Residence Permit For Religious Workers Ny i Danmark : Danish Immigration Service

Name of the Organization : Danish Immigration Service
Type of Facility : Residence Permit For Religious Workers
Country : Denmark

Website : http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/religious-workers/members_of_clergy_missionaries.htm

Residence Permit For Religious Workers :

You can be granted a residence and work permit in order to work as a member of the clergy, as a missionary, or in order to perform other functions within a religious order or denomination.

Related : Danish Immigration Service Application For Asylum : www.statusin.org/6474.html

If you are a Nordic citizen, you are free to reside, study and work in Denmark. If you are an EU/EEA citizen or Swiss citizen seeking residence in Denmark based on the EU rules on freedom of movement, you may be subject to special regulations. More information about EU/EEA and Nordic citizens.

If you already hold a Danish residence permit based on family reunification or asylum, or hold a residence permit on humanitarian grounds, you do not need a work permit in order to work in Denmark.

It is your own responsibility to obtain a work permit if you are required to. If you work illegally in Denmark, you risk deportation, and you and your employer risk fine or imprisonment.

Conditions for residence permit:
You may be granted a residence permit as a member of the clergy if you can document that you are to work for an existing religious order/denomination in Denmark.

You may be granted a residence permit as a missionary if you can document that you are to work as a missionary and preach a specific religion or belief affiliated with an existing religious order/denomination in Denmark.

You may be granted a residence permit for other religious functions if you can document that you are to work within an existing religious order in Denmark. This applies to, e.g., monks and nuns who traditionally have religious functions within an order. The Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church (Folkekirken) or another officially acknowledged or sanctioned religious denomination in Denmark must confirm that the order is established under or works within the religious denomination.

Furthermore, you must meet the following conditions:
** You must document that you are affiliated with the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church (Folkekirken) or another officially acknowledged or sanctioned religious denomination in Denmark. Documentation can be a written agreement or declaration by the denomination stating that you are a religious worker within the religious order or denomination.
** The number of foreign nationals holding residence permits as religious workers must be proportionate to the size of the denomination. The denomination will be asked to state its size (number of members) as well as the number of religious workers affiliated with it.
** You must document a background, training or education relevant to being a religious worker.
** You must sign a declaration stating that neither you nor any family members accompanying you will apply for public assistance during your stay in Denmark. This statement is part of the application form for religious workers.
** You must sign a sworn declaration stating that you will not engage in any activity that poses a threat to public safety, law and order, health, decency or the rights and duties of others. This statement is part of the application form for religious workers.

Normally, you cannot be granted a residence permit if you are solely to work as a teacher – even at religious schools – if you are to teach subjects which are not characterised by preaching a religious message. Likewise, you cannot be granted a residence permit in order to receive religious instruction or to be educated or trained as a religious worker. If you are to study theology or related fields, you may be eligible for a residence permit as a student. You can find more information about studies here.

Conditions for extension of residence permit:

It is a requirement for obtaining an extension of your residence permit as a religious worker that you pass the immigration test (testing your Danish language skills and your knowledge of Denmark and Danish society). You must pass the test no later than six months after you were first granted a residence permit. There is no possibility for exemption from this requirement, however cf. below about dispensation from taking the immigration test.

If you were granted your first residence permit as a religious worker before 15 November 2010 you are not required to take the immigration test.

If your work includes or will include performing religious or non-religious marriage ceremonies, in order to obtain an extension of your residence and work permit, you must complete a Danish family law course no later than six months after your first residence permit is granted. These two-day courses are provided by the National Social Appeals Board (Ankestyrelsen) , a department of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Children and Integration (Social-, Børne- og Integrationsministeriet), once every three months. The courses are held in Copenhagen and Aarhus depending on where the participants live and their wishes.

If you received your first residence permit as a religious worker before 1 October 2013, you are not required to complete a Danish family law course.

How to apply: http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/religious-workers/how_to_apply.htm