Danish Citizenship Law and L98 in 2026: What Changed and What Didn't

L98 is often mistaken for a tightening of the rules for Danish citizenship. It is not. L98 is the bill that grants Danish citizenship to a specific list of people. The actual changes to the rules, including the application fee, came from a separate amendment that took effect on 1 May 2025.

What is L98?

L98 (2025/1) is the "Bill on the granting of Danish nationality" (Forslag til lov om indfødsrets meddelelse). It was introduced in the Danish Parliament on 22 January 2026 by the Minister for Immigration and Integration, Rasmus Stoklund. The bill grants Danish citizenship to 2,055 people, plus around 1,120 children who receive citizenship together with their parents. Of these, 1,850 are subject to the constitutional ceremony (grundlovsceremoni) requirement.

It is the first and only naturalisation-list bill of this parliamentary session. In other words, L98 is a named list of people receiving citizenship. It does not change requirements, fees, or the citizenship test itself.

So what actually changed in the law?

The real rule changes came from a separate law, the "Act amending the Act on Danish Nationality" (LSF 136, 2024/25), which took effect on 1 May 2025.

The main fee changes:

• First application (standard): DKK 6,000 (previously DKK 4,000)
• Certain applicants born in or who came to Denmark as young children: DKK 4,000
• Second and later re-applications: DKK 3,000
• Fees are adjusted annually from 1 January 2026 in line with the rate-adjustment percentage.

Nordic citizens (declaration route): For Nordic citizens acquiring Danish citizenship by declaration, the good-conduct waiting period is now calculated from when a sentence has been served, rather than from the date of sentencing.

Loss of citizenship and EU law: Former Danish citizens who lost their citizenship can ask the Ministry of Immigration and Integration to assess whether the loss is compatible with EU law, in particular if it also meant the loss of EU citizenship.

Does this change the citizenship test?

No. Neither L98 nor the 2025 amendment changes the citizenship test (indfodsretsproven) itself. The test still has 45 questions, and you need at least 36 correct, plus at least 4 of the 5 values questions, to pass. Preparation is the same as before.

Ready to start? Read our complete guide to the Danish citizenship test, or take a free practice test to see where you stand.

Sources

• L98, written presentation (Retsinformation)
• L98 overview (Danish Parliament)
• Act amending the Act on Danish Nationality, LSF 136 (Retsinformation)
• Danish citizenship (Ministry of Immigration and Integration)