Denmark's legislature halts planned Citizenship Voting for Newcomers in 2025
Streamlined Danish Citizenship GrantsMichael Barrett Save
Denmark's parliament won't revisit citizenship grants for qualified applicants until next year due to a packed agenda related to the country's EU presidency.
Got a bigger fish to fry, folks!
In a blunt statement published by the Parliamentary Office of Naturalisation (Indfødsretskontoret) on the Ministry of Immigration and Integration website, the office admitted there won't be any additional citizenship bills tabled in parliament this year.
That means any hopeful Danish citizens whose applications meet the criteria in 2022 won't see their cases approved until 2026.
But why the delay? Parliaments are busy places and this particular session won't have the time due to additional tasks linked to EU presidency responsibilities.
To become a Danish citizen, you first need to apply to the Immigration Ministry, who assess whether you're a good fit based on eligibility criteria. If they approve, the next step is legal naturalization, which requires approval from a parliamentary majority.
The government prepares a bill including the names of applicants whose cases have been approved since the last bill was passed, and this bill gets tossed around parliament twice a year– in April and October.
However, the second 2025 vote in October has been axed, according to the Office of Naturalisation.
"Considering Denmark's EU presidency in the second half of 2025, it's been decided that only one bill to award citizenship via naturalisation will be tabled during the upcoming parliamentary session (2025-26)," the statement said.
"This bill is expected to land in January 2026 and will officially take effect on April 1st 2026," it added.
If the government manages to stick to their guns and keep to their schedule, this could mean that the traditional April citizenship grant is combined with the January one, resulting in bills being tabled and voted on in January and October of 2026, rather than the usual April and October.
Waiting Game
As it stands, the current average wait time for Danish citizenship applications is two years.
Speaking of bills, be prepared to shell out more than ever. A law passed earlier this year has seen the cost of applying for citizenship increase from 4,000 kroner to 6,000 kroner. The increased fee will kick off on June 18th, roughly seven weeks after the law came into force on May 1st.
However, applicants who were born or raised in Denmark will still pay the initial fee of 4,000 kroner due to Denmark's "special international obligations" to this group.
In addition, the new law changes the rules for repeat applications. From now on, only the first reapplication is free; subsequent attempts will carry a fee of 3,000 kroner. Previously, rejected applicants were able to reapply at no additional cost.
According to the ministry, the new fee structure "closely mirrors" the costs incurred by the Danish state when processing citizenship applications.
Immigration and Integration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek agrees, stating that the fee increase reflects the true costs of application processing and is a smart move.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Note: further reforms are expected for 2026, hinting that Denmark's naturalization process is in a period of transition.
Sources:
- Ritzau
- Politiken
- Denmarks EU presidency 2025
- Vilkår for at blive dansk statsborgerskab
- Despite the government's plan to table a bill for citizenship grants in January 2026, a delay in the traditional April citizenship grant might occur, leaving some applicants in a wait-and-see situation until the next parliamentary session in 2026.
- With the increase in citizenship application fees from 4,000 kroner to 6,000 kroner, the government tries to reflect the true costs of application processing, making it essential for potential applicants to stay informed about policy-and-legislation changes and general-news regarding the naturalization process.
