- Denmark requires foreigners seeking citizenship to attend a municipal citizenship ceremony and shake hands with the mayor or a city alderman
- The Scandinavian country has outlined four specific categories of applicants who are automatically excluded from this requirement
- Applicants who are unable to attend due to illness or similar circumstances can also apply separately for an exemption through the Ministry of Immigration and Integration
Denmark requires foreign nationals applying for citizenship to attend a municipal constitution ceremony before their naturalisation is complete.
The country, however, has identified four groups who are automatically excluded from that obligation.
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What Danish citizenship ceremony involves
To obtain Danish citizenship through naturalisation, applicants must appear at a ceremony held in their municipality of residence. At the event, they are expected to show respect for Danish values, shake hands with either the mayor or a city alderman, and sign a declaration confirming they will uphold the Constitution of the Kingdom of Denmark.
That declaration also covers a commitment to respect fundamental Danish values, democratic principles, and the rule of law.
Importantly, an applicant cannot attend the ceremony until the parliamentary bill in which they are named has been passed. The bill itself will indicate whether the applicant is subject to the ceremony requirement.
4 exempt categories from Danish citizenship ceremony
Denmark has set out four categories of applicants who do not need to fulfil the ceremony condition.
1. The first group covers applicants who reside in Greenland or the Faroe Islands, where the standard ceremony framework does not apply.
2. The second group consists of children below the age of 18, who are excluded on account of their age.
3. The third category applies to applicants who have already been regularly exempted from Denmark’s residency requirement.
4. The fourth and final group covers stateless persons who were born in Denmark and fall under the protections of either the Convention on the Rights of the Child or the Convention on Stateless Persons.
Danish citizenship ceremony: Applying for individual exemption
Beyond the four automatic exemptions, Denmark also provides a route for applicants who are personally unable to attend the ceremony due to illness or comparable circumstances.
Such individuals can apply for an exemption from the ceremony condition as part of their naturalisation application. That request must be directed to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
The Parliamentary Committee on Naturalisation then reviews each application and decides whether full or partial exemption from the conditions is warranted. The committee has discretion over the outcome and assesses each case on its individual merits.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng