At the beginning of the year, several changes were implemented in the process of applying for residency in Denmark.
The Positive List has been updated in length and content, application fees have been lowered and a lack of apprenticeships in two fields has created the need for additional documentation.
The Copenhagen Post will drive you through some of the main news for 2025.
The Positive List
Denmark’s Positive List has seen some changes in the overhaul that was implemented on January 1st of this year.
Made up of 49 positions, the Positive List for skilled work has decreased in length.
It contains jobs from fields like healthcare, technology, agriculture, business, and hospitality representing a wide spectrum of positions available to internationals.
Growth was seen in the Positive List for higher education, which now contains 168 positions, reflecting the increasing need for highly skilled labor in the country.
Categories here include Healthcare, Education, Management and Leadership, Engineering, Finance, Business, Legal, and Creative Industries.
A new change implemented, jobs for highly educated internationals will now be listed for two years.
See the full lists here.
Lower fees
Another part of the application process that has seen some changes is the fees.
These fees have been decreased across the board.
Work permits are dropping from 6,290 DKK to 6,055 DKK.
Study permits from 2,490 DKK to 2,255 DKK.
Au pair and intern fees are dropping from 4,740 DKK to 4,210 DKK.
Fees for accompanying family are dropping from 2,880 DKK to 2,380 DKK.
Apprenticeships
If you are enrolled in or applying for an apprenticeship in the horticultural and forestry field as an international, there is an important change that you must observe.
When more than 5% of students in a given field do not have access to an apprenticeship, said field is classified as lacking in available positions.
In 2025 this applies to the fields of horticulture and forestry.
Any international applicant must therefore include a signed declaration that their place of work either:
- Currently employs an apprentice from the Danish vocational schools,
Or
- That they have tried to employ an apprentice from the Danish vocational schools in the 3 months prior to the submission of the application by posting a job ad on the central apprenticeship portal of the Ministry of Children and Education.
Keep in mind that this does not apply to any other field. For information on other fields, you can visit here.
