Work and residence permits in Denmark

If you are a citizen of a Nordic country

If you are a citizen of a Nordic country, you can travel freely to Denmark to live there and work. You do not need a visa, a work permit or a residence permit.

Info Norden has written a guide on what to consider when moving to Denmark. See the link at the bottom of the page.

If you are a citizen of an EEA member state or Switzerland

If you are not a Nordic citizen but you are a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you are allowed to stay in Denmark for three months. If you are looking for work, you may remain in the country for up to six months.

If you wish to remain longer in Denmark, you must apply for a registration certificate. The registration certificate is proof of the rights of EU/EEA citizens under EU rules on the free movement of persons and services. You must apply for a registration certificate at nyidanmark.dk before your legal stay expires.   You can read more at: nyidanmark.dk.

Family

Your spouse/partner and children aged under 21 are generally also entitled to accompany you. However, your family members must have a visa if they are citizens of a country in which there is a visa requirement for Denmark.

If your spouse or partner is an EU or EEA citizen, he or she may apply for registration, either on their own behalf, or as a family member.

If your spouse or partner is a citizen of another country, he or she may instead apply for a residence as a family member, but will be issued with a residence card instead of a registration certificate. You can read more at: nyidanmark.dk.

If you are not a citizen of a Nordic country, an EU member state, an EEA country or Switzerland

If you wish to work in Denmark, but you are not a citizen of a Nordic country, an EU member state, an EEA country or Switzerland, you can read more about your possibilities at nyidanmark.dk.

Please note that a Danish residence and work permit is not valid as a work and residence permit in other countries, and that a work and residence permit from other countries is not valid as a work and residence permit in Denmark.

If you are a citizen of a country outside the Nordic region, the EU or the EEA, and you wish to live in another Nordic, EU or EEA country while working in Denmark, you must apply for a work permit as a ‘commuter’ (cross-border worker). In order to obtain a commuter work permit, you must meet the same conditions as you would if you were applying for a work and residence permit in Denmark. You should contact the immigration authorities in the country in which you live to make sure you can commute to work in Denmark without this affecting your residence permit there.