Illegal work
If you are a citizen of a country outside of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you must have been granted a work permit to work legally in Denmark.
Even though you hold a work permit, the permit can be limited. For example, if you hold a permit as a student in a higher educational programme or under the educational attachment scheme, you are allowed to work 90 hours per month and full-time through June, July and August.
In addition, your work permit can be limited a specific employer.
It will always be stated in the letter we send you when we grant you a permit and on your residence card whether you are allowed to work and if there are any limitations to where and how much you are allowed to work. Feel free to contact us if you still have questions about what you are allowed to and what you are not allowed to do.
It is your own responsibility to obtain a work permit if the rules require it.
If you have a residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme, you will no longer need a separate work permit from 1 July 2024. You may therefore work when you have a residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme.
If you work without the required permit, you risk being fined or imprisoned. You also risk being expelled from Denmark. This means that you will be banned from entering all EU and Schengen countries, including Denmark, for at least 2 years.
If you are a citizen of one of the Nordic countries, you can start working right away. The Nordic countries include: Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
If you are a citizen of an EU country, an EEA country or Switzerland, you can start working right away – and subsequently apply for a residence document at SIRI.
Read more about residence in Denmark after EU regulations here
Family members of a citizen of an EU country (including Finland and Sweden), an EEA country (including Iceland and Norway) or Switzerland do not need a work permit, provided that the conditions of right to reside according to EU law have been met.
SIRI has made a leaflet for employers. The leaflet provides guidance on how to avoid employing foreign labour illegally. The pamphlet outlines what you, as an employer, should pay attention to when employing a foreign national. We recommend that you read the pamphlet thoroughly.
Read the pamphlet "How to avoid employing foreign nationals illegally"