Positive List

The Positive List is Denmark's shortage-occupation route. It allows international workers to obtain a residence and work permit when they are offered a job in a profession where Denmark has a documented lack of qualified candidates. Unlike the Pay Limit Scheme, it does not depend on a high salary - it depends on your occupation appearing on one of two official lists.

There are two versions. The Positive List for People with a Higher Education covers roles needing a bachelor's, master's or comparable degree - engineers, IT architects, doctors, certain teachers and many specialised technical professions. The Positive List for Skilled Work covers vocational and trade occupations such as electricians, welders, carpenters, chefs and care workers. Both lists are revised twice a year, in January and July, based on labour-market data from Denmark's regional labour councils.

In 2026 the Positive List remains an important channel for mid-salary skilled workers who would not clear the Pay Limit threshold but whose skills Denmark genuinely needs, opening Danish employment to a broader range of trades and professions.

To qualify you must have a concrete job offer in an occupation that appears on the relevant Positive List at the time you apply. Because the lists change every January and July, it is essential to confirm the occupation is listed on the application date - a role removed in an update will no longer qualify.

Your qualifications must match the listed occupation. For the Higher Education list this means the appropriate university degree; for the Skilled Work list it means a relevant vocational qualification. Employment must be on ordinary Danish pay and conditions, and the salary, while not subject to the Pay Limit threshold, must be at a customary level for the role. Regulated professions require Danish authorisation. There is no general Danish-language requirement for the permit itself.

Step one: check the current Positive List on SIRI's website and confirm your job title appears on either the Higher Education or the Skilled Work list on the day you intend to apply.

Step two: obtain a signed employment contract from your Danish employer stating salary and terms consistent with the occupation.

Step three: create a case order ID on the SIRI portal and complete the online application, with the employer and employee each completing and signing their sections.

Step four: collect supporting documents - passport, contract, diplomas or vocational certificates, professional authorisation for regulated jobs, and translations where required.

Step five: pay the SIRI case fee, typically settled by the employer.

Step six: provide biometrics (photo and fingerprints) within 14 days of submission at a Danish mission abroad or a Citizen Centre in Denmark.

Step seven: await SIRI's decision and, once the permit is granted, travel to Denmark, collect your residence card and register locally. Family members may apply alongside you.

A Positive List application carries the SIRI case-processing fee of DKK 6,055 in 2026, generally paid by the employer. Accompanying family members pay around DKK 3,025 each. Budget for certified translations of degrees and vocational certificates (DKK 500–1,500 per document) and, for regulated professions, the cost of obtaining Danish authorisation, which may carry its own assessment fee. Biometrics are free of charge. After arrival there is no fee for CPR registration or the public health card. The main practical costs are relocation, shipping, housing deposits and rent, which vary widely between Copenhagen and smaller Danish towns.

SIRI aims to decide Positive List applications within roughly one month of receiving a complete file, including biometrics. Cases involving regulated professions can take longer if Danish authorisation must be verified. Biometrics must be recorded within 14 days of submission. Because the qualifying list is revised in January and July, applying close to a revision date carries a small risk that an occupation could be removed; SIRI assesses eligibility against the list in force when the application is filed. Family applications submitted together are usually processed in parallel.

Once in Denmark, register within five days at an International Citizen Service centre to obtain your CPR number, which is required for banking, healthcare and dealings with public authorities. You will be assigned a general practitioner and issued the yellow health-insurance card for access to public healthcare.

Request a tax card from Skattestyrelsen so income tax is withheld correctly, open a Danish bank account, and set up MitID for digital access to banking and government portals. Accompanying spouses receive permits with full access to the labour market and should register their own CPR numbers; children need enrolment in school or daycare. Workers in regulated trades should finalise any remaining authorisation steps. Subsidised Danish-language courses are widely available and recommended, as language skills support both daily life and future permanent-residence applications.