Nordic citizens (Norway, Sweden and Finland)
If you are a Nordic citizen you are free to reside, study and work in Denmark without any further documentation. You should, however, bring a valid form of identification (such as your passport, driver's license or bank card) and register at the citizen service centre (borgerservice) to get a personal identification number.
EU citizens and EEA/Swiss nationals
EU citizens and EEA/Swiss nationals may also reside freely in Denmark under the EU rules of free movement for up to three months without any kind of permit or documentation other than your national identification card/passport. If you wish to stay for a longer period than 3 months, you must apply for a registration certificate.
The registration certificate can be obtained through one of the Regional State Administrations in Denmark and must be applied for within three months after your entry into Denmark. In addition, this certificate makes it possible to obtain a personal identification number and a health insurance card. You just have to bring the registration certificate and your passport/national identification card to the citizen service centre.
We advise you, however, even if you are only staying in Denmark for a short period (less than 3 months) to register at the Regional State Administration. In most cases, your school will help you with the registration once you have arrived.To learn more about how to apply for a registration certificate please visit this website.
Countries outside the EU
If you live in a country outside the EU/EEA you must be granted a visa (short term-stay) or a residence permit (long term-stay) in order to enter Denmark and follow a course at a folk high school. Thus, you need to apply for and obtain your visa or residence permit prior to your travel to Denmark.
Visa (short- term stay)
If you wish to study in Denmark for less than 3 months, you must obtain a tourist visa prior to entry if you come from a country with a visa requirement for entering Denmark. For citizens of some non-EU countries, though, a visa is not required for short stays.
See a full list of non-EU countries and visa requirements here.
Residence permit (long-term stay)
You can apply for a residence permit at the Danish embassy or consulate in your home country once you have been accepted for admission by the folk high school and all the administration work has been completed including paying the school fee, administrative fees etc. Upon payment of your school fee, the Folk high school will send you the so-called ST-1 document which you will need when applying for the residence permit.
You can find the current administration fee for obtaining a residence permit here (Category 7).
As part of the application process you will be asked to document:
that you are enrolled in a course at one of the Danish folk high schools which has been approved by the Danish state. The headmaster of the school must also confirm if the course you are attending is eligible for state subsidies or not (see the ST 1 document) that you have paid the full course fees before coming to Denmark (see the ST1 document)
If your application is approved, you will be granted a residence permit for the duration of the course.
Read more about the application process here.
Please contact the Danish embassy in your home country for more information about costs, application forms etc.
Important information ! When you apply for a residence permit make sure that your passport is valid. The Danish Agency for Labour Retention and International Recruitment can revoke your temporary residence permit if you do not hold a valid passport or other travel documents.
Students with a "Working Holiday"-visa
If you are in Denmark on a "Working Holiday"-visa you don't need to apply for a separate visa if you wish to attend a Folk High School, as long as the course you wish to attend begins and ends within your visa's duration period.
Denmark has "Working Holiday"-agreements with the following countries:
You can read more about the "Working Holiday"-program here.