Australians - Study in Europe

 
 

 
 

This website is dedicated to making it easier for Australians to embark on postgraduate study in Europe.

As well as providing a host of links to relevant websites in Europe and Australia ASiE also undertakes research and consultation with the EU Commission, European governments and a great number of universities and foundations. The aim is to produce and update as much as possible all information concerning grants and scholarships available to Australian students seeking to pursue doctoral studies in Europe.

 
 

Visa and Entry Requirements

As an Australian without an EU passport you will require a student visa to study in Denmark. Under the Danish system this also constitutes a residence visa and your application is normally referred to in their materials as an application for a student residence visa.

You should apply for your residence visa before you arrive in Denmark, submitting your application from Australia. The Danes do not have an embassy in Australia so you should direct your enquiries in the first place to the Danish embassy in Singapore. If you have been residing in another country for more than three months you are allowed to make your application through the appropriate Danish embassy or consulate there.

Note however that the first step in the application  process is the acceptance to the institution who then fill in the initial forms and forward them to you.
In order to be granted a residence permit you must document:

  • That you have been admitted to a higher educational programme which has been approved by a state authority or which is offered by a publicly accredited educational institution.
  • That you can support yourself for the duration of your stay in Denmark. If you are to pay a tuition fee, you must document that you have paid the tuition fee for the first semester or year, instead of documenting that you can support yourself.
  • That you can speak and understand the language of instruction and have a working knowledge of Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German.
  • Your participation in the educational programme must have been arranged by a ministry or institution of higher learning or the educational programme must be part of a higher educational programme which you have already commenced in your country of origin. In other words, you may be granted a residence permit either in order to complete an entire educational programme or in order to follow part of a programme as a guest student.

Generally then your residence permit/study visa will be granted to you for the length of your period of study.

Useful Links


Visa and residence permit information
How to apply
Danish Embassy Singapore Visas

Consequences of working illegally

If you work illegally in Denmark, you risk deportation, and may be banned from re-entering the country again for a set period of time (usually one year). If you are an EU citizen, however, you cannot be deported for working illegally in Denmark.

You also risk fine or imprisonment, as does your employer.

 

Green Card Scheme


If you have been granted a residence permit in order to complete a higher educational programme in Denmark, your residence permit will be valid for an additional six months after you complete the programme. This is to allow you to look for work in Denmark.

If you complete a higher educational programme in Denmark and you have not previously been granted the additional six months' residence permit, you can have your residence permit extended by six months by submitting an application for extension.


Bringing your family


You do not automatically have the right to bring your family to Denmark. If your residence permit allows you to stay in Denmark three years or more or can be extended to three years, then your spouse, registered partner or cohabiting partner, as well as any children under the age of 18 who are living at home with you, are also eligible for residence permits. However, you must document that you dispose of DKK 25,000 per family member, your family members must be able to support themselves, and you must live together in Denmark at the same address.

Your spouse, registered partner or cohabiting partner is allowed to work full-time for the entire period his or her residence permit is valid.

You are not entitled to family reunification during the job-seeking period after the completion of the educational programme. However, if you have already brought your family to Denmark, then they are allowed to stay for the additional six months. The conditions mentioned above still apply during this period.

 

 

 
 
 
This website is an initiative of the Contemporary Europe Research Centre (CERC) at the University of Melbourne and has received funding and support from the Australian Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, The Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand and The National Europe Centre at the Australian National University.
 
 

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