Work permit cases are handled through our dedicated service Moving to DK. Describe your situation at movingtodk.com and we will come back with a concrete assessment within one business day.
When to involve us.
Work permit cases go wrong for three reasons: the wrong scheme, missing documentation, or errors in the application itself to SIRI. All three are avoidable when we are involved early enough. When we are on board from the start, we organise the documentation so the application is right the first time and keeps to the planned timeline.
Typical situations where companies should get in touch:
- You are considering hiring an international candidate and want to clarify the scheme options before signing a contract
- An employee's current residence permit expires within 6 months
- You are establishing a Danish office and need to move key employees in
- A previous application has been refused and you need to assess an appeal or a new application
- An employee wants to bring their family to Denmark
Main schemes.
SIRI administers a range of schemes with different requirements and different processing times. The choice of scheme determines both the speed and the documentation burden. We always assess whether a faster or more flexible scheme exists than the obvious one.
- The Pay Limit Scheme For high-salary employees. The salary threshold is adjusted annually. No requirement as to educational background or job type, but the salary must be genuine and paid monthly.
- The Positive List For jobs on the Agency's list of professions experiencing a shortage of labour. Typically faster processing than the Pay Limit Scheme. The list is updated twice a year.
- The Fast Track Scheme For certified companies. Significantly faster processing, sometimes down to a few weeks. Requires the company to meet the criteria for certification with SIRI.
- The Researcher scheme For researchers and highly educated employees. We can help you apply the favourable researcher taxation scheme (forskerskatteordningen), which lets foreign employees pay a flat tax rate of 27% for a period and thereby makes it easier to attract and retain international talent.
- The Establishment Card For recent graduates from Danish universities and for entrepreneurs establishing a business in Denmark.
- Interns and trainees For international interns and trainees with concrete internship agreements.
Processing times and conditions change continually, and the schemes are adjusted at regular intervals. We always confirm the current terms when we assess a specific case, and stay in contact with SIRI along the way where it makes sense.
How a case unfolds.
A typical course from first contact to residence permit in hand:
We review the case, assess which scheme fits best, and clarify the documentation requirements. Usually within a few days.
We prepare a document list and coordinate with the employee and HR. Often the phase where cases go wrong, if an attachment is missing or incomplete.
We complete and submit the application, making sure it is technically correct and that all attachments are included in the right form.
We follow up with SIRI when needed, respond to any requests for supplementary documentation, and keep you informed of the status.
Once the permit is granted, we coordinate the recording of biometrics and the issuing of the residence card. The employee can then travel to Denmark and begin work.
Renewal and family reunification.
Most work residence permits can be renewed, and employees often have the right to bring a spouse and children to Denmark through family reunification. We handle both renewals and family reunification cases, often coordinated as a single process.
Renewals must be submitted before the current permit expires. Even a single day's delay can mean the employee loses their basis for residence and has to leave the country. We recommend starting the renewal process 3-4 months before expiry.
For family reunification we advise on the documentation requirements (marriage certificate, birth certificates, declarations of support) and submit the application itself to SIRI.
How we work together.
We tailor our work to where you are in the process. If you have one specific employee who needs to move to Denmark, we run it as a defined process from scheme selection to residence permit. If you recruit internationally on an ongoing basis, we instead work as a standing partner and plan cases, renewals and family reunifications well in advance.
We always explain along the way what you can handle yourselves, and where our involvement adds the most certainty. That gives you an overview of what happens when, and where we best bring calm to the process.
Send us a short description of the case, and we will come back with a concrete assessment within one business day, including the choice of scheme and an estimated timeline.
Shall we talk?
Send us a short description of the case, and we will assess the scheme and timeline. The first conversation is without obligation.