- Denmark passed a bill on September 4, 2026, creating a new work-permit route for 16 countries, including India.
- The scheme opens on January 1, 2027 and requires a certified employer with a collective agreement.
- Employers must pay at least DKK 322,000 a year and meet business-age and staffing rules.
Parliament in Denmark passed a bill on September 4, 2026, creating a new work-permit route for foreign workers from 16 countries, including India. The route will open on January 1, 2027.
The measure gives eligible businesses another way to recruit internationally. It targets companies operating under collective agreements and is intended to make hiring possible at a lower salary threshold than some existing routes.
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The new system is called the Collective Agreement-Based Business Scheme. It does not create an unrestricted channel for overseas workers.
Employers must meet the conditions first.
The job must be offered by a certified employer covered by a relevant collective agreement. The business must also have operated for at least two years and employ at least 10 full-time workers in Denmark.
The salary floor will be DKK 322,000 a year. That amount sets the minimum pay under the new scheme, even though the route is being presented as a lower-threshold option for international recruitment.
Employers must clear three tests before hiring through the new route
| Requirement | Condition |
|---|---|
| Workplace coverage | A relevant collective agreement must cover the employer |
| Operating history | The business must have operated for at least two years |
| Workforce size | The employer must have at least 10 full-time workers in Denmark |
| Annual salary | The job must pay at least DKK 322,000 a year |
The collective-agreement requirement places the route inside Denmark’s established labor framework. Companies outside that framework will not qualify through this particular channel based on the conditions described for the scheme.
The legislation is aimed at labor shortages and gives qualifying employers a specific recruitment option rather than opening every occupation to applicants from every country. The approved nationalities form a closed group of 16 countries.
India joins a limited list of eligible nationalities
The list includes Albania, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Indian nationals therefore fall within the permitted group. They will still need an eligible job, a qualifying employer, and pay that meets the annual floor.
The country list also includes European nations outside the European Union, major Asian economies, and other labor markets. Eligibility by nationality alone will not satisfy the employer-side requirements.
The bill creates a route for workers from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Its country limits distinguish it from a general work-permit program.
Indian applicants still have other work routes before 2027
Indian workers do not have to wait for the new scheme to seek employment in the country. Existing Danish options include the Positive List and the Pay Limit Scheme.
The Positive List is occupation-based. The Pay Limit Scheme is salary-based. The Fast Track Scheme is another existing route identified in guidance on work permits for Indian applicants.
Those pathways remain available during 2026, while the new collective-agreement route is scheduled for the following year. Each route has its own requirements, so an applicant’s occupation, salary, and employer can affect which option applies.
The new system adds a separate channel rather than replacing those routes. Its defining features are the approved nationality list, the collective-agreement link, and the employer’s operating and staffing record.
The parliamentary action also gives companies time to assess whether they meet the business conditions before the route begins. An employer that has operated for fewer than two years or has fewer than 10 full-time workers would not meet the stated tests.
A separate migration plan should not be confused with the work-permit bill
A different policy discussion concerns plans to send the first foreigners to a partner country by the end of 2027. That initiative belongs to a broader migration policy and is separate from the work-permit pathway created by the bill.
The work route concerns recruitment by qualifying Danish employers. It does not describe a removal-center arrangement or a transfer system to another country.
The new hiring rules are scheduled to take effect in 2027. Until then, Indian applicants continue to rely on the existing work-permit options, while employers can prepare for the collective-agreement requirements and the DKK 322,000 annual salary floor.
