Miriam Thompson’s business logo is a labyrinth with a passport in the middle. It’s hard to think of a more suitable logo for a professional citizenship consultant in Denmark. Who is entitled to citizenship? What does the process involve? How long does it take? What if you’re rejected? It’s a notoriously complex process, as the briefest of glances at any Facebook group for internationals shows. “Yes, it is a labyrinth,” Miriam acknowledges. “But you can get there.” And luckily, she’s here to guide you through it.
Miriam’s citizenship consultancy might be new, but she has many years of experience supporting internationals to find their way in Denmark. It all began back in 2002 when she moved to Odense with her Danish husband after twelve years in Miriam’s native US together. Miriam, who had a long and successful career as a physical therapist in the US before moving, remembers keenly the culture shock both she and her husband experienced. Even though he is Danish, they had been away from the country for over a decade and much had changed.
“There was no system to integrate me as a spouse. There’s a lot more now but it didn’t exist at the time,” Miriam says. The authorities at the time assumed because her husband was Danish, they didn’t need the same support as other internationals. It took her four years to find paid work, after navigating a “frustrating” system, and even then she was paid far less than she had been in the US.
Back then, seeking Danish citizenship was “never really in the forefront of my mind”, Miriam says, much less becoming a professional citizenship advisor. “I wasn’t aware of wanting or needing it,” she explains. “Permanent status, yes, because that has such an impact on job stability and many other factors about life here.”
I don’t see representative democracy working when an increasing number of people who are living here on a permanent basis don’t have access to that representation. That is why citizenship matters so much.
In 2017, Miriam found herself unemployed and decided a change of career direction was needed. She started volunteering for an NGO, Den Frie Rådgivning (DFR)in Odense first, teaching women how to bike and later as a volunteer adviser.
“I was introduced to how community organisations function and that really interested me,” Miriam says. She was also reminded of her own struggles with integration, seeing the situations the people seeking advice at DFR were wrestling with.
“If you don’t know the system and nobody is reaching out to you, you don’t know where to go to get the information and you’ll end up getting the short end of the stick ,” she says. It left a strong impression on her.
At the same time, Miriam was realising how important national politics is in Denmark, and how many internationals were disenfranchised from this because they didn’t have citizenship. “Voting and democracy is something I feel strongly about,” she says. “I don’t see democracy working when an increasing number of people who are living here on a permanent basis don’t have access to that representation. That is one reason why citizenship matters so much to so many.”
Miriam applied for Danish citizenship in June 2017 but it would be 39 months in total before she held her Danish passport in her hand in September 2020, after a Pandemic “non-handshake handshake ceremony”. When asked what she would most like to see changed about the process, Miriam says unequivocally, “The case processing time!” One of the most commonly asked questions applicants pose, she says, is not only if, but when, they can become citizens. Currently it can take on average over 24 months’ processing time, and many experience upwards of 30 months. “And that doesn’t even cover the time between the decision and finally being able to obtain a passport,” Miriam adds.
People who I advised would say, ‘Can we pay you?’ I started to think there could be a possibility here.
Miriam’s own experiences inspired her to volunteer as an advisor to others seeking citizenship, first at the community organisation Fair Statsborgerskab, then a range of Facebook groups. ““That’s a luxury that I could do that. Let’s not be privilege-blind,” she says. “It’s thanks to my husband’s employment that I could devote myself 100% to helping others on a voluntary basis.” Over the course of the last 8 years, Miriam has advised, directly or indirectly, hundreds of internationals in diverse situations.
Last year, a change in family circumstances meant Miriam could no longer devote herself to volunteering. Rather than try to return to her previous profession as a physical therapist, she decided to look into whether there could be a market for a consultancy on citizenship cases. “I knew others were doing what I had been doing and getting paid for it,” she says. “Also, people who came and saw me personally for help with their applications would say, ‘Can we pay you?’ I started to think there could be a possibility here. Had it not been for the change in my husband’s employment, I would likely have continued with volunteering.”
That led to Miriam T. Consulting ApS, which Miriam established in October of this year. “I did think of more creative names, but my name is already well established as a brand in the area of citizenship so I figured, why not use it?” she laughs.
Now, Miriam divides her time between giving free advice on general questions online and offering paid consultations for more bespoke advice and assistance with applications for Danish citizenship and permanent residence. She helps people understand “the rules and procedures along with the individual applicant’s situation and when it might be an appropriate time to apply.” It is often the latter question that she finds especially difficult to answer as it depends on the individual’s circumstances but also potential changes in the requirements and procedures, which can and often do change during the process.”
It’s very clear to me that people don’t know what situation they’re in. Whether you think you have an easy or a hard case, everything requires an initial consultation.
Miriam says she never knows how a case might turn out when she is initially contacted, so her services have to be bespoke. “One thing I have learned these past 8 years is that most don’t understand their situation and their chances of obtaining citizenship,”she says. “Whether you think you have an easy or a hard case, everything requires an initial consultation, as invariably something comes up that can be a potential hindrance or factor in fulfilling the requirements or completing the process in as short a time as possible.”
She helps people gather the necessary information and documents. “This isn’t as clear as it could be on the official webpages. That’s definitely another thing I’d like to see improve,” she says. “People don’t know what they could or should attach to their application, which could make their case stronger.”
Miriam does not represent people in front of the authorities, but she will be your guide throughout the application process. She also advises on rejection cases. “One of the hardest things in the whole process is that rejection letters generally only name one thing that is wrong or missing on the application,” she points out. “Then there will be a sentence saying the ministry hasn’t assessed whether the applicant fulfills the rest of the requirements. So you don’t know what else might be missing.”
General questions and initial enquiries can be asked through Miriam’s Facebook group Ask Miriam – Danish Citizenship and Permanent Residence, which attracted over 2000 members in its first month. She monitors all posts, and provides initial free advice, assisted by several former colleagues. “I was in five different groups and it was impossible to keep up with, so I decided to just start my own!” she says. Still, life is busy. “My husband reminds me to sleep and eat!” she laughs. “But I really love what I do. I just want to help and guide people, in the way I wish someone had done for me when I needed it.”
How is citizenship different from permanent residence?
Danish citizenship gives full rights and responsibilities, including voting in all elections, holding public office, receiving a Danish passport and being able to travel freely in and out of Denmark and the EU. While permanent residency grants many benefits, citizenship confers the highest level of integration into Danish society. And since Denmark doesn’t participate in the reciprocity agreement for permanent residence, citizenship offers more freedom to work across borders. It can open doors for jobs that require frequent travel or stationing abroad for longer periods of time.
Who decides whether you get Danish citizenship?
Foreign citizens can only acquire Danish citizenship by law. You must be listed in a law proposal passed by the Danish Parliament. This process is called acquisition of Danish citizenship by naturalisation. The majority of cases are assessed by the Office of Citizenship in the ministry, where cases that require special consideration or exemption are decided on by the parliamentary Citizenship Committee of 17 politicians who represent the parties according to their election mandate. Currently the Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, have 6 seats on the committee.
What are the conditions for Danish citizenship?
- Making a declaration of allegiance and loyalty
- Permanent residence permit and residence in Denmark
- Meeting the “resident in Denmark” conditions re uninterrupted residence
- Meeting the requirements regarding criminal records
- No debt to the Danish public sector
- Financial self-sufficiency
- Meeting the employment requirements
- Meeting the Danish language requirements
- Passing the Citizenship Test of 2021
- Paying the mandatory fee (DKK 6000* per applicant as at June 2025)
- Attendance at the municipal constitution ceremony
For further information about these requirements, visit Life in Denmark.
The Danish Ministry for Immigration and Integration provides information on citizenship here.
Citizenship is not a “permanent residence premium” situation. The requirements and process are really different.
Miriam’s top 5 Danish citizenship essentials
Above all, remember citizenship is not a “permanent residence premium” situation. It is a very different situation with different conditions and processes. If you get permanent residence and are considering citizenship in the future, it is important to keep your ears open for changing requirements.
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Employment conditions
You must meet the conditions continuously with reference to whichever law proposal your citizenship case is based on. I have worked with people who have been in work for 20 years and put in a citizenship application. At that time, they fulfil the employment requirements, then they become unemployed and suddenly they no longer meet the requirements.
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Be cautious about self-employment
Think carefully about becoming self-employed. It’s common for internationals to be advised this is an easier route to employment, but I’ve seen a large number of self-employed people be rejected for citizenship, especially if they start their business after they have submitted their application. If you have an established customer base and an immediate income in that business, at a level equivalent to full-time work in that sector, then you might be OK. Also make sure you document all your earnings carefully. If you cannot, that will be an issue. If you create an ApS and hire yourself, that will make the citizenship process easier.
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Be cautious about time spent away from Denmark
Right now, there has been a change in the interpretation of stays abroad. Some offering advice on citizenshipwill say that visits to your homeland or maternity leave spent there doesn’t count as an interruption in your residency in Denmark, but it does! You have to think of it this way: your attachment to Denmark is being evaluated. The more time you spend in your home country, that undermines your attachment to Denmark in the authorities’ eyes.
You are currently allowed up to one year of stays abroad that count as interruptions within the last twelve years without it affecting your application. This can include shorter stays abroad, which previously would not have been categorised as interruptions to your time in Denmark. Some applicants have been informed that they may not leave Denmark for anything over 24 hours for a period of at least 3 years, if they want to obtain citizenship.
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The process is very unpredictable
It will take longer than you expect to get citizenship, and often longer than the average processing time stated in the initial acknowledgement letter you get. That shocks people.
Also be prepared for regular changes in the rules for citizenship. Almost every time there is an election, the rules will change. Citizenship is one of the hottest topics in politics. In 2021 there were a slew of changes, which were then retrospectively applied to all applications going back to April 2020. And this can and in all likelihood will happen again in the near future. You need to be alert to these and how your case might be affected. Also citizenship tests taken can become irrelevant as new versions of the test are issued and applicants then require to take that new version as part of their citizenship application.
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The process isn’t transparent
It can seem arbitrary as to who gets citizenship and who doesn’t. Decisions by the Folketinget’s citizenship committee are not something you can look up. Their decisions are taken confidentially behind closed doors and there is no record of what the deciding factor(s) were You also cannot appeal like you can with permanent residence. You can take your rejection case through the court system but it might take up to ten years to get a decision, and you might get some financial compensation if you are lucky, but still not be granted citizenship. It is very important to be cautious if approaching lawyers to take on your case and to choose someone you trust. In the end, no one can force the Danish government to grant you citizenship.
How to contact Miriam
Miriam T. Consulting ApS (miriamt.dk)
Get bespoke advice and assistance with applications for Danish citizenship as well as permanent residence. Prices tailored to the support package required.
Ask Miriam – Danish Citizenship and Permanent Residence
Miriam’s Facebook group offers a place where you can get answers on general questions regarding the rules and procedures for obtaining Danish citizenship through naturalisation.
The group also serves as a means of reaching out to those who may benefit from more individualized advice regarding their particular situation.
