Brexit: How UK residents of Denmark can document status for Christmas travel without new ID card

British nationals who moved to Denmark under the pre-Brexit EU rules for free movement have applied during 2021 for continued residence status and a new residence document, which takes the form of a photo ID card. The deadline for applications is December 31st this year.

In some cases, for example if biometric data has only recently been submitted, applicants may not yet have received their new ID cards which will be used a proof of legal residence in Denmark when entering the country at borders.

Persons yet to receive their IDs are free to leave Denmark during the Christmas period and return after December 31st provided they can prove they have submitted their applications for continued residency, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (Styrelsen for International Rekruttering og Integration, SIRI) confirmed to The Local in a December 20th phone call.

The documentation required is the receipt of application, which is sent to the E-boks or secure digital post box (also accessible via the borger.dk platform) immediately after submitting the application on SIRI’s website.

This document will be accepted as proof of residence at all Danish borders, a press officer with SIRI said.

A screenshot (mobile version) showing a receipt for application for Danish residence status in accordance with the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU. The receipt was sent to the applicant's E-boks.

People who are exempt from using or do not have an E-boks digital mail account will have submitted their applications to SIRI in person and received a receipt at this point. They should use this receipt. This is only likely to apply to a small number of cases.

During 2021, UK nationals in Denmark were required to apply for continued residency rights after Brexit – including those who already had legal residence in the country prior to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Everyone who was legally resident prior to December 31st 2020 has the right to stay, but must submit an application for a new residence status in accordance with the Withdrawal Agreement between UK and the EU.

The deadline for this is December 31st 2021. UK residents in Denmark were informed by authorities late last year, via the secure E-boks secure digital mail system, that they would need to submit an application.

Applications were submitted throughout the year to SIRI.

In addition to documentation related to residency, biometric data for a new ID card for British residents had to be submitted to SIRI.

As such, British nationals who legally reside in Denmark have throughout 2021 submitted biometric data recorded at one of SIRI's five branch offices, located in Copenhagen, Odense, Aalborg, Aarhus, and Aabenraa.

Because the ID cards can take a number of weeks to be produced and sent following the submission of biometrics, people who did not complete this stage of their applications until late in the year may still be waiting to receive ID cards.

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