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Denmark · Work

Denmark Positive List · Skilled

First stay: 4 yrs

Positive List for Skilled Work

First checked against official sources on Change log

Key facts

Positive List · Skilled is a work route for Denmark. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.

Government fees
DKK 6,810 ≈ $1,020
Processing
90–120 days
First stay
4 yrs

Cost, time and long term

To apply: government fee DKK 6,810 ≈ $1,020; decision: 90–120 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

Government feesDKK 6,810 ≈ $1,020
  • DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020)Processing fee; normal processing 3 months, up to 4 months.
RenewalRenewable

The 4-year permit can be extended.

Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration

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.

Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration

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.

Life in Denmark (borger.dk), Danish public sector portal

Processing90–120 days

Normal processing time is 3 months; up to 4 months if more information is needed.

Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration

Presence rulesStay rule

A Danish permit lapses if you give up your Danish address or live outside Denmark for more than six successive months.

Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

  • Needs a job offer from an employer in Denmark
  • Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports

What you'll need

Who can apply4

  • The job title is on the Positive List for Skilled Work under its DISCO-08 code.
  • Salary and terms of employment are not inferior to Danish standards in the field.
  • The employer is covered by Læreplads-AUB and has met its apprentice-training obligations.
  • The offered salary meets SIRI's wage statistics for the occupation, valid from 1 August 2026.

What you must show1

  • Processing fee DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020) (one time).

Documents2

  • An employment contract or job offer, documentation of relevant education and a copy of all passport pages are submitted.
  • Documentation of Danish authorisation is submitted where the job requires it.

Steps2

  1. The employer and the applicant each complete a part of form AR1, or the employer files AR6 under power of attorney.
  2. Normal processing takes 3 months, or up to 4 months if more information is needed.

After you arrive2

  • The salary is paid into a Danish bank account in the holder's name.
  • Employment of 4 years or more normally gives a 4-year permit; a job change needs a new application.

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

Official site
Full official text

Job offer in a skilled profession on the shortage list (for example foreman, service electrician, electronics technician), updated 1 January and 1 July. 1 2

What you must show and pay

  • A fee of DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020) · Processing fee; normal processing 3 months, up to 4 months. 1

Requirements

  • The job title is on the Positive List for Skilled Work under its DISCO-08 code. 1
  • Salary and terms of employment are not inferior to Danish standards in the field. 1
  • The employer is covered by Læreplads-AUB and has met its apprentice-training obligations. 1
  • The offered salary meets SIRI's wage statistics for the occupation, valid from 1 August 2026. 1
  • Processing fee DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020) (one time). 1
  • An employment contract or job offer, documentation of relevant education and a copy of all passport pages are submitted. 1
  • Documentation of Danish authorisation is submitted where the job requires it. 1
  • The employer and the applicant each complete a part of form AR1, or the employer files AR6 under power of attorney. 1
  • Normal processing takes 3 months, or up to 4 months if more information is needed. 1
  • The salary is paid into a Danish bank account in the holder's name. 1
  • Employment of 4 years or more normally gives a 4-year permit; a job change needs a new application. 1

Stay

  • 4 years, extendable; no job-seeking period.
  • 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

Linked to the job.

Family

Accompanying family may apply.

Checked 2026-10-11

Official sources

  1. The Positive List for Skilled Work · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
  2. Work schemes in SIRI: an overview · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
  3. Permanent residence permit · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
  4. Conditions for foreign citizens' acquisition of Danish citizenship · Life in Denmark (borger.dk), Danish public sector portal · checked 2026-10-11
  5. Researcher · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10

Positive List · Skilled and its alternatives

RouteMoney neededStayWork
Positive List · Skilled–4 yr, renewable–
Fast-Track · Education–4 yr, renewableNo
Fast-Track · Pay limitNeeds income of DKK 552k+ a year ≈ $83k4 yr, renewableLimited
Fast-Track · Researcher–4 yr, renewableWith a permit
Guest researcher–3 yrWith a permit

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Positive List · Skilled?

A fee of DKK 6,810 (≈ $1,020). Processing fee; normal processing 3 months, up to 4 months.

How long can I stay on the Positive List · Skilled?

4 years, extendable; no job-seeking period.

How long does the Positive List · Skilled take to process?

Normal processing time is 3 months; up to 4 months if more information is needed.

Can I work on the Positive List · Skilled?

Linked to the job.

Can I bring my family on the Positive List · Skilled?

Accompanying family may apply.

Who can apply for the Positive List · Skilled?

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 Positive List · Skilled lead to permanent residence in Denmark?

Time on the Positive List · Skilled counts toward permanent residence in Denmark, which the rules allow after 8 years of residence. Time on the Positive List · Skilled counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 9 years of residence.

How are Positive List · Skilled holders taxed in Denmark?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Positive List · Skilled. 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).

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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

Ask the AI about this route AI

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.

  1. The Positive List for Skilled Work · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
  2. Work schemes in SIRI: an overview · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
  3. Permanent residence permit · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-10
  4. Conditions for foreign citizens' acquisition of Danish citizenship · Life in Denmark (borger.dk), Danish public sector portal · checked 2026-10-11
  5. 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.