The ESS Scheme

You will be working at the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Sweden – but you want to live in Denmark

Normal processing time
1 month

Processing fee
DKK 6,290,-

What do you want to print?

What is the ESS Scheme?

ESS is short for European Spallation Source – a research facility in Sweden

If you are participating in PhD studies or have been offered employment at the research facility ESS in Sweden, you can apply for a Danish residence permit.

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What are the conditions?

You must meet certain specific conditions in order to be granted a permit to reside in Denmark based on the ESS Scheme.

It is a requirement that you either are participating in PhD studies or have been offered employment related to research activities at ESS in Sweden.

You must hold a valid Swedish work permit.

If you have not been granted a Swedish work permit when you apply for a Danish residence permit, then you must, within 3 month of receiving your residence permit in Denmark, send either:

  • documentation of a Swedish work permit or
  • documentation that you have submitted an application which is being processed by the Swedish immigration authorities

The documentation must be sent to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). 

In order to be granted a residence permit, it is a condition that your PhD studies or employment would have been sufficient grounds for obtaining a residence permit in Denmark, if ESS was located in Denmark.

Below you will find links to the relevant work permit schemes in Denmark that would constitute sufficient grounds for a permit in Denmark.

The Pay Limit Scheme

The Positive List

Researcher

PhD student

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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 based on the ESS Scheme? – and what are you not allowed to do?

A permit based on the ESS Scheme only grants you the right to reside in Denmark.

You are not allowed to work with a permit based on the ESS Scheme.

If you wish to take a sideline job in Denmark in addition to you work at ESS in Sweden, you have to obtain a separate work permit for sideline employment.

If you are granted a residence permit in Denmark based on PhD studies at ESS in Sweden, you will at the same time be granted the right to work 20 hours per week in Denmark.

A residence permit based on the ESS Scheme allows you to stay 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 90 days within the latest 180 days period. The permit, however, does not allow you to work in other Schengen countries.

Normally, as a holder of a Danish residence permit, you are not allowed to give up your Danish address or reside outside of Denmark for more than six successive months. A violation will result in the lapse of your permit.

With a permit based on the ESS Scheme, you are exempt from these rules on lapsing. Thus, you are allowed to give up your Danish address during periods where you are residing abroad.

If you are granted a permit for job seeking after your contract expires, the exemption is not valid during the job seeking period.

You must be able to support yourself and your family during your stay. For instance, you are not allowed to receive benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act.

If you or your family members receive such benefits during your stay, your permit can be revoked – and you will lose the right to stay in Denmark. 

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

You can see a list of benefits that you are not allowed to receive here.

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 have 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.

If you are going to stay 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
  • Tax matters
  • Holiday entitlements 
  • School and daycare
  • Housing
  • Danish lessons
  • Car registration and driver’s license

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How long can I stay in Denmark?

If you apply from abroad, you can be granted a residence permit valid for 1 month before you start working. It will give you the time to settle in Denmark. When you apply, you must declare that you can support yourself and any accompanying family members during this time.  If you do not declare this, your residence permit will be valid for 14 days before you start working.

If you apply in Denmark, your residence permit will be valid from the day you start working.

If you are employed at ESS for a shorter period than 4 years, your residence permit will normally be valid for the period of your employment.

In addition, you will automatically be granted a 6 month job seeking permit allowing you to look for a new job in Denmark.

You are not allowed to work during your job seeking period. 

If you find a new job, you must submit a new application based on the new job – it can either be based once again on the ESS Scheme or it can be based on another of our work schemes. When you have submitted your application based on the new job, you do not have to wait for your permit before you start working. You can start your new job on the day you submit the new application.

If you apply for an extension of your work permit in Sweden after this period, and still want to live in Denmark, you must apply for an extension of your residence permit in Denmark. 

It is very important that you apply for an extension before your permit expires.

If you submit your application for an extension in time, you can stay in Denmark and continue to work even though your permit is expiring.

If your employment is for a period of 4 years or more, you will normally be granted a permit valid for 4 years. If you wish to continue to live in Denmark after the first 4 years, you must apply for an extension of your residence permit based on your employment at ESS. 

It is very important that you apply for an extension before your permit expires.

If you submit your application for an extension in time, you can continue to stay in Denmark, even though your permit expires before SIRI makes a decision on your application for an extension.

If you are granted a residence permit based on PhD studies, the residence permit will have a duration equal to the duration of your PhD studies.

If you are only to complete part of your PhD studies at ESS, the residence permit will have a limited duration equal to the length of your PhD studies at ESS.

If you complete and finish your PhD studies at ESS, you will automatically be granted an additional 6 months residence permit for job seeking for the period after you complete the PhD programme. This allows you to look for work in Denmark after having completed your studies.

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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What should I do, if I lose or change my job?

When you are granted a permit based on the ESS Scheme, your residence permit is linked to your job at ESS in Sweden. Your employment is the basis for your permit.

You must always inform SIRI if you lose or change your job.

Your residence permit is limited to the employment that is the basis for your permit. You must therefore apply for a new residence permit, if you change your job. This also applies if you are offered a new position at ESS.

You must inform SIRI if you lose your job. Your residence permit will be revoked as it is based on this exact job. 

However, if you become unemployed through no fault of your own, e.g. due to cutbacks, you can apply for an extra 6 month residence permit allowing you to look for a new job in Denmark. 

You must apply for a job seeking permit no later than two days after your employment ends.

You are not allowed to work while you have a job seeking permit.

If you find a new job, you must apply for a new residence and work permit based on one of our work schemes. When you have submitted your new application, you can start working even though you have not been granted a permit yet. More about this job change rule here.

If you find a new job while working at ESS, you must submit a new application for a residence and work permit with information on your new employment. If the new job continues to be at ESS, you should only apply for a new residence permit.

If the new job is in Denmark, you can start working as soon as you have submitted your application even though SIRI has not granted you a permit yet.

Read more about the job change rule

What do you want to print?

Can my family be granted a residence permit?

A residence permit in Denmark based on the ESS Scheme allows your family to come with you to Denmark.

A permit can be granted to your spouse, registered or cohabiting partner as well as children under the age of 18 living at home. Read more about accompanying family members here.

Please note that your accompanying family members will not be exempt from the rules that can cause their residence permits to lapse. They will lose their residence permits if they give up their Danish address or stay outside of Denmark for more than six months.

What do you want to print?

What more do I need to know before I apply?

An application for a residence permit on the basis of work at ESS is processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

You must have an employment contract or a specific job offer from ESS and a valid work permit in Sweden.

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, ESS1. 

You can also grant power of attorney to a for instance a lawyer to handle the application on your behalf. 

You can find an approved template for a power of attorney here.

Please note that, as a rule, SIRI will refuse your application for a residence permit on new grounds, if the application is submitted prematurely in relation to the wished for start date for your stay in Denmark. 

If you submit such an application earlier than 6 months before your stay in Denmark will begin, you can expect a refusal to your application. If you have paid SIRI's case processing fee, you will not receive a refund of the fee.

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

What do you want to print?

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 residence permit 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

40 minutes

completing the application

1 person

You complete the application form by yourself.

In this step you have access to the relevant application form ESS1.

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.

You must submit the necessary documents along with the application form.

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 ESS1 (Word format) 

Download the printable form ESS1 (Pdf format)

You are are submitting the application abroad

The application can be submitted to a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in the country where you are residing.

See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of diplomatic missions or application centres where you can hand in your application

In certain countries Denmark does not have a diplomatic mission or application centre. In these instances the list will refer you to one of the Norwegian missions with which Denmark has made an agreement or to the nearest Danish diplomatic mission or application centre in the region.

We recommend that you visit the local diplomatic mission’s webpage to get more information before you submit the application. The individual diplomatic mission can have additional requirements regarding payment of additional fees, submission of additional passport photos or additional copies of the application.

 

You are submitting the application in Denmark

If you are residing legally in Denmark, you are normally able to submit the application in Denmark. This is the case, if you:

  • hold a valid visa
  • are exempt from the visa requirement or
  • already hold a valid residence permit.

Read more about the legal residence requirement and submission of your application in Denmark. 

You can submit the applicaton in one of SIRI’s branch offices

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

You can also send the application to SIRI.

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

If you do not agree to have your biometric features recorded, your application will be rejected. This means that your application will not be processed.

Read more about biometrics here.

 

You are are submitting the application abroad

If you submit an printable application form, you can have your biometric features recorded at a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in the country, where you reside.

See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of diplomatic missions or application centres where you can have your biometric features recorded

In certain countries Denmark does not have a diplomatic mission or application centre. In these instances the list will refer you to one of the Norwegian missions with which Denmark has made an agreement or to the nearest Danish diplomatic mission or application centre in the region.

If you submit your application to a Norwegian diplomatic mission, you must also submit one passport photo. If you are granted a residence permit based on your application, you must within a specific time frame afte you entry to Denmark have your biometric features recorded.

We recommend that you visit the local diplomatic mission’s webpage to get more information before you submit the application. The individual diplomatic mission can have additional requirements regarding payment of additional fees, submission of additional passport photos or additional copies of the application.

 

You are submitting the application in Denmark

If you are residing legally in Denmark, you are normally able to have your biometric features recorded in Denmark. This is the case, if you:

  • hold a valid visa

  • are exempt from the visa requirement or

  • already hold a valid residence permit.

Read more about the legal residence requirement and submission of your application in Denmark. 

You can have your biometric features recorded in SIRI’s branch offices 

If you plan to have your biometrics recorded in one of SIRI’s branch offices, you must remember to book an appointment. 

You can also send the application to SIRI.

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 or your employer if we need further information to process your case.

Read more about what you can expect while you are waiting for an answer.

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Responsible Agency

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

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