Denmark has updated its Positive List schemes for 2026, slightly reducing the number of eligible job titles for both highly educated and skilled foreign workers, effective January 1.
Foreign workers in Denmark seeking Danish residence and work permits are subject to the employment rules established by the Danish government. Foreign workers who accept a job offer in Denmark are eligible to reside and work there under the Positive List scheme.
Foreign nationals interested in working in Denmark should ensure that their qualifications meet the Danish regulatory requirements and that their professional background aligns with the listed jobs.
Foreign workers who accept a job offer in Denmark are eligible to reside and work there under the Positive List scheme. The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) has updated the Positive Lists, effective 1 January 2026.
New Positive List
The new Positive List for People with a Higher Education will include 183 job titles, while the Positive List for Skilled Work includes 57. The current update shows a slight decrease in the number of positions on the Positive List for people with a Higher Education and in the number of positions on the Positive List for Skilled Work.
What are Positive Lists
Positive Lists in Denmark target highly skilled foreign nationals to address labor shortages and establish work permit eligibility under the country’s immigration system. The list is updated twice every year. SIRI previously updated the Positive Lists on July 1, when the Positive List for People with a Higher Education included 190 job titles, while the Positive List for Skilled Work included 65.
In the July update, more positions were added to the Positive List for People with a Higher Education. This was partly due to slightly more positions where there is a labour shortage, and partly because the positions on the list with effect from 1 April 2023 were on the list for at least 2 years at a time.
The Positive List for People with a Higher Education
You have been offered a job included in the list of professions experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark. If you have been offered a job included in the Positive List, you can apply for a residence and work permit in Denmark based on the scheme.
If you have been offered a job requiring university-level qualifications in a profession with a shortage of qualified professionals, then you can use the Positive List for the Highly Educated.
To be granted a residence and work permit under the scheme, your education must meet the education requirement specified for each job title. At the same time, your education must be relevant to the job title.
If you are employed for a shorter period than 4 years, your residence and work permit will normally be valid for the period of your employment.
The Positive List for Skilled Work
You have been offered a job included in the list of skilled professionals experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark. If you have been offered a job included in the Positive List for Skilled Work, you can apply for a Danish residence and work permit based on this scheme.
If you have been offered a job requiring university-level qualifications in a profession with a shortage of qualified professionals, then you can use the Positive List for the Highly Educated.
The Positive List for Skilled Work is a list of skilled professions experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark.
Updated Income Statistics
SIRI has also updated income statistics with data from the third quarter of 2025, which will apply to applications submitted by foreign workers beginning January 1, 2026.
In cases where the employment relationship is not covered by a collective agreement and the employer is not a member of an employers’ organisation, SIRI will assess whether the salary corresponds to Danish standards up to approximately DKK 74,958.