Denmark

Denmark, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, is a Scandinavian sovereign state in Northern Europe, with two additional overseas constituent countries also forming integral parts of the kingdom: Greenland and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic.

Danish Green Card:

Danish Green Card is a new way of allowing qualified individuals to live in and work in Denmark. It allows you to take your immediate family members & they too can work / study in Denmark. The process is simple; however, in order to be granted a residence permit under the greencard scheme, you must obtain a minimum of 100 points. Points are given for: educational level, language skills and adaptability.

You must document that you are able to support yourself during your first year in Denmark.

If you are granted a residence permit, you must take out a full health insurance covering you and any accompanying family members until you are covered by the Danish National Health Insurance.

If you are granted a residence permit, it is also a requirement that in the first year you have earned a minimum of DKK 50,000 in Denmark. The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment will automatically check the Danish income register to see if you meet this requirement. If not, your residence permit may be revoked.

Furthermore, it is a requirement that you do not receive any unemployment benefits for new graduates (dimittenddagpenge) or any public assistance under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act (lovomaktivsocialpolitik) during your stay in Denmark.

Points for educational level

You can only get points for the Danish educational level which your education equals.

The reason is that the level of academic degrees may vary from country to country, even if they have the same title. For example, at Mastersdegree from another country may not be of the same level as a Danish masters (candicatus) degree.

In order to receive any points for your educational level, you must, as a minimum, have the equivalent of a Danish Bachelor’s degree. You will only be given points for your highest educational level, and only for completed educational programmes. Points are given as follows:

  • Bachelor’s degree/Graduated from medium-length education: 30 points
  • Bachelor’s degree followed by one-year Master’s degree: 50 points
  • Master’s degree: 60 points
  • PhD: 80 points

You will be given 30 bonus points if your education qualifies you to work in a field where Denmark is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals.

  • You will be given bonus points if you graduated from a university which is internationally recognised for its high academic level according to the latest THES-QS World Ranking. Points are given as follows:
  • Top 400: 10 points
  • Top 200: 15 points
  • Top 100: 20 points

You can be given a maximum of 130 points for your educational level.

Language skills

In order to be given points for language skills, you must document that you have passed a recognised language test in either Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German. Only language tests that are verifiable and which you passed less than two years prior to the time you apply will be considered.

With regards to Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, you must have passed Danish Language Test, Level 1, 2 or 3 (Prøve i Dansk 1, 2 eller 3) or the Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieprøven) or the Swedish or Norwegian equivalent:

  • Prøve i Dansk 1 (or Swedish/Norwegian equivalent): 5 points
  • Prøve i Dansk 2 (or Swedish/Norwegian equivalent): 10 points
  • Prøve i Dansk 3 (or Swedish/Norwegian equivalent): 20 points
  • Studieprøven (or Swedish/Norwegian equivalent): 40 points

With regards to English or German, your must have passed an English or German language test equivalent to Danish Language Test, Level 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3) or the Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieprøven):

  • English/German test equivalent to Prøve i Dansk 3: 20 points
  • English/German test equivalent to Studieprøven: 40 points

You can only receive points for one Scandinavian language and for either English or German. Consequently, you can receive points for both Swedish and English, or both Danish and German, but not for both Danish and Norwegian, or for both English and German.

You can be given a maximum of 40 points for your language skills.

Points for adaptability

You can be given points for your educational or work related attachment to the EU/EEA (including Denmark) or Switzerland, as this is seen to increase your ability to quickly adapt to the Danish labour market. Points are given for either education or work. Points are given as follows:

  • Completion of at least one year’s study at a higher educational programme in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 5 points
  • Completion of at least three years’ study at a higher educational programme in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 10 points

Or,

  • At least one full year’s (12 consecutive months’) legal residence and work in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 5 points
  • At least two consecutive year’s legal residence and work in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 10 points
  • You will be given 5 bonus points for Danish language skills (passed exam in Danish Language Test, Level 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2) or higher).

You can be given a maximum of 15 points for adaptability.

Duration

You can be granted a first-time residence permit under the Greencard scheme for up to two years. Before the end of this period, you can apply for an extension of up to three years.

Your residence permit can be extended if you meet a minimum income requirement: If, in the course of the past 12 months before submitting your application for an extension, you have earned the average salary (of the public and private sector) for new graduates with a Bachelor’s degree. In 2015, the required amount is DKK 319,725.

You must have earned this salary on ordinary terms, your salary must have been reported to the Danish tax administration (SKAT), and your employer must be established in Denmark. Public subsidies and support, sick pay and similar will not be included when calculating your pay.

You can submit your application for an extension no sooner than 3 months before your residence permit expires. It is crucial that you submit your application for an extension before your current residence permit expires.