The visa · Denmark
Denmark
Denmark has no digital-nomad or remote-work permit, and the immigration agency SIRI publishes no exemption for working online for a foreign employer during a visa-free stay. The routes remote workers actually use are the Start-up Denmark permit for approved innovative businesses, the Working Holiday permit for six nationalities aged roughly 18 to 30, the EU self-support residence document for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and the Pay Limit and Fast-track employment schemes. The one thing to know before applying is that tax residence starts from day one of any stay that runs past six consecutive months, and the 2026 salary and fee thresholds rose on 1 January 2026.
- Nomad visa · September 2026None as suchRoutes5Bases1
- Copenhagen13 pieces
Remote jobs open to Denmark
Listings whose hiring region includes this country, newest first · apply on the board's own page
- Sales JediEurope
- SaaS Product Support JediEurope, EMEA, UK, Germany, France, European timezones
- Senior React Full-stack DeveloperLATAM, Europe, USA, Canada, APAC
- Senior QA EngineerEurope
- Senior DevOps EngineerLATAM, Europe, USA, Canada, APAC
- Senior Golang DeveloperEurope, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore
- Senior Data EngineerLATAM, Europe, USA, Canada, APAC
- Senior Independent AI Engineer / Architect$120 - $170 /hour
The routes
Researched 8 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice
Freelance / self-employed
Start-up Denmark
Start-up Denmark (opholdstilladelse som selvstændig erhvervsdrivende, residence permit for self-employed persons)
Non-EU founders or freelancers whose business plan can pass an innovation panel: software, product or scalable service businesses, alone or in a team of up to three, including continuing an existing self-employment through a Danish branch.
- Income floor
- No income floor, but proof of self-support by bank statement at the published 2025 amounts: DKK 153,240 per year for the applicant alone, DKK 306,480 with a spouse, DKK 356,904 with spouse and children, DKK 203,664 with children and no spouse (SIRI, amounts shown at 2025 level on the scheme page).
- Duration
- Up to 2 years initially, extensions of up to 3 years at a time; the permit lapses if the holder gives up the Danish address or stays abroad more than 6 consecutive months.
- Cost
- DKK 3,060 application fee, DKK 3,060 per extension, DKK 3,080 per accompanying family member (SIRI fee table from 1 January 2026).
- Processing
- SIRI states 2 months normally and up to 4 months if more information is needed, after the Danish Business Authority panel has approved the plan; maximum 75 permits a year.
- Eligibility
- Any non-EU nationality; business must be judged innovative with growth potential and a Danish business interest; restaurants, shops, small trades and import-export are excluded; fee paid and biometrics recorded within 14 days.
- Work rights
- Work is limited to the approved business; unpaid voluntary work allowed; any side employment needs a separate permit; no right to work in other Schengen states.
- Dependants
- Spouse, registered or cohabiting partner and children under 18 may apply for accompanying residence permits at DKK 3,080 each.
- Leads to
- Time on the permit counts as legal residence; Danish permanent residence is a separate application generally after 8 years (4 years under the shortened track) with employment, language and integration conditions, fee DKK 7,570.
- Apply
- Online form SD1 via nyidanmark.dk after panel approval; biometrics at a Danish mission abroad, a VFS centre or a SIRI branch office in Denmark.
Documents Proof of paid fee and case order ID · Copies of all passport pages · Danish Business Authority panel approval of the business plan · Bank statement in the applicant's name proving self-support · Proof of ownership of the company · Biometrics (photo and fingerprints) within 14 days
Working holiday
Working Holiday permit
Working Holiday (opholdstilladelse i henhold til Working Holiday-aftale)
Young citizens of Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea who want a year in Denmark with the right to take some paid work; a common fallback for nomads from those countries.
- Income floor
- Savings only: Australia DKK 18,000 plus DKK 5,000 for a return ticket (DKK 23,000 total), Canada DKK 15,000 plus DKK 5,000, New Zealand DKK 24,000 plus DKK 5,000, shown by a bank statement in the applicant's name (SIRI country pages).
- Duration
- 12 months from entry, not renewable beyond one year in total and cannot be held twice.
- Cost
- DKK 3,060 for Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand and South Korea; free for Japanese citizens (SIRI fee table, 1 January 2026).
- Processing
- SIRI states 3 months normally, up to 4 months if more information is requested.
- Eligibility
- Age limits vary by agreement; the Australia page states at least 18 and no older than 36, while third-party guides still quote 18 to 30 for most partners, so check the country page; no accompanying children; sufficient funds; first-time applicant only.
- Work rights
- Paid work in Denmark is allowed for part of the year only: the Australia agreement permits up to 6 months of work with a maximum of 3 months per employer and up to 3 months of study; other agreements differ.
- Dependants
- Family cannot apply to accompany the holder.
- Leads to
- No; it does not count towards permanent residence and cannot be renewed.
- Apply
- Online via nyidanmark.dk or paper form at a Danish mission or SIRI branch office; biometrics at a mission, VFS centre or SIRI.
Documents Completed WH1 or WH2 form and paid fee · Passport copy · Bank statement showing the required funds in the applicant's name · Return ticket or proof of DKK 5,000 for one · Biometrics within 14 days of applying
Residence
EU residence document as a self-supporting person
EU-opholdsdokument som selvforsørgende (EU residence document, person with sufficient funds)
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens working remotely for foreign clients or employers who plan to stay more than three months and do not take Danish employment.
- Income floor
- Funds deemed sufficient if at least the Danish cash-benefit rate: DKK 7,095 per month before tax for a single person without children, DKK 11,716 for a single parent, DKK 10,004 for a partnered provider (2026 levels), documented for at least the first 12 months.
- Duration
- Registration certificate with no fixed expiry; permanent EU residence after 5 years of continuous lawful residence.
- Cost
- No fee.
- Processing
- SIRI states 0 days normally, up to 1 month if more information is needed.
- Eligibility
- EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship; sufficient funds; stays over 3 months require the document, job-seekers may stay 6 months while actively seeking work.
- Work rights
- Full free-movement rights: remote work for foreign employers, local clients and Danish employment are all permitted.
- Dependants
- Family members may join and each files a separate application.
- Leads to
- Yes; permanent residence after 5 years, citizenship after 9 years under the general naturalisation rules.
- Apply
- SIRI online (OD1A) or at a SIRI branch office in Denmark, followed by CPR registration at the municipal citizen service.
Documents Form OD1A online or on paper · Passport or national ID · Bank statements or other proof of funds for 12 months · Proof of Danish address for CPR registration
Long stay
Pay Limit Scheme (and Fast-track, Supplementary Pay Limit)
Beløbsordningen / Fast-track-ordningen / Den supplerende beløbsordning (Pay Limit Scheme, Fast-track Scheme, Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme)
Remote workers who convert to a Danish employment contract, or whose foreign employer hires through a Danish entity, at a salary above the published threshold.
- Income floor
- DKK 552,000 a year for the Pay Limit and Fast-track schemes and DKK 446,000 a year for the Supplementary scheme, both 2026 levels, counting only cash salary, fixed supplements and labour-market pension paid into a Danish bank account (SIRI).
- Duration
- Up to 4 years for contracts of 4 years or longer, otherwise the length of the contract, plus an automatic 6-month job-seeking period; extendable.
- Cost
- DKK 6,810 for the application and DKK 6,810 per extension; DKK 3,080 per accompanying family member (1 January 2026).
- Processing
- Pay Limit: 1 month normally, up to 3 months; Supplementary: 2 months normally, up to 5 months; Fast-track allows starting work once the case is created, via a certified employer.
- Eligibility
- Any non-EU nationality with a written job offer on Danish terms, minimum 30 hours a week, salary paid to a Danish account opened within 180 days; Supplementary scheme additionally requires the job to be posted on Jobnet and EURES for 2 weeks and national gross unemployment under 3.75 per cent on average over the prior 3 months.
- Work rights
- Employment with the named Danish employer only; side employment requires a separate permit.
- Dependants
- Spouse, partner and children under 18 may accompany with their own permits and have free work rights.
- Leads to
- Counts towards permanent residence, generally after 8 years (4 under the shortened track) with employment and Danish A2 language conditions, fee DKK 7,570.
- Apply
- Online via nyidanmark.dk from abroad or from inside Denmark if legally present; biometrics at a mission, VFS or SIRI.
Documents Signed employment contract or job offer · Passport copies · Proof of paid fee and case order ID · Employer form section (or certification for Fast-track) · Biometrics within 14 days
Temporary stay
Schengen short stay (visa-free or C visa)
Kortvarigt ophold / Schengenvisum (short-term stay, Schengen visa)
Nomads passing through for up to 90 days in any 180 who are not taking Danish work; the only option for most passports that want a look before committing.
- Income floor
- None published for visa-free entry; Schengen visa applicants show means of subsistence at the rate the Danish mission requests.
- Duration
- 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area; not extendable except in exceptional cases.
- Cost
- Free for visa-exempt passports; EUR 90 Schengen visa fee for visa nationals; ETIAS authorisation for visa-exempt travellers is scheduled to start in late 2026 as reported.
- Processing
- Schengen visa normally 15 calendar days, up to 45.
- Eligibility
- Visa-exempt or visa-holding nationality; work without a permit only within the published exemptions, such as business meetings, negotiations, training and specified specialist tasks for up to 90 days.
- Work rights
- SIRI publishes no exemption for online work for a foreign employer; the published exemptions cover meetings, training and specified specialist jobs only, and a Danish law firm reports that paid remote work on a tourist stay is treated as not permitted.
- Dependants
- Each traveller enters on their own passport terms.
- Leads to
- No.
- Apply
- Danish mission or VFS centre abroad for a visa; visa-exempt passports enter at the border.
Documents Passport valid 3 months beyond departure · Return or onward ticket · Proof of accommodation and funds (visa applicants) · Travel medical insurance to EUR 30,000 (visa applicants)
Without a visa, by passport
The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated
- EU / EEA / SwitzerlandUnlimited under free movement; EU residence document required after 3 months (6 months for job-seekers)Remote work is fully permitted; tax residence follows the 6-month rule or a home in Denmark.
- United Kingdom90 days in any 180, visa-freeNo published exemption for remote work; only meetings, training and listed specialist tasks are exempt from a work permit. Pre-2021 residents keep Withdrawal Agreement rights.
- United States90 days in any 180, visa-freeSame rule: no exemption covers online work for a foreign employer; reported as not permitted rather than tolerated.
- Canada90 days in any 180, visa-freeRemote work not covered by any published exemption; Working Holiday permit available for a year with limited paid work.
- Australia90 days in any 180, visa-freeRemote work not covered by any published exemption; Working Holiday permit available.
- New Zealand90 days in any 180, visa-freeRemote work not covered by any published exemption; Working Holiday permit available.
- Japan90 days in any 180, visa-freeRemote work not covered; Working Holiday permit is fee-free for Japanese citizens.
- Brazil90 days in any 180, visa-freeRemote work not covered by any published exemption.
- IndiaSchengen visa requiredA short-stay visa does not permit work; remote work for a foreign employer is not among the published exemptions.
- South AfricaSchengen visa requiredVisa must be obtained from the Danish mission before travel; no exemption for remote work.
- TurkeySchengen visa requiredTurkish citizens have some fee exemptions under the association agreement, but a short-stay visa carries no work right.
Tax
When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer
- Residency trigger
- Full tax liability on worldwide income applies when a person has a home at their disposal in Denmark and takes up residence, or stays in Denmark for more than 6 consecutive months, counting brief holidays abroad within the period; liability runs from the first day of the stay. Limited tax liability applies to non-residents on Danish-source income including pay for work performed in Denmark.
- Special regime
- The Tax Scheme for Researchers and Highly Paid Employees (forskerskatteordningen): 27 per cent flat tax plus the 8 per cent labour-market contribution, an effective 32.84 per cent on gross salary for up to 84 months in a lifetime. From 1 January 2026 the minimum salary is DKK 65,400 a month (DKK 78,000 in 2025). It requires employment by a Danish employer, no Danish tax liability in the previous 10 years, and registration via form 01.012; it does not cover the self-employed. No nomad-specific regime exists.
- Social security
- The 8 per cent labour-market contribution (AM-bidrag) is charged on earned income and Danish social security is otherwise mainly tax-financed. EU, EEA and Swiss workers can stay in their home scheme with an A1 certificate under EU coordination rules; nationals of bilateral-agreement countries use a certificate of coverage. The detailed contribution rules for foreign-employed remote workers were not verified against a primary source in this pass.
- Treaties
- Denmark has an extensive treaty network and the tax authority notes treaties may allocate taxing rights; in practice, once a stay passes 6 months Denmark taxes worldwide income and the home country credits or exempts under the treaty, while shorter stays leave pay for work physically done in Denmark exposed to limited liability. Applicants report employers' concern about permanent-establishment exposure when staff work from Denmark.
Practicalities
- Address and CPR registration
- Anyone staying more than 3 months (6 for job-seekers, non-EU with a permit) registers an address with the municipality to obtain a CPR number, which then serves as the tax identification number and unlocks the yellow health card.
- Bank account and NemKonto
- A Danish account normally requires a CPR number and permit; a NemKonto for public payments is mandatory once a CPR exists and a Danish account is registered in about a week, a foreign IBAN takes 8 to 10 weeks, and unclaimed payments were reported queued up to 20 weeks in April 2026.
- Digital ID
- MitID is issued after CPR registration and is required for banking, tax and the borger.dk portal.
- Health insurance
- Residents with a CPR number are covered by the public system via the yellow card; short-stay visa applicants must show travel medical cover of EUR 30,000; Working Holiday and Start-up pages set no separate insurance figure.
- Tax number without CPR
- Short-term workers without a CPR receive a personal tax number from Skattestyrelsen when registering as limited tax liable.
- ETIAS
- Visa-exempt travellers are expected to need an ETIAS travel authorisation from late 2026, as reported; residence-permit holders are exempt.
Denmark: no nomad visa, a strict 90-day line, and a start-up permit that is the only real freelance door
Where remote workers actually base
Copenhagen absorbs almost all of Denmark's remote-work traffic, with Aarhus a distant second. The draw is infrastructure rather than cost: fibre everywhere, English-language administration, a functioning public health system once a CPR number exists, and a co-working scene concentrated in Nørrebro, Vesterbro and the inner harbour. Rents and the 8 per cent labour-market contribution on top of progressive income tax make it one of Europe's most expensive bases.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have the easy path: register with SIRI as self-supporting on funds above DKK 7,095 a month at 2026 levels, obtain a CPR number and work for anyone anywhere. Everyone else faces a country that has never legislated for remote work. The immigration agency's list of activities allowed without a permit for up to 90 days covers business meetings, negotiations, training and named specialist jobs, and says nothing about logging in for a foreign employer. Third-party guides have promised a Danish nomad visa for years; nothing has been tabled in the Folketing.
What applicants report about the process
Start-up Denmark is the only permit a non-EU freelancer can hold in their own name, and its gate is the Business Authority panel rather than SIRI. Applicants describe the panel as rejecting anything that looks like a one-person consultancy or agency; the scheme page itself excludes restaurants, shops, small trades and import-export as lacking innovation. Those who pass report SIRI's 2-month target being met, with biometrics booked through VFS centres abroad. Only 75 permits are issued a year.
Working Holiday applicants report 3-month processing and confusion over age limits, which differ by agreement: the Australia page currently states an upper limit of 36 while most third-party guides still quote 30. Paid work is capped, at 6 months in total and 3 per employer for Australians, so the permit suits a year of travel with side income rather than a full remote role. Pay Limit Scheme applicants report the 1-month target being met when the employer is complete on the first submission, and the Fast-track certification letting them start work before the decision.
Banking and daily money
Nothing financial works before the CPR number. Banks generally will not open an account without it, MitID follows it, and a NemKonto must be nominated so that tax refunds and public payments can land. Registering a Danish account takes about a week; nominating a foreign IBAN is reported at 8 to 10 weeks, and by April 2026 unclaimed public payments were queued for up to 20 weeks. Card payment is near universal and cash is rare, so a home-country card covers a short stay.
Tax residence is the real cost. Full liability begins on the first day of any stay that turns out to exceed 6 consecutive months, holidays included, and it covers worldwide income. The 27 per cent expat scheme, now open at DKK 65,400 a month, is only for employees of a Danish employer and lasts a maximum of 7 years in a lifetime; contractors and the self-employed are outside it.
What is changing
The direction since 2025 is tighter and dearer: salary thresholds and fees moved up on 1 January 2026, the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme is conditional on gross unemployment staying under 3.75 per cent, and a temporary freeze covers foreign doctors and nurses. The one loosening is a proposed collective-agreement permit for 16 non-EU countries at DKK 300,000, still a proposal as of September 2026. The Working Holiday network grew with Argentina, and the EU's ETIAS authorisation for visa-exempt travellers is expected before the end of 2026.
Researched from nyidanmark.dk · nyidanmark.dk · nyidanmark.dk · nyidanmark.dk · nyidanmark.dk · nyidanmark.dk · nyidanmark.dk · skat.dk · skat.dk · deloitte.com · the authority