Jobseeking permit
Residence permit to look for a job in Denmark
A jobseeking permit is a residence permit valid for up to 6 months to find a job in Denmark after the expiration of your original permit.
It is only possible to be granted a jobseeking permit, if you have a residence permit as a PhD student, as a student in a higher educational programme or on the basis of work after the Positive List for persons with a Higher Education, as a researcher, the Pay Limit Scheme or the Fast Track Scheme's pay limit track, researcher track or educational track.
If you have a residence permit according to
- the Positive List for People with a Higher Education,
- the Pay Limit Scheme,
- the Researcher Scheme or
- the Fast Track Scheme's pay limit track, researcher track or educational track.
and lose your job through no fault of your own, e.g. due to cut-backs, you can apply for a 6 months residence permit to look for a new job in Denmark.
Please note that you cannot be granted a residence permit to look for a new job in Denmark, if you hold a residence and work permit under the Fast Track scheme's supplementary pay limit track.
You can read more about the conditions and how to apply here.
If you are offered a job during the jobseeking period you have to apply for a new residence and work permit, at the latest on the day you begin the new job. You are allowed to start on the new job as soon as you have submitted the application. You don’t have to wait for the decision from SIRI.
If you, on one of the above mentioned schemes, receive a work and residence permit valid for less than 4 years, then you will also automatically get a residence permit for jobseeking. You are not allowed to work during the jobseeking period.
If you are granted a residence permit to complete a PhD or other higher education in Denmark, you will at the same time get an additional 6 months or 3 years residence permit to look for a job in Denmark after the completion of your studies.
If you haven’t received the supplementary 6 months for 3 years residence permit or jobseeking after the completion of your study you can apply for an extension for up to 6 months or 3 years with the purpose of seeking jobs.
Read about the conditions and how to apply for a jobseeking permit.
The 6 months or 3 years job seeking residence gives you the same right to work as the limited work permit you got together with your residence permit to study. Thus, you can in your jobseeking period work up to 20 hours weekly and full time in June July and August.
If you are granted a 3 year job seeking residence permit for 3 years jobseeking and want to work without the above mentioned limitation, you can apply for a work permit without limitations which will have the same validity applying during your job seeking period.
Read more about the conditions and apply for a work permit without limitations
A residence permit for jobseeking cannot be extended to more than the 6 months or 3 years. If you want to stay in Denmark longer than that, you will have to apply for a residence permit on another basis, e.g. work if you have received a job offer.