How to Get a Work Visa For Denmark

Denmark is a very lucrative market for those looking to make the big move abroad for long-term work and residence. However, in order to do that, you will need to secure a work visa for Denmark. Denmark’s immigration laws state that if you are not a citizen of the European Union or any of the Nordic countries, it is mandatory for you to hold a work and residence permit for long-term stay in Denmark. Whether you are eligible for a work visa for Denmark entirely depends on your skills, qualifications and work experience. In this article we will help you decode all that you need to know about the procedures and requirements for a work visa for Denmark.

TYPES OF WORK VISA FOR DENMARK:

The Danish government has come up with several schemes for those who want to apply for a work visa for Denmark. Based on your qualifications, you will be able to apply for a specific category and if you qualify, you will be granted a permit to live and work in Denmark. However, do note that most of these visas are meant for highly qualified professionals and hence the competition is very stiff.Let’s take a look at these work visa schemes you can explore:

The Positive List – The Danish government has created a list of professions where there is a gross lack of qualified talent in the local market. The list includes several professions in the health and medical industry, engineering, information and communication technology, among others. If you want to get a work visa for Denmark through this route, you must ensure the following conditions are met:

• Your profession is listed in the Positive List at the time of visa application, which indicates that there is scarcity of qualified people in that industry.
• You already have an official job contract or offer from a potential employer in Denmark
• Your salary and employment conditions match up to local Danish standards
• You have obtained at least a professional Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized institution. Even then, you may still need to get a local authorization for your qualification before you are granted a visa

The Pay Limit Scheme – Under this scheme, work visa is granted to those individuals who have been able to secure a highly paid job in Denmark. In this case, unlike the previous category, qualification or degrees don’t matter as much as the salary you have been offered by the local company. The following conditions need to be fulfilled in order to secure a visa under this scheme:

• You must hold a job offer that pays you at least DKK 408,800 annually
• Your salary must be deposited to the Danish bank account locally
• Salary components that cannot be accounted to meet annual salary requirement – housing and transportation expenses/allowances, company-paid phone or internet bills etc.

The Fast Track Scheme – This arrangement is only available for local companies that are registered with the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration to expedite the hiring of foreign talent for their company without having to wait for an authorisation from the agency. It is important to note that, guest researchers and PhD students are not included in this category.

Visa for researchers – Highly qualified researchers have ease of access to the labour market through a special work visa for Denmark. However, there are a few conditions you must meet if you want to apply for a visa as a researcher:

• There must be adequate reasons why the specific research must be conducted by you in Denmark
• You must hold a work contract or offer that specifies your salary

Start-up Denmark Scheme – Denmark welcomes innovative entrepreneurs and business owners to set up their businesses in the country. If you are a self-employed individual and want to apply for a work visa for Denmark, this is the category you will fall under. Do keep in mind that, before you can go ahead and set up a business in Denmark, your idea must be validated by the Danish Business authority so as to ensure that the business contributes to the economy and society in some capacity.

The Establishment Card – This type of work visa for Denmark is given out to those individuals who have completed a Master’s Degree or a PhD at a Danish institution. This allows the applicant to reside in Denmark after completion of the degree to help them find work and settle down.

Work permit for Trainees – As the name suggests, this category of visa is for trainees who want to spend a limited amount of time in a local company, mainly for educational purposes. The following conditions have to be met in order for you to be eligible for this visa:

• The trainee position must be with a Danish company
• There must be a particular reason why the trainee position should be filled by you
• A documented strategic partnership/collaboration must exist between the company in Denmark and a company/organisation in your country of residence
• The total trainee period in Denmark should not exceed 24 months

HOW TO APPLY FOR A WORK VISA FOR DENMARK:

A work visa for Denmark falls under the category of long term visa, as opposed to the short terms visas meant for the purpose of tourism, temporary business or airport transit. So in order to apply for a work visa for Denmark, there are several things you must keep in mind to ensure that your application is successful. We have outlined those points here:

• Passport should have been issued within the previous 10 years.
• Passport should have at least two blank pages.
• Passport should have at least three months validity from the date of arrival back in your home country
• Relevant Forms & Photograph: You must submit fully completed application form appropriate to the type of visa you are eligible for, along with one original passport-size colour photograph
• All applications have to be submitted to the embassy in person to allow their biometric data to be recorded
• All supporting documents as well as the visa application form must be signed by the applicant

We hope this article helps you decide which category of work visa for Denmark you are eligible for. Based on the type of work visa, make sure you take note of all requirements you need to fulfil in order to get your visa approved. Visa Reservation Services can also help you through the application process if you need any kind of support. Reach out to us through the contact us page for further information.