Researchers

You are a researcher and have been offered employment at a research institute or company in Denmark.

Normal processing time
1 month

Processing fee
DKK 6,290,-

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Residence permit for researchers

If you have been offered a paid position as a researcher, you can apply for a residence and work permit. 

Separate regulations apply to guest researchers and Ph.D. students. If you are a guest researcher or a Ph.D. student, you must use another application page:

If you are a guest researcher, you can find more information here

If you are a Ph.D. student, you can find more information here

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What are the conditions?

You must meet certain conditions to be granted a permit to stay and work in Denmark as a researcher:

To be able to obtain a permit as a researcher, there must be particular research related reasons for offering you the position as a researcher.

This means that the job must be closely linked to you as an individual and that the main purpose of your stay is research.

Your salary and terms of employment must correspond to Danish standards. This means that your salary, holiday entitlements, terms of notice etc. must not be inferior to the standards within the professional field in which you are going to work.

Only salary in the form of liquid assets can be included in the assessment of the wage level.

Payment to labour market pension schemes can be included in the assessment of the wage level.

The value of other salary components such as mentioned below cannot be included in the assessment of the wage level:

  • Paid living and housing expenses
  • Per Diems
  • Free use of car
  • Paid phone
  • Paid internet
  • Benefits in kind
  • Subscriptions
  • Other services offered to you by your employer

You are allowed to received such salary components but they will not be taken into account when it is assessed whether your salary- and employment conditions correspond to Danish standards.

This also applies to any sideline employment. Read more about sideline employment below.

It is not a requirement that you are employed full time as a researcher.

When you apply, you must attach a copy of your employment contract or job offer. All terms of employment must be stated in the contract or the job offer.

You can see which information the employment contract must, at least, include here

If SIRI has any doubts whether your salary and terms of employment correspond to Danish standards, we can ask experts in the field, e.g. one of the regional labour market councils, to assess your terms of employment.

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Do I need a residence permit if I only stay in Denmark briefly?

If you are invited as a researcher, scientist or speaker to teach for a period shorter than 90 days, you may not need a residence and work permit, since you might be covered by the rules for work permit exemption. Read more about the rules of exemption here

The same applies if you are going to work as a researcher at a university or company in Denmark, and the total duration of your stay is 90 days or less counted from your date of entry. 

If you are required to have a visa [link til ordbogsopslag] in order to enter Denmark, you must obtain a visa valid for the full duration of your stay before you travel to Denmark. 

Read more about how to apply for a visa here

If you know beforehand that you will be staying in Denmark for longer than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit covering the first 90 days as well.

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Can I use the Fast-Track Scheme instead?

If the university or company offering you employment as a researcher is certified to use the Fast-Track Scheme, you can apply based on this scheme instead.

The two schemes resemble each other, but the Fast-Track Scheme has a researcher track giving you the opportunity for a quick job start.

With a residence permit based on the Fast-Track Scheme, any of your family members accompanying you to Denmark will be exempt from the rules that can cause their residence permits to lapse. You can read more about lapse here.

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What are my rights, if I am granted a permit?

What are you allowed to do with a Danish residence and work permit as a researcher? – and what are you not allowed to do?

With a permit as a researcher, you can change your job position within the same university or company without having to apply for a new work permit. This applies, for instance, if you are promoted or if you change your research project. Your salary and terms of employment must continue to correspond to Danish standards.

You must inform SIRI if your salary and terms of employment conditions are affected negatively.

If you change your place of work, you must apply for a new permit.

As a researcher you are exempt for work permit for sideline employment. This means that the residence permit also allows you to take up sideline employment with other employers without applying for a specific work permit.

You can read more about sideline employment here.

Furthermore you are allowed to carry out unpaid voluntary work.

A Danish residence and work permit does not allow you to work in other Schengen countries.

You can read more about working conditions in Denmark and 'The Danish labour market model' here.

Being an examiner or doing other examination tasks can be so closely linked to your position as a researcher at a Danish University that it may come naturally to seek appointment as an examiner.

As a researcher you may be allocated as an examiner or do examination tasks at another university than the one employing you, without needing to apply for a work permit for sideline employment.

This applies to both written and oral examinations.

SIRI suggests that you send a copy of your appointment from the corps of censors so there is no doubt that you have been appointed examiner or other examination tasks.

With a permit as a researcher, you can change your job position within the same university or company without having to apply for a new work permit. This applies, for instance, if you are promoted or if you change your research project.

Your salary and terms of employment must continue to correspond to Danish standards.

You must inform SIRI if your salary and employment conditions are affected negatively.

A residence and work permit as a researcher 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 as a researcher, 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 residing abroad and do not receive the salary stated when you applied for a residence and work permit, you and your employer must be able to provide documentation that you have not been residing in Denmark during the period in question. 
This can be documented by providing the following documentation:

  • Deregistration from the CPR registry if you are residing outside of Denmark for more than 90 days

  • Boarding pass

  • Stamps in your passport

  • Information or data from your company’s HR department – e.g. a statement of leave

  • Documentation of received salary abroad

Your employer can be requested to provide this documentation if you apply for extension of your permit or as a part of our verification and spot-check procedures.

 

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 – and there might be other benefits that you cannot receive.

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 and work 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 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 work after the first 4 year,

you must apply for an extension of your residence and work permit based on the extension of your employment.  

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 you are employed for a shorter period than 4 years, your residence and work permit will normally be valid for the period of your employment. If you wish to continue working in Denmark after this time, you must apply for an extension of your residence and work permit.

If you find a new job, you must submit a new application based on the new job – it can either be as a researcher 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 your employment contract is extended, you must apply for an extension of your residence and work permit. 

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.

A residence permit can only be valid until 90 days 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 yourresidence 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 90 days 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?

If you are granted a permit as a researcher, your residence permit is linked to your job in Denmark. Your employment is the basis for your permit.

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

Your work permit is limited to the employment that is the basis for your permit.  You are not allowed to work in other positions than the one stated in your permit.

 

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

If you have a sideline employment, you can apply for a residence permit based on this job instead.

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.

Read more about the job seeking permit here

 

If you find a new job while working in Denmark, you must submit a new application for a residence and work permit with information on your new employment. When you have submitted your new application, you can start working even though SIRI has not granted you a permit yet.

Read more about the job change rule

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Can my family be granted a residence permit?

A residence and work permit based on a job in Denmark 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.

 Your family will also be exempt from the rules that can cause their permits to lapse. They are allowed to give up their Danish address in periods when staying abroad, and they are allowed to stay abroad with you for longer than 6 successive months.

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What more do I need to know before I apply?

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

As a general rule, you must have an employment agreement with a company or a research institute in Denmark to be able to apply. 

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, AR1.

Your employer must fill in one of two parts of the form. Your employer must be the first to fill in his or her part. When your employer has completed his or her part, a reference number and password will be shown, which your employer must pass on to you. You are then able to open the online application and complete your part.

If you have granted your employer power of attorney to handle the application on your behalf, your employer must use the AR6 form. This form is only filled in by the employer.  

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 your employer 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.

If you are a commuter and will not be residing in Denmark and for this reason will only apply for a work permit, you do not need to create a case order ID or pay a fee. Instead you kan go directly to step 3. Read more about commuting here.

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:

You can see which information the employment contract must include here

Expect to use

30 minutes

completing the application

2 persons

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

In this step you and your employer have access to the relevant application forms.

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 can choose between these two online application forms:

  • AR1, in which you and your employer each are required to complete separate parts of the form
  • AR6, in which you grant your employer power of attorney to apply on your behalf

In the AR1 form your employer must complete the first of the two parts of the form. When your employer has completed his or her part, a reference number and password will be shown, which your employer must pass on to you. You are then able to open the online application and complete your part.

In the AR6 form only your employer must complete the form

Read more about power of attorney and download an approved power of attorney standard here.

Make sure you have all documents ready in digital form, in order to attach them as you complete the application form.

If you do not have a MitID, you must sign, scan and attach to the application the document 'Sworn declarations and information'.

You can download the document 'Sworn declarations and information' here (also available in the form)

 

Use the form AR1                    Use the form AR6

 

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.

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

If you are unable to have your biometric features recorded within the time limit of 14 days, because you are unable to book an appointment at a Danish diplomatic mission, you can inform us of the appointed time you will have your biometrics recorded. This way you can avoid having your application rejected.

You are abroad

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 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 one of 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. 

If you are a commuter and does not reside in Denmark and for this reason will only apply for a work permit, you do not need to have your biometrics recorded. Read more about commuters here.

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

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