Authorisation

You can apply for an extension of your residence permit if you are still in the process of obtaining a Danish authorisation and meet the language requirements. 

It is important that you apply for an extension of your residence permit before your current residence permit expires. You can apply for an extension at the earliest 3 months before your residence permit expires.

If you do not apply for an extension before your permit expires, you no longer have the right to stay in Denmark. This also means that an application submitted in Denmark will usually be rejected.

If you submit your application for an extension in time, you can stay in Denmark while SIRI is assessing you application for an extension – even if your permit expires.

As a general rule, you cannot be granted an extension of your residence permit in order to obtain a Danish authorisation as a nurse beyond 3 years – unless there are special circumstances, such as maternity leave or serious/prolonged illness, and the Danish Patient Safety Authority extends your deadline for completing the authorisation process on that basis. 

If you have been granted a residence permit for less than 3 years from the Danish Patient Safety Authority’s approval of your education, you can also apply for an extension up to 3 years from the date the Danish Patient Safety Authority approved your education. 

It is important that you apply for an extension of your residence permit before your current residence permit expires. You can apply for an extension at the earliest 3 months before your residence permit expires.

If you do not apply for an extension before your permit expires, you no longer have the right to stay in Denmark. This also means that an application submitted in Denmark will usually be rejected. 

If you submit your application for an extension in time, you can stay in Denmark while SIRI is assessing you application for an extension – even if your permit expires.

You can apply for an extension of your residence permit for 2 years if you can provide documentation that you have passed Danish 3 Exam with the required grades in order to obtain a Danish authorisation. If you have not passed the language test with the requires grades, your residence permit can as a general rule not be extended.

Read more about the requirements for the language test for doctors at the Danish Patient Safety Authority

Read more about the requirements for the language test for dentists at the Danish Patient Safety Authority

If you have had a residence permit for more than 5 years, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit if you are in the process of your employment for adaption and training purposes or you have received a specific offer for employment for adaption and training purposes.

You must provide documentation that the Danish Patient Safety Authority has granted you a temporary authorisation for your employment for adaption and training purposes. 

If you are granted an extension of your temporary authorisation for your employment for adaption and training purposes, your residence permit will be extended in accordance with your employment for adaption and training purposes for up to 6 months.

If there are special circumstances, such as maternity leave or serious/prolonged illness, and the Danish Patient Safety Authority extends your deadline for completing the authorisation process on that basis, you must subsequently apply for an extension of your residence permit. 

You must provide documentation that the Danish Patient Safety Authority has extended your approval and thereby your deadline for completing the authorisation process.

If you have been granted a residence permit for less than 3 years from the date the Danish Patient Safety Authority approved your education, you can apply for an extension up to 3 years from the date the Danish Patient Safety Authority approved your education. 

A residence permit in order to obtain a Danish authorisation allows you to work.

Therefore, you do not need to apply for a separate work permit if you get a job.

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

In addition, a permit allows you to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within the past 180 days. However, the permit 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, you can apply for dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing. 

Read more about lapse of permit

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

You must be able to support yourself and your family during your stay. You are not allowed to receive public benefits.

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.

See the list of benefits that you are not allowed to receive

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 your first residence permit on the authorisation scheme was granted for 3 years, your residence permit can be extended for an additional 2 years if you can provide documentation that you have passed the Danish 3 Exam with the required grades. As a general rule, if you have not passed the language test with the required grades, your residence permit cannot be extended.

If you have passed your language test and had your residence permit extended for up to 5 years, your residence permit can be extended for up to an additional 6 months if you can provide documentation that you are in the process of your employment for adaption and training purposes or have a specific offer for employment for adaption and training purposes.

As a general rule, you cannot extend your permit beyond 3 years counting from the date on which the Danish Patient Safety Authority approved your formal qualifications as a nurse.

As a general rule, you cannot have your residence permit extended beyond the period approved by the Danish Patient Safety Authority. This means that the residence permit cannot be extended beyond 4 years for doctors and dentists and beyond 3 years for additional professions.