Denmark work visa: the Pay Limit Scheme

You need a job offer or contract with a company registered in Denmark, paying at least DKK 552,000 a year (2026 level) for at least 30 hours a week. No particular degree or field is required, but the salary and terms such as holiday and notice must match Danish standards for the profession; SIRI can ask the Regional Employment Councils to assess this. Benefits such as a company car, phone, canteen or free housing do not count towards the threshold.

The salary must be paid into a Danish bank account in your own name, opened within 180 days of the grant or of entry. The job cannot be covered by a lawful labour conflict, and accompanying family members must not have had permits revoked more than once for working without a required work permit.

If the salary is at least DKK 446,000 (2026 level) but below DKK 552,000, the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme may apply. Extra conditions: the job must have been posted on Jobnet and the EURES portal for at least 2 weeks, and not more than 6 months, before you apply; seasonally adjusted gross unemployment must not have exceeded 3.75% on average in the 3 months before the application; and you must not have received a fine of DKK 3,000 or more under the Criminal Code or the Aliens Act in the last 2 years. Processing is 2 months, up to 5.

SIRI announced on 13 October 2026 a separate Collective Agreement Scheme from 1 January 2027 for jobs covered by a collective agreement paying at least DKK 322,000 (2026 level), open to citizens of 16 countries and only through certified companies.

First create a case order ID and pay DKK 6,810. Then the employer fills in its part of form AR1 and you receive an e-mail link to complete yours; with AR6 the employer files alone under your power of attorney. Without MitID you attach a hand-signed sworn declaration. Biometrics are compulsory: after submitting online you have 14 days to give fingerprints and a facial photo, at a Danish mission or at the visa application centre that serves your country of residence. If no slot is available in time, tell SIRI the appointment date so the case is not rejected.

Attach the fee receipt, a copy of every passport page including covers, the contract with salary, terms and job description, and any documents on education, experience or Danish authorisation. Hotel and restaurant jobs need a stricter checklist with the company’s accounts and a staff overview, and a job offer alone is not enough there.

After arrival you register your Danish address in the Civil Registration System to get a CPR number, at the latest 5 days after moving in, at the municipality or an International Citizen Service centre. The residence card is posted to your CPR address, so put your name on the mailbox. You must not give up your Danish address or stay abroad for more than 6 consecutive months, or the permit lapses. Holders of work permits are entitled to Danish lessons after paying a deposit, and must not receive benefits under the Active Social Policy Act.

Apply for an extension before the permit expires; if you apply in time you can keep working while SIRI decides. If the contract is shorter than 4 years, you are automatically given a 6-month job seeking period after it ends, during which you may not work. A new employer means a new application, but under the job change rule you can start the new job on the day you submit it. If you are made redundant through no fault of your own, apply for a 6-month job seeking permit no later than 2 days after the job ends, and always inform SIRI.

Your spouse, registered or cohabiting partner and children under 18 living at home can apply with you as accompanying family; there is no financial requirement when you hold a salaried work permit, and they may work, except for your own employer or a closely related company without a separate permit. Under the EEC–Türkiye Association Agreement, a Turkish worker who has worked legally for one year with the same employer is entitled to renewal for that employer, may change employer within the same occupation after three years, and has free access to paid employment after four years.

A SIRI refusal can be appealed to the Immigration Appeals Board (Adelgade 13, Copenhagen) within 8 weeks. You create a new case order ID and pay the appeal fee of DKK 1,040 at the same time; it is returned if the case is sent back to SIRI for new processing. If you are in Denmark and receive a departure deadline, you may not work during that period.