Family & Spouse Visas in Denmark

Sponsoring a partner, children, or parents

Family reunification in Denmark is commonly described as the strictest regime in western Europe, and the description is accurate. A spouse or partner application is assessed against an attachment requirement, an age rule, an independent housing condition, a self-support condition, an integration requirement expressed as a points-style test, and a collateral deposit lodged with the municipality. Family members accompanying a person on a work or study permit are treated under separate and considerably lighter rules.

Two entirely different routes

The route that carries the strict conditions is spousal or partner reunification with a person already settled in Denmark, whether a Danish national, a permanent resident, or a refugee. This is where the attachment requirement, the deposit, and the integration conditions apply.

The route used by most foreign professionals is different: where a person is granted a permit under one of the work schemes, a spouse and minor children may commonly be granted accompanying permits alongside it, generally including the right to work. Those permits are derived from the main permit and lapse if it does.

The conditions on the spousal route

• Age. Both spouses generally must have reached 24 years of age.
• Attachment. The couple's combined ties to Denmark must be greater than their ties to any other country, unless the resident spouse has held Danish citizenship or lawful residence for a long qualifying period.
• Housing. The resident spouse must document independent accommodation of a defined size and tenure, and the tenancy must run for a minimum future period.
• Self-support. Neither party may have received certain forms of public assistance for a defined period before the application, and the condition continues after the decision.
• Collateral. A financial guarantee is lodged with the municipality, commonly around DKK 120,000 and adjusted each year, held to cover any later public assistance paid to the applicant.
• Integration requirement. A points-style assessment of both spouses covering language ability, education, and employment history, which must reach a published threshold.

After arrival

A reunified spouse is generally required to sign a declaration on integration and active citizenship and to pass a Danish language examination within a set period after arrival. Failure to pass on time can result in forfeiture of part of the collateral and affects later applications.

Because the conditions are assessed together and each can fail independently, applications are commonly refused for a single unmet element such as the size of the dwelling or a short period of public assistance years earlier. The published guidance on each condition is the only reliable reference, and it changes frequently.

Children

Children under 15 may generally be reunified with a parent holding a qualifying permit, subject to custody and, in certain cases, to an assessment of the possibility of successful integration where the child has lived abroad for an extended period. Applications for children are commonly required to be made within a limited period after the parent obtains a permit; delaying is a recognised cause of refusal.

Official sources

• Family reunification — New to Denmark
• Life in Denmark — family and children

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

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