Ukrainians between the ages of 23 and 60 who do not have an exemption from military service will not be able to obtain a residence permit in Denmark. This was stated on the website of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
After the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a special law was adopted in Denmark, allowing people who were forced to leave Ukraine to obtain a temporary residence permit in Denmark under a simplified scheme. The Danish government now plans to tighten the law to prevent Ukrainian men from using it to evade conscription into the Ukrainian army.
Immigration Minister Morten Bedskov said: “Denmark strongly supports Ukraine in its struggle for freedom. Therefore, we are amending the law on Ukraine, because our rules for granting residence permits are not intended to be used to evade mobilization in the Ukrainian Defense Forces. This undermines Ukraine’s military efforts and weakens its ability to defend against Russian attacks.”
The letter notes that the changes will not affect residence permits already issued.
As of May 2026, 47,600 Ukrainians who obtained a residence permit under a special law lived in Denmark.
In early June, it became known that the Ukrainian authorities asked the European Union not to extend the so-called Directive on Temporary Protection for Ukrainian men of mobilization age – from 23 to 60 years.