LEVLFQGP at 2024-03-25 11:57:36+00:00 ID: kwh2agp

I have done it (EØS). I don't think the requirements as such were unreasonable, but it is a very tedious process. Especially the things that were completely out of my control, i.e. the waiting period of more than two years from when you submit your application to finally get citizenship AFTER fulfilling ALL the requirements. Just because of the slow bureaucracy and the fact that citizenship needs to go through parliament. It is such a long wait.

So, in total, it is more 11 - 12 years in the country until you finally can shake the hand of a mayor and get your DK passport.

kHbrj4aTZH at 2024-03-25 11:34:15+00:00 ID: kwgznbo

You need to learn our weird language and pass cultural tests

KosmonautMikeDexter at 2024-03-25 11:53:41+00:00 ID: kwh1u85

There are a couple of things that you need to have in order to become a danish citizen:

You have to have had a job with permanent employment for 4 years in a row

You haven't been on state welfare

You need to be able to prove in writing that you can speak danish - you need an exam

You need a danish adress and a danish CPR-number

You need to have a permanent recidence permit to live in Denmark. That's probably to most important one.

When you get to the end of the line, you have to pass a cultural test and you have to shake hands with a mayor.

sharia1919 at 2024-03-25 12:15:59+00:00 ID: kwh4gz3

It also depends on what you mean with naturalisation.

If you mean to become a citizen, then yes, you "just" have to meet the requirements.

One problem here is that a lot of the steps take quite a few years to fulfill. Add in bureaucracy waiting time on top of that. Sometimes it takes 6 months or something like that to get your approval of something. There have been multiple examples of long lead times, where people apply in January. The the rules change in April, and when a case worker looks at the case, in June, suddenly you don't meet the rule. Or you need to send an extra document, and then you case goes back at the end of the waiting line. The root cause here is that the politicians has found out that by being borderline racists, they can gain a few extra extreme voters, without pushing away too many moderate voters.

On the more "fluffy" side of naturalising, you need to be integrated in Danish society. This is often difficult, as we Danes typically create our primary social circles in primary school, high school or during further education. This makes it relatively difficult in getting Danish friends, which can be seen as the more fluffy part og being a "proper" Danish citizen.

Awarglewinkle at 2024-03-25 12:42:19+00:00 ID: kwh7su9

It's not hard or particularly complicated, but it's a long process and it involves ruthless bureaucracy.

Miss a deadline because you lost your internet connection or you got hit by a bus? Too bad, you go back to start.

Fill out a form incorrectly and didn't notice until it was too late? Too bad, you go back to start.

So double and triple check everything and don't wait until the last moment to do something before a deadline.

LuckyAstronomer4982 at 2024-03-25 16:04:10+00:00 ID: kwi491g

And if you pass all exams and get your name on the bill to be passed through Parliament, and there suddenly is a general election, the bill stops and you have to wait until there is a new government and a new parliamentary year. And then when the bill passes after a year, you have to wait for the handshake, and then you can apply for a passport and wait and pay for it....

And if the rules get changed because of the government or Parliament, you start all over again.

And if you do something against the law, they can take the naturalization from you if you still have old naturalization

Icy_Dragonfruit_3513 at 2024-03-25 16:54:56+00:00 ID: kwidv2y

Word of advice - try to get as many Danish friends as possible. Make them speak Danish to you as soon as you're at a level where you can hold a conversation (will take a while, but definitely doable if you hang in there). Literally force them to speak to you in Danish - too many Danes think it's 'polite' or 'considerate' to speak English back to any foreigner who speaks Danish to them (it's not and all foreigners I know who speak Danish hate it with a burning passion).

Maybe get a Danish language partner who's studying whatever language is your native tongue (unless it's English, then probably no one is interested since everyone speaks it already) and do regular language exchanges.

Get familiar with the culture and don't stay in a little expat bubble - lot of expats do this and they never really get more than surface level into Danish culture and society.

You need to pass a cultural test, but it's not hard if you bother to study for it (and you will get resources for this). Don't pay attention to people who complain about it - it contains stuff that you should know if you want to settle here in the long term.

Finances: if you have a regular job that pays well enough that you can get a residency permit as a non-EU citizen, you should be fine if in the long term you want to apply for citizenship. Just be aware about the rules for not receiving social benefits - that can be tricky if you lose your job while in Denmark.

Housing: tricky for foreigners as it can be harder to find cheaper/reasonably priced accommodation - at least in Copenhagen, because of lack of network that can help you. Can get easier the longer you stay, or you might need to buy a place after a while (be aware for non-citizens real-estate loans are pricier).

The 'hard' parts are: language (pronounciation is tricky and can take a long while to master - but every Dane will be impressed as long as you can speak well enough that they can understand you) and making friends with natives. Danes aren't unfriendly, just reserved and it can be hard for an adult to make new friends, especially among northern Europeans. You will need to make an extra effort.

BobsLakehouse at 2024-03-26 05:18:23+00:00 ID: kwlp7f1

It just takes time. And you need to be proficient in Danish, but should be that anyway.