Danish citizenship through a parent

Who qualifies

• Danish at birthBorn on or after July 1, 2014 to a Danish mother, father or co-motherWherever you were born, and whether or not your parents were married.
• Likely DanishBorn earlier to a Danish mother, or to a Danish father married to your motherThe exception is a Danish mother married to a non-Dane before 1979: see the Princess Rule below.
• Depends on the datesBorn abroad before July 1, 2014 to a Danish father not married to your motherYou became Danish if your parents married before you turned 18. If not, and you were born from October 12, 1993 to June 30, 2014, you can apply without meeting the usual conditions. Born earlier? You’d need to meet the normal rules for naturalization.
• Princess RuleBorn 1961 to 1978 to a Danish mother married to a non-Danish fatherYou weren’t Danish at birth unless your mother registered you by 1981. You may be able to apply without living in Denmark.
• Usually notBorn after your Danish parent became a US or Canadian citizen before September 1, 2015Until then, Danes usually lost their citizenship when they took another, so you didn’t inherit it.
• Usually notOnly a Danish grandparent or earlier ancestorDanish citizenship passes from parent to child. There’s no descent route through grandparents.

The Princess Rule

Children born from January 1, 1961 to December 31, 1978 to a Danish mother and a non-Danish father, inside marriage, didn’t become Danish at birth. Mothers could register them from 1979 to 1981. If yours didn’t, you can apply for naturalization under the “Princess Rule”.

You don’t need to live in Denmark, and there’s no written language or citizenship test. But you must be able to hold an ordinary conversation in Danish, checked by a Danish embassy or consulate. You also generally need about a year of stays in Denmark in total before 22. The usual rules on criminal records and debts to Danish authorities apply.

The age 22 rule

If you were born abroad, you lose Danish citizenship at 22 unless you have a link to Denmark, or losing it would leave you stateless. You keep it if, before 22:

• you lived in Denmark for at least 3 months in a row, registered in the civil registration system (CPR) or at a documented address;
• your stays in Denmark, including holidays, add up to at least 1 year;
• you lived in Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden for at least 7 years in total.

To prove it, apply to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration for proof that you kept your citizenship. You can apply from age 20, directly or through a Danish embassy or consulate. It costs DKK 1,254, which isn’t refunded if you’re refused, and it currently takes about 13 to 15 months. After 22 you’ll need this proof, or evidence of your time in Denmark, for a Danish passport.

If you don’t meet those conditions, the Ministry can still decide that you kept it. It looks at how long, how often and when you stayed in Denmark, whether you speak Danish, and other ties, such as Danish relatives or clubs.

Changed in 2025: since May 1, 2025 the law no longer says you must apply before 22. You can apply later, but only your ties before your 22nd birthday count. This doesn’t help if you turned 22 before November 1, 1993.

If you’ve lost Danish citizenship

The declaration window has closed. Former Danes who lost their citizenship by becoming citizens of another country before September 1, 2015 could get it back by declaration until June 30, 2026. That route has now ended.

Lived in Denmark until 18? If you were Danish from birth and lived in Denmark until 18, you can get it back by declaration after living there again for 2 years. It costs DKK 1,150 and currently takes 18 to 20 months.

Lost it by becoming a citizen elsewhere? Since May 1, 2025 you can ask the Ministry to decide whether that loss was compatible with EU law, if it also cost you EU citizenship. Ask the Ministry what that could mean for you.

Otherwise, the way back is naturalization, which usually means living in Denmark. Former Danes get some special rules on the residence requirements.

How to apply

1. Check how the rules applied when you were bornYour birth date, where you were born and your parents’ marriage all matter. See who qualifies above.
2. If you were born abroad, apply for proof you kept itFrom age 20, to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration, directly or through an embassy or consulate.
3. Apply for a Danish passport in personAdults apply by appointment at the consulates general in Chicago, Houston, New York or Silicon Valley, or the honorary consulate in Los Angeles. The embassy in Washington DC handles children’s and emergency passports. It costs US$193 and takes about 4 weeks.

For an adult passport you must be registered as a Danish citizen in the CPR, or prove you’re Danish.

Documents

• Your full birth certificate, showing your parents’ names
• Proof your parent was Danish when you were born, such as their Danish passport or birth certificate
• Your parents’ marriage certificate, if you were born before July 1, 2014 and only your father is Danish
• Proof of your stays or residence in Denmark before 22, if you were born abroad
• Your current passport

US, Canadian and UK certificates don’t need an apostille. Documents not in Danish or English need an authorized translation. For UK, Irish and US certificates, see where to order certificates.

Common questions

What a Danish passport gives you

The right to live, work, study and retire across all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. See what an EU passport lets you do.