By zobayer 
Denmark as a country is absolutely brilliant to move to, but the best part is it isn’t as hyped up as the UK, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada. That means two things if you’re looking to move to Denmark.
The first is you’ll be competing with fewer people, which means your chances are definitely higher. The second is that the process won’t be as complicated as in other countries, and that sounds like a winning combination to me.
Now, that being said, how do you further increase your chances of landing a job in Denmark? Because there is a way, and that’s exactly what we’re talking about today.
I’m Ashikan. On this channel, we talk about moving to the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and today, Denmark. Without wasting any time, let’s dive in.
Let’s deal with the basics: do you even need a visa to work in Denmark? If you belong to the Nordic countries, you don’t need any form of residence permit. You simply enter the country and work.
If you belong to the EU or the EEA, you don’t need a residence permit. You can move to Denmark and work there, but you will have to follow some of the rules set out by SIRI, the Danish immigration agency.
However, if you’re from any other country, you will have to apply for a work visa.
Broadly, these are the kinds of visas available in Denmark:
- The Fast Track Scheme for individuals who have an offer from a company certified by SIRI.
- The Pay Limit Scheme, designed for high-income individuals earning at least $68,454 per year.
- The Positive List for individuals with a job offer in professions experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark.
- The Researcher and Guest Researcher Visa for individuals offered a job as a researcher at a public or private institution.
- The Employed PhD Visa for those offered jobs as PhDs in a study program linked to a Danish education institution.
- The Herdsmen and Farm Managers Visa for individuals with a job in agriculture as herdsmen or farm managers.
- The Special Individual Qualifications Visa for those offered a job in Denmark for which only they are qualified, such as artists, athletes, or chefs.
And there are many more visas based on specific scenarios.
Today, we’re talking about one visa in particular that can exponentially increase your chances of landing sponsorship in Denmark: the Positive List Visa.
The Positive List for Skilled Work is a list of professions facing a shortage of skilled professionals in Denmark. If there is a shortage of skilled professionals for a particular job title, it appears on this list and remains there for at least two years.
The good thing is, the government-managed website mentions the date until which each job will remain on the list. This gives you a clear idea of how long you can apply for roles under that category.
Most of the jobs I’ll mention today will remain on the list until 2025, giving you a two-year window to apply.
There are two categories of Positive List :
- Positive List for People with Higher Education
- Positive List for Skilled Work
The Positive List for People with Higher Education is for those with higher education who have been offered a job in Denmark under the list of jobs experiencing a shortage of highly educated labor.
The Positive List for Skilled Work is for skilled workers offered a job in professions experiencing a shortage of skilled labor.
These lists are updated twice a year: on January 1st and July 1st. This means we’ve just received an updated list.
One key advantage is that employers and recruiters in Denmark don’t need to prove there were no suitable local candidates for these roles, making the process quicker and simpler.
If you fall under the Higher Education category, there are 30 jobs on this list. Examples include chemists, civil engineers, medical doctors, nurses, midwives, dietary workers, occupational therapists, primary school teachers, social education workers, auditors, IT consultants, architects, IT engineers, economists, social workers, and pharmacy technicians.
For Skilled Workers, there are 36 job titles, including plumbers, sales and account managers, sous chefs, bookkeepers, accounting clerks, hairdressers, chefs, carpenters, mechanics for passenger cars and vans, electricians, bakers, and cabinet makers.
To be eligible for this visa:
- The job must be on the Positive List.
- The salary and employment terms must meet Denmark’s standards for that role.
- Your employer must be covered by ATP (Arbejdsmarkedets Tillægspension).
- You must deposit your salary into a Danish bank account.
The process takes about a month and costs $686 to apply. The good news is you can apply online.
For permanent contracts, authorities issue a four-year visa, which you can renew if you stay with the same employer in the same job. You can also bring your dependents.
To find jobs that offer sponsorship in Denmark, check these websites:
- Work in Denmark
- Job Index
- Indeed
- EU Careers
- Jobs in Copenhagen
- The Local
Remember, it’s always a good idea to consider multiple countries rather than focusing on just one. For instance, the Netherlands is another excellent option.