Job seeking permit
Residence permit to look for a job in Denmark
A job seeking 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 possible to be granted a job seeking permit if you hold a residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme, as a PhD student, as a student in a higher educational programme or on the basis of work following 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 hold 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.
Read more about the conditions and how to apply for a job seeking permit for employees
Please note that you cannot be granted a job seeking permit if you hold a residence and work permit under the Fast-Track scheme's supplementary pay limit track or any of the other work permits that are not mentioned above.
If you are offered a job during the job-seeking 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 at the new job as soon as you have submitted the application. You do not have to wait for the decision from SIRI.
If you, on one of the above-mentioned schemes, are granted a work and residence permit valid for less than 4 years, then you will also automatically be granted a residence permit for job seeking. You are not allowed to work during the job-seeking 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 or 3 years residence permit for 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.
If you have received a residence permit on the basis of educational attachment, you will also get an additional 6 months residence permit to look for a job in Denmark after the completion of your studies.
Read about the conditions and how to apply for a jobseeking permit
The 6 months or 3 years job seeking permit 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 90 hours per month and full time in June, July and August.
If you are granted a job seeking permit for 3 years and want to work without the above-mentioned limitation, you can apply for a work permit without limitations which will be valid during your job seeking period.
Read more about the conditions and apply for a work permit without limitations
A residence permit for job seeking cannot be extended beyond 6 months or 3 years respectively. 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.
If you are granted a residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme, you can also be granted a 6-month residence permit to look for a job in Denmark after you have obtained your Danish authorisation.
As a nurse and specifically requested healthcare professional, you will be granted a job seeking permit along with the first-time permit, unless your residence permit has been shortened.
As a doctor or dentist, you will be granted a job seeking permit along with a possible extension of your residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme. The job seeking permit is therefore an extension of the 5-year period, which is the maximum period for doctors and dentists.
If you have not been granted the supplementary 6-month residence permit for job seeking in connection with your residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme, you can apply for a residence permit for up to 6 months for job seeking in Denmark.
The 6-month job seeking permit does not allow you to work. If you receive a job offer, you must submit an application for a new residence and work permit based on your new job.
A job seeking permit cannot be extended beyond the 6 months. If you want to stay longer in Denmark, you must apply for a residence permit on another basis, such as work, if you have a job offer.