll in one that suits your schedule. As seen above, good language skills are mandatory when applying for permanent residence.
Some other practical matters you need to attend to when you move to Denmark from Australia are the following:
- Obtain a personal registration number and then the NemID;
- Open a bank account and take up insurance, as needed; several types of insurance are mandatory and our immigration lawyer in Denmark can give you more details;
- Research the schooling options, both public and private, that are available for children, if applicable;
- Exchange your driver’s license for a Danish one.
The decision to move to Denmark from Australia is an important one. Having adequate assistance from an immigration specialist can be important before you arrive in the country when you wish to apply for the adequate type of visa or permit, and once you are in Denmark, in order to make sure that you follow all of the post-arrival procedures.
If you are a foreign national from another country looking to apply for a Danish residence permit, our team can assist you. We will give you complete details about the documents that you need to submit to the Danish Immigration Service based on your reason to remain in the country. Understandably so, the documents for business purposes will be different from those for study purposes. Our team can help you with details.
Statistics about immigration in Denmark
Our team has gathered some interesting statistics about the number of immigrants who relocated to Denmark from Australia, in the year 2023:
- A total of 679 Australian citizens moved to Denmark;
- 399 were female immigrants;
- 310 immigrants resided in Copenhagen;
- 429 immigrants were aged between 20-29 years old.
You can contact our Denmark immigration specialists for more information on the services we provide to expats and how we can help you if you want to move from Australia.
