Trainees
It is possible to be granted a residence and work permit as a trainee for the purpose of working in a company in Denmark for a limited period of time for educational purposes.
If you are a
Nordic citizen, you are free to reside, study and work in Denmark. If you are an
EU/EEA citizen or Swiss citizen seeking residence in Denmark based on the EU rules on freedom of movement, you may be subject to special regulations.
More information about EU/EEA and Nordic citizens.If you already hold a Danish residence permit based on family reunification or asylum, or hold a residence permit on humanitarian grounds, you do not need a work permit in order to work in Denmark.
It is your own responsibility to obtain a work permit if you are required to. If you work illegally in Denmark, you risk deportation, and you and your employer risk fine or imprisonment.
Conditions
You can be granted a residence and work permit as a trainee if professional or labour market considerations warrant it. This will often be the case in the following situations:
You are working in a parent or sister company or subsidiary and wish to come to Denmark in order to train within the Danish subsidiary, sister or parent company and will subsequently return to your country of residence.
A Danish company preparing to establish a foreign subsidiary wishes to train or educate you in areas such as Danish production methods, corporate management, know-how etc. in order to prepare you to work in the foreign subsidiary.
A company in Denmark has an established clientele in your country of residence and wishes to employ you to represent the company's interests there. In this case, you may require training or education in areas such as Danish production methods, corporate management, know-how etc.
You must also meet the following conditions:
The trainee position must be with a Danish company.
There must be a particular reason why the trainee position should be filled by you.
A documented strategic partnership/collaboration must exist between the company in Denmark and a company/organisation in your country of residence.
You must participate in an educational and/or trainee programme with the company in Denmark. You must enclose a description of this programme with your application. The programme must qualify you to use the knowledge acquired via the education/training in your country of residence.
Salary and work conditions must correspond to Danish standards.
The total trainee period in Denmark may not exceed 24 months.
Duration
You will be granted a residence and work permit for a maximum of one year with a possibility for extension. However, a permit is never granted for longer than the period specified in your trainee contract. Your total contract period may not exceed 24 months.
You can be issued a residence permit valid one month prior to your first day of work, if you declare that you are able to support yourself and any accompanying family members for the entire month before you begin working. Otherwise, your residence permit will be valid 14 days before your first day of work.
If your job contract expires or you lose your job through no fault of your own, e.g. due to cutbacks, and you find a new job, you must apply for a new residence and work permit. The same applies generally if you change job. You may begin your new job before you have received your new permit, provided that you submit your application no later than the day you start your new job.
If you apply for an extension of your permit, you may stay in Denmark and continue working while the Immigration Service processes your application, provided that you are still in the same trainee position, on the same terms and conditions, as when you were granted your original permit.
Your residence permit can only be granted or extended up to three months before your passport expires. This means that if your passport expires in 12 months, you can only be granted a permit for nine months, or your permit can only be extended by nine months.
Family members
If you hold a residence and work permit as a trainee, your spouse, registered partner or cohabiting partner, as well as any children under the age of 18 who are living at home with you, are also eligible for residence permits. Your family members must be able to support themselves and you must live together in Denmark at the same address. Your spouse, registered partner or cohabiting partner is allowed to work full-time for the entire period his or her permit is valid.
Read more about how to apply.