New Agreement on International Recruitment in Denmark

On 29 June 2022 the government and a majority of parties in the Danish parliament entered into an agreement on international recruitment. The aim of the agreement is to strengthen international recruitment in Denmark due to labour shortage.  

The Pay Limit Scheme

International candidates who are offered a job in Denmark can apply for a work and residence permit through the pay limit scheme. The pay limit scheme is applicable if the candidate is offered a job with a minimum salary on DKK 448,000 per year (2022) and the offered terms of employment correspond to Danish standards. The minimum salary is regulated every year on 1 January. It is not required that the candidate has a specific educational background or that the candidates’ job is within a specific professional field.

On 29 June 2022 the government and a majority of parties in the Danish Parliament entered into an agreement on a supplementary pay limit scheme. Under the supplementary pay limit scheme, the required minimum salary is reduced to DKK 375,000 per year and the offered terms of employment correspond to Danish standards. The applicant can obtain a residence and work permit with a duration of up to 5 years.

Further, the company needs to declare upon applying that the vacant position has been advertised for on jobnet.dk and EURES for at least two weeks. The Danish immigration authorities will carry out random controls to see if the declaration is correct.

Finally, no new residence permits can be issued under the supplementary scheme, if the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of the last three months exceeds on average 3.75 %.

The Fast-Track Scheme

Company’s can be certified under the so-called fast-track scheme. When certified under the fast-track scheme, the company takes care of the actual application process with a power of attorney from the candidate. The fast-track scheme makes it faster and easier for certified companies to employ non-Danish citizens.

Today it is a requirement that a company has at least 20 full time employees for the company to be certified under the fast-track scheme. This requirement will be reduced to minimum 10 full time employees. The reduction will give more companies access to the fast-track scheme and will allow for a faster and more flexible recruitment of non-Danish citizens.

The Positive List

The Positive List is a list of professions experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark. If a candidate has been offered a job included in the positive list, the candidate can apply for a residence and work permit in Denmark based on the Positive List Scheme.

The positive list will be expanded with more job titles and will be made more predictable as professions are ensured to stay on the positive list for at least two years as a part of the agreement. The aim is to ensure more predictability for the companies that want to make use of the scheme.

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Mette Klingsten Law Firm advises companies that wishes to hire non-Danish employees. For more information please contact Supreme Court Attorney Mette Klingsten, mk@mklaw.dk, Solicitor Carley Wilson, cwi@mklaw.dk or Attorney-at-Law Mads Bernstorn, mb@mklaw.dk.