No CPR and no end in sight: The struggle to get a Danish residency permit
The CPR – the Danish equivalent of a social security number – is the key to your life in Denmark. But due to extended wait times for processing residency permits, many who moved to Denmark during the pandemic are still living in limbo without one.
The 2020 shutdowns created a backlog of applications for the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (abbreviated SIRI in Danish), and processing times for many visa and residency permit applications are “too long,” SIRI acknowledged in a May 20 announcement on their website.
Any delay has a significant impact on the lives of new arrivals since you need a CPR number to access the Danish healthcare system, open a Danish bank account, sign up for a Danish credit card, get a cellphone plan, attend Danish language classes, and use the ubiquitous MobilePay that has almost made the Danish kroner obsolete.
READ MORE: Is life in Denmark possible without a CPR?
The Local Denmark reached out to SIRI on August 6th, requesting data on how long people who have already applied for the various residency permits and visas can expect to wait. After two weeks of correspondence with SIRI, their data on processing times is difficult to parse and doesn’t offer a consistent timeline (other than hurry up and wait).
Here’s a condensed chart from their May 20 statement. We’ve omitted some of the more obscure residency permits, including those for herdsmen and volunteers.
‘Service goal’
Processing time Jan 2021
Processing time May 2021
Estimate end of 3rd Quarter 2021
Fast-track
1 month
35 days
53 days
1 month
Pay limit scheme
1 month
100 days
120 days
1-2 months
Positive list: people with higher education
1 month
128 days
87 days
1-2 months
Positive list: skilled work
1 month
135 days
127 days
3 months
Researchers/guest researchers
1 month
60 days
57 days
1 month
Start-up Denmark
1 month
176 days
64 days
1-2 months
‘Paid work’
1 month
97 days
103 days
1-2 months
Interns
2 months
103 days
27 days
2 months
Students
2 months
52 days
53 days
2 months
Accompanying family
2 months
86 days
88 days
2 months
Au pairs
3 months
51 days
31 days
3 months
In response to a request from the Local Denmark for updated estimated processing times, SIRI also provided data on the average processing time this year for various applications.
Average processing time, January – July 31 2021
Days
Residence as an EU/EEA citizen or Nordic citizen
EU residence as a worker
5
EU residence as a student
8
EU residence as a self-employed person
32
EU residence as a family member to an EU citizen
42
Brexit
Brexit – Employee
49
Brexit – Student
41
Brexit – Self-employed
61
Brexit – Sufficient funds
66
Brexit – Family members
74
Brexit – Permanent residence
46
Family
Residence permit as an accompanying family member
94
Work
Fast-track scheme
39
Positive list for people with higher education
108
Positive list for skilled work
128
Researcher
51
Employed PhD
27
Study
Higher education
43
Au pair
49
Internship
80
Call centre agents provide different estimates
But SIRI call centre agents asked about specific cases paint a less optimistic picture. One writer for the Local was told to expect a processing time of at least 4-5 months for a residency permit as a family member to an EU citizen – while the data provided by SIRI’s communications team indicate that the average wait in 2021 for this permit has been just 42 days.
Asked about the disparity between these numbers, SIRI provided the following statement: “The indications about case processing times provided in SIRI’s call centre are current estimates of the expected case processing times for applications where a decision has not yet been made. These estimates are affected by among others increases in the number of applications in specific case categories.”
Spokespeople from SIRI did not provide a list of “current estimates of the expected case processing times for applications where a decision has not yet been made,” to use their statement’s language, in response to the Local’s request for a category-by-category breakdown.
There is some reason for hope since SIRI is back to full staffing levels after summer vacations, according to a SIRI call centre agent. And the agency has been “continuously…expanding the workforce of case handlers” since January, a spokesperson told the Local Denmark on August 13th.
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The 2020 shutdowns created a backlog of applications for the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (abbreviated SIRI in Danish), and processing times for many visa and residency permit applications are “too long,” SIRI acknowledged in a May 20 announcement on their website.
Any delay has a significant impact on the lives of new arrivals since you need a CPR number to access the Danish healthcare system, open a Danish bank account, sign up for a Danish credit card, get a cellphone plan, attend Danish language classes, and use the ubiquitous MobilePay that has almost made the Danish kroner obsolete.
READ MORE: Is life in Denmark possible without a CPR?
The Local Denmark reached out to SIRI on August 6th, requesting data on how long people who have already applied for the various residency permits and visas can expect to wait. After two weeks of correspondence with SIRI, their data on processing times is difficult to parse and doesn’t offer a consistent timeline (other than hurry up and wait).
Here’s a condensed chart from their May 20 statement. We’ve omitted some of the more obscure residency permits, including those for herdsmen and volunteers.
|
‘Service goal’ |
Processing time Jan 2021 |
Processing time May 2021 |
Estimate end of 3rd Quarter 2021 |
Fast-track |
1 month |
35 days |
53 days |
1 month |
Pay limit scheme |
1 month |
100 days |
120 days |
1-2 months |
Positive list: people with higher education |
1 month |
128 days |
87 days |
1-2 months |
Positive list: skilled work |
1 month |
135 days |
127 days |
3 months |
Researchers/guest researchers |
1 month |
60 days |
57 days |
1 month |
Start-up Denmark |
1 month |
176 days |
64 days |
1-2 months |
‘Paid work’ |
1 month |
97 days |
103 days |
1-2 months |
Interns |
2 months |
103 days |
27 days |
2 months |
Students |
2 months |
52 days |
53 days |
2 months |
Accompanying family |
2 months |
86 days |
88 days |
2 months |
Au pairs |
3 months |
51 days |
31 days |
3 months |
In response to a request from the Local Denmark for updated estimated processing times, SIRI also provided data on the average processing time this year for various applications.
Average processing time, January – July 31 2021 |
Days |
Residence as an EU/EEA citizen or Nordic citizen |
|
EU residence as a worker |
5 |
EU residence as a student |
8 |
EU residence as a self-employed person |
32 |
EU residence as a family member to an EU citizen |
42 |
Brexit |
|
Brexit – Employee |
49 |
Brexit – Student |
41 |
Brexit – Self-employed |
61 |
Brexit – Sufficient funds |
66 |
Brexit – Family members |
74 |
Brexit – Permanent residence |
46 |
Family |
|
Residence permit as an accompanying family member |
94 |
Work |
|
Fast-track scheme |
39 |
Positive list for people with higher education |
108 |
Positive list for skilled work |
128 |
Researcher |
51 |
Employed PhD |
27 |
Study |
|
Higher education |
43 |
Au pair |
49 |
Internship |
80 |
Call centre agents provide different estimates
But SIRI call centre agents asked about specific cases paint a less optimistic picture. One writer for the Local was told to expect a processing time of at least 4-5 months for a residency permit as a family member to an EU citizen – while the data provided by SIRI’s communications team indicate that the average wait in 2021 for this permit has been just 42 days.
Asked about the disparity between these numbers, SIRI provided the following statement: “The indications about case processing times provided in SIRI’s call centre are current estimates of the expected case processing times for applications where a decision has not yet been made. These estimates are affected by among others increases in the number of applications in specific case categories.”
Spokespeople from SIRI did not provide a list of “current estimates of the expected case processing times for applications where a decision has not yet been made,” to use their statement’s language, in response to the Local’s request for a category-by-category breakdown.
There is some reason for hope since SIRI is back to full staffing levels after summer vacations, according to a SIRI call centre agent. And the agency has been “continuously…expanding the workforce of case handlers” since January, a spokesperson told the Local Denmark on August 13th.
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