If you have a foreign spouse, partner, or kids with a non-EU passport, you will want to know more about Denmark's family reunification scheme. As the name suggests, this scheme enables families to live together in Denmark. It enables your family member to get a Danish residence permit.
However, before you apply for family reunification, you and the foreign passport holder's family member need to fulfill certain criteria. Assuming that you are applying for your spouse, here are some requirements you and your spouse would have to meet.
Housing
The home should have at least two rooms and a minimum of 40 m2. While it is not mandatory to have your own home, having one, even a rented one, that you can use is a necessity. The bedroom should be big enough for two people to live comfortably.
Your Resident Status
As a person applying for family reunification in Denmark, you need to fulfill at least one of the following conditions:
- Be a citizen of Denmark
- Be a citizen of one of the other Scandinavian countries
- Be a legal resident of Denmark with a valid resident permit
- If you have a resident permit, you should be living in the country for more than three years
- Be a permanent resident of Denmark for the last three years
Meeting one or more of these conditions will make your case stronger and your application for family reunification will be stronger.
Be a Minimum of 24 Years Old
If you are a foreigner and want to bring your spouse or partner to Denmark under this scheme, you and your partner or spouse must be at least 24 years old. In most cases, Denmark allows people to apply for family reunification when they are 23.5 years old as the entire process takes time.
However, when reunification comes into effect, you and your spouse or partner must be 24 years old.
This is a legal requirement and cannot be skirted. It is implemented to prevent underage and forced marriages, which are prevalent in several other nations.
Meeting the Collateral Requirement
Since you will be applying for family reunification, you will have to furnish financial collateral. One of the concerns the Danish government has is that foreigners, who are ill-equipped to look after themselves, will take advantage of public facilities, like healthcare and education, without contributing to society.
You will have to create an escrow account in a bank and fund this account with 50,000 DKK. After doing this, you will have to submit the details and documentation of this escrow account to the Danish Immigration Service.
You can withdraw money from this escrow account, the amount should not be less than 10,000 DKK if your spouse or partner passes Danish language tests and becomes an active member of society. If not, the 50,000 DKK will stay in the account for up to five years.
Related: Getting married in Denmark
The Benefits of Family Reunification in Denmark
Of course, the main advantage of reuniting with your spouse or partner is that you will be together and live as a family.
If your application gets approved, your spouse or partner will be awarded a two-year temporary residence permit. After that, your spouse or partner can apply for permanent residency. After nine continuous years of living as a permanent resident in Denmark, your spouse or partner can apply for Danish citizenship.
With a resident permit, your spouse or partner can work and access all the facilities a Danish citizen is entitled to, including healthcare.
In Conclusion
While the process of family reunification in Denmark can be lengthy and run over several months, it is a worthwhile endeavor if you want to be united with your spouse and kids or partner.
Related post: Pension and retirement in Denmark
