Job seeking permit for 6 months after obtaining a Danish authorisation

You can be granted a residence permit for job seeking in Denmark if you hold a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining a Danish authorisation.

Normal processing time
3 months

Processing fee
DKK 2,490,-

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Who can apply for a 6-month job seeking permit?

You can apply for a residence permit for job seeking if you hold a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining a Danish authorisation.

SIRI automatically grants a 6-month job seeking permit along with a residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme if the validity of your passport allows it.

If you already hold a valid residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme and it was granted to you before 1 July 2024, you have not automatically been granted a job seeking permit along with your residence permit.

Hence, you must apply for a residence permit for job seeking if:

  • you were granted a residence permit before 1 July 2024 and therefore were not granted a job seeking permit along with your residence permit and

  • you need a job seeking permit following your authorisation permit because you have not yet found a job.

As a doctor or dentist, you only need to apply for a job seeking permit after 5 years, which is the maximum period for an authorisation stay as a doctor or dentist.

You may also need to apply for a job seeking permit if:

  • you were granted less than a 6-month job seeking permit when you were granted your residence permit.

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What are the conditions?

It is a requirement that you hold a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining a Danish authorisation.

The job search permit is also conditional on you having obtained your authorisation.

If you have not yet obtained your authorisation and your residence permit is about to expire, we can in some cases extend your residence permit under the Authorisation Scheme.

Read more about extending your residence permit and how to apply

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What are my rights if I am granted a permit?

What are you allowed to do with a Danish residence permit for job seeking after obtaining a Danish authorisation? And what are you not allowed to do?

A residence permit allows you to reside in Denmark for the period of time your permit is valid.

In addition, a permit allows you to stay in the Schengen area for up to 3 months within a 6-month period. 

You must not give up your Danish address or stay abroad for more 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.

Read more on how your permit can lapse

If you need to stay abroad for a longer period of time, you can apply for a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing

If you have been granted a residence permit for job seeking after you have obtained your Danish authorisation, you are not entitled to work.

This is because the job search stay only allows you to look for work in Denmark after you have obtained your Danish authorisation. If you receive a job offer, you must submit a new application for a residence and work permit based on your new job.

Read more about residence based on work here

If you submit a new application for a residence and work permit, in some cases you can start your new job as soon as you have submitted the application.

Read more about the job change rule

If you work during your job seeking stay, it is considered illegal labour and you can be fined for it.

Read more about illegal work

You must be able to support yourself and your family during your stay. Therefore, you are not allowed to receive public benefits, e.g. benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, state study grants, housing benefits or unemployment benefits – and there may be other benefits you are also not allowed to receive.

If you receive such benefits during your stay, your permit may be revoked – and you will lose your right to stay in Denmark. 

Please note that your accompanying family members are also not allowed to receive cash benefits, self-sufficiency or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act.

If an authority, e.g. a municipality, disburses benefits to foreign nationals, SIRI will be notified.

Read 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 hold 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.

While staying and working in Denmark, there are a number of things to acquaint yourself with. Depending on your personal situation, you might need other important information and options.

The portal lifeindenmark.dk provides you with information, links and in many cases also options concerning the most important subjects such as:

  • MitID

  • the CPR register

  • health card

  • taxes

  • holiday

  • school and child care

  • housing

  • Danish lessons

  • car registration and driver’s license.

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How long can I stay in Denmark?

If you hold a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining a Danish authorisation, you can be granted a residence permit valid for 6 months for job seeking in Denmark after having completed your authorisation process.

A residence permit can only be valid until 3 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 could be. When you have renewed your passport, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit – however, this can only be done 3 months before your permit expires at the earliest.

Read more about the passport requirements

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Can my family be granted a residence permit?

Once you have been granted a residence permit for job seeking after obtaining a Danish authorisation, your accompanying family can be granted an extension of their residence permit.

Please note that you must pay a fee to apply for extension of a residence permit as an accompanying family member.

Read more about extension for accompanying family members

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What more do I need to know before I apply?

Your application for a residence permit on the basis of job seeking after obtaining a Danish authorisation must be submitted to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

If you are in Denmark when submitting the application, you must be residing here legally.

Read more about legal stay

On the tab "How to apply" to the right you have access to the relevant application form, JS2. The form only exists as a printable form in PDF og Word format.

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

You must pay a fee in order to apply for a job seeking permit.

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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:

 

Expect to use

15 minutes

completing the application

1 person

You complete the application form by yourself.

 

The application form contains careful instructions on how to complete the form and what kind of documents you must submit along with the form.

Read more about how we process your personal data

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 JS2 (Word format)

Download the printable form JS2 (pdf format)

You can submit the application by appearing in person in one of SIRI's branch offices in Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus, Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg or on Bornholm.

If you wish to submit the application in one of SIRI's branch offices, you must remember to book an appointment

You can also send the application to SIRI through our contact form.

You can find SIRI's contact form here 

When you apply for an extension of your residence permit, you must have your biometric features recorded. This means that you need to have a facial photo taken and be fingerprinted. The facial photo and your fingerprints will be stored on a microchip embedded in the residence card you will be issued if you are granted a permit.

You must have your biometric features recorded no later than 14 days after you have submitted your application.

Your biometric features can be recorded in one of SIRI’s branch offices. Remember to book an appointment

You have submitted your application succesfully if you have:

  • created a case order ID

  • paid the fee

  • submitted the application

  • had your biometric features recorded

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

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

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Last updated 31-10-2024 - Published by: SIRI

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