Denmark work permit and immigration guide for non-EU workers

Overview

Denmark uses route-specific eligibility — Pay Limit, Positive List and Fast-track schemes — rather than overt company caps. Employer compliance and salary/insurance screens matter more than quotas.

Quotas, caps and ratios

• Quota / cap: Not verified in this pass.
• Employer quota/cap rules were not verified from current official sources in this pass. Treat any specific figure as requiring official confirmation before filing.

Employer eligibility and restrictions

• Employer-side quota, fiscal-debt, social-security-debt and company-activity conditions were not verified from official sources in this pass.
• No fabricated thresholds are published here — confirm requirements with the official authority before relying on them.

Main work-permit routes

• Pay Limit scheme
• Positive List
• Fast-track
• EU Blue Card

Recent vacancies — Denmark

594+ recent vacancies aggregated from Jobindex, EURES. These vacancies are aggregated from public job boards and are time-sensitive — roles may be filled or expired. Always confirm the offer, employer and any fees directly with the source or employer before applying or paying anything.

• Operations Technician — Byens Bilpleje Odense ApSDenmark · trades · Apply on Migratalent
• Do You Want to Help Build a Growing Painting Company? — TGM Kanis Turbinen GmbHDenmark · trades · Apply on Migratalent
• Repair Technician for Service/Maintenance — M. NØRGAARD-LARSEN A/SDenmark · trades · Apply on Migratalent
• Cold Store Worker for Lineage in Vejle — Dansk Detail og Administration ApSDenmark · warehouse · Apply on Migratalent
• Become an Air Traffic Controller at Naviair — KS ELEKTRO A/SDenmark · general · Apply on Migratalent
• Skilled and Versatile Plumber to Handle and Carry Out Insurance Cases — TGM Kanis Turbinen GmbHDenmark · trades · Apply on Migratalent
• View all vacancies (594)All Denmark vacancies

Application process

• Job offer & contract — Employer via Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI): A Danish-registered employer makes a concrete job offer with a salary meeting the Pay Limit Scheme threshold (DKK 552,000/year in 2026) and signs an employment contract with the worker.
• Create Case Order ID — Worker via Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI): Before submitting, the applicant creates a Case Order ID on nyidanmark.dk for the work/residence permit application.
• Pay the fee — Worker via Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI): The applicant pays the case-processing fee and attaches the receipt as documentation. (DKK 6,810 (2026 work case rate))
• Complete & submit application — Employer via Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI): The employer completes part 1 of the application form (AR1/AR6), the worker completes part 2, and the application is submitted to SIRI.
• Record biometrics — Worker via Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI): The worker has a facial photo and fingerprints recorded at a Danish diplomatic mission abroad or a SIRI branch office in Denmark. (No later than 14 days after submitting the application)
• Case assessment & decision — Authority via Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI): SIRI assesses the application, requests further information if needed, and issues a decision granting or refusing the residence and work permit. (Normally 1 month; up to 3 months if further information is needed)
• Entry & residence card — Worker via Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI): On approval the worker enters Denmark and receives a residence card (with biometrics on a microchip) authorising employment with the named employer.

Processing time and government fees

• Overall processing time: Normally 1 month; up to 3 months if SIRI needs to request further information.
• Government fees: DKK 6,810 case-processing fee for the work-based (Pay Limit Scheme) residence permit, effective from 7 January 2026 (each accompanying family member adds a separate fee).
• Verified against official SIRI (nyidanmark.dk) Pay Limit Scheme and 2026 fee pages: authority name, DKK 6,810 fee, 14-day biometrics deadline, and 1-3 month processing time. The DKK 552,000 salary threshold and per-family-member fee amounts come from official/secondary references and should be reconfirmed on the SIRI fee-overview page at time of filing; this is operational guidance, not legal advice.

Core documents

• Valid passport meeting the destination validity rule
• Signed work contract or binding job offer
• Proof of qualifications / professional experience
• Criminal-record certificate (apostille/legalisation where required)
• Certified translations of foreign documents where required
• Proof of health insurance and accommodation where required

Common questions