Accompanying Family Member — Expatriate Danish Citizen

In some cases, you can be granted a residence permit as an accompanying family member, provided that you are

You are a cohabiting partner, if you have lived with the expatriate Danish citizen for at least 1½-2 years and is able to document this.

In extraordinary cases, it is possible for a child over the age of 18, who is living with you, or for your parents, to be granted a permit.

The expatriate must be a Danish citizen who is established abroad.

The expatriate Danish citizen must have signed a job contract or received a job offer in Denmark that could result in a residence permit under one of the following work schemes, if the expatriate Danish citizen was a foreign national.

that could result in a residence permit under the Start-up Denmark scheme.

You must be able to document that you are related to the expatriate Danish citizen. The documentation can be a marriage certificate, birth certificate or similar.

one or both parties were under the age of 18 at the time of the wedding or registration, or

This must be documented, for example, by providing lease contracts, insurance policies, joint bank statements or similar documents stating both of your names.

If your parents have joint custody, and if only the expatriate Danish citizen will be staying with you in Denmark, the other parent must consent to let you travel to Denmark.

There are no requirements for financial self-support if the expatriate Danish citizen meet the conditions for a residence and work permit based on salaried work.

If the expatriate Danish citizen meets the conditions for the Start-up Denmark scheme, you must document that the expatriate can support you in the form of a bank statement.

You must support yourself financially during your stay. It can influence your application if you receive or have received benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, e.g. cash benefits etc. If you receive or have received such benefits during your stay, your permit can be revoked and you will lose the right to stay in Denmark.

When granted a permit as an accompanying family member, you must reside at the same address as the expatriate Danish citizen.

An application for a residence permit as an accompanying family member to an expatriate Danish citizen is processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

Holding a permit as an accompanying family member to an expatriate Danish citizen allows you to work in Denmark. Therefore, you do not need to apply for a separate work permit if you get a job.

You are also allowed to run your own business and follow an educational programme in an educational institution.

The length of your residence permit depends on the expatriate Danish citizen's employment relationship.

For instance, if the expatriate Danish citizen has an employment relationship that meets the requirements for the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme, your residence permit can then be extended 5 additional years. This is due to the fact that 5 years are the maximum length of a residence permit under the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme.

You will be granted a permit for a shorter period of time if the expatriate Danish citizen is employed on a temporary basis, for example for 1 year.

It is very important that you apply for an extension before your permit expires.