Learn through easy steps to apply for a student visa in Denmark. This page guides you about the main requirements you must fulfill to get a student visa to Denmark. Studying in Denmark for International Students is always an attractive option. Denmark is one of the most popular international study locations in Europe thanks to its low study costs, high-quality English-taught degree courses, and innovative teaching methods. The very good standard of living and diversified study subjects make Danish universities important contenders in the international higher education market.
STUDY IN ENGLISH
Danish higher education institutions of a range of English-taught programs. Currently, there are almost more than 700 degree programs and 1300 courses entirely taught in the English language for the ease of international students. So happy news, one can also study in Denmark without knowledge of the Danish language.
TYPES OF PROGRAMS
Danish higher education institutions offer a range of degree programs such as:
Master’s, Bachelor’s & Academy Profession Degrees
Master degrees are of 2 years (120 ECTS credits) duration in Denmark. Some programs are also there which are 1 year (60 ECTS credits) of duration. Bachelor degrees are of 3 years (180 ECTS credits) generally and occasionally 4 years (240 ECTS credits).
Ph.D. & research
Ph.D. is offered in Denmark with 3 years of duration. Denmark ranks among the top 6 countries for R&D expenditures. There are the following components for Ph.D.:
- Independent research under supervision
- Courses for PhD students (approximately 30 ECTS credits)
- Participation in research networks, including placements at other, primarily foreign, research institutions
- Teaching or another form of knowledge dissemination, which is related to the PhD topic when possible.
- The completion of a PhD thesis
PhD positions
Some Ph.D. positions are sponsored by a partnership of private companies and universities. Generally, Ph.D. programs are fully funded in Denmark and you don’t have to pay tuition fees for that and you will be paid a salary too for your work.
Exchange programs
You can study in an exchange program if your institution gives you access to do exchange studies in Denmark. The main thing is that you are a student at the time of applying for exchange programs. Generally, students do this program through the Erasmus program or by government bilateral agreements.
Summer schools in Denmark
As an international student, you can get a chance to study courses at various levels and within various fields of specialization. So you can attend summer schools in English to enhance your level of qualification.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To get into a Danish university, you may have to fulfill certain requirements. Out of many, major are;
- educational qualification certificates and transcripts (for example minimum level required, for some countries it is 13 years of schooling, and for some with at least a year at university check here diploma recognition details),
- work experience (optional)
- CV (with all personal details)
- and application form (either online or through downloaded forms).
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
There are certain English language requirements to study English degree programs. These requirements you can cover through IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge ESOL examinations (CAE). Currently, to prove satisfactory proficiency in these tests, the following scores are asked to be present:
TOEFL: Generally some universities ask for English B – test scores in the ranges of 550-583 (paper-based), 213-237 (computer-based test), or 79-93 (internet-based test) and some universities ask for a higher level with English A – test scores in the ranges of 587-610 (paper-based), or 240-253 (computer-based test), or 94-101 (internet-based test)
IELTS: At general levels, an English B – test score of at least 6.5 points, and in some cases if the university asks English A – test score of at least 7.0 points.
Cambridge ESOL examinations (CAE): Generally for the bachelor level it may be * English B – Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) and for higher levels, some universities ask for English A – Certificate of Proficiency (CPE) ). Note: You may be exempt from these requirements if you have studied your latest qualification in English medium of instruction plus your chosen university accepts it as good enough to follow the course)
TUITION FEES
Education in Denmark for the nationals of the European Union but the other Non-EU international students will have to pay annual tuition fees for full-degree students this ranges from USD 8,000-21,000 / Euro 6,000-16,000 (DKK 45,000-120,000). Anyhow, all universities charge different fee levels for different programs.
WORKING RIGHTS
As an international student, you are allowed to work 20 hours per week. During June, July, and August, you are allowed to work full-time. Please do remember in Denmark, at workplaces, the Danish language is spoken and used. However, German and English are widely used as mediums of communication. Knowledge of Danish does give you the extra edge to get a part-time job easily.
LIVING COST
It depends on you to manage your living costs yourself, however, main living expenses monthly are as follows:
| Type | Approximately expenses of living cost monthly |
| accommodation | Varies from 3000-5,000 DKK (utilities are usually included) |
| health insurance | Approximately 200 DKK |
| book and supplies | 250-500 DKK |
| tv license | 100 DKK |
| mobile phone | 150 DKK (internet, around 250 DKK, may be included in your rent) |
| food | 1,500-2,000 DKK |
| transport | 300 DKK |
| other expenses | 1,000 DKK |
WHEN TO APPLY FOR ADMISSION?
There are certain dates and deadlines you will have to follow to get admission timely. So make sure to timely apply for admission. For undergraduate studies, the admission deadline is 15 March for courses starting in August or September. A few institutions have additional intakes in January or February. For those courses, the deadline is 1 September. The application forms are available from the institutions approximately two months before the deadline.
WHERE TO APPLY?
You can apply for admission to your chosen university through the official portal for admissions by the Danish government. Use this website for online admissions. This portal is only open during the open application timings. Otherwise, you can’t apply out of application times. Here is more information for you on how to use this portal and how to apply for online admission on the above-mentioned website (click here to open the helping notes for the admission process)
ACCOMPANYING FAMILY MEMBERS
As a student in higher education, you can carry your spouse and children under 18 with you. You will have to apply for a separate visa application for them. They must prove that they have financial means to live with you for example an amount of DKK 6090 for each month if they are going to stay with you less than a year. If they will be staying with you for more than a year, they can show the time fixed amount of DKK 73080. The processing time is 2 months and it costs DKK 1645. Holding a permit as an accompanying family member to a student grants you the right to work in Denmark. Therefore, you do not need to apply for a separate work permit if you get a job. You are also allowed to run your own business. Your children under 18 years of age can also study an education program in school.
HOW LONG CAN YOU STAY IN DENMARK?
You will be provided with a full course duration residence permit. After completing your education, you will be given 6 months to find a job and then apply for a work permit. During these six months, you can still work part-time (20 hours per week). If you fail the program, your visa can be extended to a maximum of one year.
HOW TO APPLY FOR DENMARK STUDENT VISA?
For applying Danish residence permit for studies, there are certain steps that you will have to take in order to be a successful applicant. Follow the following steps for a complete visa application:
Required Education
Make sure that you hold the required qualifications to study in Denmark. For each country, there are separate requirements to fulfill. For some countries, there are requirements to hold 13 years of education and for some is 12 years of education to get into Danish educational institutions. Check here the required level of education you must hold to get admission.
Qualification Assessment
In some cases and for some subjects, you may have to get a qualification assessment from Danish higher education authorities. You can check here the general level of comparability assessment of your qualification according to Danish higher education. Furthermore, you can check here special reports for science and higher education comparisons.
Choose a specific educational institution
You will have to choose a proper higher education institution in Denmark. There are many types of institutions in Denmark set aside for specific types of education for example universities, artistic higher education institutions, university colleges, and schools of maritime education & training (you will find the complete list of educational institutions in Denmark).
Get the admission letter
After choosing the university, you will have to fulfill the requirements to get a final admission letter. Pay the tuition fees a semester or for a complete year (it depends on your chosen university or college and how much they ask you to pay for getting the final admission letter).
Create Case Order ID
You will have to create a case order ID which is a type of reference number that will be used for identifying your visa application for references and identification. The major role of this ID is to pay the visa fees. If you feel uncomfortable, you can also ask your chosen college or university to create it for you.
Pay the Visa Fees to SIRI
After creating your case order ID, you will have to pay the visa fee. Please note that visa fees change every year on 1st January, so check this online before paying. Currently, it is DKK 2110. This fee can only be paid through a credit card. Once again, your chosen educational institution can also pay this on your behalf and then can charge you this along with tuition fees.
Gather the Documents
You must gather all of your required documents before applying for the visa. In the student visa application case, here are the major requirements, you must fulfill:
- Passport-sized photos
- Original passport
- Educational documents (these must be attested by relevant educational boards)
- IELTS or TOEFL Test Report (please be sure to get the latest requirements about English language requirements)
- Funds Proofs DKK 6090 for a maximum of 12 Months (Bank Statement)
- University/College Admission Letter
- Case Order ID
- Visa fees for SIRI proof
- In some countries, it is necessary to present a family registration certificate or marriage registration certificate in case you are married
- Cover letter
- Proofs that where have you got the money from for living cost (for example proofs that if you got this money from your father, mother or other relatives)
- Please do remember that you will have to pay additional visa fees at the Royal Danish Embassy too in your country of origin (for example, if you apply in Pakistan., you will have to pay an extra PKR 25500 to the embassy.
And all other supporting documents.
Fill in the Visa Application Form
It is very important to know about filling in the visa application form. This form is called the ST1 form. You can fill in online or download it and fill it out separately. If you fill it out online, out of its 2 parts, the first part must be filled in by your educational institution, then they will pass on the username and password to you to fill in the second part and submit it. You will have to upload many of your documents in scanned forms. You can check here online ST1 visa form Alternatively, you can download the visa application ST1 form, and fill it in by yourself. For this form too, the same procedure applies. Part one must be filled in by the educational institution and part must be filled in by you.
Get the Appointment from the Danish Embassy
Before applying to the Royal Danish embassy, you will have to get an appointment in most of the countries. You can find here where to apply for a visa or residence permit to Denmark.
Submit the Visa Application
After completing above-mentioned steps, you will have to submit the visa application to the Royal Danish Embassy in your country of origin. Please be informed that if you have filled in the visa application form ST1 form online, then your application is already submitted and now you will have to give your biometrics and interview to the embassy. If you are applying by filling in paper-based, you will submit all your documents along with your ST1 visa application form.
Attend the Interview
You may have to attend the Danish embassy. You will be informed about it. In most cases, you will have to attend the interview, at the time of submitting the visa application.
Get the Visa
Once all is done, you will be sent a letter by the Danish embassy about the success of your residence permit application. A letter is sent to your educational institution too about the result of your visa application. You will then be called once again to the embassy to submit the passport and get the visa sticker on your passport.
LIST OF UNIVERSITIES IN DENMARK
- Copenhagen Business School (CBS)
- University of Southern Denmark (SDU)
- IT University of Copenhagen (ITU)
- Aarhus University (AU)
- Aalborg University (AAU)
- Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
- Roskilde University (RUC)
- University of Copenhagen (KU)
Artistic Higher Education Institutions
- Design School Kolding
- Aarhus School of Architecture
- The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Visual Art
- Funen Art Academy
- The Royal Academy of Music – Aarhus/Aalborg
- Rhytmic Music Conservatory
- The Royal Danish Academy of Music
- The Royal Opera Academy
- Danish National Academy of Music
- The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation
- The Danish National School of Performing Arts
University Colleges
- University College of Northern Denmark (UCN)
- Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX)
- University College South Denmark
- VIA University College
- University College Lillebaelt (UCL)
- University College Absalon
- University College Copenhagen
Schools of Maritime Education & Training
- Aarhus School of Maritime and Technical Engineering
- Svendborg International Maritime Academy (SIMAC)
- Maritime Training and Education Centre (MARTEC)
- Copenhagen School of Maritime Education and Training