Published 01-10-2025

New rules mean that residence permits cannot be granted for the purpose of obtaining authorisation as a nurse (quota system)

On 7 October 2025, the Danish Patient Safety Authority will expectedly introduce a quota on the number of applications for authorisation as a nurse. The quota is set at 0, which means that residence permits cannot be granted for the purpose of obtaining Danish authorisation as a nurse. Accompanying family members of persons covered by the quota scheme will also no longer be able to obtain a residence permit on that basis. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

In the period from 7 October 2025 to 31 December 2026, the Danish Patient Safety Authority will expectedly introduce a quota for the number of applications for authorisation as a nurse.

The quota has been set at 0, and until 31 December 2026 it will therefore no longer be possible to obtain a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining authorisation as a nurse.

The same applies to any accompanying family members of persons who have applied for a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining authorisation as a nurse but who have not been granted a residence permit as of 7 October 2025.

However, accompanying family members of persons who have been granted a residence permit in Denmark before 7 October 2025, for the purpose of obtaining Danish authorisation as a nurse, will still be able to apply for and be granted a residence permit as accompanying family members.

The aim is to create a balance between the number of foreign healthcare professionals from third countries who travel to Denmark to obtain Danish authorisation and the estimated future need for healthcare professionals within the relevant professional group in regions and municipalities.

What does this mean?

• In the period from 7 October 2025 to 31 December 2026, SIRI cannot grant residence permits for the purpose of obtaining Danish authorisation as a nurse. 

• In the period from 7 October 2025 to 31 December 2026, residence permits cannot be granted to accompanying family members, unless the main person has been granted a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining Danish authorisation as a nurse before 7 October 2025.

• Throughout the entire period, all applications for residence permits for the purpose of obtaining authorisation as a nurse and accompanying family members to those applicants, will be rejected. This applies regardless of when the application was submitted and therefore also includes all pending applications. However, an exception applies to accompanying family members if the main applicant has obtained a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining Danish authorisation as a nurse before 7 October 2025.

• The full fee paid in connection with the submission of the application will be refunded if the application is rejected due to the quota system.

There will be no change to the possibility of applying for an extension of an already granted authorisation to reside as a nurse and as an accompanying family member, nor will pending extension applications be affected by the changes.