Dual Citizenship for Non-EU Nationals in Denmark 2026

General information about the rules in force. Not legal advice. Last updated 15 September 2026.

Non-EU nationals living in Denmark often assume that becoming a Danish citizen means giving up their original passport. Since a 2015 reform of indfodsretsloven, the Danish Nationality Act, that assumption is usually wrong - and several distinct legal routes lead to dual citizenship (dobbelt statsborgerskab, as it is called in Danish) in 2026, depending on residence history, family ties and country of origin.

Why this matters

Dual citizenship changes what a person can keep while building a life in Denmark. A Danish passport carries the right to vote in Folketing elections, reserved for Danish citizens under Grundloven, and it carries EU citizenship, since Denmark is a member state. For a non-EU national, that is a meaningful shift beyond a residence permit.

Before 2015, most applicants for Danish citizenship had to renounce their existing nationality. The current position is different, and Globe Advokater works with non-EU nationals across the routes described below, from ordinary naturalisation to reacquisition of a citizenship lost decades ago.

The routes are not interchangeable. Each one answers a different personal history, and picking the wrong starting point wastes time on documentation that does not fit the case.

What determines which route applies

Before comparing the routes, five factors decide which one is even relevant to a given applicant:

• Whether the applicant's country of origin permits its own citizens to hold a second nationality
• The applicant's residence history in Denmark and the type of residence permit held
• A family connection to a Danish citizen, whether by descent, marriage or registered partnership
• Whether the applicant, or a parent, held Danish citizenship at some point in the past
• Nationality of origin - Norway and Iceland use a separate declaration procedure under indfodsretslovens paragraph 3

These factors, not personal preference, determine which section below applies to a given case.

Dual citizenship routes for non-EU nationals: at a glance

1. Naturalisation ved lov: the route for long-term non-EU residents

Danish citizenship for a non-EU national is, in almost every case, granted through naturalisation ved lov - naturalisation by an act of Parliament. Under Grundlovens paragraph 44, stk. 1, no one who is not already a Danish citizen can become one except through a statute passed by Folketinget. Applications are processed by Udlaendinge- og Integrationsministeriet, then included in a naturalisation bill.

Since the 2015 reform, applicants generally keep their existing nationality where their country of origin allows it. That single change is why dual citizenship is now the default outcome for most non-EU applicants who naturalise, rather than the exception.

Naturalisation ved lov pros:

• Leads to full Danish citizenship and EU citizenship in the same process
• Original nationality is retained where the country of origin permits it
• Recognised route for anyone with an established life in Denmark, regardless of nationality

Naturalisation ved lov cons:

• An extended period of lawful residence is generally expected before an application is realistic
• Whether dual citizenship survives depends on the applicant's country of origin, not on Danish law alone
• The process runs through a Parliamentary bill, so no fixed processing time can be stated here - a lawyer can clarify what applies to a specific case

Best suited for: non-EU nationals with an established, long-term residence history in Denmark in 2026.

2. Acquisition by descent: the route for children of a Danish parent

Under indfodsretslovens paragraph 1, a child with a Danish parent typically acquires Danish citizenship automatically at birth, whether the birth takes place in Denmark or abroad. Where the other parent's country also grants citizenship by descent or by birthplace, the child holds dual citizenship from day one, with no application needed on the Danish side.

Acquisition by descent pros:

• Automatic in most cases, without a separate application for the child
• Applies regardless of where the child is born
• Avoids a later naturalisation process entirely

Acquisition by descent cons:

• Only available where at least one parent already holds Danish citizenship
• Registering the child's citizenship abroad can require documentation of the parent's own status

Best suited for: children born outside Denmark to a Danish parent.

3. The Nordic declaration route: for Norwegian and Icelandic citizens

Norway and Iceland are not EU member states, which makes their citizens relevant to a comparison of non-EU routes. Under indfodsretslovens paragraph 3, Norwegian and Icelandic citizens can obtain Danish citizenship through a declaration procedure rather than the full naturalisation-by-law process, provided residence conditions are met.

Nordic declaration route pros:

• Avoids the Parliamentary bill process used for other non-EU applicants
• Reflects the administrative cooperation between the Nordic countries

Nordic declaration route cons:

• Limited to Norwegian and Icelandic nationals among non-EU applicants - not available to other nationalities
• Residence conditions still apply and must be documented

Best suited for: Norwegian and Icelandic citizens with residence in Denmark.

4. Reacquisition (genoptagelse): for former Danish citizens

Before the 2015 reform, a Danish citizen who took on a second nationality often lost their Danish citizenship automatically, because dual citizenship was not generally permitted. Indfodsretsloven includes provisions allowing reacquisition of Danish citizenship for people in that position, restoring a legal connection rather than starting a naturalisation history from zero.

Reacquisition pros:

• Recognises a genuine prior connection to Denmark instead of treating the applicant as a first-time applicant
• Can restore dual citizenship for people who were forced to choose one nationality before 2015

Reacquisition cons:

• Only available to people who actually held Danish citizenship and lost it - not a shortcut for anyone else
• Requires documentation of the original citizenship and exactly how and when it was lost

Best suited for: former Danish citizens who gave up their citizenship before the 2015 reform.

5. Naturalisation through marriage or registered partnership

Marrying or entering a registered partnership with a Danish citizen does not create a separate legal route. The applicant still goes through naturalisation ved lov under Grundlovens paragraph 44, stk. 1, but residence built up while living with a Danish partner is taken into account in the overall assessment.

Marriage or partnership route pros:

• Family ties in Denmark form part of the overall assessment
• Leads to full Danish and EU citizenship alongside the original nationality, where the country of origin allows it

Marriage or partnership route cons:

• Marriage or partnership alone creates no automatic right to citizenship
• The same general residence and other naturalisation conditions continue to apply

Best suited for: spouses and registered partners of Danish citizens living in Denmark.

How these routes are distinguished

The five routes above are separated by residence history, family connection to Denmark and the applicant's country of origin - not by which one is quicker or easier. Naturalisation ved lov and the marriage-based variant both run through Grundlovens paragraph 44, stk. 1. Descent and the Nordic declaration route sit outside that Parliamentary process entirely, under indfodsretslovens paragraphs 1 and 3. Reacquisition is its own category, open only to people who already held Danish citizenship once before.

There are time limits that apply at certain stages within these cases. Contact a lawyer to clarify which time limits are relevant to a specific case, since they vary by route.

Which route applies to you

The route that applies depends on personal history: residence years in Denmark, a parent's citizenship, a Nordic passport, a past Danish citizenship, or a marriage to a Danish citizen. None of these routes overlap, and picking the wrong one wastes time preparing the wrong documentation.

Globe Advokater advises non-EU nationals across all five routes described above, and a consultation can clarify which one is relevant to a specific case in 2026.

FAQ

One last thing

Danish law allowing dual citizenship does not decide what happens on the other side. Some countries still automatically cancel their own citizenship the moment a person naturalises elsewhere, regardless of what Denmark permits - so the route that looks straightforward from the Danish side can still cost an applicant their original nationality if their country of origin has not caught up with the 2015 reform. That detail is worth checking before starting an application in 2026, not after.