Denmark Startup Visa Options Compared for 2026

General information about the rules in force. Not legal advice. Last updated 11 September 2026.

Denmark does not issue a single visa called a 'startup visa'. Founders who want to live in Denmark and run a company choose between four separate residence and work permit routes, each with its own decision-maker and its own legal basis in udlændingeloven.

Why this matters

Search interest in a Denmark startup visa is high among founders relocating from outside the EU, but the term does not map onto one legal category. As of 2026, four separate routes exist, and picking the wrong one wastes months, because each has its own documentation and its own decision-maker.

Globe Advokater advises founders through all four routes, from initial assessment to appeal, and the difference between them usually comes down to one question: does the application stand on the business idea, or on a salary and occupation match. Get that wrong at the outset and a refusal has to go through Globe Advokater or another adviser on appeal to Udlændingenævnet, which handles appeals in work and residence permit matters.

What distinguishes the four routes

• Who decides: an independent panel screens the business concept for Start-up Denmark, while SIRI decides directly under the other three routes.
• Salary threshold: Beløbsordningen requires the founder's company to pay a salary at or above the threshold published for 2026, while Start-up Denmark does not.
• Occupation match: Positivlisten only works if the founder's actual role matches an occupation currently on the list.
• Who the route serves: three of the four routes grant residence to the founder personally, while Fast-track is a company certification, not a personal residence ground.
• Appeal path: a refusal under any of the four routes goes to Udlændingenævnet, never to Flygtningenævnet, which only covers asylum appeals.

At a glance

1. Start-up Denmark: for founders with an unproven but scalable idea

Start-up Denmark grants a residence and work permit to found a business in Denmark, jf. udlændingelovens § 9 a, stk. 2, nr. 4. An independent panel reviews the business concept for scalability and innovation before SIRI issues the permit. The founder does not need a Danish salary or an existing company at the point of application.

Suited for: founders with a concept that has not yet generated revenue but can show growth potential.

Key features:

• Assessment centres on the business concept, not the founder's salary or turnover
• No occupation list to match against
• Permit covers the founder building the company personally

Limitations to note:

• The panel can reject the concept even where the founder has personal funds to support the move
• The scheme does not extend automatically to co-founders who join later
• A rejected concept cannot simply be resubmitted without addressing the panel's stated concerns

2. Beløbsordningen: for founders who already draw a qualifying salary

Beløbsordningen - the Pay Limit Scheme - grants a residence and work permit where the employment contract meets the annual salary threshold, jf. udlændingelovens § 9 a, stk. 2, nr. 1. A founder can use this route by employing themselves through their own Danish company, provided the salary meets the 2026 threshold and the funds come from the company's own resources.

Suited for: founders whose company already generates enough revenue to pay a market salary.

Key features:

• No education requirement and no occupation list to match
• Works for founders in any sector, not only Danish shortage occupations
• Salary can come from the founder's own company rather than a third-party employer

Limitations to note:

• The 2026 threshold applies in full from the first day of employment, a lower starting salary does not qualify
• SIRI reviews whether the company can sustain the salary long-term, not only the contract on paper
• A refusal under this route goes to Udlændingenævnet on appeal

3. Positivlisten: for founders qualified in a shortage occupation

Positivlisten - the Positive List - grants a residence and work permit where the applicant holds a relevant qualification for an occupation currently listed as short of workers in Denmark, jf. udlændingelovens § 9 a, stk. 2, nr. 2. A founder can use this route where their own role in the company, for example a technical or engineering position, matches a listed occupation at the time of application. For a closer look at how this route works in practice, see best work permits for IT professionals in Denmark.

Suited for: founders with a formal qualification in a listed profession who employ themselves at ordinary market terms.

Key features:

• No minimum salary threshold beyond ordinary market pay for the role
• Works well for technical founders in fields such as software engineering, which regularly appears on the list
• Processing sits with SIRI directly, without a separate panel stage

Limitations to note:

• The list is updated twice a year, a role can drop off between application and decision
• The founder's actual duties must match the listed occupation, not only the job title on paper
• This route is not built for a founder without the underlying professional qualification

4. Fast-track: for startups ready to hire beyond the founder

Fast-track is a certification scheme administered by SIRI that shortens processing time for companies that meet its requirements, applied alongside the substantive routes above rather than replacing them. Once a startup is Fast-track certified, its foreign hires, including a co-founder or early employees, can apply through Beløbsordningen or Positivlisten with faster handling.

Suited for: founders whose company has moved past the solo stage and needs to bring in foreign specialists.

Key features:

• Certification is company-wide, so it benefits every foreign hire after the founder
• Combines with Beløbsordningen or Positivlisten rather than existing as a separate ground
• Aimed at companies scaling their foreign workforce, not first-time founders working alone

Limitations to note:

• A brand-new startup with no hiring history is unlikely to meet certification criteria yet
• Certification does not change the substantive requirements of Beløbsordningen or Positivlisten themselves
• Losing certification removes the faster processing for future hires, not for permits already granted

How these routes are distinguished

The distinction between the four routes comes down to who assesses the application and what exactly they are assessing. Start-up Denmark asks an independent panel to judge the business idea itself. Beløbsordningen and Positivlisten ask SIRI to check either a salary figure or an occupation match, without looking at the underlying business plan. Fast-track does not grant residence at all, it only speeds up the process once a company is already using one of the other three routes to hire someone new.

Which route fits which founder

In general terms, a founder with a concept but no revenue tends to look at Start-up Denmark first, because it is the only route of the four that does not require an existing salary or occupation match. A founder already drawing a market salary from their own company tends to sit within Beløbsordningen or Positivlisten instead, depending on whether their qualification matches a listed occupation. Fast-track only becomes relevant once the company is hiring beyond the founder.

Every business is structured differently, and the choice between these routes depends on documentation specific to each case. Globe Advokater reviews the underlying company structure and salary arrangement before advising on a route in an individual matter.

FAQ

One last thing

The detail founders miss most often: Fast-track certification belongs to the company, not to the founder. A startup that becomes certified in 2026 carries that status into every future hire under Beløbsordningen or Positivlisten, which makes it worth applying for earlier than most founders assume, once the company has any hiring history at all.

Related guides

• Best work permits for skilled trades workers in Denmark
• Best work permits for healthcare workers in Denmark