Residence and work permits in Denmark

If you are a citizen of Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden, you can live, study and work in Denmark without a residence permit or work permit.

If you are a citizen of another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you have the right to enter Denmark and start working. If you are going to stay in Denmark for more than three months, you will usually need to apply for an EU residence document.

If you are a citizen of a country outside the Nordic region, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you must as a general rule have a residence and work permit in order to live and work in Denmark.

You can read about the rules and search for information at nyidanmark.dk, which is the official portal for foreigners who wish to visit, live or work in Denmark.

If you are a citizen of Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden, you are free to travel to Denmark to live, study or work. You do not need a residence or work permit.

If your family members are also Nordic citizens, they can also live and work in Denmark without a residence permit or work permit. If your family members are not Nordic citizens, they will normally be required to apply for residence under EU rules.

If you wish to stay in Denmark for more than three months, you must as a rule have a basis for residence under EU rules. A basis for residence might for example be that you:

• Work in Denmark
• Are self-employed in Denmark
• Study in Denmark
• Have sufficient means to support yourself
• Are a family member of an EU citizen residing in Denmark.

If you are a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you can stay in Denmark for up to three months without applying for an EU residence document. If you are looking for work in Denmark, you can stay in Denmark for up to six months without an EU residence document.

You can apply for an EU residence document from the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) at nyidanmark.dk. You do not have to wait to obtain the EU residence document before you can start working in Denmark.

If you are a family member of an EU or EEA citizen or a citizen of Switzerland, you may be entitled to reside in Denmark under EU rules. The rules depend, amongst other things, on your citizenship and the basis for residence that your family member has in Denmark.

If you yourself are a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you can apply for an EU residence document.

If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you meet the conditions for residence as a family member of an EU citizen, you must apply for a residence card. You have the right to stay in Denmark while your application is being processed if you meet the residence conditions under EU rules.

If you are a citizen of a country outside the Nordic region, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you must as a general rule have a residence and work permit in order to live and work in Denmark.

There are several different schemes for obtaining residence and work permits in Denmark. Which scheme you can apply under depends amongst other things on your work, your qualifications, your salary and your situation in general.

Please note that a residence and work permit for Denmark only applies in Denmark; it does not give you the right to work in other Nordic countries or other Schengen countries.

If you live in another country and wish to work in Denmark

If you are a citizen of a country outside the Nordic region, EU, EEA or Switzerland, and you live in another country but wish to work in Denmark, you will usually need to apply for a commuter work permit.

A commuter work permit does not give you the right to live in Denmark. If you later wish to move to Denmark, you must apply for a residence and work permit.

You should also contact the immigration authorities in the country where you live to find out whether working in Denmark may affect your residence permit there.

If you have a residence permit in another Nordic country

A residence permit in another Nordic country does not automatically give you the right to live or work in Denmark.

If you wish to move to Denmark or work in Denmark, you will need to check whether you are required to apply for a Danish residence and work permit. You should also contact the immigration authorities in the country where you already have a residence permit to find out whether a Danish permit may affect your current permit.