I have a residence permit in Denmark

The best status is §7 stk. 1 (convention status). If you were given §7 stk. 2 or §7 stk. 3 you can make a complaint to the Refugee Appeals Board. There is no time limit for handing in a complaint. We recommend that you get help from us or another NGO with your complaint.

Yes. In the first place the permit is always temporary, and you can lose it, until you get a permanent residence permit. All asylum permits will be automatically processed for extension – but if your permit is due to family reunification, you must check the expiry date and ask to have it extended before that date. Normally permits will be extended without problems, but it takes around 7 months. During that period you must ask permission for re-entry if you leave Denmark.

You can also lose it if:

- it turns out that it was given under false pretences

- you have travelled to your home country (if the permit is due to asylum, under sections §7 or §8 of the Danish Alien Act)

- you have stayed too long outside of Denmark (max 6 months is the limit, but you can ask for permission in advance if you need to stay away longer)

- you were granted asylum because of general conditions in your home country which have later changed for the better (this will mostly concern asylum under §7,3*

- you got permission on family reunification and you are no longer living with the family member (women who left a violent husband can sometimes keep it)

- you commit a crime leading to a conviction of expulsion (but if you are a refugee you might get it back)

*) If you lose your permit for this reason, you might get a work permit instead if you have been working fulltime for the same employer for at least 2 years.

Read more: Revoking or denial of extension / Expulsion sentences and Tolerated Stay

Yes. If you have been granted stay in Denmark because of family reunification, work permit, study permit or other grounds, you can still apply for asylum. Maybe you have the same problems that your spouse had when asking asylum, or maybe something happened after you left. This will ensure you more rights, and you will be more independent.

You must go to your local police station and apply. They will register you as asylum  seeker, and you will later be called in for interview with Immigration Service via a letter or in your e-Boks.

You don't have to stay in an asylum camp during the process. You can also maintain a job or study while the case is pending. If you are granted asylum, you must choose which one of your permits you want to activate (the other one will then be passive, but can still be renewed).

All refugees (which means having a permit under §7 or §8) will have their permit processed for extension automatically, so the only thing you need to do is reply to the questions you will receive from Immigration Service at some point.

But if you have a permit as family reunified or anything else, it is very important that you apply for extension ("forlængelse") before your permit expires, otherwise you will lose it. Family reunified to refugees are free from fees,  and in most cases the extension will be granted without problems, providing you have applied in time. You can apply 3 months before it expires, and right up to the date of expiry.

To get an extension, you must still fulfill the criteria for your original permit. If you have asylum under §7,2 or §7,3, the permit might not be extended if the security situation in your home country has improved.

If you have a permit because of family reunification, normally you must still be living with your family member to keep it (but there are a few exceptions, contact us if in doubt). Remember, you must also ask for extension of your children's permits.

You must apply online with your NemID here.

All kinds of residence permits are temporary at first (normally given for two years at a time) and must be extended before expiring. When you have been here legally for 8 years, you can apply for permanent residency (after only 4 years if you can meet all the demands, which is exceptional).

It will not be granted automatically – you must fulfil the criteria at the time of applying. Children can not apply, as their status will follow their parents. But if you apply when you are 18-19 years old and have lived legally in Denmark for at least 8 years, the requirements are easier to meet.

See the criteria here, and in more detail on nyidanmark).

Citizenship can only be granted after obtaining permanent residency, and the criteria are a little different, read more here. Children will not get Danish citizenship because they are born in Denmark, unless they would otherwise be stateless. Normally a child's citizenship will follow one or both parents.

There are fees for applying for both permanent residence and citizenship, also for refugees.

Yes, but you might lose the special integration support if you move during the first 3 years. If you get married to somebody in another kommune, one of them must accept both of you and continue the integration program. If you find a job, or if you have completed language school, there is no reason not to move – but the kommune will not be responsible for helping you to find a place to live. You will be in the same position as a Danish person who decides to move.

If you suffer from trauma, anxiety, depression or other mental problems, you must tell your family doctor about it. He/she can refer you to professional examination and list you for proper treatment. Many doctors don't see the signs if they are not used to meeting refugees, and many refugees are hiding their problems, thinking it will pass in time. Trauma tends to get worse if they are not treated, so ask for help right from the start. Some physical problems can also be caused or worsened by mental problems.

There are special programs for torture survivors, and sometimes the whole family can be included in a rehabilitation program. One of the places is DIGNITY, read more on their website.

Health issues can be hard to recognize or treat due to communication problems and differences in culture. There are clinics in Odense and Hvidovre that specialize in health issues for ethnic minority patients.

It is not as easy as most people think. Asylum status or family reunification is tied to the country which has given it, and free movement is only for EU citizens. It is, however, possible to stay for up to 3 months in another EU country in order to look for a job.

If you want to move FROM Denmark to another country, it depends on the rules in that country whether you can be granted stay because of work, study or family reunification.

We can't help with this; you must find information about the country you want to move to – for example on the official websites of that country.

If you want to move TO Denmark with a residence permit from another EU-country, you can see the rules for work permits here.

All newcomers are only entitled to a very low benefit which is almost impossible to survive on. You can read more about benefits and support here. IGU, SU and of course a job will give you a higher income.

Depending on your expenses and whether you have other special issues, the kommune can give you extra support (§34 Aktivloven) and the state can grant you support for your rent ("boligydelse"). The kommune should also cover transport expenses to language school. You can ask the kommune for help with dentist bills, and even a drivers license if it's a part of your plan to get a job.

And did you know that if you get a fine (traffic, public transport etc.) you can ask to have it reduced if your income is below 165.000 a year? Contact the ones who issued the fine.

When you move into your new home in the kommune, they have to help with extra money for basic furniture, cooking equipment etc, "etableringsstøtte". But the amount is not set by the state, so each kommune can choose the amount. Usually, it will be around 5.000 DKR, and if your family arrives later, the kommune will usually not pay extra for more beds and other furniture. If you need furniture, clothes or other things, try to ask your local Venligboer-group for help or find it on DBA or Facebook Marketplace.

Families with children in Denmark normally get a fixed support amount for each child, depending on the age of the child, "børnefamilieydelse". This support is not paid in full to refugee families, but will gradually reach the full amount after 6 years.

Refugees who reach the age of retirement (the age depends on when you were born) are not entitled to full retirement pension ("folkepension") unless they have been in Denmark for 40 years but will only receive a part of the pension ("brøkpension"). It is, however, possible to be granted a pension on the grounds of not being able to work after reaching the age of 30 if you have a chronic disease ("førtidspension"). The best solution for economic problems is, of course, finding a job.

It is also a good idea to get an education (see next question) as this will improve your chances of a good income on the long run.

Yes, and this is, unfortunately, something the kommune might not tell you. The best thing about Denmark is the free education system!

As a refugee with any permit under § 7 or 8 (under the Danish Alien Act) you have full access to any education, and you can also apply for SU (Statens Uddannelsestøtte). Of course, many educations are in Danish, so that might be a problem for newcomers. But there are educations in English also. Contact the education places directly to learn about access.

Read much more on this webpage: Student Refugees

If you have humanitarian residence there is one limitation: higher education is not free (but basic educations are).

Refugees are not automatically entitled to SU (Statens Uddannelsesstøtte, education allowance), but you can apply and you will normally get it if you are under the Integration Program (read more here).

It is allowed to work on the side (up to a certain amount), which could easily leave you with a higher total income than the benefits for newcomers or IGU.

Education is a huge advantage when looking for jobs later: higher pay and more job offers.

Unfortunately, the years of studying does not count when you want to apply for permanent residence permit: only a job with more than 30 hours per week counts. A rule which does not make sense at all, and has been discussed in parliament several times to no effect so far.