Published 20-05-2020
Temporary suspension of the Working Holiday scheme due to COVID-19 continues, but processing of applications will now resume
Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Minister for Immigration and Integration decided in March 2020 to temporarily suspend all Working Holiday agreements. This was done in continuation of the Danish border closure after which foreign nationals without a worthy purpose for entry into Denmark, including tourists, could not enter Denmark.
All first-time applications under the Working Holiday scheme (i.e. applications from foreign nationals, who have not previously been granted a residence permit under the Working Holiday Scheme) have since been put on hold based on the Minister's decision.
It has not been decided when the suspension of the Working Holiday scheme will be lifted. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration estimates that it will probably be necessary to maintain the temporary suspension of the Working Holiday scheme for some time to come. Therefore, the legal position of the applicants has now for a rather long period of time been unclear and remains so. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration has therefore asked the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration to initiate case processing of pending first-time applications. This also applies to new first-time applications that will be received from now on during the temporary suspension of the Working Holiday scheme.
All applicants will therefore receive an individual decision on their application for a residence permit under the Working Holiday scheme in the coming time. However, individual applicants cannot expect to receive a positive decision, since it is a condition for obtaining a residence permit under the scheme, that there is an active (i.e. not suspended) Working Holiday agreement between the applicant's home country and Denmark.
Applicants who have applied for or want to apply for an extension of their current Working Holiday permit will also have their applications processed. If they meet the conditions, they have the option of getting an extension regardless of the suspension of the Working Holiday scheme.
