Denmark visa requirements for South African citizens

Greenland and the Faroe Islands: different entry rules

A visa for Denmark or for any other Schengen country is not valid for entry to Greenland or the Faroe Islands, which sit outside Schengen cooperation. You have to apply for a visa for those destinations, and the visa sticker has to state that it is valid for Greenland or for the Faroe Islands. You apply at a Danish mission, and one form covers both even when the trip also includes Denmark.

Source: nyidanmark.dk, "Entry to the Faroe Islands or Greenland" (comprobado 18/09/2026)

Authorization system

None operational yet (ETIAS delayed)

Denmark is part of the future European ETIAS system (a travel authorization for nationalities exempt from a Schengen visa). As of the verification date, ETIAS is NOT operational. Once launched: cost €20, validity 3 years, applicable to passport holders from countries exempt from a Schengen visa.

What ETIAS is, who it will affect and when it starts →

Fee

Doesn't apply until ETIAS is operational. For consular Schengen visas, the fee depends on the visa type and hasn't been verified specifically for Denmark.

Processing time

Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• A valid visa, if your nationality requires one. It is not needed if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen State (Art. 6(1)(b))
• Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay: an accommodation booking or a declaration of invitation from your host, and a return or onward ticket (Art. 6(1)(c) and Art. 6(3), which points to the non-exhaustive list in Annex I)
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole stay and for the return to your country of origin, or of being in a position to acquire such means lawfully. They are assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging in budget accommodation (Art. 6(1)(c) and 6(4)). Cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and declarations of invitation or of sponsorship all count as proof (Art. 6(4))

Vaccinations

• No mandatory vaccines for entry: no international certificate of vaccination (yellow fever included) is required under the International Health Regulations.

Health insurance

Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).

Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →

Transit rules

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →

Customs limits

Cash

Declare to Toldstyrelsen (Danish Customs) if entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in another currency, including Danish kroner), an EU-harmonized regime.

Alcohol

Arriving from outside the EU (age 17+): 1 liter of spirits over 22% alcohol, or 2 liters under 22% (including sparkling and fortified wines); plus 4 liters of still wine and 16 liters of beer.

Tobacco

200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos (max. 3 grams each), or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of smoking tobacco.

Overstay penalties

§ 59 of the Aliens Act (udlændingeloven) punishes unlawful stay in Denmark with a fine or up to 6 months of imprisonment. A documented real case (100 days of stay across the whole Schengen area, of which only 1 day of overstay corresponded to Denmark) was resolved with an out-of-court fine of DKK 1,500, an indicative figure that isn't a fixed statutory rate: the amount can vary depending on the circumstances of the case. In addition to the fine, an administrative expulsion with a re-entry ban to the whole Schengen area can be imposed.

What happens if you stay past 90 days →

Common reasons for denial

• Producing a false or falsified travel document, or reasonable doubts arising about the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted or the truthfulness of their content (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 32(1)(a)(i) and 32(1)(b)).
• Failing to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay (Art. 32(1)(a)(ii); the same entry condition appears in Art. 6(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, so it is also checked at the border).
• Failing to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole intended stay and for the return to the country of origin or residence, and not being in a position to acquire such means lawfully (Art. 32(1)(a)(iii)).
• Having already used up the 90 days of stay within the current 180-day period on the territory of the Member States (Art. 32(1)(a)(iv)).
• Being the subject of an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry (Art. 32(1)(a)(v)).
• Being considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any Member State (Art. 32(1)(a)(vi)).
• Failing to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable (Art. 32(1)(a)(vii)).
• Reasonable doubts arising about the reliability of the statements made or about the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa applied for expires (Art. 32(1)(b)).