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How to apply

In this paragraph we will guide you how to be accepted for a course at a folk high school. Rules depend on the country you live in/your citizenship.

To apply for a course at a Danish folk high school you need to contact the specific school. Subsequently, you will have to engage in a consular process to obtain a Danish residence permit in case you choose a long-term course.

Choose a school

You have to apply directly to the individual school. You can learn much more about the schools from our alphabetical list of all Danish folk high schools. Here you will find descriptions in English. See list of schools

Residence permit

Having applied for a term at a folk high school and transferred the school fee, you will - if you choose a long-term course - have to apply for a residence permit as a student. Depending on your country of origin, different procedures, rules and requirements for documentation apply for residing in Denmark.

1. Nordic citizens (Norway, Sweden and Finland)

If you are a Nordic citizen you are free to reside, study and work in Denmark without any further documentation. You should, however, bring a valid form of identification (such as your passport, driver's license or bank card) and register at the citizen service centre to get a personal identification number.

2. EU citizens and EEA/Swiss nationals

EU citizens and EEA/Swiss nationals may also reside freely in Denmark under the EU rules of free movement, for up to three months without any kind of permit or documentation other than your national identification card/passport. If you wish to stay for a longer period than 3 months, you must apply for a registration certificate.

The registration certificate can be obtained through one of the Regional State Administrations in Denmark and must be applied for within three months after your entry into Denmark. In addition, this certificate makes it possible to obtain a personal identification number and a health-insurance card. You just have to bring the registration certificate and your passport/national identification card to the citizen service centre.

We advise you to register at the Regional State Administration even if you are only staying in Denmark for a short period (less than 3 months). In most cases, your school will help you with the registration once you have arrived.

To learn more on how to apply for a registration certificate please visit this link:
http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/eu_and_nordic_citizens/eu-eea_citizens/

3. Other countries

If you live in a country outside the EU/EEA you must be granted a residence permit in order to enter Denmark and follow a course at a folk high school. Thus, you need to apply for and obtain your residence permit prior to your travel to Denmark. You can apply for a residence permit at the Danish embassy or consulate in your home country once you have been accepted for admission by the folk high school, and all the administration work has been completed including paying the school fee, administrative fees etc. Upon payment of your school fee, the folk high school will send you the so-called ST-1 document which you will need when applying for the residence permit.

As part of the application process you will be asked to document:

that you are enrolled in a course at one of the Danish folk high schools which has been approved by the Danish state - for a complete list click here. The headmaster of the school must also confirm if the course you are attending is eligible for state subsidies or not (see the ST 1 document).
that you have paid the full course fees before coming to Denmark (see the ST 1 document).

If your application is approved, you will be granted a residence permit for the duration of the course. Please contact the Danish embassy in your home country for information about costs, application forms etc.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: When you apply for a residence permit make sure that your passport is valid. The Danish Agency for Labour Retention and International Recruitment can revoke your temporary residence permit, if you do not hold a valid passport or other travel documents.

Students with a "Working Holiday"-visa

If you are in Denmark on a "Working Holiday"-visa you don't need to apply for a separate visa if you wish to attend a Folk High School, as long as the course you wish to attend begins and ends within your visa's duration period.

Denmark has "Working Holiday"-agreements with the following countries:
Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
You can read more about the "Working Holiday"-program here: https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/working_holiday/