Denmark has updated the Positive List for Skilled Work and the Positive List for individuals with higher education seeking employment in the country. The Positive List is a scheme that enables foreign workers to work and reside in Denmark if they are offered a job.

The Positive List for People with a Higher Education has been updated as of 1 October 2025.

SIRI publishes the updated version of the Positive List for People with a Higher Education, which will take effect as of 1 October 2025.

October Update

The update has been implemented based on the Regional Labour Market Councils, which have submitted additional job titles that are to be added to the list. The new list will take effect as of 1 October 2025.

The Positive List is a list of professions experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark. A job title can appear in the list if there is a regional or national shortage of qualified professionals for the position.

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. You must have an educational background that makes you qualified for the job.

A job title can be added to the Positive List if:

Ongoing labour market monitoring (the Labour Market Balance Model) shows that there is a national shortage of qualified professionals for a job title,

Profession specific unemployment insurance funds (a-kasser) assess that there is a national shortage of qualified professionals for a job title, or

The Regional Labour Market Councils assess that there is a regional shortage of qualified professionals for a job title.

Positive List Updates

The update of the Positive List based on the ongoing labour market monitoring happens twice a year – 1 January and 1 July. The Regional Labour Market Councils and the profession-specific unemployment insurance funds also update the Positive List twice a year, but this normally happens on 1 April and 1 October.

However, in case of an acute shortage of qualified professionals for a job title, the Regional Labour Market Councils and the profession-specific unemployment insurance funds can, at any time add a job title to the list.

The job titles in the Positive List can be delisted no sooner than two years after the time they were added to the list.

The updated job titles belong to the following categories:

01: Military work

11: Senior Managers in the field of legislative authorities, companies and organisations

12: Managers in the field of administration and business-oriented functions

13: Managers in the field of production and service

14: Hospitality, retail and other service managers

21: Natural Science and engineering

22: Healthcare

23: Teaching and educational work

24: Economics, administration and sales

25: Information and communication technology

26: Law, social science and culture

31: Technician work in science, engineering and shipping and aviation

32: Technicians and assistants in healthcare

33: Work within the field of business services, finance, administration and sales

34: Work within the field of law, social science and culture

Denmark has recently released updated income statistics applicable to applications submitted from July 1, 2025.

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. When applying for a residence and work permit in Denmark based on a salaried job, it is required that your pay meet Danish requirements.