Denmark sets minimum salary for foreign workers

Denmark has set a new minimum annual salary of DKK552,000($84,254 for foreign workers seeking residence and work permits through its Pay Limit Scheme in 2026, according to updated guidance from the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

The threshold amounts to DKK46,000 a month and applies to applications submitted from January 1, 2026. SIRI said the minimum amount is regulated every January. Ny i Danmark

The latest SIRI guidance, updated on September 22, 2026, also shows that the threshold has risen from DKK514,000($78,483) in 2025, an increase of DKK38,000($5,800, or about 7.4%.

Denmark raises 2026 Pay Limit

The Pay Limit Scheme allows foreign nationals who have been offered a high-salary job in Denmark to apply for a residence and work permit. Applicants do not need to have a specific educational background or work in a particular professional field to use the scheme. Ny i Danmark

• For the salary calculation, SIRI said only certain components of an employment package can be counted towards the threshold. These include guaranteed cash salary, employer and employee contributions to labour-market pension schemes and paid holiday allowance.
• Benefits such as a company car, paid phone or internet, canteen benefits and paid living or housing expenses do not count towards the minimum salary. The offered salary must also meet Danish standards for the profession.

Applicants must generally have an employment agreement with a company registered in Denmark, although exceptions apply in some circumstances, including certain foreign companies providing services in the country.

How Denmark’s Pay Limit Works

Applicants will generally need an employment agreement with a company registered in Denmark, although exceptions apply in some circumstances, including certain foreign companies providing services in the country. SIRI processes applications for residence permits based on work.

• Applicants submitting their applications from within Denmark must be legally present when they apply. Those applying from abroad may receive a residence permit for up to one month before their employment begins, allowing time to settle in Denmark, provided they declare that they can support themselves and accompanying family members during that period. Without the declaration, the permit will normally begin 14 days before employment starts.
• For applicants already in Denmark, the permit begins on the date employment starts.
• If employment lasts less than four years, the residence and work permit will normally cover the employment period.

Workers whose contracts are extended must apply for an extension.

The salary must continue to meet the pay limit and correspond to Danish standards for the relevant profession.

The rules therefore link the residence and work permit directly to the qualifying employment and salary conditions.

Denmark’s changing work rules

Denmark has introduced several changes to its immigration and work rules in recent years, including revisions to the salary requirements for foreign workers seeking residence and work permits.

• In July 2025, Denmark revised the salary requirements applicable to foreign nationals under several work schemes. The rules required applicants to meet salary requirements linked to Danish wage levels, with income statistics updated quarterly to determine the applicable threshold.
• Earlier, in June 2025, Denmark also increased the fee for citizenship applications, while in 2024 the country introduced a limited exemption allowing eligible professional models to work for short periods without a work permit.

What happens after job loss

Workers who lose their jobs receive an automatic six-month residence permit to look for another job in Denmark. The permit does not allow them to work during the job-search period.

• Once they secure new employment, they must submit a fresh application based on the new job. The application can be made under the Pay Limit Scheme, the Positive List or another applicable work scheme.

Denmark has been adjusting its wage rules for foreign workers across different work-permit routes. In February 2025, SIRI introduced updated wage statistics for applicants under the Positive List for Skilled Work, with the new figures applying to applications submitted from February 20, 2025. The statistics are used to determine whether an offered salary corresponds to Danish standards.