new in denmark || page 44
Registration certificate and residence permit
Which immigration law applies to you?
When you arrive in Denmark to work, the very
The legal provisions for living and working in Den-
first thing you need to do is obtain a residence
mark depend primarily on your citizenship and, to
and/or work permit. Even though most things
a lesser extent, your profession. In general, there
can be done on-line here, many websites do not
are two immigration authorities: the Regional State
have sufficient information in English. Further-
Administration and the Immigration Service.
more, some expats find that the complexity of residence laws makes applying for a residence
The Regional State Administration (Statsforvalt-
and work permit difficult. You will perhaps need
ningen) issues certificates of registration (registre-
help from the authorities, friends or colleagues
ringsbevis) and is the ruling authority in cases in-
to clarify matters.
volving EU regulations. The Immigration Service (Udlændingeservice) issues residence permits (opholdstilladelse) and is
How much time will it take? • It normally takes between two and eight weeks to get registration certificates and residence/work permits, but some expats have had to wait
the ruling authority in cases involving Danish immigration law. Your country of citizenship determines which law applies in your case. The requirements for the different categories of applicants are explained below.
longer
Scandinavian countries • You should check the progress of your application every two weeks in order to make sure nothing is wrong
• Scandinavian citizens do not need to apply for a registration or work permit
EU and EEA member countries • EU/EEA citizens do not need a separate work permit • EU/EEA citizens may stay in Denmark for up to three months (six months if they are looking for work) without registering