Checked 25 September 2026. From UIM’s condition pages, the naturalisation circular nr. 9461 of 17 June 2021, UIM news on fees and bills, and nyidanmark.dk. Citizenship rules change by political agreement; whether the naturalisation bill that lapsed in February 2026 has been re-tabled was not found.
Passing Indfødsretsprøven is one condition for Danish citizenship, not the whole of it. You also need Danish at the level of Prøve i Dansk 3, normally nine years’ residence, two years with permanent residence, a work record, no recent social benefits, no overdue public debt and a clean enough criminal record — and every condition must be met when you apply and must normally still be met when the naturalisation bill is adopted. This guide sets out the conditions from the ministry’s own pages, the fees from January 2026, how applications become law, and why the permanent-residence test (Medborgerskabsprøven) is not a substitute.
UIM condition pages; UIM, Aktuelt fra Indfødsretskontoret; UIM, Behandling af ansøgningen.
Where other pages get this wrong
The first application for Danish citizenship costs 6,270 kr. from 1 January 2026.
Commonly published instead: “The citizenship application fee is approximately 3,800 DKK.”
UIM: the fee rose from 4,000 to 6,000 kr. on 18 June 2025 and, after indexation, is 6,270 kr. from 1 January 2026.
The conditions, one by one
| Condition | Main rule |
|---|---|
| Knowledge test | Passed Indfødsretsprøven of 2021 (a pass of the old test from June 2016 to June 2021 also counts) |
| Danish language | Prøve i Dansk 3 or an equivalent (e.g. Studieprøven, Danish upper-secondary exams, a Danish-language degree) |
| Language — narrow alternative | Prøve i Dansk 2 if you have had no help under the Active Social Policy or Integration Acts in the last 2 years and no more than 3 months in the last 9 years |
| Residence | Normally 9 years’ continuous residence; 8 for refugees and stateless people; 2 for Nordic citizens; 6–8 for spouses of Danish citizens |
| Permanent residence | Permanent residence for 2 years (refugees 1), and an address in Denmark |
| Self-support | No help under those Acts in the last 2 years, and no more than 4 months in total in the last 5 |
| Employment | Ordinary full-time work or self-employment for 3 years 6 months in the last 4 years, and in work when the bill is tabled |
| Public debt | No overdue public debt (tax, repayable benefits, fines, overdue SU loans and similar) |
| Criminal record | Excluded by prison sentences and some other cases; waiting periods for fines (e.g. a fine of 3,000 kr. or more: 4 years 6 months) |
| Loyalty declaration | Declare loyalty and respect for Danish values and legal principles, signed with MitID in the application |
| Ceremony | Take part in a constitutional ceremony in your municipality after the law is passed |
UIM condition pages (Indfødsretsprøven af 2021, Danskkundskaber, Ophold, Tidsubegrænset opholdstilladelse og bopæl, Selvforsørgelse, Beskæftigelse, Gæld, Strafbare forhold, Erklæring); naturalisation circular nr. 9461 of 17 June 2021.
Which citizenship conditions do you already meet?
A quick self-check against the main rules in UIM’s condition pages. It covers the ordinary case only — special residence rules (refugees, Nordic citizens, spouses of Danes) and exemptions are in the tables below.
From UIM’s pages on residence (9 years in the ordinary case), permanent residence (2 years), employment (3 years 6 months of full-time work in the last 4 years), self-support (no help in the last 2 years, at most 4 months in the last 5), language (PD3; PD2 only with no help in the last 2 years and at most 3 months in the last 9) and the knowledge test. Debt, criminal record and the loyalty declaration are not checked here. This is a snapshot for today: UIM expects the conditions to be met when you apply and still be met until the bill is adopted, and some are measured at that point (for example work in the four years before the bill and two years’ permanent residence).
The two tests are separate — and so are the two knowledge tests
Citizenship needs both a Danish language test (PD3) and Indfødsretsprøven; one does not replace the other, even though the knowledge test is itself written at PD3 reading level. The ministry’s November 2023 analysis shows why the language test matters for the knowledge test too: adult immigrants holding PD3 passed Indfødsretsprøven at 64%, those with PD2 at 21%.
Many people also confuse Indfødsretsprøven with Medborgerskabsprøven, the shorter test used for permanent residence. They are different tests for different permits, and a pass in one does not count for the other.
| Feature | Indfødsretsprøven | Medborgerskabsprøven |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Citizenship (naturalisation) | One supplementary condition for permanent residence |
| Questions / time | 45 in 45 minutes | 25 in 30 minutes |
| Pass | 36 correct incl. 4 of 5 values | 20 of 25 |
| Content | Learning material (35) + current affairs (5) + values (5) | Its own learning material |
| Fee 2026 | 946 kr. | 946 kr. |
| Next sitting | 25 Nov 2026, 13:00–13:45 | 25 Nov 2026, 11:00–11:30 |
SIRI, Om Indfødsretsprøven and Om Medborgerskabsprøven; SIRI 25 November 2026 timetable. Nyidanmark: a passed Indfødsretsprøven cannot meet the permanent-residence knowledge condition.
Fees from 1 January 2026
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| First application for naturalisation | 6,270 kr. |
| First application, under 25 and born or raised in Denmark | 4,180 kr. |
| First re-application after a refusal | Free |
| Second or later re-application | 3,135 kr. |
| Certificate of, or retention of, citizenship | 1,254 kr. |
| Declaration (acquisition or re-acquisition) | 1,150 kr. |
| Indfødsretsprøven (paid to the test centre) | 946 kr. |
UIM, Aktuelt fra Indfødsretskontoret (satsregulering 2026); SIRI dates page for the test fee.
How an application becomes citizenship
Danish citizenship by naturalisation is granted by law: the Folketing passes a bill listing the people to be naturalised. Such bills are normally tabled twice a year, in April and October. The ministry closes intake to a bill about two to three months before it is tabled, and the three readings in the Folketing usually take about two to three months. After the law passes, you take part in a constitutional ceremony in your municipality.
| Step | Typical timing | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prøve i Dansk 3 | Language-test terms; result on a certificate | Needed before you apply |
| 2. Indfødsretsprøven | May–June or Nov–Dec; result within 4 weeks | Next: 25 Nov 2026 |
| 3. Application to UIM | Any time once every condition is met | Applications are not put on hold while you finish a condition; conditions must still be met until the bill is adopted, and changes must be reported |
| 4. Intake closes for a bill | About 2–3 months before tabling | UIM |
| 5. Bill tabled and passed | April or October; about 2–3 months of readings | UIM |
| 6. Constitutional ceremony | After the law is passed | In your municipality |
UIM, Behandling af ansøgningen; UIM condition pages.
2025–26 was not a normal cycle. There was no October 2025 bill because of Denmark’s EU presidency. A single bill, L 98, was tabled in January 2026 and lapsed when the general election was called; the election took place in March 2026. We could not find an official statement on whether, when or in what form that bill has been re-tabled, and the ministry’s own bill page had not been updated. If you are waiting on it, check UIM’s news page for citizenship before planning around a date.
Exemptions and dispensation
A few groups are exempt from the knowledge test by rule: children under 12 applying without their parents (older children who have not taken the Folkeskole leaving exam need a school statement instead), certain adopted children, applicants living in the Faroe Islands or Greenland, Swedish- or Norwegian-speaking applicants with a leaving exam from a Swedish- or Norwegian-language school, Danish-minded South Schleswigers under the special rules, and applicants born 1961–1978 to a Danish mother who live abroad. UIM cannot tell you in advance whether an exemption applies to you.
Beyond those groups, only the Folketing’s Citizenship Committee (Indfødsretsudvalget) can dispense from the test — not UIM and not SIRI. The case goes to the committee if you have a medically documented long-term physical, mental, sensory or intellectual disability that means you cannot pass the test even with special conditions, and as a starting point you must show that you have tried the test with such arrangements. The medical statement must be at most two years old, and for a mental illness it must come from a psychiatrist or rest on a psychiatric assessment. Special arrangements at the test itself — extra time, a helper, text-to-speech — are applied for at the test centre by 28 October 2026 for the November sitting.
Practise it, don't just read it
If the test is the last condition left on your list, the November sitting is the one that decides whether your application can go in this winter. The official-paper quizzes show within a week whether you are clear of the 36-correct line.
The ProSyllabus library for Indfødsretsprøven has all 13 official papers from June 2020 to June 2026 as timed quizzes, ten full mock exams and topic quizzes for each part of the learning material — the first quiz is free.
What are the requirements for Danish citizenship in 2026?
Among others: Indfødsretsprøven, Danish at PD3 level, normally 9 years’ residence, 2 years with permanent residence, 3½ years’ full-time work in the last 4, no recent social benefits, no overdue public debt, a clean enough criminal record and a loyalty declaration.
Do I need PD3 for Danish citizenship?
Normally yes. PD2 is enough only if you have had no help under the Active Social Policy or Integration Acts in the last 2 years and no more than 3 months in the last 9.
How many years do I need to live in Denmark for citizenship?
Nine years’ continuous residence in the ordinary case; shorter for refugees, Nordic citizens and spouses of Danish citizens.
How much does a Danish citizenship application cost?
6,270 kr. for a first application from 1 January 2026.
Can Medborgerskabsprøven be used for citizenship?
No. Citizenship requires Indfødsretsprøven, and a passed Indfødsretsprøven does not meet the permanent-residence test condition either.
Can I apply before I pass the test?
No. Every condition must be met when you apply — and normally still be met when the bill is adopted — and UIM does not put applications on hold while you finish one.
How long does Danish citizenship take after applying?
It depends on which bill your application joins: bills are normally tabled in April and October, intake closes about 2–3 months before, and the readings take about 2–3 months.
What happened to the 2026 citizenship bill?
Bill L 98, tabled in January 2026, lapsed when the election was called. We could not find an official statement on its re-tabling.
Can I be exempted from the citizenship test?
Some groups are exempt by rule; otherwise only the Folketing’s Citizenship Committee can dispense, on documented long-term disability grounds.
Does a pass of the citizenship test expire?
No expiry is stated. A pass of the old test taken June 2016–June 2021 still counts.
Do I have to attend a ceremony?
Yes — a constitutional ceremony in your municipality after the law is passed.
Does debt stop a citizenship application?
Overdue public debt does — for example unpaid tax, repayable benefits or fines.
Is there an official English guide to the conditions?
Yes — the Life in Denmark (borger.dk) page on conditions for Danish citizenship summarises them in English.
More in this series
- November 2026: register by 21 Oct, fee, ID rules
- Format and pass mark: 45 questions, 36 correct, 4 of 5 values
- The values questions: 50 real ones analysed
- Pass rates 2016–2026: who passes and why people fail
- The learning material: August 2026 edition, what changed
- Past papers decoded: what repeats, what is hardest
- Danish citizenship test notice board — official updates
Sources
- official — UIM — Betingelser (conditions for citizenship, dispensation)
- official — UIM — Indfødsretsprøven af 2021 (exemptions and dispensation)
- official — UIM — Danskkundskaber (language requirement)
- official — UIM — Ophold (residence requirement)
- official — UIM — Tidsubegrænset opholdstilladelse og bopæl (permanent residence and address)
- official — UIM — Selvforsørgelse (self-support)
- official — UIM — Beskæftigelse (employment)
- official — UIM — Gæld til det offentlige (public debt)
- official — UIM — Strafbare forhold (criminal offences)
- official — UIM — Erklæring om troskab og loyalitet (declaration of loyalty)
- official — Cirkulæreskrivelse om naturalisation nr. 9461 af 17/06/2021 (retsinformation.dk)
- official — UIM — Aktuelt fra Indfødsretskontoret (fees from 1 Jan 2026, bill L 98)
- official — UIM — Behandling af ansøgningen (how applications are processed)
- official — Nyidanmark — Permanent residence (the knowledge-test condition)
- official — SIRI — Om Medborgerskabsprøven
- official — SIRI — Om Indfødsretsprøven (about the test)
- official — SIRI — Vidensprøverne 25. november 2026: datoer og frister (PDF)
- official — UIM Integrationsbarometer — Indfødsretsprøven November 2023: participants and pass rates (PDF)
- official — Life in Denmark (borger.dk) — conditions for Danish citizenship (English)
- reported — Borgerklar — cost (reported; see corrections)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
