Denmark has published the conditions under which certain foreign nationals can obtain Danish citizenship without sitting the country's official naturalisation test, identifying six distinct categories of applicants who qualify for an exemption.
Under the standard rules, anyone seeking Danish citizenship must demonstrate a working knowledge of Danish society, culture, and history by passing the Naturalisation test of 2021, known in Danish as Indfødsretsprøven af 2021. Those who passed the earlier 2015 version of the test between June 2016 and June 2021 are also considered to have met this requirement.
Who Is Exempt from Denmark's Naturalisation Test?
The Danish government has, however, carved out exceptions for six groups of applicants:
- Children below the age of 12 who apply for citizenship independently, without their parents, are not required to sit the test.
- Children aged 12 and above who have not yet completed ninth or tenth grade secondary education and are also applying without their parents. In both cases, the child's school must submit a formal statement confirming that the child's understanding of Danish society, culture, and history is appropriate for their age. This school statement will not be accepted, however, if the child completes secondary education before the relevant naturalisation proposal is formally adopted into law.
- Foreigners residing on the Faroe Islands or in Greenland, two autonomous territories within the Danish realm.
- Swedish- and Norwegian-speaking applicants who provide proof that they completed their primary education at a Swedish- or Norwegian-speaking school.
- Members of the Danish minority community living in the South Schleswig region of northern Germany, provided they fall under the facilitated residence requirements set out in Appendix 1, item 5 of the Circular on naturalisation.
- Individuals born to a Danish mother between 1 January 1961 and 31 December 1978, who currently live outside Denmark. This exemption reflects a historical gap in Danish nationality law during that period, when children did not automatically inherit citizenship through their mothers in the same way they did through their fathers.
Danish Citizenship: What Applicants Must Still Provide
Being exempt from the naturalisation test does not remove all requirements. Depending on the category, applicants may still need to submit supporting documentation, such as school statements or proof of educational background, to satisfy the relevant authorities. All other standard conditions for acquiring Danish citizenship continue to apply.
Related Citizenship Rules in Other Countries
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship. Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship. The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
