Danish travelers can apply for their passports, get them relatively quickly, then use them to travel internationally. These powerful documents give them access to much of the world. It’s important that all passport owners understand their passports. Here’s what Danish citizens need to know to get and use their passports with maximum effectiveness.
A Danish passport is an official document that identifies a person and notes them as a citizen of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is usually used for identification during international travel. However, it can be used as identification in other circumstances, too. When a photo ID is needed, a passport can almost always be used.
The Danish passport allows holders to travel to some countries without getting a visa first. This visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel makes crossing borders faster and easier than ever before.
A passport issued by Denmark looks like a small booklet with a reinforced cover. The cover is usually maroon and contains the coat of arms of the kingdom embossed on it. The cover also contains a small rectangle. This indicates the presence of a biometric chip in the passport, which will be discussed later.
Inside the passport is a reinforced page with the traveler’s photo and personal information. This includes identifying information like their name, place of birth, and more. Beyond these pages are pages with instructions as to how the passport should be treated and used. Travelers can read these if they want to, though it is not required.
Finally, the passport has a number of empty pages. These will be stamped as the traveler enters and leaves other countries. Many travelers highly value the collection of stamps in their passports.
The Danish passport is very powerful. Its exact ranking differs slightly based on who is doing the ranking, but it is definitely one of the best in the world. At the time of this writing, the Danish passport allows citizens to enter 187 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival. This expedites many border crossings for Danish citizens.
Dual citizenship is exactly what it sounds like. It means that a person qualifies as a citizen in more than a single country. It also means that they can get a passport from all of these countries. The Kingdom of Denmark does allow dual citizenship. In fact, people do not have to register or report if they are dual citizens.
They can simply hold another passport along with their Danish one. They do need to make sure that they always enter and leave a country on a single passport.
All passport applications for Denmark must be submitted in person. This can be done at an embassy or a consulate or at an office reserved for that role in Denmark. Applicants must be registered as Danish citizens in the country’s CPR system. If they are not, they will need to be able to prove their citizenship, which can be done in a number of ways.
The officials at their passport interview will give them more information about how to do this if it is relevant to their particular situation. Travelers do not have to bring photos of themselves to get a passport in Denmark. Officials will take their photograph, and their fingerprints, and get a digital signature during the meeting.
Most travelers will need a completed passport application, their original birth certificate, their parent’s marriage certificate, and a certificate of Danish nationality. They will also need to pay the relevant fees before they can fully submit their passport application.
When applying for a passport for a child, both parents and the child will need to attend the passport meeting. Parents will need to prove the child’s nationality to get the document. Both parents will also need to sign a consent form indicating that they want their child to have a Danish passport.
There are a number of passports issued by Denmark, but most people only ever get a regular one. This is the standard document identifying a person as a Danish citizen. Emergency or provisional passports are handwritten and can only be issued in extenuating circumstances.
If a Danish citizen needs to travel urgently and does not have their passport or cannot locate it, they may apply for one of these at an embassy or a consulate. They will need to make sure that the country they want to visit will accept this kind of passport, as some do not.
These passports usually only maintain validity until the person receives their regular passport from the Kingdom. Diplomats and official travelers will receive different travel documentation from Denmark. These are only to be used when they are making a visit on behalf of the Kingdom on formal business. All other travel must be done under a regular passport.
Danish citizens must report their passports lost or stolen as soon as they realize the document is missing. They will be asked for a detailed account of how and when it went missing. This helps the government track down fraud. The report of the lost or stolen passport will need to be accompanied by a completed application for a new passport. This ensures that travelers have the documents they need to travel.
Renewing a passport issued by Denmark is very similar to getting one in the first place. Travelers will need to make an appointment and submit documents to prove their identity. The renewal process is slightly simpler than the original application process in that the old passport verifies the person’s citizenship and identity.
They only need to submit the application, the fee, the old passport, and any documents supporting name changes, gender changes, or other necessary passport changes. Renewing a child’s passport is easier, too. Instead of requiring the parents’ marriage certificate, they only need to submit the old passport instead. All of the rest of the application process is identical, including the fees that must be paid to get a new passport.
Passports from DNK all contain biometric chips (unless they are emergency/provisional documents). These chips can be scanned at any port of entry/exit to help verify identity. Chips may contain a photo of the traveler, their iris scan, their digital signature, their fingerprints, and more. They also contain data that verifies them as legitimate chips.
These can make travel across borders faster, easier, and safer. When all it takes is a scan to verify identity, people may feel better about traveling around the world.
Passports for adults that are issued by Denmark are valid for 10 years. Children under 2 will get passports valid for 2 years, and children between 2 and 18 get 5 years on their document. If a Danish passport is about to expire or has expired within the last three months, it’s possible to extend it until a new passport can be obtained. Getting this requires a separate application process from applying for a brand-new passport.
Most countries will want a Danish passport to have at least 1 or 2 blank pages to make stamping and tracking travel easier. In fact, Danish citizens should make sure they have this for every country they want to visit on a trip. If they don’t, they may want to renew their passport before they leave home.
Other countries will also want a passport to be valid for either 3 or 6 months beyond the date the person arrives. This means their passport won’t expire while they are overseas. Travelers whose passports are about to expire should extend them or renew them before they go on their trip. This helps ensure easy entry into other countries, without any difficulties.
Most Danish citizens will never face restrictions on their passports. However, the government can place these at any time if they feel it is necessary based on a person’s actions. Breaking certain types of laws, either in Denmark or abroad, can result in a restricted passport. Citizens should steer clear especially of illegal drugs and sex travel.
Beyond that, the government can restrict passports if money is owed to the government for certain reasons or if they have reason to believe something suspicious is going on. Other governments can also choose to restrict travel on Danish passports. They may choose not to renew a mutual travel agreement with the Kingdom or restrict travel for other reasons.
Every traveler should make sure their passport gives them access to the countries they want to visit before they leave home. That way, they won’t end up stranded somewhere overseas. Daish travelers can see the world on their passports from Denmark. They should apply today so they can schedule their next trip soon.