Denmark visas
Denmark is a member of both the European Union and the Schengen Area. For short stays — up to 90 days in any 180-day period — most travellers use the shared Schengen short-stay visa (Type C) or, if they are visa-exempt, ETIAS. For stays of more than 90 days, Denmark issues its own national long-stay visa (Type D) under its own rules. This hub explains both and links to the official European Commission sources; the shared short-stay rules are covered in full on our Schengen Area guide. Start your application online today — our visa experts will check everything before it is submitted.
Important information
Danish visa categories
Explore visa categories by the purpose of your trip.
Danish visa application at a glance
From start to finish in five simple steps.
- 01Choose the right visa
- 02Check eligibility & documents
- 03Apply online
- 04Provide biometrics
- 05Wait for a decision
Denmark Visa
Since 2001, when Denmark joined the Schengen Area as a member state of the European Union, you can apply for a Denmark Visa.
We strongly advise to apply as soon as possible to ensure that you are approved for a visa to Denmark in time for your trip. You will not be allowed on your flight without a valid visa document. Danish Embassies are currently experiencing high demand.
There are various sorts of visas that will apply to your visit to Denmark, depending on the reason for your visit. You will need to apply for a different Schengen Visa depending on whether you plan to visit, study, work, or live in Denmark permanently.
Danish Schengen
Ensuring the security of citizens and travellers in Denmark, the management of borders are controlled by EU State authorities. This is achieved by Information sharing controls which are as follows.
You are required by law to answer any application information accurately and truthfully.
- The Visa Information System allows Schengen States to exchange visa data, in particular data on decisions relating to short-stay visa applications.
- The Schengen Information System allows Schengen States to exchange data on suspected criminals, on people who may not have a legal right to stay in the EU or even enter to begin with, on stolen, misappropriated or lost property and on missing persons.
Denmark Schengen Options
Please select one of the following options when applying for your Denmark Schengen Visa:
- Single Entry Visa
- Double Entry Visa
- Multiple Entry Visa
What is a Danish Schengen Visa?
A Schengen Visa is a short-term European visa. This type of Visa enables the holder to travel freely throughout the Schengen area. The visa, itself is issued by one of the Schengen nations. That is to say, you can visit any of the Schengen countries for up to 90 days during a 180-day period.
The Schengen Visa is the most common visa in Europe. In order words, it entitles the holder to enter, travel freely within, and exit the Schengen area from any Schengen member country. There are no border controls within the Schengen zone.
The Schengen agreement was signed by the Danish government on December 19, 1996, and it went into effect on March 25, 2001. However, because to the security situation in Europe and concerns posed by continual major secondary movements, Denmark is one of the six Schengen countries that has resumed border checks.
Requirements For Denmark Schengen Visas
You must bring the following supporting documents
- Application Form Completed.
- Two images must be supplied, one of which must be in passport size and taken recently with a bright backdrop.
- Your passport, and documents of prior visas, must be valid for at least three months beyond the return date.
- A cover letter outlining the objective of the trip to Denmark as well as the itinerary.
- Dates and flight numbers defining entrance and departure from Denmark on a flying itinerary.
- Reservation of a hotel for the length of the expected stay in Denmark.
- Subsistence methods Evidence of adequate financial resources for the duration of your stay in Denmark.
- Confirmation of travel health insurance coverage of at least 30,000 Euros.
Schengen Visa Purposes
- Friend / Family Visits
- Business Trips
- Medical Treatment
- To Study
- Cultural, such as sports or film crewers
Tourism in Denmark
Denmarks southernmost Scandinavian country is known for its gorgeous capital and friendly inhabitants. If you want to stay in Denmark for fewer than 90 days, you will need a Denmark Schengen Visa.
Non-Schengen citizens who do not have a visa-free travel agreement with the area, or who have been refused a visa-free travel, will need a Schengen Visa to enter Denmark. Traveling to Denmark on a Schengen Visa for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, or short study trips is common. It is only valid for up to 90 days.
How long is a Danish Schengen visa valid for?
This depends on a number of things such as whether or not you have had a Schengen visa in the past or how many countries you intend to visit. Generally you first Schengen visa will be issued for the duration of your stay. Future applications may be granted for multiple entry for a number of years.
Visas are available for stays of up to ninety days. Denmark is included in the Schengen agreement. In general, visas issued by Danish embassies are valid in all Schengen nations. A Schengen visa application must be submitted no earlier than six months before the intended date of entry into the Schengen area.
For detailed information on specific parts of the Danish visa process, you can refer to the links in the table on the right to find the answer to your query. If you are unable to find any particular information, please contact us via email.
Other Schengen Visas
- Austria Visa — Belgium Visa — Czech Republic Visa
- Denmark Visa — Estonia Visa — Finland Visa
- Switzerland Visa — France Visa — Germany Visa
- Greece Visa — Hungary Visa — Iceland Visa
- Italy Visa — Latvia Visa — Liechtenstein Visa
- Lithuania Visa — Luxembourg Visa — Malta Visa
- Netherlands Visa — Norway Visa — Poland Visa
- Portugal Visa — Slovakia Visa — Slovenia Visa
- Spain Visa — Sweden Visa — Transit Visa
Travelling with a Denmark Schengen Visa
Applicants must apply for and undergo a Schengen Visa interview. Youll also need two current passport-style pictures, a passport or other travel document thats less than ten years old and valid for at least three months after your departure date from the Schengen Area. This includes travel and medical insurance up to €30,000, a cover letter describing your itinerary and reason of visit, a flight itinerary and evidence of housing during your stay, proof of civil status (such a marriage certificate) and proof of financial support.
The Danish Visa Code requires applicants for a Denmark Schengen Visa to demonstrate €67.24 each day. This may be done by showing bank statements, hotel bookings, and evidence of income or investments.
For a longer work visa or a short-stay business Schengen visa, you will need an invitation letter to Denmark for business or employment.
If you want to work in Denmark, youll need to prove the embassy/consulate that you satisfy the Danish Schengen Visa criteria. If you are employed, you will need a recent bank statement, a letter from your company approving your trip, and an income tax return. You may also be asked to prove your credentials.
If youre self-employed, bring your business licence, bank statements, and tax records.
Student visas need confirmation of enrollment at a Danish institution, a no objection letter from your home university, and an invitation letter. You may also be asked to prove your credentials.
Determine the kind of Denmark Schengen Visa required for your trip. Collect your visa requirements for Denmark. Make a visa appointment with the Danish Embassy/Consulate in your native country (VAC). Attend a visa interview at your preferred Danish embassy. Wait for a visa approval. Applicant tracking should be possible online.
You must apply at a Danish embassy or consulate in your home country. Denmarks official visa partner, VFS Global, may represent Denmark in your nation.
A Denmark Schengen Visa normally takes 15 days to complete, but in rare cases, it might take up to 45 days. You have six months to apply for a visa.
Visiting Denmark
Denmark is part of the Schengen Area, which is a zone in which 27 European countries have abolished their internal borders to allow for free and unrestricted movement of people, while also adhering to common rules for controlling external borders and combating criminality by bolstering the common judicial system and police cooperation.
Except for Ireland and the nations that will soon be part of Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus, the Schengen Area encompasses the majority of EU countries. Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein are all members of the Schengen zone despite not being EU members.
Denmark Visa Purposes
There are several reasons why you might need a visa to visit Denmark. The most common purposes for a Schengen visa are:
In addition to these common purposes, there are also a number of other reasons why you might need a Denmark visa. For example, you might need a visa if you are planning to visit Denmark to visit family or friends, to attend a conference, or to participate in a cultural event.
- Tourism: If you are planning to visit Denmark for tourism purposes, you will need a Schengen visa. This type of visa allows you to stay in Denmark and other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.
- Business: If you are planning to travel to Denmark for business purposes, you will need a business visa. This type of visa allows you to stay in Denmark for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.
- Study: If you are planning to study in Denmark, you will need a student visa. This type of visa allows you to stay in Denmark for the duration of your studies.
- Work: If you are planning to work in Denmark, you will need a work visa. This type of visa allows you to stay in Denmark for the duration of your employment.
Required Documentation For a visa to Denmark
- Schengen Application Form, printed & signed
- Valid passport, with at least 2 blank pages for visa.
- 2 recent passport-style photographs
- Proof of sufficient financial means, 3 months previous bank statements or similar
- Travel Itinerary, confirmed flight tickets with dates of arrival & departure to and from Denmark
- Accomodation Bookings, confirmed reservations for the full duration of your stay
- Travel Insurance, for medical cover up to €30,000 in Denmark and the entire Schengen area
- Copies of all of your prior visas.
- Evidence of civil status.
Denmark Schengen C-Visas
A Schengen Visa is an official travel document. It allows a person to travel to any country in the Schengen Area. For stays of up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.
The Schengen area consists of 27 European countries. The area mostly acts as a single jurisdiction for international travel with a common visa policy.
Nationals of some countries, which have not yet reached a liberalization agreement will need to obtain this travel authorization before arrival in Europe.
Denmark National D-Visas
You must apply for a residency permit or national D-Visa, rather than a Denmark Schengen Visa if you plan to stay in Denmark for more than 90 days.
Your long-stay visa must be for a period of three months to one year, regardless of the length of your anticipated stay. You must apply for a residence permit at a prefecture in order to prolong your stay beyond the duration of your visa.
The long-stay visa is comparable to a Schengen visa throughout its validity term, allowing you to travel and remain in the Schengen Area outside of Denmark for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, under the same circumstances as if you had a Schengen visa.
Travelling with a Danish Schengen Visa
Denmark, the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, is recognised for its beautiful capital Copenhagen and welcoming people. Because Denmark is part of the Schengen Area of European countries that have abolished border restrictions amongst themselves, you will require a Denmark Schengen Visa if you want to visit for less than 90 days.
If you are a citizen of a non-Schengen nation that does not have a visa-free travel agreement with the region, or if you have been denied visa-free travel, you will require a Schengen Visa to visit Denmark. The typical Schengen Visa for Denmark is a short-stay visa that can be used for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, or short study travels. It is only valid for visits of up to 90 days in length.
According to the Danish Visa Code, applicants for a Denmark Schengen Visa must show that they have €67.24 every day of their trip. This can be accomplished by displaying bank documents, hotel reservations, and proof that your income or investments are sufficient to sustain you during your trip.
Schengen Member States
Regardless of whether you are applying for a lengthier work visa or a short-stay business Schengen Visa, you will require an invitation letter inviting you to Denmark for a business trip or offering you employment.
If you're applying for a work visa in Denmark, you'll need to produce documentation to the embassy/consulate that shows you meet the Denmark Schengen Visa requirements based on your current employment position. An employment contract, a current bank statement, a no objection letter from your employer granting you leave to travel, and an income tax return are all required if you are working. It's also possible that you'll be required to demonstrate your qualifications.
You'll need a copy of your business license, corporate bank statements, and income tax returns if you're self-employed.
Student visas require proof of enrolment at a Danish institution, a no-objection letter from your place of study in your home country, and an invitation letter in addition to all of your fundamental documentation. It's also possible that you'll be required to demonstrate your qualifications.
In normal conditions, a Denmark Schengen Visa can take up to 15 days to process, but in exceptional circumstances, it could take up to 45 days. You have up to six months to apply for a visa before your trip.
A Visa is required for any third national wishing to enter Denmark or any other Schengen country. It could be a short-stay Schengen C-visa for stays of up to 90 days or a national D-visa / residence permit for longer stays in the country.
Denmark Schengen visas are utilised by business persons, tourists, speciality workers, and students who want to stay in Denmark for a limited time for specific travel purposes. Those who apply for a Schengen visa must show the Visa Application Centre that they intend to leave the Schengen zone at the end of their temporary stay.
A visa for one of the Schengen nations is valid for stays in all other Schengen countries. Thus you can start your trip around Europe in Denmark. You may also stay in the Schengen zone for a maximum of 90 days out of a total of 180 days.
- Austria Visa — Belgium Visa — Croatia Visa
- Czech Republic Visa — Denmark Visa — Estonia Visa
- Finland Visa — Switzerland Visa — France Visa
- Germany Visa — Greece Visa — Hungary Visa
- Iceland Visa — Italy Visa — Latvia Visa
- Liechtenstein Visa — Lithuania Visa — Luxembourg Visa
- Malta Visa — Netherlands Visa — Norway Visa
- Poland Visa — Portugal Visa — Slovakia Visa
- Slovenia Visa — Spain Visa — Sweden Visa
Denmark — key facts
- Short-stay visa
- Schengen visa (Type C)
- Uniform across the whole Schengen Area
- Short-stay limit
- 90 days in any 180
- The shared Schengen short-stay rule
- Long stays
- National visa (Type D)
- Issued by this country, for stays over 90 days
- ETIAS
- Travel authorisation
- For visa-exempt travellers — expected to start in late 2026
- EES
- Biometric borders
- Automated entry/exit, fully operational since 10 April 2026
Danish visas — people also ask
Denmark is in the Schengen Area, so short visits (up to 90 days in any 180) follow the shared Schengen rules. Whether you need a short-stay visa depends on your nationality — some travellers are visa-exempt (and, once it starts, will need an ETIAS travel authorisation instead). Check the official European Commission guidance for your situation.
