- Denmark approved a DKK 322,000 salary floor for a new work-permit route starting January 1, 2027.
- The new minimum is DKK 230,000 below the standard 2026 Pay Limit Scheme threshold.
- Employers need SIRI certification and a full-time job covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
Denmark’s Parliament approved a new work-permit route for selected non-EU workers, setting its annual pay floor at DKK 322,000 from January 1, 2027. The route offers a lower threshold than the country’s standard Pay Limit Scheme.
The cut is DKK 230,000 from the standard 2026 requirement of DKK 552,000, a reduction of about 42%. It is not a cut of almost 20,000 kroner, as the headline figure suggests.
The lower salary requirement applies only to workers and employers that meet separate eligibility conditions. It does not create an open route for hiring foreign workers at any wage.
The policy targets citizens of selected countries outside the EU. EU citizens generally do not need Danish work permits to work in the country.
The new floor is below both existing pay-limit schemes
The comparison uses stated 2026 salary levels. The new route’s DKK 322,000 annual minimum equals DKK 26,833 per month at that year’s level.
The standard Pay Limit Scheme requires DKK 552,000 a year, or DKK 46,000 monthly. The Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme has a lower threshold than the standard scheme, but a higher one than the new route.
| Route | Annual salary requirement on the stated 2026 basis |
|---|---|
| New collective-agreement route, from January 1, 2027 | DKK 322,000 |
| Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme | DKK 446,000 |
| Standard Pay Limit Scheme | DKK 552,000 |
The new floor is DKK 124,000 below the supplementary scheme. Its DKK 230,000 gap with the standard scheme is the difference between the new route’s minimum and the regular 2026 Pay Limit threshold.
The standard threshold applies to new applications under that scheme and is adjusted each January 1. Denmark will also update the new route’s salary level annually, so its initial figure is not a permanent rate.
Employers need certification and union-backed workplace terms
A qualifying job must be full-time and covered by a collective bargaining agreement. The employer must also receive certification from the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration, or SIRI.
Employers that do not already have a qualifying agreement must sign one with a trade union to use the route. The requirement is intended in part to prevent “social dumping,” or the hiring of foreign workers on terms below Danish standards.
Certification puts a further condition on participating companies. They generally must employ at least 10 full-time workers in Denmark to meet the certification requirements.
The job’s pay, hours and agreement status therefore operate alongside the employer’s certification. Meeting the minimum salary alone will not establish eligibility.
SIRI is expected to begin accepting employer-certification applications in December 2026. That is an expected administrative start date, separate from the route’s scheduled effective date in January.
Nationality rules limit the route to selected third-country workers
The scheme is designed for citizens of 16 selected non-EU countries. The applicant’s nationality is one part of eligibility, alongside the job and the employer’s status.
Denmark’s selection factors include major investment relationships, countries seeking EU candidacy and countries with bilateral mobility agreements with Denmark. A country can still be left off the list for “special foreign policy” reasons.
The route is aimed at eligible nationals of third countries, not EU citizens. The latter generally have no need for a Danish work permit to take employment in Denmark.
A proposal from the previous government won approval after talks
Denmark’s previous government originated the measure, but Parliament did not pass it before Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called a general election for late March 2026.
The proposal was later renegotiated by the Social Democrats and Moderates, along with their coalition partners Social Liberals and Green Left. Parliament then approved the measure.
The next stated administrative milestone is SIRI’s expected opening of employer-certification applications in December 2026, ahead of the route’s scheduled start.
