Change of education

You already have a residence permit on the basis of Educational Attachment but change educational programme, or you have a residence permit on the basis of Change of education and are admitted to a new programme.

Normal processing time
2 months

Processing fee
DKK 2,490,-

What do you want to print?

What is change of education on the Educational Attachment scheme?

Change of education is a residence permit based on the Educational Attachment scheme in Denmark. 

 

If you have a valid residence permit based on educational attachment but get enrolled in a new programme, you must submit an application for change of education, and similarly if you have a residence permit based on change of education and get enrolled in a new programme. 

You must submit your application for change of education once you have been admitted to your new programme and while you still have a valid permit based on either educational attachment or change of education. 

What do you want to print?

What are the conditions?

It is a requirement that you are enrolled in a educational programme in Denmark that may lead you to a job function that can form the basis for a residence permit under the Positive List for Skilled Work or the Positive List for People with a Higher Education.

You must attach documentation that you are enrolled in such an educational programme.

You must be able to speak and understand the language of instruction at a level that allows you to actively participate in the courses you are attending.

The educational institution must be publically accredited. Therefore, you cannot get a residence permit to study at a private educational institution.

As a general rule, you cannot get a residence permit to study part-time. If you are following a full-time programme on reduced hours because you are also on partial sick leave, and this is documented, you will be considered a full-time student. The same applies if you are following the programme at reduced hours due to a disability, for example. Single subjects are not considered to be a full-time programme.

It is also a condition that the programme you are studying at or have been admitted to can lead to you being able to perform a job function that can form the basis for a residence permit according to the Positive List for Skilled Work or the Positive List for People with a Higher Education.

Read more about the Positive List for Skilled Work

Read more about the Positive List for People with a Higher Education

If you have not yet turned 18, both of your parents must sign a declaration of consent to allow you to study in Denmark (both of them must sign a declaration of consent).

You must provide documentation of who your custody holders are, e.g. by submitting a copy of your birth certificate along with a copy of the data page in your parents' passport.

The school must also declare that it will ensure that you will have proper residence and study conditions in Denmark.

Download a template of the school's declaration (in Danish only)

What do you want to print?

What are my rights, if I am granted a permit?

A residence permit allows you to reside and study in Denmark for the period of time your permit is valid.

Additionally, a permit allows you to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a 180 days period. However, the permit does not allow you to work in other Schengen countries.

Please note that you must not give up your Danish address or stay abroad for more than 6 successive months. A violation of this rule will result in the lapse of your permit. This means that you will lose your right to stay in Denmark.

If you need to stay abroad for a longer period of time, you can apply for a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing.

Read more about permit lapse

Read more about and apply for dispensation

In addition to your residence permit as a student, you will be granted a limited work permit.

You are allowed to work:

  • 90 hours per month during the normal period of study from September to May, and 

  • full-time through June, July and August.

The work permit is also valid during the job seeking period of 6 months, which is normally granted to you if you expect to complete a full educational programme in Denmark. 

It will be regarded as illegal work, if you work more hours than you are allowed to.

If you work illegally you can receive a warning, a fine or your residence permit as a student can be revoked. 

Read more about illegal work

Read more about working conditions in Denmark and 'The Danish labour market model'

However, you are permitted to do unlimited hours of unpaid voluntary work for an organisation or association, if the work is a benefit to society. Hours spent on doing unpaid voluntary work do not count as part of your limited work permit.

Read more about unpaid voluntary work

 

If you are granted a residence permit to study at an educational programme containing a mandatory internship, you will automatically be granted a permit to work full-time for the duration of the internship.

If you have not been initially granted a permit for an internship and if you find out at a later time that you will be doing an internship, you must apply for a full-time work permit, which is valid during the period of your internship. This only applies if you will be working full-time during your internship.

The internship must be part of your educational programme, and the place of internship must be approved by your educational institution.

Please note that you cannot not begin working full-time during the internship before you have been granted a permit.    

Find the application page for an internship work permit

With a residence permit in Denmark, you are entitled to free Danish lessons. However, you must have turned 18 years and have your Danish address registered in the Danish National Register.

If you have a residence permit in Denmark based on work, study, etc. you have to pay a deposit before you can start receiving lessons. Be aware that you can lose your deposit if you do not pass the different modules within a specific timeframe.

Your municipality of residence is obliged to offer you Danish lessons and refer you to a language centre. If you have not been offered Danish lessons within a month after registering your address in Denmark, you can contact your municipality.

You will (typically) be taught together with other foreign nationals who have arrived in Denmark recently.

If you are going to stay, study and work in Denmark, there are a number of things to acquaint yourself with. Depending on your personal situation, you might need other important information and options.

The portal lifeindenmark.dk provides you with information, links and in many cases also options concerning the most important subjects such as:

  • MitID
  • The CPR register
  • Health card
  • Tax matters
  • Holiday entitlements
  • School and daycare
  • Housing
  • Danish lessons
  • Car registration and driver’s license

What do you want to print?

How long can I stay in Denmark?

You can stay in Denmark for the standard (nominal) duration of your educational programme, provided that you are actively participating in the programme. 

Please note, that if you do not complete your educational programme within the nominal period of study, it is important that you apply for an extension of your permit.

Your permit can be extended for a maximum of 1 year. As a rule, your permit cannot be extended further if you prolong your studies by more than a year.

However, if the prolonging of your studies is caused by sick leave, which can be documented, pregnancy or parental leave, your permit can be extended by an additional year.

You must apply for an extension not later than the day your permit expires - however, you must not apply for an extension earlier than 4 months before your permit for studying expires.

If you change your educational programme, you must apply for a new residence permit for the new programme. You are allowed to start your new educational programme while you wait for us to reach a decision regarding your case.

If you have completed an entire higher educational programme in Denmark, you can be granted, under the Educational Attachment scheme, a 6-month residence pemit to look for employment in Denmark.

If you are granted a permit to complete a full educational programme, you will generally be granted the 6-month seeking permit along with your residence permit. If you have not been granted a 6-month seeking permit, along with your residence permit, you can apply for it, when you finish your educational programme.

The residence permit for job seeking gives you the same work rights as you had during your studies: 90 hours per week and full-time through June, July and August. The hours are calculated per calender month.

The purpose of the job seeking period is for you to find employment in Denmark, after you have completed your educational programme. If you receive a job offer during your job seeking period, you can choose to apply for a new residence and work permit, based on the job you have been offered.

A residence permit can only be valid until 3 months before the expiry date of your passport.

If your passport has a shorter validity than the otherwise possible period of stay, your residence permit will be shortened. This means that the validity of your residence permit will be shorter than it could be. When you have renewed your passport, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit.

Read more about the passport requirements

If you are studying at an educational programme that has not been approved by a state authority, but which instead has an advisory statement from the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA), you can only be granted a residence permit that is valid until the date of expiry of that advisory statement. 

If you wish to complete your educational programme, you must apply for an extension of your advisory statement 4 months before it expires, at the earliest.

What do you want to print?

What do I need to do if I change education again?

If you already have a permit on the basis of educational attachment or change of education, your residence and work permit is linked to the programme and educational institution you are studying at in Denmark. Your studies are the basis for your permit.

If you are no longer an active student, you must always notify SIRI. 

If you change education once again, you must submit a new application based on the new programme (change of education).

What do you want to print?

Can my family be granted a residence permit?

A residence and work permit on the basis of educational ettachment or ehange of education does not allow your family to obtain a residence permit as an accompanying family.

However, family members will be able to obtain a residence permit on the basis of family reunification, provided they meet the conditions.

Read more about the rules for residence permits based on family reunification 

You can also contact the Danish Immigration Service, which administers the rules on family reunification.

What do you want to print?

What more do I need to know before I apply?

An application for a residence permit on the basis of studies is processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

Before submitting your application, you must create a case order ID for your application and pay a fee to cover SIRI’s case processing expenses. You can do this on the “How to apply” tab to the right. Here you also find the relevant application form, ST8. The form is available as a printable form only.

In the application form, you consent to SIRI contacting the educational institution you have been admitted to in order to obtain information about your enrolment and whether you are actively participating in the programme.

If you have granted another person or the educational institution power of attorney to handle the application on your behalf, a power of attorney must be attached to the application form. 

Find an approved template of a power of attorney

SIRI will contact you or your place of study if we need further information to process your case.

What do you want to print?

May I work while I wait for the decision?

You can submit an application for change of education under the Educational Attachment scheme if you get enrolled in a new educational programme. 

 Once you have submitted your application for a residence permit for change of education, you may work in accordance to your current residence permit on the basis of educational attachment.

Read more about the rules for working while studying

What do you want to print?

Below you will find a step-by-step guide to submitting an application to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

It is important that you have carefully read the conditions for being granted a residence permit before you begin step 1. You can do this on the tab “Need to know” on the left.

It is a good idea to gather the necessary documents before you start to complete the application form.

You can use this check list and download the declaration you might need below.

If you submit documents not written in English or Danish, you must also submit certified translations into Danish or English.

Before you submit the application it is important that you gather the following:

If you are below the age of 18, you must also submit:

Download a template of the school's declaration (in Danish only)

Expect to use

30 minutes 

1 person 

In this step you have access to the relevant application form, ST8. The form is available as a printable form only.

Make sure that you have read the instructions under the tab 'Need to know', and that you have completed all the proceeding steps under this tab before you begin.

You must fill out all of the sections in the application form. Among other things, you must inform us of your previous place(s) of education and your previous work experience under the section concerning your qualifications. The instructions in the application form will show you what documentation has to be attached to each section.

Read more about how we process your personal data

The printable application form in Word format can be completed on screen before you print. The application form in pdf format must be printed first and then completed by hand.

Download the printable form ST8 (Word format) 

Download the printable form ST8 (Pdf format)

You are submitting the application in Denmark

You must submit your application while you still hold a valid permit on the basis of Educational Attachment scheme.  

You can submit the application (ST8) in one of SIRI's branches.

If you want to submit the application in one of SIRI's offices, remember to book an appointment

You can also send the application to SIRI via our contact form

When you apply for a residence permit, you must have your biometric features recorded. This means that you must have a facial photo taken and your fingerprints recorded. The facial photo and your fingerprints will be stored on a microchip embedded in the residence card, which will be issued to you if you are granted a permit.

SIRI can, as a rule, only start processing your application once you have had your biometric features recorded.

If you do not agree to have your biometric features recorded, your application will be rejected. This means that your application will not be processed.

Read more about biometrics

You can have your biometric features recorded in one of SIRI’s branch offices.

Remember to book an appointment

You have submitted your application succesfully if you have:

  • created a case order ID
  • paid the fee
  • submitted the application
  • had your biometric features recorded

You can see the normal case processing time to the right on this page. When we make a decision in your case, you will receive an answer.

SIRI will contact you or your educational institution if we need further information to process your case.

Read more about what you can expect while you are waiting for an answer

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Responsible agency

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Last updated 01-07-2024 - Published by: SIRI