Travelling with Family
Are you considering bringing your family along on your stay abroad? Here, we have collected some nice-to-know information for a travelling with family!
Bringing your family along for your academic stay abroad may seem to be an immense feat to conquer – will they thrive in the new environment? How do I apply for their visa/residence permit? Every year, we see Fulbright grantees bring their partners, spouses and children along on the journey and we hear how rewarding it has been! During a stay abroad, you and your family will get to experience everyday life in the host country – everything from grocery shopping to going to the park and playground, providing opportunities to meet and connect with local families. Older kids may have the opportunity to enjoy an authentic Danish or American Elementary, Middle, or High School experience. To experience another country with your family allows you to get closer, reconnect, and spend quality time with your loved ones while exploring your new home. In short, it is an unforgettable time!
The Fulbrighter platform is a forum where former and current grantees can seek various types of information, e.g., how it is to travel with family. Thus, if you have received a Fulbright grant, and are considering brining your family with you, you may find invaluable information there.
Danes Travelling with Family to the US
As a Danish Fulbright Student or Scholar, accompanying family members (i.e., spouses and children) can join the grantee on a J-2 dependent visa – a type of visa which is connected to the grantee’s J-1 visa.
If you and your significant other are not married, we are unfortunately unable to assist with the visa process. However, in this instance, we recommend the following:
- For stays over 3 months: The partner can apply for a B-1/B-2-visa.
- For stays up to three months: The partner can travel on an ESTA.
You can read more about the different visa categories here.
Children can enroll in schools or daycare, but you should be aware that these offers will be more expensive than in Denmark, especially in larger cities. Spouses should make sure to check with their specific visa category to determine if they are allowed work while in the US.
Americans Travelling with Family to Denmark
As an American Student or Scholar, accompanying family members (i.e., spouses and children) can join the grantee on a residence permit as such. It should be noted that it is the grantee’s own responsibility to apply for this through the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). Please be aware that there is a fee for a residence permit to accompanying family members. Once on a residence permit, family members will get a Danish personal number which gives them the same rights as the grantee (including access to free health care, important digital services etc.).
You can read more about residence permits here.
Partners who are not spouses or other types of family members to the grantee can travel to Denmark visa free up to 90 days (depending on the time otherwise spent in the Schengen area).
If you bring children over the age of 5 with you, they can enroll in the Danish public-school system right after arrival – in fact, children that are physically living in Denmark are required to attend school in one way or another, either as a student at a regular Primary School (free of charge) or at an International School (tuition-based). However, children cannot enroll at public daycare (“Vuggestue”) or kindergarten (“Børnehave”) until they are officially registered with the Danish authorities, and public childcare is unfortunately not free of charge. You may contact your local municipality to learn more about your options ahead of arrival. Please be aware that the waiting lists for public daycare and kindergarten are fairly long, for both Danish and International citizens.
Bringing your family with you to Denmark gives all of you a chance to try the Danish work-life balance, and to create memories for life!
Read more about Fulbright Denmark’s grants here.
Graduate Students
Do you want to study in the U.S.?
Fulbright Denmark provides guidance for prospective Danish applicants who are planning graduate studies in the United States.
Our advising primarily focuses on graduate-level students — both degree-seeking and non-degree students — as well as so-called free movers who arrange their own studies in the U.S. without the support of their home university.
Are you a top graduate or PhD student interested in our scholarships? Contact Fulbright Denmark to schedule an online meeting about your U.S. study plans.
If you are interested in pursuing a full degree in the U.S., we also recommend exploring EducationUSA’s website for additional resources.
Who Can Apply?
Master’s Students
You are eligible to apply for a Fulbright grant if:
- You plan to study in the U.S. for an entire degree or a non-degree stay of one or more semesters.
- Your studies can be part of your Danish education, with courses transferable upon approval from your Danish university.
Please note: You are not eligible for a Fulbright scholarship if you are going to the U.S. through an exchange agreement between your Danish university and an American host university.
PhD Students
You are eligible to apply for a Fulbright grant if:
- You plan a research stay in the U.S. of six to twelve months as part of your Danish PhD program, and you have secured affiliation with an American host university.
- You intend to complete your entire PhD in the U.S.
For many Danish PhD programs, an international research stay is a requirement. In most cases, it is the student’s responsibility to plan the stay abroad and obtain approval from their home institution. Fulbright Denmark can support you in making that stay possible in the U.S.
Training & Internships
Looking for Training or Internships in the U.S.?
For guidance about trainings and internships we refer to our partner organization EducationUSA. You can find more information here.
Fulbright Denmark does not offer grants for trainings and internships.
If you are considering training and internships in the U.S. you need a visa. It is not allowed to do training or interning as a tourist, even though it is not paid and for less than three months; regardless of where you intern, or if it is paid or not – you need a visa.
You can read more about visa for internships in the U.S. here.
Postdoc & Scholars
Research and teach in the U.S.
The United States offers a wide range of opportunities for postdocs and scholars, including research stays, guest lecturing visits, visiting professorships, and other types of academic appointments.
At Fulbright Denmark, we provide guidance for postdoc applicants and scholars at all career stages — from adjunkt to lektor to professor. Danish citizenship is required.
While it is an advantage to be currently employed at a Danish institution of higher education (such as a university, professionshøjskole, erhvervsakademi, or maskinmesterskole), we also support “at large” applicants with no current affiliation who already hold a PhD and wish to travel as postdocs.
How To Get Started
As a scholar, you are responsible for initiating contact and securing an affiliation with a relevant U.S. university or other host institution. You are free to choose your host institution based on your research or teaching interests. The affiliation does not need to be fully in place when you apply, but it needs to be finalized before you can receive a Fulbright grant.
Click here to see if you are eligible to apply for a Fulbright Scholar Award.
Important Visa Information
When advising postdocs and scholars, we always highlight visa regulations relevant to this type of stay. In particular, please note the Two-Year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement that applies to all Fulbright grants.
If this rule applies to your visa, you must reside in Denmark for at least two years before you can apply for certain U.S. visa categories, including work visas (H and L), work permits connected to K visas, or immigrant visas.
You will still be able to:
- Travel to the U.S. for tourism
- Attend academic conferences
- Study/do research in the U.S. under another J or F visa
Read more here about the Two-Year Home-Country Requirement and the exchange visitor visa process.