New and better rules for foreign startups, students, and talent attraction from abroad

From 1st of April 2023 new rules will apply to make it easier for Danish companies to attract foreign talent and ease the opportunities for foreign founders to set up a branch of their startup in Denmark. Foreign students will also get more time to find a job in Denmark after they graduate.

Jasmina Pless, Head of Entrepreneurship, Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv)

The Startup Denmark programme will now include Danish branches of foreign startups

It will now be possible to apply for a visa through the Startup Denmark programme if you want to start a branch of a foreign startup in Denmark. This goes for non-EU (European Union), non-EEA (European Economic Area) and non-Swiss citizen who have a business in a country outside Denmark.

Startup Denmark is a visa scheme that you can apply to, based on a business plan which is evaluated by an independent expert panel. If the panel approves your business plan, you are eligible to apply for a residence and work permit as a self-employed entrepreneur. The permit is granted for a period of up to two years with the possibility of extension for three years at a time.

 

Companies with 10 employees can now be certified for the Fast-Track scheme

The Fast-track scheme makes it faster and more flexible for certified companies to recruit foreign employees to work in Denmark e.g., process the application while the employee is already working in Denmark. The new rules make it possible for companies with minimum 10 employees to be certified for the Fast-Trach scheme.

The original rules only allowed companies with minimum 20 employees to be certified for the Fast-Track scheme.

 

Foreign students will have more time to apply for jobs in Denmark

When foreign students finish their bachelor, masters, or ph.d. degree in Denmark, they will now get the opportunity to get a work visa for up to three years after the degree is finished. The visa will not be dependent on one single employer but gives the former student the possibility to work freely. The former student will need to announce that they have finished their degree to the SIRI administration to obtain the visa.

 

The Pay Limit Scheme becomes more flexible

It will now be possible to get a visa through the Pay Limit Scheme for foreign employees with a salary of DKK 375,000 or higher, if the job has been advertised for minimum two weeks on jobsites (Jobnet and EURES).

Work permits in the new Pay Limit Scheme can be issued for up to five years with the possibility of extension. The new Pay Limit scheme is a supplement to the original Pay Limit Scheme.

The original Pay Limit Scheme is a residence and work permit for foreigners offered a job in Denmark with a salary of DKK 465,000 or higher (2023-level). The visa scheme does not require specific educational background or professional field. Work permits in the original Pay Limit Scheme can be issued for up to four years. Processing time approx. 1 month, processing fee DKK 4,405 (2023-level)

For both the new and the original Pay Limit Scheme, salary and work conditions needs to be on a normal level for the position and salary must be paid to a Danish bank account.

 

Positive list for skilled work will be expanded to more titles

The Positive List for Skilled Work is a list of professions experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark. A foreigner who has been offered a job on the Positive List for Skilled Work can apply for a Danish residence and work permit based on this scheme.

It will now be easier to expand the list with more professions and the list will now get updated and published two times a year (1 January and 1 July) instead of one. Professions will be on the list for a minimum of two years.