Copenhagen. Photo: CFP

Danish Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen Photo: Courtesy of Danish Embassy

 

Anja Pedersen Photo: Courtesy of Danish Embassy

When we think about Denmark, the first things to come to many people's minds are the renowned fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, the mixture of historical and modern landscapes of Copenhagen, and the elegant silver mermaid that sits in Copenhagen's harbor. All these elements draw thousands of tourists from China to Denmark every year. Many who go once will return again.

This year, from January to August, about 6,200 Chinese tourists went to Denmark. That's an increase of 32 percent compared to the total number of tourists last year, according to the Danish Embassy.

In order to offer advice for the growing number of people who plan to go to Denmark, Metropolitan set up an exclusive interview with Friis Arne Petersen, the Danish ambassador to China, and Anja Pedersen, head of the Visa and Consular Service of the Royal Danish Embassy.

GT: What do I need to know to apply for a visa to Denmark?

Anja Pedersen: We have two kinds of tourist visas - one for groups and one for individual tourists. We have checklists for each category on our embassy's website for details.

GT: Can I authorize others to apply for and receive a visa for me?

Anja Pedersen: It's possible. For the group tourist visa, it's possible under the approved destination scheme to apply via travel agency. For individual tourists, there is an option that if you've been to Schengen before you can apply via travel agency directly through the embassy. First time travelers have to apply in person at the visa center.

GT: What are the common misconceptions that I need to avoid when doing a visa application?

Friis Arne Petersen: The most common misconception is that is difficult and time consuming and very bureaucratic [to apply for a visa].

There are so many people who do not look at our embassy's website and do not see how easy it is to prepare the right documents and fill in the application properly. Therefore, they think it is difficult. The average processing time for a tourist visa is less than three days.

GT: Will I get rejected for not delivering enough or the right documents for my  visa application?

Anja Pedersen: The list of documents is made as a guideline so if you have all the documents on the list you are fairly sure you have submitted what we need.

But if you choose not to hand in some of the documents, we will still accept that application and maybe it would be okay. But if we need it, we will ask for it.

GT: What is the maximum valid period for a visa?

Anja Pedersen: The normal validity we issue is 10 to 15 days. The Schengen rules say you can apply for 90 days maximum, but you have to show why you need to.

For a business visa, you can easily apply for 90 days.

GT: What do I need to prepare for a visa application if I go for as an individual traveler?

Anja Pedersen: For individual tourists, you have to show what you intend to do for your trip. We trust that the applicant informs us about the plan. Because otherwise, maybe the applicant who will apply with us isn't actually going to Denmark.

GT: What is the success rate for visa applications to Denmark?

Anja Pedersen: We only have rejection rate of about one percent. Or 99 percent of the people who will apply get a visa.

GT: What would you recommend that tourists see in Denmark?

Friis Arne Petersen: What all Chinese citizens must do is go to Copenhagen to see the mermaid, and the whole capital with its history, beautiful old buildings, canals, museums, and very nice shopping. Then go to the countryside to see some of the Danish farms and landscapes. Like China, we have an agricultural civilization.

Also, some of the world's best restaurants are in Denmark. For instance, Noma used to be the world's number one.

When you visit Denmark you should also go to Greenland, which is as big as Tibet and as beautiful as Tibet. Greenland is covered with two kilometers of ice. The green in the name applies to the shores.