Skilled Trades Work Permits in Denmark: 2026 Guide

General information about the rules in force. Not legal advice. Last updated 10 October 2026.

Skilled trades workers moving to Denmark from outside the EU can apply for a residence and work permit through one of a few defined routes: Positivlisten for faglærte, Beløbsordningen, the supplementary pay limit scheme or the Fast-track ordning, each governed by udlændingelovens § 9 a. EU, EEA, Swiss and Nordic citizens do not need a work permit. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens apply for a registration certificate, issued under § 6, and Nordic citizens need neither. This guide compares the main work permit routes for skilled trades workers in Denmark in 2026 and sets out which criteria typically decide the fit.

Why this matters

Denmark issues work permits through several separate legal categories, not one general skilled trade visa. Picking the wrong category can lead to a refusal, because SIRI assesses an application against the specific requirements of that category alone, not the closest alternative.

Employers hiring electricians, plumbers, welders, mechanics and similar tradespeople from outside the EU need to identify which category the role and the candidate actually fit before submitting anything. Globe Advokater advises employers and applicants on this work permit assessment before an application goes to SIRI or Udlændingestyrelsen.

What decides which route fits

Before comparing the schemes, the same handful of facts decide which one is realistic for a given trade role:

• Whether the occupation currently appears on Positivlisten for faglærte, the shortage list for skilled work published by SIRI.
• Whether the offered salary meets the pay limit threshold under Beløbsordningen, regardless of occupation.
• Whether the applicant holds an EU, EEA, Swiss or Nordic passport, which removes the need for a work permit altogether.
• Whether the employer holds an active Fast-track certification with SIRI, which opens the separate Fast-track scheme.
• Whether the applicant intends to work for an employer or set up an independent trade business, since the routes for self-employment - Start-up Denmark and Etableringskort - are narrow and normally do not fit a trade business.
• Whether the applicant's vocational qualification is recognised in Denmark, which affects both Positivlisten and general employment-based applications.

Work permit routes for skilled trades workers in Denmark in 2026: at a glance

1. Positivlisten for faglærte: for tradespeople in a listed shortage occupation

Positivlisten for faglærte - the skilled trade positive list - is a list, published by SIRI, of skilled occupations facing a shortage in Denmark. The list is updated twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July. A residence and work permit under this route, governed by udlændingelovens § 9 a, requires documentation of education relevant to the job, Danish authorisation where the occupation requires it, and a job offer in an occupation currently on the list, on Danish pay and terms. The employer must also meet its apprenticeship obligations: it must be covered by Læreplads-AUB and have met its target for trained apprentices without paying additional contribution in the latest calculated contribution year, or in two of the three latest years.

Positivlisten for faglærte pros:

• No separate salary threshold tied to the general pay limit scheme.
• Covers common trade roles such as electricians, plumbers and welders when listed.
• A spouse or partner can typically apply to join the applicant.

Positivlisten for faglærte cons:

• Only covers occupations that are currently on the list, and the list is reviewed and changes over time.
• Recognition of a foreign vocational qualification can raise its own separate questions.
• Does not help occupations that fall off the list after the job offer is made.

In practice: this route fits a tradesperson whose occupation is listed at the time of application, more than one with strong general skills in an unlisted trade.

2. Beløbsordningen: for tradespeople with a job offer above the pay limit threshold

Beløbsordningen - the pay limit scheme - is occupation-independent. It works for any employment role, including skilled trades, if the salary offered meets the annual threshold, under udlændingelovens § 9 a, stk. 2, nr. 3. The threshold for 2026 is DKK 552,000 a year.

Den supplerende beløbsordning - the supplementary pay limit scheme - has a lower threshold of DKK 446,000 a year at 2026 level, under udlændingelovens § 9 a, stk. 2, nr. 13. It requires that the job has been advertised on both Jobnet and EURES for at least two weeks before the application, and that seasonally adjusted gross unemployment has not exceeded 3.75 percent on average in the three months before the application.

Beløbsordningen pros:

• Not restricted to occupations on any shortage list.
• Works for trade roles that would not otherwise qualify.
• A predictable requirement: salary either meets the threshold or it does not.

Beløbsordningen cons:

• Many trade and apprentice-level salaries fall below the pay limit threshold.
• The employer must document that salary and terms match the level required.
• The threshold is adjusted every year on 1 January.

In practice: this route fits a tradesperson with a strong salary offer in a role that Positivlisten for faglærte does not cover.

3. Fast-track ordningen: for workers hired by a SIRI-certified employer

Fast-track ordningen - the Fast-track scheme - is a separate residence and work permit scheme for employment in a company that SIRI has certified, under udlændingelovens § 9 a, stk. 2, nr. 14. The employee must meet the conditions of one of its five tracks: the pay limit track with at least DKK 552,000 a year, the supplementary pay limit track with at least DKK 446,000 a year, the short-term track, the researcher track or the educational track. The amounts are 2026 levels.

To be certified, the company must among other things have at least 10 permanent full-time employees and follow Danish pay and employment standards. Positivlisten is not one of the Fast-track tracks.

Fast-track ordningen pros:

• The job content can change within the same company without a new permit, as long as salary and terms still meet Danish standards.
• Useful for employers who regularly hire skilled tradespeople from outside the EU.

Fast-track ordningen cons:

• Only available where the specific employer holds an active certification.
• Companies with fewer than 10 permanent full-time employees cannot be certified.

In practice: this route requires both a certified employer and a job that meets the conditions of one of the Fast-track tracks.

4. EU, EEA, Swiss and Nordic free movement: for nationals of these countries

Citizens of EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the Nordic countries have the right to work in Denmark without a work permit. A tradesperson from an EU or EEA country or Switzerland applies for a registration certificate under EU rules, issued under udlændingelovens § 6, rather than applying for a permit under § 9 a. Nordic citizens do not need a registration certificate.

Free movement pros:

• No work permit application, no employer sponsorship, no occupation list to check.
• Applies regardless of trade or salary level.

Free movement cons:

• Does not apply to third-country nationals.
• UK nationals lost this right after Brexit and now generally need a permit under the same categories as other third-country nationals, unless a separate residence right was already established. The deadline for applying for residence under the Withdrawal Agreement expired on 31 December 2023.

In practice: this route only concerns nationality, not the trade itself. A qualified tradesperson from outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the Nordic countries still needs one of the permit categories above.

5. Etableringskort and Start-up Denmark: limited routes for self-employment

Etableringskort - the Establishment Card - is a residence permit only for foreign nationals who have completed a Danish bachelor, professional bachelor, master's or PhD degree. It is not a general route for tradespeople who want to run their own business. A non-EU national who wants to start a new business in Denmark applies through Start-up Denmark under udlændingelovens § 9 a, stk. 2, nr. 10, which requires an innovative business plan approved by an expert panel appointed by Erhvervsstyrelsen - the Danish Business Authority. Smaller trades normally do not qualify under Start-up Denmark.

Etableringskort and Start-up Denmark pros:

• Not tied to a specific employer.
• Not dependent on an employer's certification or an occupation list.

Etableringskort and Start-up Denmark cons:

• Start-up Denmark requires an innovative business plan with growth potential, which a smaller trade business normally does not meet.
• Does not fit an applicant who already has a specific job offer from an employer, where an employment-based category applies instead.

In practice: for a tradesperson, these routes only apply in narrow cases, and an employer-based permit applies where there is a job offer.

How the routes are typically matched

The comparison above follows a practical order: nationality first, since it decides whether a permit is needed at all, then occupation against the current shortage list, then salary against the pay limit threshold, then whether the employer is Fast-track certified, and finally whether the applicant is employed or self-employed. Each of the five routes answers a different one of these questions rather than competing for the same case.

Which work permit fits your situation

For an EU, EEA or Swiss tradesperson, the process involves a registration certificate under § 6 rather than a permit application, and a Nordic tradesperson needs neither. For a third-country national in 2026, the process typically starts by checking the occupation against Positivlisten for faglærte, then checking the salary offer against the pay limit threshold under Beløbsordningen if the occupation is not listed, then checking whether the employer is Fast-track certified. Where the applicant plans self-employment rather than a job offer, the options are narrow: Start-up Denmark requires an innovative business plan approved by an expert panel, and Etableringskort only applies to graduates of Danish higher education.

Time limits apply in certain of these cases. Contact a lawyer to clarify which deadlines apply to a specific application before submitting it. Globe Advokater's immigration team can help clarify these categories before an application is submitted.

FAQ

One last thing

Positivlisten for faglærte and Beløbsordningen are not competing options for the same case. An applicant either has a listed occupation or does not, and either meets the pay limit threshold or does not. Fast-track ordningen is a separate scheme, but it requires a certified company with at least 10 permanent full-time employees and a job that meets one of its tracks.