Published 10-09-2024

Adjustment of SIRI's practice regarding work permit requirements for professional athletes and coaches

According to section 24(2)(8) of the Executive Order on Aliens’ Access to Denmark, professional athletes and coaches, and associated personnel, may be exempt from the work permit requirement for a period of 90 days from the date of entry for the practice and training of sports, including test training.

In practice, 'associated personnel' currently includes personnel accompanying athletes and coaches during their stay in Denmark, e.g. a masseur, a team leader, a chef, etc.

In the assessment of “associated personnel”, SIRI will in the future take into account the special needs of the individual sporting event to a greater extent, so that the practice follows the natural development in the professional sport’s area in Denmark.

With the adaptation of the practice, new types of sporting events, such as e-sports events, are primarily taken into account, so that these can be carried out on the same terms as other sporting events in Denmark. This means that SIRI will in the future expand the interpretation of “associated personnel” so that personnel who perform tasks at a specialized level of knowledge to support the sporting event as a whole will also be exempt from the work permit requirement.

The adjustment of practice has been made with effect from September 1, 2024.