Work permit for internships

You want to work full-time as an intern as a part of your education in Denmark. Therefore, you need a full-time work permit.

Processing fee
No fee

Need to know
How to apply

Who can apply for a work permit for internships?

If you have a residence permit as a student on a higher educational programme in Denmark, you can apply for a work permit for an internship that is part of your studies. This applies both if you are completing a full educational programme in Denmark or if you here as a guest or exchange student on a higher educational programme. If your higher educational programme includes a mandatory internship, and this is stated on the application form by your place of education, you will be granted a permit to work full-time during the period of your internship along with your residence permit.

If the internship is an optional part of your education, and you therefore have not been granted a work permit for an internship along with your residence permit, you can apply for it subsequently.

Please note that you can only receive a work permit for an internship during studies (an ST4 permit) if you have a residence permit in Denmark based on studies.

The internship is full-time

You should only apply for a work permit for internships if the internship is full-time. This also applies if you do not receive salary during your internship.

If your internship does not violate the conditions of your current work permit (you will not be working more than 20 hours per week in total), you do not need a separate work permit for your internship.

Neither do you need a work permit for an internship if you will be doing your internship abroad. In this case, however, you should be aware that your residence permit, under certain circumstances, can lapse when you stay outside Denmark.

What are the conditions?

Your internship must be a part of your education in Denmark

It is a requirement that your internship is either a mandatory or an optional part of your education.

You must have an internship agreement

If you do an optional internship as a part of your education, you must have entered into an internship agreement with the place of internship. The internship agreement must define the duration of your internship and describe your work tasks

The place of internship must be approved

The place of internship must be approved by your educational institution.

What are my rights if I am granted a permit?

What are you allowed to do with a work permit for internships? – and what are you not allowed to do?

The workplace

If you are granted a work permit to work full-time during an optional internship as a part of your education, the work permit only allows you to work in the company that has been approved as your place of internship. If you want to change your place of internship, your educational institution must approve the new company, and you must submit a new application for a work permit for internships.

Proof of your work permit

You will not be granted a residence card as a proof that you are allowed to work full-time during an internship.

The permit letter, SIRI will send you, is your only proof of your work permit. Therefore, you must keep the letter.

When are you allowed to start working?

You must not start to work full-time at the place of internship before you have been granted a permit.

If you work full-time without holding a permit, you risk being fined, imprisoned or having your residence permit revoked.

Duration of the work permit

You can be granted a work permit allowing you to work full-time during the entire period of your internship.

What more do I need to know before I apply?

An application for a work permit to work full-time during an internship is processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

You must be admitted to an education with a mandatory or an optional internship period to be able to apply.

No fee is charged for submitting the application. On the “How to apply tab” to the right, you can find the relevant application form, ST4.

Your place of study must fill in one of the two parts of the form.

SIRI will contact you or your place of study if we need further information to process your case.

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 dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing before you begin step 1. You can do this on the tab “Need to know” on the left.

Gather documentation

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.

You must submit:

Copy of all pages of your passport – including all empty pages and the passport’s front and back cover

Internship agreement stating the duration of your internship and a job description

Complete application

Expect to use

15 minutes

completing the application

2 persons

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

In this step you and your place of study have access to the relevant application form, ST4.

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.

Part 2 of the print form, ST4, must be filled in by your place of study. When the place of study has completed their part, you must fill in part 1 of the form. Subsequently, you must submit both part 1 and 2 - read how on the next step.

You must submit the necessary documents with the application.

The printable application form in Word format can be completed on screen before you print. The application form in pdf format must be printed first and then completed by hand.

Download the printable form ST4 (Word format)

Download the printable form ST4 (Pdf format)

Submit application

You can submit your application in one of SIRI's branch offices.

If you plan to submit you application in one of SIRI’s branch offices, you must remember to book an appointment.

You can also send the application to SIRI by regular post or by using our contact form.

The contact form is accessible here

Receive an answer

When a decision in your case has been made, you will receive an answer.

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

You are welcome to contact us if you have further questions about your application which have not been answered by this application page.