Learn Danish in Denmark – free classes, the Prøve i Dansk tests and what each one unlocks
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
If you are 18 or over, live in Denmark and have a CPR number, you can learn Danish on your municipality's courses. Here is how the classes and the Prøve i Dansk tests work – and which level you need for family reunification, permanent residence and Danish citizenship.
If you want to learn Danish in Denmark, the classes are the easy part: your municipality offers them to every adult resident with a CPR-nummer (personal identification number). The tests are what count. They decide whether you keep a family reunification permit, whether you can get permanent residence and whether you can become a Danish citizen. On citizenship, 2026 brought uncertainty. The citizenship bill L98 lapsed on 26 February 2026 when a general election was called, and the Ministry of Immigration and Integration says that, as a starting point, it will not process applications for Danish citizenship until it is clear after the election which conditions will apply.
The course rules below come from the City of Copenhagen; your own language centre can confirm how they work locally. The test rules come from the ministry and from New to Denmark, the immigration portal run by SIRI (the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) and the Danish Immigration Service.
Who can learn Danish for free in Denmark?
You are eligible for your municipality's Danish courses if you are 18 or over, live in Denmark and have a CPR number (part 3). According to the City of Copenhagen, its Danish language education programme has been free for everyone referred since 1 July 2020. Before your first class, though, you pay a deposit of DKK 2,000, which is refundable – the language centre explains the conditions.
If you are covered by an integration programme, you do not have to act yourself: you are offered classes automatically and are eligible for free Danish for up to 5 years.
| Your situation | Classes | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| 18 or over, living in Denmark with a CPR number, referred since 1 July 2020 | Free | DKK 2,000, refundable |
| Au pair | Free | None |
| On an integration programme | Free for up to 5 years, offered automatically | None |
| Under 18 | Not part of the adult programme – children learn Danish at school or in a reception class (part 10) | – |
Source: City of Copenhagen, read 23 September 2026.
Until your Danish is good enough, you are not shut out of public services. If language difficulties stop you from using digital self-service, you are entitled to ask the authority for a non-digital alternative.
How do Danish language classes work?
In Copenhagen, you receive a referral letter to a local language centre when you register your residence. From the day you receive it, you have 30 days to tell the language centre you have chosen. The centre then places you in one of three courses: Danish Education 1, Danish Education 2 or Danish Education 3.
Each course is made up of 6 modules, and at the end of each course you can take an exam. If work or family gets in the way, you can pause – but only between modules, never in the middle of one, and you must tell your language centre beforehand.
| Step | What happens | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Register your address and get a CPR number | When you arrive |
| 2 | Receive a referral letter to a language centre | When you register your residence in Copenhagen |
| 3 | Tell the language centre you choose | Within 30 days of receiving the letter |
| 4 | Pay the deposit, unless you are exempt | Before your first class |
| 5 | Follow your course, module by module | 6 modules per course |
| 6 | Take the exam | At the end of the course |
Source: City of Copenhagen, read 23 September 2026.
Which Danish test do I need?
The official tests are called Prøve i Dansk (Danish test). Two levels come up again and again in the immigration rules: Prøve i Dansk 2 and the higher-level Prøve i Dansk 3. Here is what each requirement unlocks:
| Goal | Danish requirement | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a spousal family reunification permit | Tests at A1 and then A2 level | Normally A1 within 6 months and A2 within 9 months of the permit – otherwise it can be revoked |
| Permanent residence, basic requirement | Prøve i Dansk 2, or a Danish exam at the same or a higher level | Documented with, for example, a Prøve i Dansk certificate or a folkeskole completion certificate |
| Permanent residence, supplementary requirement | Prøve i Dansk 3, or an equivalent or higher exam | One of 4 supplementary requirements |
| Danish citizenship, main rule | Prøve i Dansk 3, or a test listed in Annex 3.a of the naturalisation circular | You also need the citizenship test |
| Danish citizenship, lower bar | Prøve i Dansk 2, or a test listed in Annex 3.b | Only with no benefits under the Active Social Policy Act or the Integration Act in the last 2 years, and none for more than 3 months in total in the last 9 |
| Unemployment benefit right after graduating | Prøve i Dansk 2 with at least 02 | One route to dagpenge 1 month after you finish your studies (part 6) |
Source: New to Denmark (SIRI and the Danish Immigration Service), the Ministry of Immigration and Integration and Life in Denmark, read 23 September 2026.
For spousal family reunification, language counts in two more ways. You and your partner in Denmark must together meet at least 4 of 6 integration-related conditions, which include language skills. And your partner's financial guarantee – normally DKK 61,709.34 (2026 level) – can be reduced or waived if you pass Danish-language tests.
How much Danish do I need for permanent residence and Danish citizenship?
For permanent residence, Prøve i Dansk 2 is one of the basic requirements. You must also meet at least 2 of 4 supplementary requirements, and Prøve i Dansk 3 is one of them. Meet all four and you can qualify after 4 years of legal residence instead of the normal 8. Another supplementary requirement can be met with the active citizen exam: 25 multiple-choice questions on Danish democracy, everyday life, culture and history, held twice a year and in its current form since 2016.
Pensioners – at state pension age, or with a disability, senior or early-retirement pension – are exempt from the employment requirements and can qualify after 4 years if they meet the active citizenship requirement and pass Prøve i Dansk 3. Part 15 covers the other conditions and the fees.
For Danish citizenship, the main rule is Prøve i Dansk 3. You must also pass Indfødsretsprøven af 2021 (the 2021 Citizenship Test) on Danish society, culture and history; a pass in the 2015 version, taken between the June 2016 and June 2021 test sessions, also counts. Some school exams replace the language test, and some applicants need no Danish documentation at all:
| Applicant | Danish documentation for citizenship |
|---|---|
| Folkeskole 9th or 10th grade leaving exam with an average of at least 6 (13-point scale) or 02 (7-point scale) in the Danish subjects, conduct excluded | The exam is enough |
| Completed stx, hhx, htx, eux or hf exam | The exam is enough |
| Swedish- or Norwegian-speaking applicant with an equivalent school exam | Not required |
| Resident in the Faroe Islands or Greenland | Not required |
| Child under 12 | Not required |
Source: Ministry of Immigration and Integration, read 23 September 2026.
Because of the pause since L98 lapsed, check the ministry's current position before you apply for citizenship.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Register your address and get a CPR number (part 3) | As soon as you arrive |
| 2 | Choose a language centre and tell it you are starting | Within 30 days of the referral letter |
| 3 | Pay the DKK 2,000 deposit, unless you are exempt | Before your first class |
| 4 | On family reunification: take the A1 and A2 tests | A1 within 6 months, A2 within 9 months of your permit |
| 5 | Aim for Prøve i Dansk 2 – and Prøve i Dansk 3 if you want permanent residence after 4 years, or citizenship | As your course progresses |
| 6 | Pause only between modules, after telling your centre | Whenever you need a break |
Source: City of Copenhagen, New to Denmark and the Ministry of Immigration and Integration, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Ny i Danmark / SIRI · nyidanmark.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet · uim.dk
- City of Copenhagen · international.kk.dk
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.