Fast-Track Scheme

The Fast-Track Scheme is Denmark's premium recruitment channel for employers who have been certified by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). Rather than being a single visa, it is a framework that lets a certified company hire international staff through four flexible tracks: the pay-limit track for salaried specialists, the researcher track, the educational track for short teaching or training stints, and the short-term track that allows up to 90 days of work within a 12-month window.

The scheme's defining advantage is speed and predictability. Because the employer has already been vetted, SIRI processes Fast-Track applications far more quickly than ordinary work permits, and many applicants can begin working from the day SIRI confirms the application is complete rather than waiting for a final decision. In 2026 the scheme remains the route of choice for Danish tech firms, life-science companies and engineering consultancies that rotate global talent in and out of Copenhagen, Aarhus and the Triangle Region. It is built for volume hiring and for staff who need to start work without delay.

Eligibility for the Fast-Track Scheme rests primarily on the employer rather than the worker. The hiring company must hold a valid certification from SIRI, which is granted to firms with at least 20 full-time employees in Denmark and a clean record on labour and tax rules. Once certified, the company can sponsor staff under any of the four tracks.

The employee's requirements depend on the chosen track. The pay-limit track requires a salary at or above the annual threshold (DKK 514,000 in 2026). The researcher track requires qualifications matching a research post. All tracks demand a genuine job offer, employment on standard Danish terms and conditions, and salary paid into a Danish bank account. There is no Danish-language requirement, and qualifications need not always be formally assessed, although regulated professions still require recognition.

Step one: confirm the employer is SIRI-certified and decide which of the four tracks fits the role. The pay-limit track suits permanent salaried hires, while the short-term track suits project work under 90 days.

Step two: the employer and employee jointly complete the online application via SIRI's portal. Both parties sign electronically, and the employer pays the fee.

Step three: gather supporting documents - passport copy, signed employment contract showing salary and terms, educational diplomas where relevant, and proof of the company's certification.

Step four: submit the application and record biometrics (photo and fingerprints) at a Danish diplomatic mission abroad or, if already in Denmark legally, at a Citizen Centre, within 14 days of applying.

Step five: under the Fast-Track Scheme's start-work provision, the employee may begin working once SIRI confirms the application is complete - they do not have to wait for the full decision.

Step six: collect the residence and work permit card. Family members can apply concurrently as accompanying dependants.

The SIRI case-processing fee for a Fast-Track work permit is DKK 6,055 in 2026, normally paid by the employer. Accompanying family members pay a separate fee of around DKK 3,025 each. Employer certification itself carries no fee but requires the company to meet the staffing and compliance thresholds. Budget for sworn translations of diplomas (DKK 500–1,500 per document) and for biometrics appointments, which are free but may involve travel costs. Once in Denmark, factor in the cost of a CPR registration and a Danish health-insurance card, both free, plus a tax-card setup. Relocation, housing deposits and Copenhagen rents are the larger real costs.

The Fast-Track Scheme is built for speed: SIRI typically issues decisions within roughly one month, and often faster for the pay-limit and short-term tracks. The crucial feature is the start-work confirmation - once SIRI acknowledges that a pay-limit or short-term application is complete and the certification is valid, the employee can lawfully begin work immediately, removing the usual waiting period. Biometrics must be recorded within 14 days of submission or the application can be rejected. Family applications filed alongside the main applicant are usually decided in the same timeframe. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delay.

Within five days of arriving in Denmark you must register at the International Citizen Service or local Citizen Centre to obtain a CPR number, the personal identifier needed for almost everything - banking, healthcare, libraries and tax. You will be assigned a family doctor and receive a yellow health-insurance card giving access to Denmark's tax-funded public healthcare.

Set up a Danish bank account and request a tax card from the Danish Tax Agency (Skattestyrelsen) so your employer withholds the correct amount. Order a MitID digital identity, which unlocks online public services and banking. Accompanying family members register for their own CPR numbers and, for children, school or daycare places. Free Danish-language courses are available and worth taking even though the permit does not require them - they ease integration and help meet later requirements for permanent residence.