Denmark · Work
Denmark Fast-Track · Education
First stay: 4 yrs
Fast-Track Scheme: educational track
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Fast-Track · Education is a work route for Denmark. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- DKK 6,810 ≈ $1,020
- Processing
- 30–60 days
- First stay
- 4 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee DKK 6,810 ≈ $1,020; decision: 30–60 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesDKK 6,810 ≈ $1,020
- DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020)SIRI processing fee, paid by the employer or the applicant before the online application.
RenewalRenewable
Extension can be applied for at the earliest 3 months before expiry.
Permanent residenceAfter 8 years of residence
Permanent residence after 8 years of uninterrupted legal residence, or 4 years if you meet all 4 supplementary requirements (including Danish language test 3). Work, study and family permits count.
CitizenshipAfter 9 years of residence
Citizenship needs 9 years of continuous residence in Denmark and a permanent residence permit held for at least 2 years when the naturalisation bill passes.
Processing30–60 days
Normal processing time is 1 month; up to 2 months if more information is needed.
Presence rulesStay rule
A Danish permit lapses if you give up your Danish address or live outside Denmark for more than six successive months.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Denmark
- Work isn't allowed on this route
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The applicant has an employment agreement with a Danish company certified by SIRI.
- The applicant has significant work experience and will receive or give highly qualified training at the company.
- Trainees cannot use the educational track.
- The applicant works full time, as a rule 37 to 40 hours a week.
What you must show2
- The salary must not be below the standard in the field, with terms of employment matching Danish standards.
- The processing fee is DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020).
Documents1
- The employer describes the educational purpose and attaches it to the online application.
Steps2
- The employer submits the online application with a power of attorney from the applicant.
- The normal processing time is 1 month, or up to 2 months if more information is needed.
After you arrive1
- The permit normally runs 4 years, or the length of employment if shorter, with an automatic 6-month job seeking permit.
When you become tax resident
How Denmark decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Foreign-source income
Personal income after labour market contribution; full tax liability on worldwide (including foreign-source) income.
All tax rules for Denmark Tax records checked
Full official text
Residence and work permit for highly qualified foreign nationals with significant experience who receive or give highly qualified training at a SIRI-certified company; trainees cannot use this track. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- A fee of DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020) · SIRI processing fee, paid by the employer or the applicant before the online application. 1
Requirements
- The applicant has an employment agreement with a Danish company certified by SIRI. 1
- The applicant has significant work experience and will receive or give highly qualified training at the company. 1
- Trainees cannot use the educational track. 1
- The applicant works full time, as a rule 37 to 40 hours a week. 1
- The salary must not be below the standard in the field, with terms of employment matching Danish standards. 1
- The processing fee is DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020). 1
- The employer describes the educational purpose and attaches it to the online application. 1
- The employer submits the online application with a power of attorney from the applicant. 1
- The normal processing time is 1 month, or up to 2 months if more information is needed. 1
- The permit normally runs 4 years, or the length of employment if shorter, with an automatic 6-month job seeking permit. 1
Stay
- Normally 4 years, or the length of employment if shorter, plus an automatic 6-month job seeking permit; extension can be applied for at the earliest 3 months before expiry.
- Initial permitted stay: 48 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Third-country nationals; EU/EEA citizens do not need the permit. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Work only in the job and company named in the permit; job content may change within the same employer, sideline work needs a separate permit, and work is not allowed during the job seeking period.
Family
Spouse, registered or cohabiting partner and children under 18 living at home can get residence permits as accompanying family members; their permits are exempt from the rules that make permits lapse after 6 months abroad.
Official sources
- Fast-Track Scheme · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
- Work schemes in SIRI: an overview · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
- Permanent residence permit · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
- Conditions for foreign citizens' acquisition of Danish citizenship · Life in Denmark (borger.dk), Danish public sector portal · checked 2026-10-11
- Researcher · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
Fast-Track · Education and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast-Track · Education | – | 4 yr, renewable | No |
| Fast-Track · Pay limit | Needs income of DKK 552k+ a year ≈ $83k | 4 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Fast-Track · Researcher | – | 4 yr, renewable | With a permit |
| Guest researcher | – | 3 yr | With a permit |
| Farm manager permit | Needs income of DKK 36k+ a month ≈ $5,340 | 4 yr, renewable | With a permit |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Fast-Track · Education?
A fee of DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020). SIRI processing fee, paid by the employer or the applicant before the online application.
How long can I stay on the Fast-Track · Education?
Normally 4 years, or the length of employment if shorter, plus an automatic 6-month job seeking permit; extension can be applied for at the earliest 3 months before expiry.
How long does the Fast-Track · Education take to process?
Normal processing time is 1 month; up to 2 months if more information is needed.
Can I work on the Fast-Track · Education?
No. Work only in the job and company named in the permit; job content may change within the same employer, sideline work needs a separate permit, and work is not allowed during the job seeking period.
Can I bring my family on the Fast-Track · Education?
Spouse, registered or cohabiting partner and children under 18 living at home can get residence permits as accompanying family members; their permits are exempt from the rules that make permits lapse after 6 months abroad.
Who can apply for the Fast-Track · Education?
Third-country nationals; EU/EEA citizens do not need the permit. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Fast-Track · Education lead to permanent residence in Denmark?
Time on the Fast-Track · Education counts toward permanent residence in Denmark, which the rules allow after 8 years of residence. Time on the Fast-Track · Education counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 9 years of residence.
How are Fast-Track · Education holders taxed in Denmark?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Fast-Track · Education. The standard rules apply: 8% labour market contribution on salary, bottom-bracket tax 12.01%, plus municipal tax averaging 25.049% and church tax averaging 0.639% for all taxpayers (0.867% for church members) in 2026; middle-bracket 7.5% above DKK 641,200, (≈ $95,900) top-bracket 7.5% above DKK 777,900, (≈ $116,000) additional top-bracket 5% above DKK 2,592,700 (≈ $388,000).
More in Denmark
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Fast-Track Scheme · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
- Work schemes in SIRI: an overview · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
- Permanent residence permit · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
- Conditions for foreign citizens' acquisition of Danish citizenship · Life in Denmark (borger.dk), Danish public sector portal · checked 2026-10-11
- Researcher · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.