Denmark Work Permits: Easier Rules for 16 Countries
Denmark is making it easier to obtain a work permit! the Scandinavian nation will ease its rules, specifically targeting citizens from 16 non-EU countries to fill labor shortages. The main change? Denmark will substantially lower the minimum salary threshold, making it more accessible for skilled workers. This update to the work permit requirements is anticipated to greatly impact sectors needing more employees. citizens from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other locations are included. the ”pay limit” scheme will drop from 514,000 kroner annually to 300,000 kroner. Read the latest at News Directory 3. Discover what’s next as the plan is formally presented on Monday.
Denmark to Ease Work Permit Rules, Attracting Foreign Workforce
Updated June 27, 2025
Denmark is set to loosen its work permit requirements for foreign nationals, possibly boosting its workforce. A goverment plan,expected to be formally presented Monday,targets citizens from 16 non-EU countries,aiming to address labor shortages by making it easier to obtain a Danish work permit.
The core of the plan involves adjusting the “pay limit” scheme, which sets a minimum salary threshold for work permit eligibility. The agreement, reportedly backed by coalition parties and employer and trade union confederations, will substantially reduce this threshold.
The minimum salary requirement will drop from 514,000 kroner annually to 300,000 kroner.This change is expected to broaden the range of jobs accessible to foreign workers, notably in lower-paying sectors.The new rules for the foreign workforce will apply specifically to nationals from the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, China, Japan, australia, Canada, India, Brazil, Malaysia, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova.
Citizens from EU countries are already exempt from needing a work permit. Under the revised scheme, individuals granted work permits must carry identification.
A second “Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme,” designed for sectors facing labor shortages, will also see its salary threshold reduced to 300,000 kroner. Companies utilizing this scheme must have a collective bargaining agreement with a trade union to prevent social dumping.
While the agreement is projected to increase the number of foreign workers in Denmark by 550, employer groups anticipate a potentially larger impact. Troels Blicher Danielsen, CEO of TEKNIQ, emphasized the importance of foreign workers, stating, “Colleagues from abroad are absolutely crucial to meeting a demand which will only increase in the future, and that’s why this is an critically important agreement that now looks set to be finalized.”
What’s next
The government is expected to formally present the plan on Monday, after which further details about the implementation and impact of the new regulations will likely emerge.