Main groups for countries whose citizens must hold visas
Countries whose citizens must hold visas in order to enter Denmark are divided into five main groups.
Different requirements for obtaining a visa apply to each group. Different countries are grouped based on the overall risk of a citizen remaining within the Schengen Area after the individual’s visa expires.
Normally it is easier to obtain a visa, if you are citizen in a country placed in Group 1, than if you are citizen in a country placed in Group 5.
The country evaluations serve only as a rough guideline. All applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For some applicants, it will be taken into consideration whether an applicant who has previously been issued a Schengen visa abided by the terms of the visa. Other special situations that may be considered include: whether the applicant is seeking to visit an individual suffering from a terminal illness, or if the point of the trip is to attend the funeral of a close friend or relative.
Regardless of which group an individual’s country of residence is in, immigration authorities will reject a visa application if there is a risk that the applicant:
will seek to reside in Denmark or another Schengen country for an extended period, oris a security risk
Group 1
Group 1 includes countries whose citizens represents a very limited risk of immigrating illegally to Denmark or another Schengen country.
The following countries are currently in Group 1:
Angola, Bahrain, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Colombia, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, the Cape Verde Islands, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Sao Tomé & Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Swaziland, South Africa, Tajikistan, Taiwan*, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad/Tobago, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea and East Timor (Timor-Leste)
*Citizens with a passport issued by Taiwan that contains an identity card number do not need a visa. The same applies to citizens with old Taiwanese passports with “Republic of China” on the front page, if the stated place of birth is Taiwan and the passport contains an identity card number.
Citizens of these countries are generally eligible for visas for purely tourist-related visits even if the applicant will not be hosted by anyone in Denmark.
However, a visa application will be turned down if the immigration authorities have reason to believe that an applicant may seek permanent or long-term residency in Denmark or another Schengen country.
A decision to approve or reject a visa application is made in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Executive Order on Visas.
Group 2
Group 2 includes countries whose citizens represents some risk of immigrating illegally to Denmark or another Schengen country. Citizens of these countries do not need to prove a relationship with their host.
The following countries are currently in Group 2:
Albania*, Azerbaijan, Benin, Bosnia-Herzegovina*, Congo (Brazzaville), Djibouti, Macedonia (FYROM)*, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro*, Nepal, Niger, Peru, the Philippines, Serbia*, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.
*Citizens of these countries holding a biometric passport do not require a visa. Read more about visa requirements for different countries
Citizens from these countries will normally be issued a visa, regardless of the nature of the relationship with their host. The visa applicant must be hosted by someone in Denmark, but there is no particular form of relationship that is required in order to be a host. Spouses, cohabiting partners and boy/girlfriends as well as underage children of Danish citizens who live abroad also qualify for visas.
If the application is submitted by someone other than the spouse, cohabiting partner, a child under the age of 18 or a parent of a person living in Denmark, the application will be rejected if the applicant is deemed unlikely to return home after the individual’s visa expires. In such cases, the Danish Immigration Service will take into account what type of residence permit the applicant would be able to apply for.
If the types of residence permit the individual could qualify for do not require a penalty period (such as family reunification), a visa will be granted, even if it is deemed likely that the applicant will apply for long-term residence while in Denmark.
An application will be rejected if immigration authorities find it likely that the applicant will seek to reside illegally in Denmark or another Schengen country.
This would be the case if the applicant has previously violated the terms of a visa or residence permit, or if there is reason to believe that one of the host’s previous guests violated the terms of a visa or residence permit.
A decision to approve or reject a visa application is made in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Executive Order on Visas.
Group 3
Group 3 includes countries whose citizens represents a significant risk of immigrating illegally to Denmark or another Schengen country.
Citizens of these countries will only be granted a visa if they can prove a relationship with their host.
The following countries are currently in Group 3:
Armenia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Cameroun, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, India, the Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Russia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam and Yemen.
Citizens of the above-mentioned countries will normally be granted a visa if they are:
•a spouse
•a cohabiting partner or boy/girlfriend
•a child (regardless of age) and their accompanying spouse
•a parent and their accompanying spouse, and
•a sibling and their accompanying spouse.
Visas can also be issued to:
•nieces, nephews and grandchildren under the age of 18 seeking to travel to Denmark on holiday unaccompanied by a parent
•the close acquaintance of a Danish citizen who previously worked abroad for a Danish company
•a sponsor child under the age of 18, and
•individuals accompanying an elderly family member.
Spouses, cohabiting partners and boy/girlfriends as well as underage children of Danish citizens who live abroad also qualify for visas.
In order for a boy/girlfriend (including applicants seeking to travel to Denmark to marry) to qualify for a visa, the applicant and the individual living in Denmark must prove that they are in a long-term relationship. This involves: proving that both host and applicant are unmarried or divorced, that they have met in person and have been together within the past year. If the relationship only involves telephone, written or online communication, a visa will not be granted.
An application will be rejected if immigration authorities find it likely that the applicant will seek to reside illegally in Denmark or another Schengen country.
This would be the case if the applicant has previously violated the terms of a visa or residence permit, or if there is reason to believe that one of the host’s previous guests violated the terms of a visa or residence permit.
Travel-agency and tourist arrangements have been established with Russia, China, Ukraine and India. The arrangements make it easier for citizens of these countries to visit Denmark as tourists. Read more about Travel agency and tourist arrangements
A decision to approve or reject a visa application is made in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Executive Order on Visas.
Group 4
Group 4 includes countries whose citizens represents a high degree of risk to immigrate illegally to Denmark or another Schengen country.
The following countries are currently in Group 4:
Afghanistan, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and South Sudan. Stateless Palestinians are also included in this group. (Other stateless individuals will be evaluated based on their country of residence.)
Citizens of countries in Group 4 normally only qualify for a visa if they are the spouse, cohabiting partner, underage child or a parent of an individual living in Denmark. An applicant will be considered to be a ‘cohabiting partner’ if it can be documented that the applicant lived together with the host for at least 18 months.
An application will be rejected if the immigration authorities find it likely that the applicant will seek to reside illegally in Denmark or another Schengen country.
A decision to approve or reject a visa application is made in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Executive Order on Visas.
Group 5
Group 5 includes countries whose citizens represent a particularly high degree of risk to immigrate illegally to Denmark or another Schengen country, or countries that individuals cannot easily be repatriated to.
The following countries are currently in Group 5:
Somalia and Syria
Somali and Syrian citizens are subject to a number of restrictions and generally only qualify for visas if there are extenuating circumstances, such as the death or terminal illness of a family member living in Denmark.
In certain instances, a visa can be granted to a Somali or Syrian applicant seeking to visit a spouse or cohabiting partner in Denmark, if the applicant’s application for family reunification was previously rejected due to an inadequate connection to Denmark. In order to qualify, the spouse in Denmark must have significant ties to Denmark, the couple must be legally married and all the additional requirements for family reunification (housing, financial support, etc) must be met. A financial guarantee would only need to be paid in the event that the individual applied for a new family reunification.
A decision to approve or reject a visa application is made in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Executive Order on Visas.
Qualifying as a host
Visa applicants from countries in groups 2-5 are normally only approved if a Danish resident hosts them. Individuals seeking to be a host must meet certain requirements.
First, the individual in Denmark must confirm that the visit was planned. Unplanned visits do not qualify for visas. An individual seeking to act as host can submit an invitation. The Danish Immigration Service recommends using invitation form VU2, but potential hosts can draw up their own invitation.
Secondly, the host most normally have a permanent place to live in Denmark. This requirement can be waived in certain cases, such as if the applicant has been invited by a Danish citizen living abroad.
Thirdly, a host will normally be required to be either a citizen or resident of Denmark. If an individual applying to host someone holds an expired residence permit, but has applied for renewal, the Danish Immigration Service will make a decision based on the specific details of the situation. One of the Danish Immigration Service’s considerations will be whether the individual applying to be a host will be permitted to apply for permanent residence at some point.
A decision to approve or reject a visa application is made in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Executive Order on Visas.
http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/visa/when_is_visa_granted/private_or_tourist_visits.htm |
