Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027: New Work Permit for 16 Countries

The Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027 is a brand-new Danish work-permit route that opens on 1 January 2027, and it could change the maths for thousands of skilled workers who want to live and work in Denmark. Denmark has long been one of Europe’s most attractive places to work, with high wages, strong workers’ rights and a famously good work-life balance, but its work-permit rules have often priced out everyone except the highest earners. By tying the permit to a collective agreement rather than a very high salary, Denmark is opening a realistic door for mid-level professionals, technicians and skilled workers from 16 named countries.

For workers from the 16 listed countries, the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027 offers a salary threshold far below the one Denmark has used until now. The minimum is DKK 322,000 a year at the 2026 level, roughly €43,000, and only cash pay counts towards it. That is the headline, but the fine print matters just as much: the job must be covered by an approved collective agreement, the employer must be certified by SIRI, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration, and the route can close automatically if unemployment rises.

What Is the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027?

In simple terms, the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027 lets a certified Danish employer hire a foreign worker for a full-time job covered by a collective agreement, at a salary of at least DKK 322,000 a year. A collective agreement — in Danish, an overenskomst — is a deal on pay and working conditions negotiated between employers’ organisations and trade unions. Denmark’s labour market runs largely on these agreements, so tying a work permit to one gives the worker the same negotiated protections as their Danish colleagues. The Danish name for the route is den overenskomstbaserede beløbsordning, sometimes called the Erhvervsordning. It comes from a political agreement of 30 June 2025; the bill, L 16, was reintroduced on 25 June 2026, and the Folketing passed the law on 3 September 2026. SIRI announced on 13 October 2026 that the scheme would come into effect on 1 January 2027, and nothing can be filed before that date.

Why does this matter so much? Because the salary floor is substantially lower than Denmark’s existing Pay Limit Scheme, which has long set a high earnings bar for foreign workers. Until now, many skilled workers who earned a good but not exceptional salary simply could not qualify for a Danish work permit, however strong their skills. The new route replaces part of that salary barrier with different conditions: a full-time job, a collective agreement, a certified employer, and citizenship of one of the 16 listed countries.

There is one more condition that workers should know about from the start. The route closes automatically if seasonally adjusted gross unemployment, averaged over the previous three months, rises above 3.75% — it is designed to stay open while the Danish labour market is tight, and to pause if unemployment climbs.

Who Qualifies for the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027?

Citizenship is the first test under the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027, and it is also the part readers need to treat with the most care. The route is open only to citizens of 16 listed countries. The list below has been reported in Danish legislative material and in the Danish press, but SIRI has not yet published the list by name on its own website — treat it as reported, and confirm it against SIRI’s pages on nyidanmark.dk once the scheme’s application pages go live.

The 16 countries reported are:

• Americas: United States, Canada, Brazil
• Europe: United Kingdom, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova
• Asia-Pacific: India, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia

No African country is on the reported list. That has already drawn attention, because it means workers from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya cannot use this particular route, whatever their skills or salary. If your passport is not on the list, Denmark’s new route cannot help you — but other European routes may suit you better, such as the Germany Opportunity Card.

Citizenship alone is not enough. To qualify, a worker also needs a full-time job offer from a Danish employer that has been certified by SIRI, and the job itself must be covered by an approved collective agreement. All three conditions — the right passport, the right job, and the right employer — must be met together.

The DKK 322,000 Salary Floor Explained

Under the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027, only cash and cash equivalents count towards the DKK 322,000 minimum, and the pay must land in a Danish bank account. Benefits in kind, allowances paid outside Denmark, or pay routed through a foreign account do not count towards the floor, so workers should make sure their contract states the cash salary clearly and that payment goes into a Danish account from the start.

The figure of DKK 322,000 is set at the 2026 level and is indexed annually, so it will be adjusted over time rather than frozen. At roughly €43,000 a year, it sits far below the level Denmark has demanded under its Pay Limit Scheme, which is exactly why this route is being talked about as a big deal. It brings Denmark within reach of nurses, technicians, engineers, IT staff and skilled tradespeople whose salaries are solid but not at the very top of the market.

The salary floor is a minimum, not a target. A collective agreement will normally set the actual pay for the role, and that agreed rate is what the worker should expect to receive. If a job offer quotes a salary below DKK 322,000 a year, it does not qualify under this scheme, whatever the job title says. Any offer that asks the worker to pay a fee to the employer or to an agent for the job itself should be treated with great caution — genuine Danish employers do not charge workers for a job offer.

How Employers Get Certified by SIRI

Certification is the gatekeeper of the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027: no employer can hire through the route until SIRI has certified it. The employer must apply to SIRI for certification first, and only once certified can it hire a foreign worker under the scheme and can that worker apply for a residence and work permit. Certification is valid for three years and can be extended. SIRI expects certification applications to open in early December 2026, with processing from 1 January 2027, and will publish a list of certified companies on nyidanmark.dk — the single most useful check a jobseeker can make before accepting an offer.

Because certification has to come first, realistic first hires under the scheme are expected in spring 2027, not in January itself. Workers weighing a long-term move may also want to compare settlement routes elsewhere while they wait, such as Canada PR for workers already in Canada.

How to Apply and the Timeline for the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027

The order of events matters, so here is the timeline as confirmed so far. In early December 2026, SIRI expects to open certification applications for employers. From 1 January 2027, the scheme is in force and SIRI begins processing applications — both employer certifications and workers’ residence and work permit applications. With certification, job offers and permit processing all taking time, the first workers are realistically expected to start their jobs in spring 2027.

No worker application can be filed before 1 January 2027 under the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027, and nothing will be processed before that date. Anyone who claims they can file your application early, or promises a permit before the scheme opens, is not telling the truth. The practical steps are straightforward: find a full-time job with a Danish employer that is covered by an approved collective agreement, check that the employer is certified by SIRI, and then apply to SIRI for a residence and work permit once the scheme is open. SIRI will publish the certified-employer list and the application pages on nyidanmark.dk, so that site is the place to watch as December approaches.

What the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027 Is NOT

It is also important to understand that the Denmark Collective Agreement Scheme 2027 does not hand out open work visas. It is not a visa you can apply for on your own and then use to look for work in Denmark. You need a job offer first, from a certified employer, for a full-time role covered by an approved collective agreement. Without that offer, there is no application to make.

It is not a route for every nationality, either. Only citizens of the 16 listed countries qualify, and the reported list contains no African country. It is not a shortcut around Denmark’s other immigration rules, and it does not guarantee a permit: SIRI still has to approve each application, and the employer still has to be certified. For a broader picture of employer-sponsored routes in other countries, see our guide to visa sponsorship jobs in Canada, the UK and the USA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions readers are asking most about the new Danish route.