Fast-Track Greenland - extension

You want to extend your residence permit in Greenland based on continued employment at a company, which has been Fast-Track approved by the Government of Greenland.

Normal processing time
3 months

However, if further information is needed, the processing time can be up to
5 months

Processing fee
No fee

Can I extend my residence permit?

If there have been no changes in your employment, you can apply for an extension of your work permit in Greenland under the Fast-Track Agreement. This means that:

  • your position and your workplace must have been the same during the entire period
  • you must have met the conditions of your latest permit
  • you must have been working and receiving salary during the entire period
  • your salary and terms of employment must be unchanged
  • your employer must still be Fast-Track approved.

In Greenland, you are obligated to save for your own pension. The requirement applies to people over the age of 18 who are fully taxable in Greenland. Find more information on the Tax Agency’s website in Greenland (opens in a new window)

What is Fast-Track Greenland?

If the Government of Greenland still has Fast-Track approved your employer, you can apply for an extension based on the Fast-Track Agreement.

When a company has been approved by The Government of Greenland, it means that an employment agreement made with the company in question meets the requirements for salary and terms of employment that must correspond to Greenlandic standards.

Therefore, applications concerning residence and work permits under the Fast-Track Agreement will only be sent for further assessment by the Government of Greenland, if the employment contract does not meet the required salary and terms of employment that correspond to Greenlandic standards.

What are my rights if I am granted a permit?

What are you allowed to do with a residence and work permit under the Fast-Track Agreement for Greenland – 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.

You may continue working while SIRI processes your application for an extension.

If you are offered a new job or a new position, you must apply for a new permit before you can start the new job. You must not start in the new job before you have received a new permit. This also applies if you are offered a new position within the same company.

If you want to get a sideline employment in Greenland, you must apply for a special permit for this.

Read more about and apply for sideline employment in Greenland

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

If you are exempt from the visa requirement in Greenland, you can stay in Greenland for up to 90 days after your residence and work permit has expired. You are not allowed to work during a visa-free stay.

Read more about who needs a visa for entering Greenland

Your residence permit will lapse if you give up your address in Greenland, or if you stay abroad for more than 6 consecutive months. This means that you will lose your right to stay in Greenland.

Stays in Denmark or the Faroe Islands are considered as time spent abroad.

Read more about lapse of permit and apply for dispensation to prevent a permit from lapsing

During your stay in Greenland, you must be able to support yourself and your family. Therefore, you are not allowed to receive public benefits.

If you or one of your family members receive public benefits during your stay in Greenland, your permits can be revoked – and you will all lose the right to stay in Greenland.

How long can I stay in Greenland?

A residence permit in Greenland can be extended for up to 1 year from the date a decision is made in your case.

A residence permit can only be valid until 2 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 normally could be.

If the position you are employed in requires that your employer has a permit for hiring external labour (municipal permit) and the permit 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 normally could be.

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

Your residence permit in Greenland is linked to the job and the employer that is stated on your permit.

You are not allowed to work in other positions or for other employers than the one stated in your permit. This also applies if you are offered a new position in the same company.

If your employment changes, you must inform SIRI. For instance, this may be if you:

  • lose your job
  • change your position
  • change your job and start working for another employer.

Send us your changed information via our contact form

If you lose your job, you must inform SIRI.

If you lose your job, let us know via our contact form

Your residence and work permit will be revoked as it is based on this exact job.

If you find a new job or are offered a new position while you are working, you must submit a new application for a residence and work permit with information on your new employment.

If you change your job, please note that you can only submit an application from Greenland if your new employer is also Fast-Track approved by the Government of Greenland.

You are not allowed to start at your new job or in your new position before you have been granted a new permit.

Can my family’s residence permits be extended?

An extension of your residence and work permit in Greenland allows any accompanying family members to extend their residence permits as well.

The extension of their permit will be for the same period as your extension. Accompanying family can be:

  • A spouse
  • A cohabiting partner
  • A registered partner
  • A child living at home

Read more about accompanying family

When can I submit an application for extension?

You can submit an application for an extension of a residence and work permit no sooner than 2 months before your permit expires, and no later than the last date your permit is valid for.

If you apply after your permit has expired, you can expect to receive a refusal.

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 having your residence permit extended 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 completing the application. 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:

Your employer must submit:

Expect to spend

20 minutes

per person to complete the application

2 people

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

In this step, you and your employer have access to the relevant application GL5.

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

The application contains careful instructions on how to complete the application and which documents you must submit along with the application.

In the GL5 application, you must complete part 1 and your employer must complete part 2. If your employer has power of attorney from you, they may complete part 1 as well as part 2. 

Find an approved power of attorney standard

You can complete the application in Word format on screen before you print.

If you complete the application in PDF format, you must first print and then complete it by hand. Remember to complete the application in capital letters.

Download the printable form GL5 (Word format)

Download the printable form GL5 (PDF format)

Read about how we process your personal data

You can send the application directly to SIRI via our contact form, by attaching the application and the relevant documents to the contact form.

Access SIRI's contact form

You can also submit the application in person at the local Greenlandic police. Please contact the police in order to find out where in Greenland you can submit an application for an extension of a residence and work permit.

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

It is important that you have informed us of your current address and contact information in the application.

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

If you have applied for a residence card, your residence card will automatically be sent to the address that has been registered under your name in the Civil Registration System (CPR).

It is important that your name is written on your mailbox. If your name is not written on your mailbox, there is a risk that the residence card will not be delivered to you and that it will be sent back to SIRI instead.

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Last updated 27-03-2025 - Published by: SIRI