DENMARK: Biometrics Registration Changes and Salary Increase

January 19, 2017

From 7^th February 2017, foreign nationals applying for work and residence permits under the Fast-Track Scheme must book an appointment for registering their biometric data at the Danish Agency of Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) in Copenhagen.

Appointments can be scheduled online immediately; however, advance booking will become mandatory from 7^th February 2017.

In addition, the minimum gross annual pay to qualify for the Pay Limit Scheme increased to DKK 408,000 (up from DKK 400,000) from 1^st January 2017.

Fast-Track Scheme

The Fast-track scheme enables certified companies to hire highly qualified foreign nationals on short notice without having to wait for an application to be processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration. An applicant for a work and residence permit under the Fast-Track Scheme can enter Denmark at any time and apply from within Denmark if preferred.

The applicant can start work once they have undergone certain checks in person at SIRI, and submitted their biometric data. A meeting is booked by following the link in the receipt received when the online work and residence permit application has been submitted. The meeting can be booked to take place two hours after the application has been submitted at the earliest. The latest possible booking to qualify for quick job start is 14 days from the date of submission.

If the checks show that all the conditions have been fulfilled, a temporary permit allowing the foreign national to start working will be granted. The permit is valid until a decision has been made regarding the application for a residence and work permit.

A foreign national can apply under the fast-track scheme if he or she has been offered a job by a certified company, and the job must be either as a researcher or a highly-qualified trainee, or for less than three months, or qualify for the Pay Limit scheme.

Pay Limit Scheme

It is a condition under the Pay Limit scheme that the foreign national has been offered a job with a gross annual salary of no less than DKK 408,000 (DKK 34,000 per month), up from DKK 400,000 in 2016.

Our advice

Note that the minimum gross annual salary to qualify under the Pay Limit Scheme has increased to DKK 408,000.

From 7^th February 2017, ensure that applicants book an appointment online for a biometric registration appointment in Copenhagen within 14 days of submitting their application for a work and residence permit under the Fast-Track scheme.

For further information on Danish immigration, please email us at [email protected].