Danish Green Card: Discontinued — What Replaced It

The Danish Green Card scheme was discontinued on 10 June 2016. It is not possible to apply for a Danish Green Card today, regardless of what other sites or agencies may claim. Holders of a valid Green Card permit can still apply to extend it through SIRI, Denmark's immigration agency, but no new applications are accepted. If you are researching Denmark work options, the routes below are the ones that actually exist in 2026.

Denmark now selects skilled foreign workers primarily through salary-based and shortage-occupation schemes, administered by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI):

• Pay Limit Scheme — for a confirmed job offer at or above DKK 552,000/year (2026 threshold, reviewed annually on 1 January). No specific field or educational background is required. Processing fee DKK 6,810; normal processing time 1 month (up to 3 if more information is needed).
• Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme — a lower salary floor of DKK 446,000/year (2026), but with stricter conditions: the role must have been publicly advertised, and it's only open when Denmark's unemployment rate is below a set level. Same DKK 6,810 fee; normal processing time 2 months (up to 5).
• Positive List for Higher Education — for shortage occupations requiring a higher-education qualification. SIRI's update of 1 January 2026 carries 183 job titles.
• Positive List for Skilled Work — for shortage occupations at a skilled-trade level, carrying 57 job titles as of the same 1 January 2026 update. Both lists are refreshed on a recurring cycle and both were slightly shorter than the previous version, so check the current list for your occupation rather than an older copy.
• Fast-Track Scheme — available through SIRI-certified Danish employers, offering faster processing and more flexible start dates; uses the same salary thresholds as the Pay Limit Scheme.

Official sources: SIRI — Pay Limit Scheme · SIRI — Positive Lists updated 1 January 2026 · SIRI — Green Card extension (scheme closed to new applicants). Salary thresholds are revised every 1 January and the Positive Lists on a recurring cycle — confirm the current figure with SIRI before relying on it.

The right route depends on your salary offer, your occupation, and whether your employer is Fast-Track certified — not on a single eligibility checklist. An honest assessment looks at your actual job offer and salary against the current thresholds before you commit to an application.

Get an honest read on your Denmark options

Cosmos works through named, licensed professionals to assess which of these routes — if any — currently fits your situation, and won't recommend applying for a route that isn't right for your profile.