The citizenship labyrinth

Credit: Miriam Thompson

Ali Lewis talks to Miriam Thompson about Danish citizenship, democracy, and turning lived experience into guidance for others.

Photographs: Various

Text: Ali Lewis

Miriam Thompson’s business logo is a labyrinth with a passport at its centre. It’s hard to think of something more suitable for her profession. Who is entitled to citizenship? What does the process involve? How long does it take? What if you’re rejected? It’s a notoriously complex process, as the briefest of glances at any Facebook group for internationals shows. “Yes, it is a labyrinth,” Miriam acknowledges. “But you can get there.” And luckily, she’s here as our guide.

Miriam’s citizenship consultancy is new, but it is underpinned by her many years of experience supporting internationals in finding their way in Denmark. It all began back in 2002, when she moved to Odense with her Danish husband after twelve years together in the US. Miriam, who had a long and successful career as a physical therapist in the US before moving, remembers keenly the culture shock they experienced. Even though her husband is Danish, they had been away from the country for over a decade and much had changed.

“There was no system to integrate me as a spouse at that time,” Miriam says. The authorities assumed that because her husband was Danish, they didn’t need the same support as other internationals. It took Miriam four years to find paid work after navigating a “frustrating” system, and even then, she was paid far less than she had been in the US.

Back then, seeking Danish citizenship was “never really in the forefront of my mind”, Miriam says, much less becoming a professional citizenship advisor. “I wasn’t aware of wanting or needing it,” she explains. “Permanent status, yes, because that has such an impact on job stability and many other factors about life here.”

“I don’t see representative democracy working when an increasing number of people who are living here on a permanent basis don’t have access to that representation. That is why citizenship matters so much.”

In 2017, Miriam found herself unemployed and decided a change of career direction was needed. She started volunteering for an NGO, Den Frie Rådgivning (DFR) in Odense first, teaching women how to bike, and later as a volunteer adviser.

“I was introduced to how community organisations function and that really interested me,” Miriam says. She was also reminded of her own struggles with integration, seeing the situations the people seeking advice at DFR faced.

“If you don’t know the system and nobody is reaching out to you, you don’t know where to go to get the information, and you’ll end up getting the short end of the stick,” she says.

At the same time, Miriam was realising the importance of national politics in Denmark, and how many internationals were disenfranchised from this because they weren’t citizens. “Voting and democracy is something I feel strongly about,” she says. “I don’t see democracy working when an increasing number of people who are living here on a permanent basis don’t have access to that representation. That is one reason why citizenship matters so much.”

Miriam applied for Danish citizenship in June 2017, but it would not be until September 2020 that she finally held her Danish passport in her hand. When asked what she would most like to see changed about the process, Miriam says unequivocally, “The case processing time!” One of the most commonly asked questions applicants pose, she says, is not only if, but when, they can become citizens. Currently, it can take an average of over 24 months to process, and many experience upwards of 30 months. “And that doesn’t even cover the time between the decision and finally being able to obtain a passport,” Miriam adds.

Credit: Miriam Thompson

“People who I advised would say, ‘Can we pay you?’ I started to think there could be a possibility here.”

Miriam’s own experiences inspired her to volunteer as an advisor to others seeking citizenship, first at the community organisation Fair Statsborgerskab, then a range of Facebook groups. “That’s a luxury that I could do that. Let’s not be privilege-blind,” she says. “It’s thanks to my husband’s employment that I could devote myself 100% to helping others on a voluntary basis.” Over the past 8 years, Miriam has advised hundreds of internationals in diverse situations.

Last year, a change in family circumstances meant Miriam could no longer devote herself to volunteering. She decided the time was right to look into whether there could be a market for a consultancy on citizenship cases. “I knew others were doing what I had been doing and getting paid for it,” she says. “Also, people who came and saw me personally for help with their applications would say, ‘Can we pay you?’ I started to think there could be a possibility here.”

That led to the establishment of Miriam T. Consulting ApS, which Miriam founded in October 2025. “I did think of more creative names, but my name is already well established as a brand in the area of citizenship, so I figured, why not use it?” she laughs.

Now, Miriam divides her time between giving free advice on general questions online and consulting on a paid basis with applications for Danish citizenship and permanent residence. She helps people understand “the rules and procedures along with the individual applicant’s situation and when it might be an appropriate time to apply.” It is often the latter question that she finds especially difficult to answer, as it depends on the individual’s circumstances but also potential changes in the requirements and procedures, which can and often do change during the process.”

“It’s very clear to me that people don’t know what situation they’re in. Whether you think you have an easy or a hard case, everything requires an initial consultation.”

Miriam says she never knows how a case might turn out when she is initially contacted, so her services have to be bespoke. “One thing I have learned is that most don’t understand their situation and their chances of obtaining citizenship,” she says. “Whether you think you have an easy or a hard case, everything requires an initial consultation, as invariably something comes up that can be a potential hindrance or factor in fulfilling the requirements or completing the process in as short a time as possible.”

She helps people gather the necessary information and documents. “This isn’t as clear as it could be on the official webpages. That’s definitely another thing I’d like to see improve,” she says. “People don’t know what they could or should attach to their application, which could make their case stronger.”

Miriam does not represent people before the authorities, but can guide them through the application process. She also advises on rejection cases. “One of the hardest things in the whole process is that rejection letters generally only name one thing that is wrong or missing on the application,” she points out. “Then there will be a sentence saying the ministry hasn’t assessed whether the applicant fulfils the rest of the requirements. So you don’t know what else might be missing.”

General questions and initial enquiries can be asked through Miriam’s Facebook group, Ask Miriam - Danish Citizenship and Permanent Residence, which attracted over 2000 members in its first month. She monitors all posts and provides initial free advice, assisted by several former colleagues. “I was in five different groups, and it was impossible to keep up with, so I decided to just start my own!” she says. Still, life is busy. “My husband reminds me to sleep and eat!” she laughs. “But I really love what I do. I just want to help and guide people, in the way I wish someone had done for me when I needed it.”

To contact Miriam and to find out more about her services: Miriam T. Consulting ApS (miriamt.dk)