Questions and answers
Ukrainian citizens
If you are a Ukrainian citizen, you can enter Denmark visa-free if you have a passport issued after 12 January 2015. This means that you do not need to be registered upon entry.
Accompanying children without biometric passports may be allowed to enter after verification of identity, nationality, and family circumstances. However, it is a prerequisite for the entry of the whole family that the police can establish the identity of the accompanying child and that there is no doubt about the family relationship.
If you have a passport issued before 12 January 2015, the passport is not biometric, and you must therefore acquire a visa to enter Denmark. This is done by contacting the Danish police at the border. There are different requirements that you must live up to when applying for a visa in Denmark, and it is therefore a good idea to find out more about these requirements on the Danish Immigration Service's (Udlændingestyrelsen) website. When your visa is issued, you are registered with the Danish authorities.
If you have entered Denmark with a visa or as a visa-free person, you can stay in the country for 90 days, after which you can apply to have your visa extended for another 90 days. If you are covered by the Special Act on temporary residence permits for Ukrainians, at any time during this period you can submit an application for a residence permit under the Special Act.
For more information about entry, stay and visa, please refer to New to Denmark (Ny I Danmark).
Persons with refugee status in Ukraine
If you are recognized as a refugee in Ukraine, at the Danish border you can indicate that you wish to apply for a residence permit under the Special Act on temporary residence permits for Ukrainians, after which you are allowed to enter Denmark. You must then submit an application for a residence permit in accordance with the Special Act to the Danish Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen). You can read more about how to submit an application under the question “How do I apply for a residence permit in Denmark?”
Others
If you are not a Ukrainian citizen and are not covered by the new Special Act on temporary residence permits for Ukrainians, you can apply for asylum at the Danish border. For more information on applying for asylum, refer to New to Denmark (Ny I Danmark).
Persons who have fled the war in Ukraine can apply for various types of residence permits in Denmark, e.g. residence permits under the Special Act for displaced persons from Ukraine, as well as residence permit on the basis of asylum.
The Special Act
The new Special Act has come into force on 17 March 2022. It is now possible to apply for a residence permit under the new Special Act if you have been displaced from Ukraine. You can obtain a residence permit in accordance with § 1 of the Special Act if:
- You are a Ukrainian citizen and left Ukraine on 1st February 2022 or later, where you were resident at the time of departure.
- You had refugee status in Ukraine on 1st February 2022 and left Ukraine on 24 February 2022 or later.
- You are a Ukrainian citizen or had refugee status in Ukraine and resided or had a residence permit in Denmark on 24 February 2022.
You can obtain a residence permit according to § 2 of the Special Act if you are a close family member of a person who has been granted a residence permit according to the conditions in § 1. You are considered a close family member if you are a: cohabiting spouse, permanent cohabitant, unmarried child under 18 years or if you are an otherwise close family member who has lived with and has been supported by the person who has been granted a residence permit in accordance with the conditions in § 1. At New to Denmark (Ny i Danmark) you can read more about the Special Act.
It is still unclear whether you can get a residence permit in other EU countries if you have already obtained a residence permit under the Special Act in Denmark. If you have family and network in other EU countries and therefore consider whether you prefer to live in another EU country, you can contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Advice and discuss your possibilities. The asylum counseling can be contacted at: +45 3373 5000 (Mon-Fri 9AM – 3PM) or write an email to [email protected]. On Tuesdays and Fridays between 1PM – 3PM Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries. Furthermore, you can find more information on the Asylum Department's website.
Asylum
Persons who have fled the war in Ukraine can apply for asylum in Denmark on arrival at the Danish border or at a later date.
However, the Danish authorities have suspended the processing of asylum cases concerning Ukrainian citizens, which means that the cases will not be processed immediately.
Although there is war in Ukraine, it is not certain that everyone who comes from Ukraine can get asylum in Denmark in accordance with the rules that apply today. You can apply for asylum in Denmark at the same time as you apply for a residence permit under the Special Act. Before you apply for asylum or a residence permit under the Special Act in Denmark, you should consider whether Denmark is your desired destination. If you have family in other European countries and you are registered in Denmark, it may affect your chances of being reunited with your family.
If you are considering applying for asylum, you are always welcome to contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Department for advice: Telephone: +45 3373 5000 (Mon-Fri 9AM – 3PM) or write an email to [email protected]. On Tuesdays and Fridays between 1PM – 3PM Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries. Furthermore, you can find more information on the Asylum Department's website.
The Special Act
To apply for a residence permit under the new Special Act, you must fill in one of the two forms on New to Denmark (Ny i Danmark) under the question "How do I apply for a residence permit under the Special Act". Which form to use depends on whether you are applying pursuant to § 1 or § 2. On New to Denmark (Ny i Danmark) you can read who belongs to § 1 and who belongs to § 2.
The application forms are available in English, Ukrainian and Danish and should be filled in with Latin letters. If you are in contact with someone who wants to apply for a residence permit under the new Special Act, we encourage you to help the person in question fill in the form and help book an appointment for biometrics at the Danish Immigration Service's Citizen Service (Udlændingestyrelsens Borgerservice).
To apply for a residence permit pursuant to § 1, you must reside in Denmark. If you apply for § 2, you can submit your application both in Denmark and abroad.
Asylum
You can apply for asylum at the border with Denmark, at a local police station or by contacting Center Sandholm. For more information on applying for asylum, refer to New to Denmark (Ny i Danmark).
The Danish Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen) processes the application for asylum. For more information about the asylum case processing, please refer to New to Denmark (Ny i Danmark).
For Ukrainian citizens and their families
If you enter Denmark legally, you do not need to register with the Danish authorities. This applies, for example, to Ukrainian citizens who are exempt from visas.
Before you apply for asylum or a residence permit under the Special Act in Denmark, you should consider whether Denmark is your desired destination. If you have family in other European countries and you are registered in Denmark, it may affect your chances of being reunited with your family.
If you are considering applying for asylum, you are always welcome to contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Department for advice: Telephone: +45 3373 5000 (Mon-Fri 9AM – 3PM) or write an email to [email protected]. On Tuesdays and Fridays between 1PM – 3PM Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries. Furthermore, you can find more information on the Asylum Department's website.
For other refugees from Ukraine
If you cannot enter Denmark legally, you must contact the Danish authorities. If you have fled, you have the right to seek asylum or protection under the Danish Special Act.
Although there is war in Ukraine, it is not certain that everyone who comes from Ukraine can get asylum in Denmark in accordance with the rules that apply today. You can apply for asylum in Denmark at the same time as you apply for a residence permit under the Special Act. Before you apply for asylum or a residence permit under the Special Act in Denmark, you should consider whether Denmark is your desired destination. If you have family in other European countries and you are registered in Denmark, it may affect your chances of being reunited with your family.
You can always welcome to contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Department for advice: Telephone: +45 3373 5000 (Mon-Fri 9AM – 3PM) or write an email to [email protected]. On Tuesdays and Fridays between 1PM – 3PM Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries. Furthermore, you can find more information on the Asylum Department's website.
You can withdraw your asylum application if you no longer wish to apply for asylum in Denmark. You do this by contacting the Danish Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen) and informing them that you do not want your asylum case processed.
You will still be registered in Denmark even if you withdraw your asylum application.
If you withdraw your asylum application, you will not be able to re-enter your previous visa-free stay. This means that you must, as a rule, leave the Schengen area when you withdraw your asylum application, unless you have applied for a residence permit under the Special Act or have otherwise been granted a procedural stay in Denmark.
You can apply for asylum again in Denmark at a later date, even if you have withdrawn your first asylum application. In that case, you must contact the local police station in the municipality you live in or contact Center Sandholm.
You can always welcome to contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Department for advice: Telephone: +45 3373 5000 (Mon-Fri 9AM – 3PM) or write an email to [email protected]. On Tuesdays and Fridays between 1PM – 3PM Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries. Furthermore, you can find more information on the Asylum Department's website.
Special law
Even though you have a residence permit in Denmark, you do not have the right to settle in another European country. You must apply for a visa or residence permit in the country you want to move to before you have the right to move there.
Ukrainian citizens who are exempt from visas can travel to other EU countries temporarily.
If you have been granted a residence permit as a refugee in Denmark and you are seeking asylum in another European country, the authorities of the other country may decide to reject the asylum application. This means that you can be sent back to Denmark.
You can always welcome to contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Department for advice: Telephone: +45 3373 5000 (Mon-Fri 9AM – 3PM) or write an email to [email protected]. On Tuesdays and Fridays between 1PM – 3PM Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries. Furthermore, you can find more information on the Asylum Department's website.
Asylum
As an asylum seeker, you are obliged to stay in Denmark while the Danish authorities process your asylum case.
If you apply for asylum in Denmark, you will be covered by the Dublin Regulation. This means that, as a rule, you will not be able to seek asylum in another European country. This also applies even if you withdraw your asylum application in Denmark.
You can always welcome to contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Department for advice: Telephone: +45 3373 5000 (Mon-Fri 9AM – 3PM) or write an email to [email protected]. On Tuesdays and Fridays between 1PM – 3PM Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries. Furthermore, you can find more information on the Asylum Department's website.
The Temporary Protection Directive is a European law from 2001 which allows EU countries to quickly grant residence permits to people fleeing in large numbers from a particular conflict situation. The law was drafted on the basis of the experience gained by EU countries after the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo in the 1990s. The purpose of the law is to establish a mechanism that ensures that EU countries handle the reception of a large number of refugees at once, without the asylum systems being overloaded.
EU countries have, for the first time ever, decided to activate the law in relation to refugees from Ukraine. This applies to all EU countries with the exception of Denmark.
Persons granted a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive will not be recognized as refugees. Initially, they have the right to stay in the EU for one year (until 2023). Depending on whether the conflict situation improves, the residence permit can be extended until 2025.
A residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive gives the right to housing, social benefits, health care, access to the labor market and education for children and teenagers. There is also a right to family reunification if one has been separated from one's family during the flight from Ukraine.
You can read more about how refugees from Ukraine are received in other EU countries here. The information is from ECRE, which is an association of European NGOs working for the rights of asylum seekers.
You can read more about specific rules and regulations regarding entry and stay for persons fleeing you Ukraine here: https://euaa.europa.eu/euaa-response-russian-invasion-ukraine.
Due to the Danish legal opt-out from the EU, the European temporary protection directive does not apply in Denmark. However, the Danish politicians have agreed that a residence permit under the Special Act must be similar to the residence permit that can be obtained under the temporary protection directive.
You can always welcome to contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Department for advice: Telephone: +45 3373 5000 (Mon-Fri 9AM – 3PM) or write an email to [email protected]. On Tuesdays and Fridays between 1PM – 3PM Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries. Furthermore, you can find more information on the Asylum Department's website.
DRC Danish Refugee Council cannot help getting people from Ukraine to Denmark. The Danish authorities also do not offer help for this.
As a private person, you are welcome to pick up Ukrainian citizens and drive them to Denmark if they have a biometric passport and thereby enter Denmark legally (see section about visas). If you want to ask for help to bring family, friends and acquaintances to Denmark, there are various Facebook groups where people offer their help, for example 'Ukrainians in Denmark'
Ukrainian citizens who do not have a biometric passport or have been issued a visa cannot enter Denmark or other Schengen countries legally, and therefore risk being punished for illegal entry into Denmark unless they apply for asylum at the border with Denmark. It is not legal to help Ukrainians across the border if they do not have a biometric passport or have been issued a visa.
You can apply for family reunification with your immediate family. You can contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Volunteer Counseling for guidance.
You can withdraw your application under the Special Act by filling out and sending a Declaration of Withdrawal form to the Danish Immigration Service.
You can download the Declaration of Withdrawal form via this link under the section “Hvordan kan jeg trække min ansøgning tilbage…” (available in Ukrainian): New to Denmark (Ny i Danmark)
You can send the filled out form to the Danish Immigration Service via this link under the section "I need to submit additional information or documentation…”: New to Denmark (Ny i Danmark)
You are allowed to travel to Ukraine if you have entered Denmark with a valid visa, and if this visa is still valid.
You need to be aware of whether the visa is valid for the entire period of travel to and from Ukraine to be sure that you can re-enter Denmark on your return.
You need to apply for a re-entry permit with the Danish Immigration Service if you do not have a valid visa, and if your right to stay in Denmark is only based on your application for residency under the Special act.
You can appeal the decision if your application has been rejected.
You have 8 weeks to appeal the decision. However, you need to appeal the decision within 7 days from receiving the decision if you want to maintain your right to stay in Denmark while your appeal is being processed.
You can appeal the decision by writing an email to the Immigration Appeals Board to the email address: [email protected]. You will also find a guide on how to appeal in the letter you received from the Danish Immigration Service.
If you received a rejection to your application because you left Ukraine in the period between the 1st to the 24th of February, your application will automatically be reopened and processed by the Danish Immigration Service. This is due to a change in the Special Act which was approved by the Danish Parliament on the 16th of June.Your application will not be reopened if you have received a rejection to your application, because you left Ukraine before the 1st of February. However, you can still appeal the decision.
You are always welcome to contact the Asylum department to hear more about what your options are.
If you need legal advice on the possibility of applying for asylum in Denmark and the rules for this, you can contact DRC Danish Refugee Council's Asylum Department for advice by telephone on +45 3373 5000 from Monday to Friday from 9-15 or e-mail [email protected]. On Tuesdays between 13 – 15, Ukrainian interpretation is available by telephone inquiries.
Do you need legal or social professional advice on, for example, visas, family reunification, studies, work, payments, etc. you can contact DRC Dansk Flygtningehjælps Frivilligrådgivning
If you are in contact with Ukrainians in Denmark who have difficult questions, you can refer them to DRC Danish Refugee Council's Psychosocial telephone line. Here, children, young people and adults can call in and in their mother tongue be guided in normal reactions under difficult life circumstances, as well as what can be done to strengthen the feeling of safety and resilience in a new life full of upheavals.
The psychosocial telephone line can be contacted by telephone: +45 3373 5314. Opening hours: kl. 9AM-10AM and 5PM-6PM (Monday to Friday).
The Danish authorities have set up website kriseinformation.dk where you can find answers to current questions, news and press releases related to the Danish efforts and get an overview of sanctions and Danish contributions to Ukraine.
If you have questions regarding issues such as work, education and childcare you can find more information on the website www.ukrainian-in-denmark.dk (information available in Danish, English and Ukrainian).