Certification

With a certification from the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), Danish companies can use the Fast Track Scheme to employ highly qualified foreign nationals quickly and flexibly.

Normal processing time
1 month

Processing fee
DKK 6,290,-

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Who can be certified?

The Fast Track Scheme is aimed at larger companies with a genuine need for recruiting highly qualified foreign employees from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland to Denmark quickly. The scheme encompasses both private and public companies, including universities.

A certification applies to the specific company, identified by a CVR number, that submits the application. If you have a structure with several companies under the same corporate umbrella, it will require a certification for each company that wants to use the Fast Track Scheme.

You can see a list of already certified companies here

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What are the advantages of the Fast Track Scheme?

With a certification, it is possible for a company to employ highly qualified foreign nationals without having to wait for SIRI to complete processing the application.

In addition, the Fast-track Scheme gives foreign employees the freedom to work alternately in Denmark and abroad without losing their permit.

A foreign national employed by the company can start working when:

  • The case processing fee has been paid
  • The company has submitted an application for a residence and work permit based on the Fast Track Scheme by using the AR6 online application form.
  • SIRI has granted a temporary work permit  to the foreign employee.

You can read more about the Fast Track Scheme and quick job start here

The Fast Track Scheme is divided into 5 tracks. 

This means that the company can use the scheme for foreign nationals who have been offered a job that meets the requirements of one of the four tracks.

  • The Pay Limit track: the foreign national is employed in accordance with the conditions of the Pay Limit scheme
  • The supplementary Pay Limit track: the foreign national is employed in accordance with the conditions of the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme
  • The researcher track : the foreign national is employed as a researcher
  • The educational track: the purpose of the employment is a high level educational stay
  • Short time stay: this track is intended for foreign employees not encompassed by the rules of exemption for work permits and who are employed for a period of maximum 3 months

You can read more about the 5 tracks of the Fast track Scheme here

The Fast Track Scheme gives foreign employees the freedom to alternately work in Denmark and abroad without losing their permit.

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What are the conditions for being certified?

A company must meet certain conditions to be certified.

Salary and terms of employment within the company must in general correspond to Danish standards.

This means that salary, holiday entitlements, terms of notice etc. must be normal.

If the company is not party to a collective bargaining agreement, the company must declare that it meets this condition.

At the time of the certification there must be at least 10 full-time employees employed on a permanent basis working for the Danish company.

Temporary workers and part-time employees cannot be included in calculation of the 10 full-time employees.

Therefore, the calculation of whether the company has 10 full-time employees cannot be based on man-years only, as a man-year calculation would also include temporary workers and part-time employees.

For a company to be certified, the company must have participated in a guidance meeting with SIRI.

The meeting will normally be held in Danish. Please give us notice in advance, if the company prefers the meeting to be held in English. 

In the guidance meeting, the company will receive information about the conditions of the Fast-track Scheme. The company must declare in writing to have received and understood the information.

The company must have a representative attend the guidance meeting.

The guidance meeting with SIRI is booked by the company in connection with submitting the online application for certification.

The guidance meeting is normally held as an online meeting. The day before the meeting SIRI will send the company a link to the meeting.

Within the past year from the time of certification, the company must not have been convicted under the Danish Aliens Act more than twice nor must it have been subject to a fine under the Danish Aliens Act of at least 60,000 DKK (if the company employs less than 250 full-time employees) respectably at least 100,000 DKK (if the company employs more than 250 full-time employees) . 

You can read more about avoiding illegal work here.

At the time of certification, the company must not be involved in a legal labour dispute.

At the time of certification, the company must not have any serious issues with the Danish Working Environment Authority. This means that the company must not have enforcement notices which have not been met.

The Danish Working Environment Authority's red smiley scheme closed down as of 1 February 2024.

Read more about the Danish Working Environment Authority's new system to strengthen occupational safety (in Danish only)

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Verification and spot-checks

SIRI continuously verify that certified companies continue to meet the conditions for certification, including the conditions of having at least 10 full-time employees, no serious issues with the Danish Working Environment Authority and not having been convicted under the Danish Aliens Act.

Verification can, among other things, take the form of random spot-checks.

In addition, verification of residence permits under the Fast-track scheme will take place as part of our regular checks to verify whether the conditions for a residence and work permit continue to be met by both the employee and the company.

A certified company must inform SIRI if one or more conditions are not met for any period of time. SIRI will then assess whether the certification will be revoked.

If the company is subject to a fine of at least 60,000 DKK (if the company employs less than 250 full-time employees) respectably at least 100,000 DKK (if the company employs more than 250 full-time employees) or is convicted more than twice, the certification can be revoked. In addition, the company will be issued a 1-year ban during which time it cannot become certified.

This can be discounted if the company proves that the situation is excusable and that it has not previously been convicted under the Aliens Act.

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Certification period

A certification is valid for 4 years and can be extended if the company continues to meet the conditions.

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Can a certification be revoked?

If a company no longer meets the conditions of certification, the certification can be revoked.

A certified company is obliged to inform SIRI if one or more conditions are not met for any period of time. We will then assess whether the certification will be revoked.

If a certification is revoked, the name of the company will be removed from the list of certified companies.

At the same time, SIRI will issue a 1-year ban during which the company cannot become certified.

Companies that on 1 June 2019 are banned from being certified  can apply for a new certification when they meet the new eased conditions.

If a company’s certification is revoked, it does not have any immediate consequences for the employees with a residence and work permit based on the Fast-track Scheme. 

However, these employees cannot have their residence and work permits extended and must instead submit application based on another of our work schemes.

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The contact person arrangement

Certified companies will be assigned a contact person in SIRI who can give information and guidance about legislation and guidelines in the area of work.

You can read more about the contact person arrangement here.

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What more do I need to know before I apply?

An application for certification is processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

Before submitting your application, you must create a case order ID for your application and pay a fee to cover SIRI’s case processing expenses. You can do this on the “How to apply” tab to the right. Here you also find the relevant application form, FT1.

If you have granted a third party power of attorney to handle the application, the power of attorney must be attached to the application.

Download power of attorney for Fast-track certification of your company.

SIRI will contact you or the person granted power of attorney by you  if we need further information to process your case.

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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 certified before you begin step 1. You can do this on the tab “Need to know” on the left.

 

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.

If you submit documents not written in English, German, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish, you must also submit certified translations into Danish or English.

You must submit:

Expect to use

30 minutes

completing the application

1 person

The employer completes the form.

In this step you have access to the relevant application form FT1.

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.

You can read more about how we process your personal data here.

If you have granted a third party power of attorney to handle the application, the power of attorney must be attached to the application.

Download power of attorney for Fast-track certification of your company.

Note that the FT1 form is in Danish only

 

Use the form FT1

 

Once you have submitted the online application, you will receive a receipt with a link that allows you to book an appointment for the mandatory guidance meeting.

Please note that it is mandatory to use this application form. Under special circumstances, you can be exempted from the requirement to use an online application form. You can read more here.

Before SIRI can give you an answer to your application for certification, the company must participate in a guidance meeting hosted online by SIRI.

The meeting will normally be held in Danish. Please give us notice in advance, if the company prefers the meeting to be held in English. 

In the guidance meeting, the company will receive information about the conditions of the Fast-track Scheme. The company must declare in writing to have received and understood the information.

You can participate in a guidance meeting no sooner than 14 days after submitting the application for certification.

You will be able to book the meeting using the link you receive, when you submit the application for certification. 

The company must have a representative attend the guidance meeting.

If the company seeks certification of several independent subsidiaries at the same time, you are able to book one collective guidance meeting.

The guidance meeting is normally held as an online meeting. The day before the meeting SIRI will send the company a link to the meeting.

You have submitted your application succesfully if you have:

  • created a case order ID
  • paid the fee
  • submitted the application
  • participated in the guidance meeting

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 31-07-2024 - Published by: SIRI

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