COPENHAGEN – The Danish government has announced to increase the fee for applying for Danish citizenship by 50 percent, it emerged on Tuesday.
The fee would be jacked up from the current 4,000 kroner to 6,000 kroner, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
The move is aimed at aligning the application fee more closely with the costs incurred in processing citizenship cases, the ministry stated.
Since 2021, applicants have been required to pay a fee of 4,000 kroner, up from 3,800 kroner previously but the fresh hike marks a significant rise compared to the previous years.
The government justified the sharp increase in 2018 by citing the expenses associated with mandatory citizenship ceremonies, where naturalized Danes are mandated by law to shake hands with a public official.
As far as the fresh hike is concerned, the government did not specify the additional costs which led to the decision.
In addition to increasing the fee, the government also plans to introduce a new fee of 3,000 kroner for repeated citizenship applications from individuals who have previously had two applications rejected.
Under the current regulations, applicants who are unsuccessful in their first attempt can reapply at no extra cost. However, the new rules will introduce a fee of 3,000 kroner for subsequent re-applications.
Notably, children and young people born in Denmark will be exempt from the fee hike and will continue to pay the current fee of 4,000 kroner.
The proposed fee changes are pending approval by parliament but the government anticipates that this process will be completed in the next parliamentary session after October 1st.
Immigration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek expressed satisfaction with the fee adjustment, asserting that it ensures fairness by aligning application costs with state processing expenses.
It is to be highlighted that the Schengen visa fee is also going up and as per the fresh fee structure, the adult applicants will have to pay €90 instead of the current €80, marking a 12 percent surge.
For children aged between six and 12, the revised fee is €45. The change would be in effect from June 11th this year.
