Denmark has set a start date for a cheaper route into the Danish job market. On 13 October 2026, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) confirmed the new Collective Agreement Scheme (overenskomstordningen) takes effect on 1 January 2027. Under the scheme, a certified Danish employer hires a worker from one of 16 countries at a minimum salary of DKK 322,000 a year (2026 level).
The new floor sits DKK 230,000 below the Pay Limit Scheme, which requires DKK 552,000 a year (2026 level). In monthly terms, you need about DKK 26,833 instead of DKK 46,000. For many skilled trades, care roles, and mid-level jobs, this gap decides whether a Danish offer turns into a permit.
What SIRI announced
SIRI published the update on nyidanmark.dk, the official Danish immigration portal. The notice sets three conditions for the foreign worker:
- Salary: a yearly minimum of DKK 322,000 at the 2026 level, adjusted each year.
- Job type: the position must fall under a collective agreement.
- Nationality: you must hold citizenship of one of 16 listed countries.
Employers face a separate step. A company must win certification before hiring anyone through the scheme, and before the worker files a residence and work permit application. SIRI expects certification applications to open at the beginning of December 2026. Processing starts on 1 January 2027, when the scheme enters into force. SIRI says new application pages for certification and for permits will appear on the portal.
The Danish Parliament (Folketinget) passed the underlying bill, L 16, on 3 September 2026. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration had introduced the bill on 25 June 2026. The idea first appeared in a June 2025 fact sheet from the Ministry of Employment, built on a joint understanding about a collective agreement-based business scheme.
The 16 countries on the list
The country list follows two rules. Ten countries rank among the top non-EU countries by the combined value of Danish investment abroad and foreign investment in Denmark. Six more are EU candidate countries in active membership talks. As of 1 January 2026, the list covers:
- Top investment partners: United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, Australia, Canada, India, Brazil, and Malaysia.
- EU candidate countries: Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova.
India holds a double basis, since Denmark also signed a bilateral mobility agreement with India. Government planning papers allow more countries to join the list through future bilateral mobility agreements. Countries in Danish visa groups 4 and 5 stay excluded, and so does any country where inclusion would carry serious foreign policy consequences. The Minister for Immigration and Integration updates and publishes the list.
If your country sits outside the list, the new scheme offers you nothing for now. Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Egypt, for example, do not appear. Your options stay with the existing routes, such as the Pay Limit Scheme, the Positive Lists, or the Fast-track Scheme.
Conditions for you as the worker
Beyond salary, job type, and nationality, the government plan behind the bill sets out more conditions for the employee:
- You must work full time under the terms of the collective agreement. Some sectors, such as healthcare, treat fewer than 37 weekly hours as full time.
- Your salary must go into a Danish bank account.
- You must not have committed certain crimes in the two years before you apply.
- You pay an application fee for the residence and work permit.
- An accompanying family member must not have lost a residence permit more than once for working without a separate work permit.
The plan grants a residence and work permit for three years, with extensions of four years at a time. Family members are allowed to accompany you. If SIRI withdraws your employer's certification, you keep the right to stay and work until your permit expires. Certified employers also get fast job start, meaning a provisional residence and work permit lets you begin work before SIRI finishes processing your case.
What employers need for certification
Certification sits at the heart of the scheme. Based on the passed bill as summarised by the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) on 3 September 2026, a company must show:
- Coverage by a relevant collective agreement, with foreign hires only in positions under those agreements.
- At least 10 full-time employees in Denmark.
- At least two years in operation, with annual reports filed for the past two years.
- A clean service certificate (serviceattest) from the Danish Business Authority, issued within the past three months.
- An elected union representative, or a separate agreement giving the relevant union access for compliance checks.
- Attendance at a guidance meeting with SIRI, plus payment of the application fee.
A company fails certification if a lawful labour conflict covers the business, or if the company ignores immediate orders from the Danish Working Environment Authority. A fine from the Labour Court or industrial arbitration for underpaying foreign workers also blocks approval. So do more than two penalties under specific sections of the Aliens Act. Certification lasts three years at first and four years per renewal. SIRI withdraws certification once the conditions stop being met.
With each permit application, the employer signs a solemn declaration (tro og love). The declaration confirms the job falls under a covered collective agreement, the role is full time, and the union representative, or the local union branch, gets ongoing access to check compliance. SIRI has the power to pass the declaration to the relevant trade union, which files an objection if the details look wrong.
The unemployment brake
The scheme runs only while Danish unemployment stays low. Government planning papers tied the brake to the one used for the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme. The seasonally adjusted gross unemployment rate must average no more than 3.75 per cent over the three months before your application. The same papers flagged a planned rise in the limit to 4.25 per cent after a Danish employment reform takes effect.
For now, the rate sits well below the trigger. SIRI figures, last updated on 30 September 2026, put the three-month average at 3.1 per cent, with June, July, and August 2026 each at 3.1 per cent. Under the supplementary scheme, SIRI rejects an application filed above the limit and refunds the fee. Watch this number if you plan a 2027 move.
How the new route compares
The Pay Limit Scheme stays open alongside the new route. Under the Pay Limit Scheme, you need an offer of at least DKK 552,000 a year, a job of at least 30 hours a week, and a salary paid into a Danish bank account. No specific education or job field applies, and no nationality list applies either. SIRI lists a processing fee of DKK 6,810 for the Pay Limit Scheme.
The Collective Agreement Scheme trades the high salary bar for tighter control. The salary floor drops by about 42 per cent. In return, your employer must hold certification, sit under a collective agreement, and accept union oversight, and your passport decides eligibility.
The Ministry of Employment estimated in June 2025 about 550 people would enter through the scheme by 2030 and 1,300 by 2050. Those figures point to a narrow route, not a mass recruitment channel. Expect competition for certified employers and covered jobs.
What you should do now
If you hold citizenship of a listed country and want to work in Denmark, take these steps before January 2027:
- Check the job: ask the employer whether the role falls under a qualifying agreement. The government plan names DA/FH agreements, FinansDanmark or Forsikring & Pension agreements with FH unions, and public sector agreements.
- Check the employer: confirm the company has at least 10 full-time staff in Denmark, two years of trading, and plans to apply for certification in December 2026.
- Check the salary: make sure the offer reaches DKK 322,000 a year at the 2026 level. SIRI adjusts the figure each year, so confirm the 2027 amount before you sign.
- Plan your banking: your salary must go into a Danish account in your own name.
- Check the unemployment rate: look at the SIRI gross unemployment page before you file.
- Track SIRI updates: new application pages go live on nyidanmark.dk ahead of the launch.
If you run a Danish company, start now. Review collective agreement coverage, check union representation, order a fresh service certificate close to filing, and watch for details on the SIRI guidance meeting. Certification applications should open in early December 2026, so a prepared company stands ready to hire on day one.
Denmark keeps a cautious approach. The route rewards workers from partner countries who land covered jobs with certified, unionised employers. If you fit the profile, January 2027 brings a real chance to work in Denmark on a salary far below the Pay Limit Scheme bar.
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