Denmark to open new work route in 2027: Eligibility and key rules explained

New plan will cover workers from 16 countries, including India, but applicants must meet salary, job and employer conditions.

Denmark will open a new work permit route from January 1, 2027, allowing certified employers to recruit workers from India and 15 other countries under a new scheme linked to collective labour agreements.

 

The Collective Agreement-Based Business Scheme, also referred to as the Certified Employer Scheme, is intended to give Danish companies another way to hire workers from overseas. For Indian professionals, it will create an additional option to work in Denmark, but India is one of several countries whose nationals will be eligible.

 

The Danish Parliament passed the legislation on September 4, according to reports. Further operational guidance is expected from the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) before the route opens.

  

What is Denmark’s new work permit route?

The scheme is designed for Danish businesses that are covered by relevant collective agreements governing employment conditions.

 

Certified employers will be able to recruit workers from the 16 eligible countries, provided the job and the applicant meet the requirements.

 

The minimum annual salary under the new route is DKK 322,000 at the 2026 level. This is lower than the salary requirement under some of Denmark’s existing work permit routes, including the Pay Limit Scheme.

 

However, the lower salary threshold does not mean that anyone with a job offer can qualify. The employer and position must satisfy several conditions.

 

Which countries are covered?

 

The new route will be available to nationals of:

 

India

 

Albania

 

Australia

 

Brazil

 

Canada

 

China

 

Japan

 

Malaysia

 

Moldova

 

Montenegro

 

North Macedonia

 

Serbia

 

Singapore

 

Ukraine

 

United Kingdom

 

United States

 

For Indian workers, the inclusion of India means they can potentially use this route when taking up an eligible job with a certified Danish employer.

 

What conditions must employers meet?

 

The scheme places significant responsibility on the Danish employer. A company must:

 

Be covered by a relevant collective agreement

 

Have operated for at least two years

 

Employ at least 10 full-time workers in Denmark

 

Obtain certification from SIRI

 

This is important for prospective applicants because the route is employer-led. An individual cannot obtain the permit simply because their nationality is on the eligible-country list.

 

The job itself must be full-time and covered by the relevant collective agreement. The worker's salary must also be paid into a Danish bank account.

 

What is the unemployment brake?

 

The scheme will also have an unemployment brake, which can restrict its use if unemployment in Denmark rises above a specified level.

 

The mechanism is intended to prevent employers from relying on overseas recruitment when there is sufficient availability of workers in the Danish labour market. The route can therefore be affected by changes in Denmark's unemployment rate.

 

What does the new route mean for Indian workers?

 

For Indians, the main significance is that Denmark will have another work permit pathway in addition to existing routes. But the scheme should not be viewed as a general relaxation of Denmark's immigration rules.

 

An Indian applicant will still need an eligible full-time job, an employer that has obtained the required certification and a salary meeting the applicable threshold. The position must also fall within the relevant collective agreement.

 

The same conditions will apply to workers from the other 15 eligible countries.

 

Further details, including the practical application process and implementation rules, are expected from SIRI closer to the January 2027 launch. Workers should therefore check the Danish authorities' guidance before relying on claims made by immigration consultants or agents.