A Denmark work permit is a combined residence and work authorization that non-EU and non-EEA citizens must hold before starting any job in Denmark. The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) issues it under several schemes, and which one you use depends mainly on your salary and qualifications. The most common route in 2026 requires a written job offer paying at least DKK 552,000 per year, but lower-paid and shortage-occupation routes exist. Every applicant needs a Danish employer’s offer first; you cannot apply speculatively.
Which Scheme Fits Your Situation
Denmark runs multiple parallel work permit tracks under the Aliens Act. Picking the right one is the first real decision, because each track has its own salary floor, conditions, and paperwork.
Pay Limit Scheme
This is the simplest route when the salary is high enough. For 2026, your annual pay must reach at least DKK 552,000, roughly €74,000, and the threshold is adjusted every January 1. Your occupation does not need to appear on any list. Only base pay (including fixed supplements), employer pension contributions, and paid holiday allowance count toward the threshold. Bonuses, company cars, free phones, and housing benefits do not.1New to Denmark. The Pay Limit Scheme You must work at least 30 hours per week, and your salary must be paid into a Danish bank account in your own name within 180 days of receiving the permit.
Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme
If the offer falls below DKK 552,000 but reaches at least DKK 446,000 for 2026, the supplementary track may work. It carries extra conditions the regular scheme does not: the job must have been advertised on Jobnet and the EURES portal for at least two weeks before you apply, Denmark’s seasonally adjusted gross unemployment must not have exceeded 3.75% on average in the three months before your application, and you must not have received a criminal fine of DKK 3,000 or more in the past two years.2New to Denmark. The Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme The same salary components count as under the main Pay Limit Scheme.
The Positive Lists
Denmark keeps two separate shortage lists. The Positive List for People with Higher Education covers professions requiring a university-level degree; if your degree matches a listed field and you have a job offer in it, you can apply regardless of salary, provided the employment terms match Danish standards.3New to Denmark. You Want to Apply for a Work Permit The Positive List for Skilled Work covers vocational trades in short supply, including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, chefs, welders, social and health care workers, and mechanics, among others.4New to Denmark. The Positive List for Skilled Work Both lists are updated regularly, so check the current version before applying.
Fast-Track Scheme
The Fast-track Scheme is built for speed, but only certified employers can use it. The company must have at least 10 full-time employees and hold current SIRI certification.5New to Denmark. Certification for the Fast-Track Scheme If you are visa-exempt or can otherwise enter Denmark legally, SIRI can issue a preliminary work permit on the same day your employer files the online application, letting you start work while the full case is processed. The Fast-track pay limit tracks use the same DKK 552,000 and DKK 446,000 thresholds as the standalone schemes.6New to Denmark. Fast-Track Scheme
If Your Profession Is Regulated
Some jobs in Denmark require official Danish authorization on top of the work permit. The regulated list covers healthcare, construction, law, veterinary medicine, transport, maritime work, and more.7Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen. List of Regulated Professions A home-country license does not transfer automatically. Check the list before assuming your permit alone will let you practice.
Documents You Need Before You Apply
Your passport must be valid for at least three months after your intended departure from the Schengen area and must have been issued within the past ten years.8Nordic Cooperation. Passport Requirements for Travel to Denmark
The employment contract or written job offer is the central document. It must state the job description, the salary in Danish kroner, and the terms of employment, and it cannot be more than 30 days old at the time you submit. For Positive List applications, the role must match a listed profession. If the position requires academic credentials, include certified copies of degrees and diplomas.
The application form for most work permits is the AR1, split into two parts: your employer completes the first, you complete the second, and both must be filled in before submission.9New to Denmark. Fast-Track Application Using AR1 Forms are on nyidanmark.dk.
How to Apply and Pay the Fee
The sequence is fixed: create a Case Order ID, pay the fee, then submit the application. Paying after submission or skipping the fee gets the application rejected.10New to Denmark. Fee – User Manual
As of January 2026, the application fee for every major work permit scheme (Pay Limit, Supplementary, both Positive Lists, Fast-track, and researcher permits) is DKK 6,810, about €913. Extensions cost the same.11New to Denmark. Overview of Fee Rates After paying, upload the completed AR1 and supporting documents through the online portal.
Biometrics and Processing Time
After submitting online, you have to record biometric data in person: fingerprints, a digital photograph, and a signature. Recording can be done at a Danish embassy, consulate, visa application center, or SIRI branch.12New to Denmark. Biometric Features If you did not submit the application in person, you have 14 days from the submission date to complete this step. Miss it and the application is rejected.
SIRI’s service goal for the Pay Limit Scheme and the Positive Lists is one month from when the application is complete.13New to Denmark. Case Processing Times in SIRI Fast-track applicants who are visa-exempt can get a preliminary permit the same day their employer files. Real processing runs longer in busy periods, so apply well before your intended start date. Once approved, you receive a residence card with your biometric data on an embedded chip; this card is your combined residence and work permit.
What to Do After You Arrive
Landing with the permit is the halfway point. Several registrations follow, and the order matters because each depends on the last. Delays can push you onto a 55% tax rate or cut you off from healthcare.
CPR Number
If your stay is three months or longer, register at a Citizen Service center (or an International Citizen Service center) to get a CPR number, Denmark’s personal ID number. Healthcare, banking, tax, and digital government services all run through it. Bring your residence and work permit, passport, and proof of your Danish address, such as a rental contract.14Life in Denmark. When You Arrive You have to appear in person and cannot register before you have an address.
Tax Card
Get a Danish tax card (skattekort) before your first payday. Without one, your employer must withhold 55% of your salary. You can apply no earlier than one month before your start date, either through SKAT’s online self-service portal if you already have MitID, or through a digital form that takes roughly two weeks.15SKAT. Tax Card as a Non-Danish Employee in Denmark The CPR number, bank account, and tax card all depend on each other, which is where new arrivals get stuck. Start early.
Danish Bank Account and NemKonto
The Pay Limit Scheme requires your salary to be paid into a Danish bank account in your own name within 180 days of receiving the permit.1New to Denmark. The Pay Limit Scheme Most employers will not pay into a foreign account in any event. When opening the account, ask the bank to register it as your NemKonto, the public payment system used for tax refunds, holiday pay, and other official transfers.
MitID and Health Insurance Card
MitID is Denmark’s digital identity system and is required for tax portals, banking, and most government self-service platforms. Non-citizens can set it up with a valid foreign passport and a smartphone, or by visiting a Citizen Service center in person.16MitID. Non-Citizens in Denmark Once you have a CPR number and are registered at a Danish address, you become eligible for the national health insurance card (Sundhedskort), which gives access to public healthcare and assigns you a general practitioner.
Unemployment Insurance
Denmark’s unemployment insurance is voluntary but widely used. To avoid gaps in your insurance history, join an unemployment insurance fund (A-kasse) within eight weeks of starting work. Benefits require at least one year of membership and a minimum income history.17Nordic Cooperation. Unemployment Benefit in Denmark
If You Lose the Job
The work permit is tied to one specific employer. If you lose the job through no fault of your own, you can apply for a six-month jobseeking permit, but you must apply within two days of the employment ending. The jobseeking permit does not let you work; once you have a new offer, you apply for a fresh work permit based on it. During the jobseeking period you cannot receive social security benefits from public authorities like municipalities, though private A-kasse payouts are allowed. Violating these terms can void the permit. The jobseeking permit fee is DKK 840.11New to Denmark. Overview of Fee Rates
Sideline Work
Your permit covers one job with one employer. A second job or side business generally needs a separate sideline employment permit. The sideline work must be “naturally related” to your primary job, and the permit is usually granted for 8 to 15 hours per week; salary and terms must match Danish standards. There is no fee, and processing takes about a month.18New to Denmark. Sideline Employment Researchers, guest researchers, PhD students, performing artists, and professional athletes or coaches have unlimited sideline rights and do not need a separate permit.
Bringing Your Family
A spouse or registered partner and children under 18 can apply for an accompanying family member residence permit. Family reunification permits generally allow the holder to work in Denmark without a separate work permit, though exceptions may apply for family members of students and PhD holders.19Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Family Reunification The 2026 fee is DKK 3,080 per family member. The same biometric requirements and deadlines apply.
If SIRI Refuses the Application
A refusal can be appealed to the Immigration Appeals Board within eight weeks of receiving the decision. The appeal can be filed by letter, email, or phone and must include your personal ID, the SIRI case number, and a copy of the refusal.20New to Denmark. Refusal to an Application from SIRI You create a new Case Order ID and pay a separate appeal fee. Filing does not automatically give you the right to stay in Denmark while the case is pending. If the Appeals Board sends the case back to SIRI, the appeal fee is refunded.