How to Enter Denmark
Do I need a passport or visa to enter?
Denmark is a party to the Schengen Agreement. You may enter the country for up to 90 days on your U.S. passport for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your period of stay. More information about travel into and within Schengen countries can be found on our Schengen Fact Sheet. Visit the Danish Embassy in Washington’s website for the most current visa information. Another source of useful information, available in both English and Danish, is the Danish Immigration Service website.If you are coming to Denmark to study, your student visa will allow you to enter Denmark 30 days prior to the start of your study program and remain for 14 days after the end of your program. These days are non-transferrable, meaning if you enter the Schengen zone only ten days before the start of your student visa’s validity, you may not add 20 extra days to the 14 days that you may stay after your program ends. Your Danish visa is a Schengen visa which will allow you to travel in the Schengen zone for the period of validity. Some Schengen countries will allow you to visit after the expiration of your student visa. Please check with the individual immigration services of the countries you plan to visit. Generally you cannot benefit from the 90-day visa-free tourist travel at the end of your study period. Please note that Danish immigration distinguishes from the categories ‘Basic and Youth Study Programs’ and ‘Higher Educational Programs.’ If you have been granted a residence permit in order to complete a higher educational program in Denmark, your residence permit will be valid for an additional six months after you complete the program. More detailed information is available via the Danish Immigration Service website.
Greenland and the Faroe Islands are not party to the Schengen Agreement; however, you may travel to those places for 90 days for business or tourism without a visa. Residence and work permits issued exclusively for Greenland or the Faroe Islands are not valid for travel to Schengen countries.
Special Travel Circumstances in Denmark
Greenland: If you are contemplating travel on cruise ships near Greenland, you should be aware that search and rescue capabilities are limited due to long distances between populated areas. Currently, the combined search and rescue ship capacity is less than would be needed to cope with incidents involving even one of the large cruise ships that frequent the area. Search-and-rescue ships offer basic transport and basic medical care, but are not capable of advanced life-support. There are uncharted waters in some fjords, and water temperatures can be frigid even during summer months. Emergency medical facilities outside of Nuuk are limited in number and types of services offered. Eastern Greenland is even more remote, and services are even more limited. If you are thinking of such a trip, please carefully consider these factors and check the operational records and the experience of captains and crews operating vessels in Arctic waters when selecting cruises off the shores of Greenland.
If you wish to explore Greenland by land, we strongly encourage you to hire experienced guides. Trekking in the coastal areas generally requires no official permission, but any travel into the huge National Park in northeastern Greenland and any treks across the central ice fields do require official permission. Please check with your tour operator to make sure that the company has received the necessary permission for such trips. Given the similarity of landscape, long periods of darkness, and the potential for fast-changing weather, persons unfamiliar with the area can become disoriented easily and risk long-term exposure to the elements. While the mountains in Greenland are of moderate altitude, they are technically difficult; familiarity with ascent and descent routes is a must. While the authorities will rescue individuals in difficulty, land search and rescue capabilities are limited and subject to weather restrictions. In some circumstances, you may be billed for the cost of rescue services.
Given the remoteness of Greenland, you should strongly consider obtaining travel insurance that could pay any expenses relating to illness, injury, or death. Although emergency medical assistance is mainly free of charge, even to tourists, all additional services will have an extremely high cost. Queen Ingrid’s Hospital, the main hospital in Nuuk, offers a full range of medical services, but medical facilities in outlying towns and settlements are very basic. In most cases, evacuation to Nuuk would be required. Most medicines are available in Greenland, and medical staff will suggest appropriate alternatives if necessary. Expect emergency medical evacuations from Nuuk to Denmark or Iceland to be very costly. Evacuations from remote interior regions will cost significantly more. The cost of funeral services in Greenland is significantly higher than in Denmark.
Disclaimer
You are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. Information provided is subject to change without notice. One should confirm content prior to traveling from other reliable sources. Information published on this website may contain errors. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us.