Danish for citizenship: Prøve i Dansk 3, the 45-question citizenship test, and a pause after the election
To become a Danish citizen you normally need two things: Prøve i Dansk 3, a Danish exam at B2, and the indfødsretsprøve, a 45-question test on Danish society that you pass with 36 right, including 4 of the 5 questions on Danish values. Some self-supporting applicants can use the B1 test, Prøve i Dansk 2, instead.
First, the news that matters most this autumn. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration (UIM) says that, as a rule, it will not process citizenship applications until it is clear after the general election which conditions will apply. A UIM notice of 5 October 2026 says the citizenship bill that lapsed when the election was called will be reintroduced. The rules below are the ones in force on 16 October 2026, read in the circular, the exam orders and SIRI's own pages; they may change.
The language rule: Prøve i Dansk 3, or Prøve i Dansk 2 if you have supported yourself
The rules are in a circular, not in a law: cirkulæreskrivelse nr. 9461 of 17 June 2021, still marked in force on retsinformation.dk. Its § 24 asks applicants to prove Danish with Prøve i Dansk 3 or one of the tests listed in its annex 3.a, which include Studieprøven passed with at least 02 in every part, the Danish upper-secondary exams, and a degree taught in Danish.
The reduced route. Under § 24(2), an applicant who is self-supporting and has not received public assistance for more than three months in total in the last nine years needs only Prøve i Dansk 2 or an equivalent. UIM's own page adds a condition the circular puts elsewhere: no assistance at all in the last two years.
Who is exempt. Children under 12 need no proof of Danish. Citizens of the other Nordic countries can apply after two years, a finished school in Swedish or Norwegian counts as their language proof, and they are exempt from the citizenship test. An exemption on health grounds is not decided by an officer: the case goes to the Folketing's citizenship committee, with a medical diagnosis of a lasting disability.
Spouses of Danish citizens get a shorter residence requirement, six years when the marriage has lasted and the spouse has been Danish for at least three, but no separate language rule.
Prøve i Dansk 3: B2, and the oral grade counts twice
Prøve i Dansk 3 runs under a new exam order, BEK nr. 1687 of 16 December 2025, in force since 1 January 2026. Annex 1 says both parts relate to CEFR B2.
The written part is reading and writing: reading in two blocks of 25 and 65 minutes, and writing in 2½ hours, including one text of at least 200 words. The oral part lasts 15 minutes in total, and listening is tested inside the conversation; there is no separate listening paper.
The pass rule is an average, and it is weighted. Under § 48 you pass with an average of at least 2.0 on the Danish 7-point scale, and the oral grade counts double. The reading is ours: a strong oral can carry a weak written grade, and the reverse is harder. Whatever else you practise, practise speaking.
The exam is held twice a year, in May–June and November–December. This term's written exam is on 10 November 2026, with orals between 2 and 15 December. You register through a language centre (sprogcenter) at least ten weeks before the term starts, and SIRI lists the self-study fee as 1,646 kroner for 2026.
Prøve i Dansk 2, for comparison, is B1 written and B1+ oral, and SIRI names permanent residence as one of the things it is used for. Studieprøven is C1, the entry test for Danish-taught higher education.
The citizenship test: 45 questions, 36 to pass, and the 5 that can sink you
The indfødsretsprøve is set by BEK nr. 453 of 13 May 2024. It has 45 questions: 35 from the official study material, 5 on current affairs and 5 on Danish values. You have 45 minutes, and the Danish is at the level of Prøve i Dansk 3. SIRI says each question has two or three answer options.
You need 36 of 45, and 4 of the 5 values questions must be among them. That is 80% overall, and a candidate with 40 right can still fail on two missed values questions. This comparison is ours: Norway's statsborgerprøven passes at 24 of 32 scored questions, Germany's Einbürgerungstest at 17 of 33, and neither has a separate values floor.
The material is free and it changes. SIRI publishes a 246-page study text with an audio version, valid for the tests of winter 2026 and summer 2027, and past papers with answer keys from 2020 to summer 2026. The 5 current-affairs questions cannot be studied from the book.
The test is held twice a year, in May–June and November–December, at language centres approved by SIRI. The next one is on 25 November 2026, and the registration deadline is 21 October 2026. SIRI lists the fee as 946 kroner for 2026.
What it costs in all, and what to do while decisions are paused
The application fee rose from 4,000 to 6,000 kroner on 18 June 2025, and UIM gives the 2026 fee for a first application as 6,270 kroner. Add the two exams and the total is above 8,800 kroner before any course.
The pause does not stop the tests. Both the citizenship test and Prøve i Dansk 3 have dates this term. Our reading: the tests are the slow part, so preparing for them now is time well spent, but check UIM's page for the new conditions before you pay the application fee itself.
How Denmark's B2 compares with the other countries we have read, most of which stop at B1, is in citizenship language requirements by country.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Treating the 45-question test as a straight 80% test.
Making sure of the 5 values questions first.
BEK 453/2024 § 35 requires 36 of 45 and, separately, 4 of the 5 values questions. A high score with two values misses fails.
Spending most of your Prøve i Dansk 3 preparation on the written paper.
Giving speaking at least as much time.
Under BEK 1687/2025 § 48 the pass is a weighted average in which the oral grade counts double.
Memorising only the study material.
Following Danish news in the weeks before the test.
Five of the 45 questions are on current affairs, which no edition of the material covers.
Paying the application fee as soon as you pass.
Checking UIM's page for the post-election rules first.
UIM says it will not process applications until it is clear which conditions apply after the election.
Questions
What level of Danish do I need for Danish citizenship?
Normally Prøve i Dansk 3, which relates to CEFR B2. Self-supporting applicants who have received public assistance for no more than three months in nine years can use Prøve i Dansk 2 (B1 written, B1+ oral). Children under 12 need no proof.
How many questions do I need right on the Danish citizenship test?
36 of 45, and at least 4 of the 5 questions on Danish values must be correct. The test lasts 45 minutes: 35 questions from the study material, 5 on current affairs and 5 on values.
When is the next Danish citizenship test?
SIRI lists 25 November 2026, with registration closing on 21 October 2026. The test is held twice a year, in May–June and November–December.
Is Denmark processing citizenship applications right now?
UIM says that, as a rule, it will not process applications until it is clear after the general election which conditions will apply, and that the lapsed citizenship bill will be reintroduced. The tests themselves are still being held.
How is Prøve i Dansk 3 passed?
With an average of at least 2.0 on the 7-point scale, in which the oral grade counts double. The written part is reading and writing; listening is tested inside the 15-minute oral.
How much do the tests cost?
SIRI lists 946 kroner for the citizenship test and 1,646 kroner for Prøve i Dansk 3 as a self-study candidate, both for 2026. UIM gives the 2026 fee for a first citizenship application as 6,270 kroner.
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