Danish work permits explained: which scheme fits you?

Work down the questions in order and stop at the first yes. More than one scheme can fit the same offer. When that happens, compare processing times and how much flexibility each gives you.

• Are you an EU/EEA, Swiss or Nordic citizen? You need no work permit. See the EU section below.
• Did you just complete a state-approved Danish degree? You may not need an employer-based permit yet. See staying in Denmark after graduation.
• Is your employer on SIRI’s list of certified companies? Consider the Fast-track Scheme, choosing the track that matches your offer.
• Is the annual salary at least DKK 552,000, counting only cash salary, pension and paid holiday allowance? Use the Pay Limit Scheme.
• Is it a paid research position? Use the researcher permit.
• Is the job title on a Positive List, and does your education or training meet its requirement? Use the Positive List for People with a Higher Education or for Skilled Work.
• Is the salary at least DKK 446,000, full-time, and was the job advertised on Jobnet and EURES for at least 2 weeks? Use the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme, as long as unemployment stays at or below the ceiling.
• None of these? SIRI has narrower schemes, including trainees, special individual qualifications (artists, athletes, specialised chefs) and Start-up Denmark for founders. Or go back to the employer: a salary adjustment can move an offer over a threshold.

This path is a reading of SIRI’s published conditions, not legal advice. Only SIRI can decide whether you qualify. If your case is borderline, contact SIRI before you pay the fee.

This is the most flexible scheme for a well-paid offer. It has no education or sector requirement. In 2026 the salary must be at least DKK 552,000 a year, and the minimum is adjusted every 1 January. Only cash salary (including guaranteed fixed supplements), pension contributions from you and the employer, and paid holiday allowance count. A company car, phone, canteen or paid housing do not.

• You must work at least 30 hours a week, and pay and terms must match Danish standards for the field.
• Your salary must be paid into a Danish bank account in your name. The account must be opened within 180 days.
• Some regulated jobs, such as medical doctor, also need Danish authorisation. See qualification recognition.
• For employment of 4 years or more, the permit is normally granted for 4 years. Your role can change inside the same company, for example a promotion, without a new permit.

SIRI calls this a scheme of its own, not a softer version of the Pay Limit Scheme. The 2026 minimum is DKK 446,000 a year, counted the same way, but several conditions come with it:

• The job was posted on both Jobnet and the EURES portal for at least 2 weeks before you apply, and for no more than 6 months. Your employer signs a sworn declaration, and SIRI runs spot-checks.
• Full-time work, normally 37–40 hours a week.
• No fine of DKK 3,000 or more under the Criminal Code, the Aliens Act or certain other acts in the 2 years before you apply.
• Seasonally adjusted gross unemployment must not exceed 3.75 pct. on average over the previous 3 months. SIRI’s latest published average is 3.1 pct.

Normal processing time is 2 months, against 1 month for the Pay Limit Scheme. For employment of 5 years or more, the permit is normally granted for 5 years.

If your job title is on a Positive List, there is no fixed salary threshold. Pay and terms must still match Danish standards. There are two lists, and SIRI publishes both with the exact titles and codes.

The Positive List for People with a Higher Education (164 titles from 1 July 2026) sets an education requirement for each title, often at least three years at bachelor level, and your degree must be relevant to the job. Titles added by a Regional Labour Market Council only apply to that region’s municipalities. Titles stay on the list for at least 2 years. Full-time work, normally 37 hours a week, is expected.

The Positive List for Skilled Work (63 titles from 1 July 2026) adds a condition many employers don’t know about. The employer must be covered by Læreplads-AUB and must have met its apprentice-training targets, and SIRI makes no exceptions. SIRI also checks the salary against wage statistics based on Statistics Denmark data. Normal processing time is 3 months.

A Positive List permit covers one job at one company. A new position, even with the same employer, needs a new permit.

Fast-track is not a separate salary route. It gives SIRI-certified employers a faster, more flexible way to hire, split into five tracks. To be certified, a company needs at least 10 full-time permanent employees in Denmark, among other conditions. SIRI publishes the list of certified companies.

Your offer must fit one of five tracks: pay limit, supplementary pay limit, researcher, educational (high-level training for experienced specialists), or short-term (a maximum of 90 days in any 365). The employer applies online with your power of attorney. With quick job start, which normally takes 10 days, you can begin work before the full decision. Fast-track also lets you work in Denmark and abroad without your permit lapsing.

A paid researcher position qualifies when there are research-related reasons for hiring you in particular. The job must be closely tied to you, and research must be the main purpose. There is no fixed salary threshold (pay must match Danish standards), and full-time work is not required.

The permit is generous in practice. You can change project or role inside the same institution, take sideline work with other employers without a separate permit, and act as an external examiner. You are also exempt from the rules that make permits lapse after long stays abroad. If the employer is certified, the Fast-track researcher track gives the same route with quick job start. PhD students and guest researchers have their own SIRI schemes.

An employer who has never sponsored a permit often assumes it is heavy. For the standard schemes it isn’t: no certification, no advertising requirement (except for the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme) and normal processing times of 1–3 months. Give the hiring manager a short brief:

• Which scheme you qualify for, and a link to the SIRI page.
• What they do: complete the first part of the online form AR1, or apply for you with form AR6 if you give them power of attorney.
• What the contract needs: salary, terms and a job description that match Danish standards. For the pay-limit schemes, the salary must reach the threshold using only the components that count.
• Timing: SIRI’s normal processing time for the scheme. If you apply from abroad, the permit can start 1 month before your first working day so you have time to settle.
• For the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme: post the job on Jobnet and EURES now. The 2-week clock can’t be backdated.

Salary questions come up early in these conversations. The salary negotiation guide covers how to discuss the package without losing the offer.

Your permit rests on this specific job, so you must tell SIRI if you lose or change it. To move to a new employer, apply for a new permit no later than the day you start. Under SIRI’s job change rule you can then work while it processes the case. A second, sideline job needs its own permit, except for researchers.

If you lose the job through no fault of your own, for example in cutbacks, the Pay Limit Scheme, the Positive List for People with a Higher Education, the researcher permit and the Fast-track pay limit, educational and short-term tracks let you apply for a 6-month job-seeking permit. You must apply no later than 2 days after the employment ends, and you may not work while you hold it.

Your spouse, registered or cohabiting partner and children under 18 can come with you. An accompanying family member generally has the right to work in Denmark, but needs a separate work permit to work for your employer or a closely related company. For rebuilding a partner’s career, see the accompanying partners guide.

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can enter Denmark and start working on arrival without a work permit. If you stay more than 3 months, you apply to SIRI for an EU residence document, which is free and has no expiry date. You need it to get a CPR number. To count as a worker under EU rules, the work must be real and paid, normally at least 10–12 hours a week for at least 10–12 weeks. Nordic citizens can live and work in Denmark without a visa or residence permit.