Special individual qualifications

You have been offered a job in Denmark so closely linked to you that only you can carry it out. E.g. you are a performer or an artist, an athlete or a specialised chef.

Normal processing time
1 month

Processing fee
DKK 4,670,-

What do you want to print?

What are special individual qualifications?

If you have been offered a job so closely linked to you that only you can carry it out, you can apply for residence and work permit based on these special individual qualifications.

This could apply in the case of:

  • Performers or artists, including singers, musicians and conductors.
  • Professional athletes or coaches
  • Specialised chefs

What do you want to print?

What are the conditions?

There must be particular reasons that the job must be performed by you – and you must provide documentation that you can carry out the job. 

The scheme is aimed at, but not exclusively limited to, artists, athletes and specialised chefs among others.

You are a performer or an artist

You can be granted a residence and work permit if there are specific artistic reasons that you must be the person performing a certain role in connection with an artistic production. 

This could for example be if you have won a seat in an orchestra as part of a competition or you have been specifically chosen to dance ballet in a large show. 

If you have been offered employment as a performer in a circus or an amusement park, you can be granted a residence and work permit if you have an exceptional artistic talent within your field.

Your salary and terms of employment must correspond to Danish standards. Your salary, holiday entitlements, terms of notice etc. must not be inferior to the standards within the professional field in which you are going to work.

When you apply, you must attach a copy of your employment contract or job offer. All terms of employment must be stated in the contract or the job offer.

You can see which information the employment contract must, at least, include here

If SIRI has any doubts whether your salary and terms of employment correspond to Danish standards, we can ask experts in the field, e.g. one of the regional labour market councils, to assess your terms of employment.

Your salary must be paid to a Danish bank account in a bank operating legally in Denmark.

Accordingly, your salary cannot be paid to you in cash or to a foreign bank account nor can expenses for rent, lunch or similar be deducted before the salary is paid to a Danish bank account.

It is not a requirement that the transfer to the Danish bank account must happen from a Danish bank account.

There are no immediate limits to the type of bank account you can use. A currency account or basic bank account can both be used.

 

The Danish bank account must be opened no later than 90 days after the date of being granted a Danish residence and work permit, or 90 days after the employee enters Denmark, whichever happens last. Your salary during your first 90 days in Denmark can be paid to a foreign bank account. If you already hold a residence permit for no less than 3 months, your salary must be paid to a Danish bank account from the first payment of salary.

Your salary can only consist of:
•Salary in the form of liquid assets
•Payments to labour market pension schemes
•Paid holiday allowance

Only paid holiday allowance from the employer whom you are currently allowed to work for can be counted as part of your salary. 

If you earn holiday allowance paid to you in the following holiday year, the holiday allowance cannot be counted as a part the annual salary of the year in which you earned the holiday allowance. 

Salary components like the following cannot be taken into account when assessing the wage level:
•Paid living and housing expenses
•Per diems
•Free use of car
•Paid phone
•Paid internet
•Benefits-in-kind
•Subscriptions
•Other services offered to you by your employer.

The list is not complete.

One of the conditions for a residence permit under this scheme is that an accompanying family member (spouse, cohabiting partner, children or in certain circumstances other family members) has not had its residence permit revoked more than once due to lack of a required work permit.

If you as an artist, musician etc. are the focal point or main attraction of an event, you may be exempt from the requirement of a work permit. Among other things, it is a condition that the event must be short-term.

You can read more about exemption from work permit for artists, musicians, etc. here

You are an athlete or coach

There must be specific athletic reasons that the job must be carried out by you. 

Your salary and terms of employment must correspond to Danish standards. Your salary, holiday entitlements, terms of notice etc. must not be inferior to the standards within the professional field in which you are going to work.

When you apply, you must attach a copy of your employment contract or job offer. All terms of employment must be stated in the contract or the job offer.

You can see which information the employment contract must, at least, include here

If SIRI has any doubts whether your salary and terms of employment correspond to Danish standards, we can ask the relevant governing body of your sport to assess your terms of employment.

The employment as a professional athlete or coach must be your principal occupation and not sideline employment. This means that you generally must have been offered full-time employment of 37 hours per week.

If it is usual within your sport, it is possible to be granted a permit for part-time employment – not for employment, however, with less than 20 hours of work per week. 

You must have been offered a job with a minimum of 20 hours work per week at the same workplace. Several sports clubs therefore cannot “get together” to employ you and share the salary expenditure. 

The governing body must in relation to your application, state if there are specific athletic reasons that the job as athlete or coach in that particular sports club must be carried out by you.

In addition, the governing body must state whether your salary and terms of employment correspond to Danish standards.

Your employer (the sports club) can obtain a statement from the relevant governing body in advance by asking the governing body to complete this form.

The form must be submitted along with your application and your contract.

In this way your employer can contribute to a faster processing of your application.

If you have been granted a residence and work permit as a professional athlete or coach based on your special individual qualifications, the residence and work permit also allows you to:

  • Take up sideline employment, if your sideline employment is naturally related to your job as a professional athlete or coach (e.g. you will be teaching your sport in a school or similar).
  • Take up sideline employment with a sponsor of your main employer, regardless of the nature of the work. Please note that this only applies to sideline employment with a sponsor of your main employer, and does not apply to sideline employment with a business partner of your main employer.
  • As an athlete you can also be loaned out to another sports club, part time or fulltime.

Therefore, you do not need to apply for a work permit if you have been offered employment as described above. 

Please note, that you are also covered by the right to take up sideline employment, even though this does not appear from your residence and work permit as an athlete or coach based on your special individual qualifications.

Furthermore, if you have a residence and work permit as an athlete based on your special individual qualifications, you also have the right to be loaned out to another sports club, even though this does not appear from your residence and work permit.

If your weekly working hours, including sideline employment, exceeds 48 hours, you must contact SIRI, so we can assess whether or not your working hours are in accordance with European Union’s Working Time Directive.

 

Your salary must be paid to a Danish bank account in a bank operating legally in Denmark.

Accordingly, your salary cannot be paid to you in cash or to a foreign bank account nor can expenses for rent, lunch or similar be deducted before the salary is paid to a Danish bank account.

It is not a requirement that the transfer to the Danish bank account must happen from a Danish bank account.

There are no immediate limits to the type of bank account you can use. A currency account or basic bank account can both be used.

 

The Danish bank account must be opened no later than 90 days after the date of being granted a Danish residence and work permit, or 90 days after the employee enters Denmark, whichever happens last. Your salary during your first 90 days in Denmark can be paid to a foreign bank account. If you already hold a residence permit for no less than 3 months, your salary must be paid to a Danish bank account from the first payment of salary.

Your salary can only consist of:
•Salary in the form of liquid assets
•Payments to labour market pension schemes
•Paid holiday allowance

Only paid holiday allowance from the employer whom you are currently allowed to work for can be counted as part of your salary. 

If you earn holiday allowance paid to you in the following holiday year, the holiday allowance cannot be counted as a part the annual salary of the year in which you earned the holiday allowance. 

 

Self-sufficiency and return benefit  rates 2023 

  • Single sponsor : 12.699  DKK KR./monthly before taxes. 
  • Sponsor , who is not single sponsor : 8.886 DKK KR ./monthly before taxes. 
  • Persons older than 30 years of age and persons under 30 years of age, who does not live at home.  6.350  DKK KR ./monthly before taxes. 
  • Persons under 30 years of age who live together with their parents. 2.735 DKK KR./monthly before taxes. 

Salary components like the following cannot be taken into account when assessing the wage level:
•Paid living and housing expenses
•Per diems
•Free use of car
•Paid phone
•Paid internet
•Benefits-in-kind
•Subscriptions
•Other services offered to you by your employer.

The list is not complete.

One of the conditions for a residence permit under this scheme is that an accompanying family member (spouse, cohabiting partner, children or in certain circumstances other family members) has not had its residence permit revoked more than once due to lack of a required work permit.

 

You are a specialised chef

If you are a specialised chef, you can be granted a residence and work permit in Denmark.

You must have special individual qualifications necessary to carry out the job that you have been offered. In addition, you and the offered job must be related in such a close way that others cannot readily carry out the job.

It is a requirement that you have achieved documented international recognition of your qualifications. This will be the case if you, for example, have won international chef competitions or if you have previously, to a certain extent, worked at restaurants that have achieved international recognition by the Michelin guide or similar.

It is also required that you have the necessary professional qualifications to carry out the job.

This means that, as a rule, you must have been educated or trained as a chef and have extensive experience with the type of cuisine that you will be working in.

Finally it is a requirement that the restaurant that has offered you employment is innovative and on such a high level that makes it necessary to employ a chef with special individual qualifications.

Your salary and terms of employment must correspond to Danish standards. Your salary, holiday entitlements, terms of notice etc. must not be inferior to the standards within the professional field in which you are going to work.

When you apply, you must attach a copy of your employment contract or job offer. All terms of employment must be stated in the contract or the job offer.

You can see which information the employment contract must, at least, include here

If SIRI has any doubts whether your salary and terms of employment correspond to Danish standards, we can ask experts in the field, e.g. one of the regional labour market councils, to assess your terms of employment.

Your salary must be paid to a Danish bank account in a bank operating legally in Denmark.

Accordingly, your salary cannot be paid to you in cash or to a foreign bank account nor can expenses for rent, lunch or similar be deducted before the salary is paid to a Danish bank account.

It is not a requirement that the transfer to the Danish bank account must happen from a Danish bank account.

There are no immediate limits to the type of bank account you can use. A currency account or basic bank account can both be used.

The Danish bank account must be opened no later than 90 days after the date of being granted a Danish residence and work permit, or 90 days after the employee enters Denmark, whichever happens last. Your salary during your first 90 days in Denmark can be paid to a foreign bank account. If you already hold a residence permit for no less than 3 months, your salary must be paid to a Danish bank account from the first payment of salary.

Your salary can only consist of:
•Salary in the form of liquid assets
•Payments to labour market pension schemes
•Paid holiday allowance

Only paid holiday allowance from the employer whom you are currently allowed to work for can be counted as part of your salary. 

If you earn holiday allowance paid to you in the following holiday year, the holiday allowance cannot be counted as a part the annual salary of the year in which you earned the holiday allowance. 

Salary components like the following cannot be taken into account when assessing the wage level:
•Paid living and housing expenses
•Per diems
•Free use of car
•Paid phone
•Paid internet
•Benefits-in-kind
•Subscriptions
•Other services offered to you by your employer.

The list is not complete.

One of the conditions for a residence permit under this scheme is that an accompanying family member (spouse, cohabiting partner, children or in certain circumstances other family members) has not had its residence permit revoked more than once due to lack of a required work permit.

 

What do you want to print?

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

What are you allowed to do with a Danish residence and work permit based on special individual qualifications? – and what are you not allowed to do?

 

You are only allowed to work in the job and in the company that you have been granted a permit to work in.

Furthermore you are allowed to carry out unpaid voluntary work.

If you are offered a new job, you must apply for a new permit. This also applies if you are offered a new position in the same company. 

If you wish to take a sideline job, you have to obtain a separate permit. You can read more about sideline employment here

If you are a practising or performing artist you are exempt for work permit for sideline employment, provided it has substantiel coherence to the main employment. This means that the residence permit also allows you to take up sideline employment with other employers without applying for a specific work permit.

If you have a residence and work permit as an athlete or coach, separate rules regarding sideline employment applies. You can read more here under the section Sideline employment and loan.

A Danish residence and work permit does not allow you to work in other Schengen countries.

You can read more about working conditions in Denmark and 'The Danish labour market model' here.

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

In addition, a permit allows you to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within the latest 180 days period. The permit, however, does not allow you to work in other Schengen countries.

You must not give up your Danish address or stay abroad for longer than 6 successive months. A violation 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, i.e. if you are stationed abroad for a period of time by your employer, you can apply for a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing.

You can read more about permit lapse and dispensation options here.

You must be able to support yourself and your family during your stay. For example, you are not allowed to receive benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act – and there might be other benefits that you cannot receive. 

If you or your family members receive such benefits during your stay, your permit can be revoked – and you will lose the right to stay in Denmark. 

If an authority, e.g. a municipality, disburses benefits to foreign nationals, SIRI will be notified.

 You can see a list of benefits that you are not allowed to receive here.

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 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:

  • NemID
  • 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?

If you apply from abroad, you can be granted a residence permit valid 1 month before you start working. It will give you the time to settle in Denmark. When you apply, you must declare that you can support yourself and any accompanying family members during the period.  If you do not declare this, your residence permit will be valid 14 days before you start working.

If you apply in Denmark, your residence permit will be valid from the day you start working.

You can be granted a residence and work permit valid for 1 year at a time during the first 2 years of your stay – however, the validity cannot exceed the length of your job contract. Hereafter, you can be granted a permit valid for a maximum of 2 years, and after 4 years, valid for a maximum of 3 years at a time. 

If you find a new job, you must submit a new application based on the new job – it can once again be based on your special individual qualifications or it can be based on another of our work schemes. When you have submitted your application based on the new job, you do not have to wait for your permit before you start working. You can start your new job on the day you submit the new application.

If your employment contract is extended, you must apply for an extension of your residence and work permit.

It is very important that you apply for an extension before your permit expires.

If you submit your application for an extension in time, you can stay in Denmark and continue to work even though your permit is expiring.

 

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 – however, this can only be done 3 months before your permit expires at the earliest. 

Read more about the passport requirements

What do you want to print?

What should I do, if I lose or change my job?

If you are granted a permit based on the scheme, your residence permit is linked to your job in Denmark. Your employment is the basis for your permit. 

You must always inform SIRI if you lose or change your job.

Your work permit is limited to the employment that is the basis for your permit.  You are not allowed to work in other positions than the one stated in your permit.This also applies if you are offered a new position in the same company.

If you find a new job while working in Denmark, you must submit a new application for a residence and work permit with information on your new employment. When you have submitted your new application, you can start working even though you have not yet been granted a permit.

What do you want to print?

Can my family be granted a residence permit?

A residence and work permit based on a job in Denmark allows your family to come with you to Denmark. 

A permit can be granted to your spouse, registered or cohabiting partner as well as children under the age of 18 living at home.

Read more about accompanying family members here.

What do you want to print?

What more to know before I apply?

An application for a residence permit on the basis of work must be submitted to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

As a general rule, you must have an employment agreement with a company registered in Denmark to be able to apply. However, there are certain exceptions, e.g. if you work for a foreign company that provides services in Denmark. 

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, AR1.

Your employer must fill in one of two parts of the form. Your employer must be the first to fill in his or her part. When your employer has completed his or her part, a reference number and password will be shown, which your employer must pass on to you. You are then able to open the online application and complete your part.

If you have granted your employer power of attorney to handle the application on your behalf, your employer must use the AR6 form. This form is only filled in by the employer.

Please note that, as a rule, SIRI will refuse your application for a residence permit on new grounds, if the application is submitted prematurely in relation to the wished for start date for your stay in Denmark.

If you submit such an application earlier than 6 months before your stay in Denmark will begin, you can expect a refusal to your application. If you have paid SIRI's case processing fee, you will not receive a refund of the fee.

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

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.

If you are a commuter and will not be residing in Denmark and for this reason will only apply for a work permit, you do not need to create a case order ID or pay a fee. Instead you kan go directly to step 3. Read more about commuting here.

When submitting an application or appeal with a fee, you must first create a case order ID.

Case type:

Special individual qualifications

Fee:

DKK 4,670,-

Information about the applicant

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Are you exempt from paying the fee?

Are you sure a fee is not required to be paid in your case?

Only certain applicants are exempt from paying a fee. If the immigration authorities decide at a later stage that the applicant/appelant is not exempt from paying a fee, the application/appeal will be rejected.
If you have paid a fee and the following case handling shows that the fee should not have been paid, the whole fee will be refunded.

In certain cases the fee is not warranted (fee exemption). Examples are:

  • The Association Agreement between the EU and Turkey
  • Denmark’s international obligations

You are still required to create a case order ID, even if you are not required to pay a fee.

If you have paid a fee and it is not warranted, the whole fee will be refunded.

Read more about Fee exemption

The information is incorrect

Case order ID

All fees are regulated every year on 1 January. Make sure to create your Case Order ID, pay the fee and submit your application in the same calendar year. If you pay the fee before 1 January and submit your application after 1 January, your application may be rejected.

If no case order ID is shown in the field below, please type your case order ID and click on View payment status.

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Case Order ID:

Fee:

Payment status:

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It is a good idea to gather the necessary documents before you start to complete the application form. You can use the check list below.

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

You must submit

You can see which information the employment contract must include here

If you are an athlete or coach you must also submit

You can download the form for an advance statement here (Word)

You can download the form for an advance statement here (pdf)

Expect to use

30 minutes

completing the application

2 persons

You and your employer are each required to complete a part of the form.

In this step you and your employer have access to the relevant application forms.

Make sure that you have completed all the preceeding steps before you begin.

All our application forms contain careful instructions on how to complete the form and what kind of documents you must submit along with the form.

You can read more about how we process your personal data here.

You can choose between these two online application forms:

  • AR1, in which you and your employer each are required to complete separate parts of the form
  • AR6, in which you grant your employer power of attorney to apply on your behalf

In the AR1 form your employer must complete the first of the two parts of the form. When your employer has completed his or her part, a reference number and password will be shown, which your employer must pass on to you. You are then able to open the online application and complete your part.

In the AR6 form only your employer must complete the form

Read more about power of attorney and download an approved power of attorney standard here.

Make sure you have all documents ready in digital form, in order to attach them as you complete the application form.

If you do not have a MitID, you must sign, scan and attach to the application the document 'Sworn declarations and information'.

You can download the document 'Sworn declarations and information' here (also available in the form)

 

Use the form AR1                    Use the form AR6

 

Please note that it is mandatory to use this application form. Under special circumstances, you can be exempted from the requirement to use an online application form. You can read more here.

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.

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 here.

You must have your biometric features recorded no later than 14 days after you submitted your application.

If you are unable to have your biometric features recorded within the time limit of 14 days, because you are unable to book an appointment at a Danish diplomatic mission, you can inform us of the appointed time you will have your biometrics recorded. This way you can avoid having your application rejected.

You are abroad

You can have your biometric features recorded at a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in the country, where you reside.

See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of diplomatic missions or application centres where you can have your biometric features recorded

In certain countries Denmark does not have a diplomatic mission or application centre. In these instances the list will refer you to one of the Norwegian missions with which Denmark has made an agreement or to the nearest Danish diplomatic mission or application centre in the region.

If you submit your application to a Norwegian diplomatic mission, you must also submit one passport photo. If you are granted a residence permit based on your application, you must within a specific time frame afte you entry to Denmark have your biometric features recorded.

We recommend that you visit the local diplomatic mission’s webpage to get more information before you submit the application. The individual diplomatic mission can have additional requirements regarding payment of additional fees, submission of additional passport photos or additional copies of the application.

You are in Denmark

If you are residing legally in Denmark, you are normally able to have your biometric features recorded in Denmark. This is the case, if you:

  • hold a valid visa
  • is exempt from the visa requirement or
  • already hold a valid residence permit.

Read more about the legal residence requirement and submission of your application in Denmark. 

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

If you plan to have your biometrics recorded in one of SIRI’s branch offices, you must remember to book an appointment. 

If you are a commuter and does not reside in Denmark and for this reason will only apply for a work permit, you do not need to have your biometrics recorded. Read more about commuters here.

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 employer 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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Last updated 12-07-2023 - Published by: SIRI

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