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Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration Suspends Certain Cases Due to Criminal Register Error

🇩🇰 DenmarkProcessing Times2 recorded versionsLast change 9 Oct 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

The 9 October announcement ends the processing suspension for the cases that had been placed on hold by the Danish Immigration Service. The Service is resuming the processing of those applications following the National Police’s assessment that the consequences for the Criminal Register were very limited. This is a resumption of administrative processing, not a new immigration rule governing who qualifies for permanent residence or family reunification. Applicants must still meet the conditions applicable to their individual application. The announcement does not provide a general exemption from criminality-related requirements or state that applicants whose cases were suspended should automatically receive a positive decision. The announcement also does not establish a universal timetable for the completion of the affected cases. Resuming processing means that the Service can continue examining them; it does not necessarily mean that every case will be decided at once. Individual applications may still require further assessment or documentation, and their progress will depend on their particular circumstances. The position concerning potentially affected decisions made by other authorities remains distinct. The National Police is to work with relevant authorities to determine whether the error influenced other case-processing activities and, if so, how the consequences should be addressed. The 9 October notice does not specify which other decisions, if any, will require correction, nor does it announce a general reopening of previously concluded cases.

Overview

The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration has provisionally suspended the processing of specific immigration cases, including applications for permanent residence and certain family reunification requests. This decision stems from an error identified in the Criminal Register, which could affect assessments of applicants' eligibility for residence permits. Consequently, these cases cannot be finalised by the agency for the time being.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • Applicants with pending permanent residence applications that were suspended by the Danish Immigration Service on 8 September 2026 because of the Criminal Register error
  • Applicants with certain pending family reunification applications included in the suspension
  • People advising or supporting applicants whose cases were affected, including immigration advisers and relevant support organisations
  • Public authorities reviewing whether the register error affected their own case-processing activities

What changed in the latest version

Before

Before the suspension, the Danish Immigration Service processed permanent residence and family reunification applications under the existing immigration rules, including consideration of criminal-record information where relevant to the case. The problem arose when the authorities became aware of an error in the Criminal Register and could not yet establish its scope or consequences for decisions that relied on the register. On 8 September 2026, the Immigration Service announced that it was temporarily suspending pending cases in which the error might affect case processing. This included applications for permanent residence and certain family reunification applications. The announcement explained that the suspension applied where, for example, criminal conduct in Denmark could be relevant to whether an applicant satisfied the conditions for a residence permit. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration had asked the Danish Immigration Service, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), and the Danish Return Agency to suspend cases in which the error might have an impact. However, the Immigration Service’s notice expressly stated that the error did not give rise to suspending cases at SIRI or the Danish Return Agency. The identified suspension was therefore not a blanket halt to all Danish immigration processing. The pause was precautionary. It did not establish that the applicants concerned had failed the relevant immigration requirements, nor did it mean that their applications had been refused. It meant that the Immigration Service was temporarily unable to finalise the affected cases while the authorities investigated whether the register error could influence the decisions.

After

The 9 October announcement ends the processing suspension for the cases that had been placed on hold by the Danish Immigration Service. The Service is resuming the processing of those applications following the National Police’s assessment that the consequences for the Criminal Register were very limited. This is a resumption of administrative processing, not a new immigration rule governing who qualifies for permanent residence or family reunification. Applicants must still meet the conditions applicable to their individual application. The announcement does not provide a general exemption from criminality-related requirements or state that applicants whose cases were suspended should automatically receive a positive decision. The announcement also does not establish a universal timetable for the completion of the affected cases. Resuming processing means that the Service can continue examining them; it does not necessarily mean that every case will be decided at once. Individual applications may still require further assessment or documentation, and their progress will depend on their particular circumstances. The position concerning potentially affected decisions made by other authorities remains distinct. The National Police is to work with relevant authorities to determine whether the error influenced other case-processing activities and, if so, how the consequences should be addressed. The 9 October notice does not specify which other decisions, if any, will require correction, nor does it announce a general reopening of previously concluded cases.

This change is important for people whose applications for permanent residence and specific family reunification were paused by the Danish Immigration Service. Before this, these applicants faced an indefinite delay, causing uncertainty about their immigration status and future plans. With processing restarting, these individuals can now expect their applications to be reviewed and decided. The previous suspension happened because there was a potential issue with the reliability of data from the Criminal Register, which is crucial for assessing cases. The National Police's assessment that the consequences for the Criminal Register were 'very limited' means that the basis for processing these cases is now considered sound. This allows the Immigration Service to continue without worrying about potentially flawed data from this particular error.

Explained simply

Imagine you're waiting for your game results, but the school had a tiny problem with how they recorded scores. They paused giving out results to fix it. Now, the problem's fixed, and they're giving out everyone's results again, so you'll find out about your game soon!

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v2Effective 9 Oct 2026EffectiveMedium impact
    Denmark Resumes Suspended Permanent Residence and Family Reunification Cases Following Criminal Register Error

    Follows v1 · Denmark Suspends Certain Permanent Residence and Family Reunification Cases Due to Criminal Register Error

    On 9 October 2026, Denmark's Immigration Service started processing applications for permanent residence and certain family reunification cases again. They had stopped processing these cases on 8 September 2026 because an error was found in the Criminal Register. After the National Police investigated and decided the error had very limited consequences, the Danish Immigration Service has now lifted the suspension and will continue to process these applications in Denmark.

  2. v1Effective 8 Sept 2026EffectiveCritical impact
    Denmark Suspends Certain Permanent Residence and Family Reunification Cases Due to Criminal Register Error

    The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration — legally called Udlændingestyrelsen — has temporarily stopped checking some pending cases. This is because of a mistake in the Criminal Register. This rule started on 8 September 2026. It affects requests for permanent residence and certain requests for family reunification in Denmark. The stop applies to cases where crimes committed in Denmark might change if an applicant can get a residence permit. People with affected requests will wait longer. The Agency cannot finish their cases right now.

Timeline

  1. Announced

    9 Oct 2026

    The Danish Immigration Service has resumed the processing of applications for permanent residence and specific family reunification cases. This decision follows the National Police's assessment that an error in the Criminal Register, which led to the temporary suspension of these cases, had very limited consequences. The resumption means that applicants in these categories can expect their applica

  2. Takes effect

    9 Oct 2026

    The Danish Immigration Service is resuming the processing of all cases previously suspended, specifically those concerning permanent residence and certain family reunification cases. This decision follows an investigation by the National Police, which concluded that the consequences of the error in the Criminal Register are very limited.

  3. Announced

    8 Sept 2026

    The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration has provisionally suspended the processing of specific immigration cases, including applications for permanent residence and certain family reunification requests. This decision stems from an error identified in the Criminal Register, which could affect assessments of applicants' eligibility for residence permits. Consequently, these

  4. Takes effect

    8 Sept 2026

    The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (Udlændingestyrelsen) is provisionally suspending the processing of certain pending cases where an error in the Criminal Register may affect the case processing. This specifically applies to applications for permanent residence and certain applications for family reunification.

Other routes in this country

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