Work in Greenland

You have been offered employment in Greenland and want to apply for a residence and work permit.

Normal processing time
3 months

However, if further information is needed, the processing time can be up to
5 months

The Health Agreement normally takes
1 month

Processing fee
No fee

Work in Greenland

If you wish to work in Greenland, you must apply for a residence and work permit at the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), which will process the application based on an approval from the Government of Greenland.

It is your own responsibility to obtain a residence and work permit if the rules require it. You are not allowed to start working before you have received your residence and work permit. 

Greenland and Denmark are two distinct travel areas. This means that a residence permit in Denmark does not give you the right to stay in Greenland. Likewise, a residence permit in Greenland does not allow you to stay in Denmark.

Please note that you must also apply for a residence and work permit if you take voluntary or unpaid work.

If you are a citizen of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden, you neither need a visa, nor a permit to stay and work in Greenland. You are free to enter into Greenland, and you do not need to bring your passport.

Since Greenland is not a member of the EU, the EU rules on free movement does not apply to Greenland.

Therefore, applicants from EU/EEA countries or Switzerland must follow the same rules as all other foreign nationals. However, EU citizens are not required to apply for a visa.

If you already hold a residence permit based on family reunification or as a refugee, or you hold a humanitarian or permanent residence permit in Greenland, you do not need a work permit in order to work in Greenland.

What are the conditions?

As a rule, your employer must have a municipal permit that allows them to employ foreign labour for the job in question in order for you to work in Greenland.

Only the municipality in Greenland where the workplace is located can grant your employer such a permit.

However, not all jobs require a municipal permit.

Read more about work in Greenland (opens in a new tab) (in Danish only)

You can work in Greenland without holding a work permit if your stay is shorter than 3 months, and you are:

  • a researcher  or a lecturer who has been invited to teach or lecture in Greenland,
  • a professional athlete or artist (excluding performers, restaurant musicians and similar),
  • a representative of a foreign company or organisation, which do not have a branch office in Greenland, who is on a business trip in Greenland,
  • an individual employed in the household of foreign nationals visiting Greenland for up to three months,
  • a fitter, consultant or instructor hired to fit, install, inspect or repair machines, equipment, computer programmes or similar items.

Read more about the so-called “fitter rule”

However, you must still hold a visa if you are a national of country whose citizens are required to have a visa to visit Greenland

If you stay for a longer period than 3 months, you must apply for a residence and work permit before you start working.

Your salary and terms of employment must correspond to Greenlandic standards. This means that your salary, holiday entitlements, terms of notice etc. must not be inferior to the standards within the professional field in which you are going to work. As a rule, your employment must be full-time, which normally means 40 hours work per week.

When you apply, you must attach a copy of your employment contract or job offer. All terms of employment must be stated in the contract or the job offer.

When SIRI has received your application for a residence and work permit, we will forward the application to the Government of Greenland, which will assess whether your salary and terms of employment correspond to Greenlandic standards.

In Greenland, you are obligated to save for your own pension. The requirement applies to people over the age of 18 who are fully taxable in Greenland.

Find more information on the Tax Agency's website in Greenland (opens in a new window)

What are my rights if I am granted a permit?

What are you allowed to do with a residence and work permit in Greenland? – and what are you not allowed to do?

You are not allowed to start working, until you have been granted a permit to do so.

You are only allowed to work in the job and in the company that you have been granted a permit to work in.

If you are offered a new job or a new position, you must apply for a new permit before you can start the new job. This also applies if you are offered a new position within the same company.

If you wish to get a sideline employement in Greenland, you must apply for a special permit for this.

Read more about sideline employment and apply for it

A residence and work permit allows you to stay in Greenland for the period of time your permit is valid. 

You must not give up your address in Greenland or stay abroad for a longer period of time. A violation will result in the lapse of your permit. This means that you will lose your right to stay in Greenland.

If you have been staying in Greenland legally for less than 2 years, you are allowed to stay outside of Greenland for 6 successive months. 

If you have been staying in Greenland legally for more than 2 years and you hold a residence permit that can be made permanent, or if you already hold a permanent residence permit, you are allowed to stay outside of Greenland for up to 12 months.

If you need to stay abroad for an extended period of time, e.g. if you are stationed abroad for a period of time by your employer, you can apply for a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing.

Read more about lapse and dispensation options

Staying abroad while serving in the military as a conscript or performing required community service will not be considered time living outside of Greenland.

Stays in Denmark or the Faroe Islands are considered as time spent abroad.

You must be able to support yourself and your family during your stay. You are not allowed to receive public benefits.

If you or your family members receive such benefits during your stay, your permit can be revoked – and you will lose the right to stay in Greenland.

How long can I stay in Greenland?

A residence permit in Greenland can be granted with a validity of up to 2 years from the date a decision is made in your case.

If your position requires a permit to employ foreign labour (municipal permit), the residence and work permit can only be granted until the municipal permit expires.

This means that your residence permit will usually have the same duration as the municipal permit.

If your position does not require a permit to employ foreign labour, the residence and work permit will usually have the same duration as your employment, but for a maximum of 2 years.

If you want to continue to work in Greenland beyond this period, you must apply for an extension of your residence and work permit.

It is very important that you apply for an extension before your permit expires.

If you submit the application for an extension in time, you are allowed to stay in Greenland and continue to work until a decision on your application is made – even though your permit expires.

A residence permit can only be valid until 2 months before the expiry date of your passport.

If your passport has a shorter validity than the otherwise possible period of stay, your residence permit will be shortened. This means that the validity of your residence permit will be shorter than it could be. When you have renewed your passport, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit – however, this can only be done 2 months before your permit expires at the earliest. 

Read more about the passport requirements

What should I do if I lose my job or change job?

Your residence permit in Greenland is linked to the job and the employer that is written on your permit.

You are not allowed to work in other positions, or for other employers, than the one stated in your permit. This also applies if you are offered a new position in the same company.

You must inform SIRI if your employment changes. This may be because of situations such as:

  • You lose your job
  • You change your position
  • You change your job and work for another employer

You can send us your information via our contact form

You must inform SIRI if you lose your job. You can let us know via our contact form at New to Denmark

Your residence and work permit will be revoked as it is based on this exact job.

If you find a new job or are offered a new position while you are working, you must submit a new application for a residence and work permit with information on your new employment.

You are not allowed to start at your new job or in your new position before you have been granted a new permit.

 

Can my family be granted a residence permit?

You can bring your family with you to Greenland, if you have been granted a residence and work permit in Greenland.

Accompanying family can be:

  • A spouse

  • A cohabiting partner

  • A registered partner

  • A child under the age of 18 living at home

Read more about accompanying family

The Health Agreement

If you wish to work as a healthcare professional at The Greenlandic Healthcare System, you must apply for a residence and work permit at the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

Under The Health Agreement, you can, as a healthcare professional at The Greenlandic Healthcare System, get a residence and work permit that allows you to live and work in Greenland, if your employment is covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

You can apply for a residence and work permit in Greenland if you apply according to the current legal rules. 

If you get offered a position as a healthcare professional in The Greenlandic Healthcare System, we can then process your application without consulting the Greenlandic Government.

You are not allowed to start working before you have gotten your residence and work permit from SIRI.

Foreign nationals who have been offered employment in The Greenlandic Healthcare System as a healthcare professional can apply for a residence and work permit on the basis of The Health Agreement.

A healtcare professional is a person who has an education within the healthcare field.

You have to be offered employment in a position as a healthcare professional in The Greenlandic Healthcare System.

The employment must be in a position covered by the Greenlandic collective bargaining agreement relevant to the specific field of employment.

 

What more do I need to know before I apply?

As a general rule, you must have an employment agreement with a company registered in Greenland to be able to apply. However, there are certain exceptions, e.g. if you work for a foreign company that provides services in Greenland.

Under the section 'How To Apply' on the right side of the screen, you have access to the relevant applications. You can choose between a digital and a printable application.

If you choose the digital application, your employer must start the application process by completing the first of the two parts of the application. We will let you know by email when the employer has completed their part and you can begin your part.

The employer must write your email address in their part. You must use the link in the email to sign up as a user with the same email address to access your part.

Make sure that the email address the employer writes is the same email address as the one you intend to sign up with.

If you use the paper form, the application process is also generally initiated by your employer.  

SIRI will contact you or your employer if we need further information to process your case.

Below you will find a step-by-step guide to submitting an application to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

It is important that you have carefully read the conditions for being granted a residence permit before you begin step 1. You can do this on the tab “Need to know” on the left.

It is a good idea to gather the necessary documents before you start to complete the application form. You can use the check list below.

If you submit documents not written in English, German, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish, you must also submit certified translations into Danish or English.

You must submit:

You employer must submit:

Expect to use

20 minutes

per person to complete the application

2 persons

You and your employer are each required to complete a part of the form.

In this step you and your employer have access to the relevant application. You can choose between a digital and a printable version.

Make sure that you have completed all the preceeding steps before you begin.

All of our applications contain careful instructions on how to complete the form and what kind of documents you must submit along with the form.

You can give your employer power of attorney, which allows them to apply on your behalf. 

Read more about power of attorney and find an approved standard version of a power of attorney

Read more about how we process your personal data

Digital application

If your are applying digitally, you must choose the digital GL1/5 below.

In the digital GL1/5, your employer must complete the first of the two parts of the application. When your employer has completed their part, you must then complete your part.

Make sure to have all of the necessary documentation at hand digitally, in order for you to attach them to the application during the process.

GL1/5

If you do not have MitID, you can submit the application by signing the sworn declaration by hand, which you will then attach to the application. It is important that you sign and attach our sworn declaration. 

Download our sworn declaration (PDF)

You can also download the sworn declaration within the application.

Printable application

In the printable application GL1, you must complete part 1 and your employer must complete part 2.

You must send us the necessary documentation along with the application.

The application in Word format can be completed on the screen, before you print it out. The application in PDF format must be completed by hand, after you have printed it out.

Download the printable form GL1 (Word format)

Download the printable form GL1 (PDF format)

You can find your ongoing and completed applications for 30 days from your last login.

Log in to see your applications

If you have used our digital application, you have already submitted the application.

If you have used the printable application instead, please continue to read the following text.

You are are submitting the application abroad

The application can be submitted to a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in the country where you are residing.

See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of diplomatic missions or application centres where you can hand in your application (opens in a new window)

In certain countries Denmark does not have a diplomatic mission or application centre. In these instances the list will refer you to one of the Norwegian missions with which Denmark has made an agreement or to the nearest Danish diplomatic mission or application centre in the region.

We recommend that you visit the local diplomatic mission’s webpage to get more information before you submit the application. The individual diplomatic mission can have additional requirements regarding payment of additional fees, submission of additional passport photos or additional copies of the application.

You are submitting the application in Greenland

If you are staying legally in Greenland, you are able to submit the application in Greenland. This is the case, if you:

  • have a valid visa
  • are exempt from the visa requirement or
  • already hold a valid residence permit in Greenland.

You can send the application directly to SIRI via our contact form, by attaching the application form and the relevant documents to the contact form.

You can find SIRI's contact form here

You can also submit the application in person:

  • either at SIRI's branch office in Nuuk, or
  • at the local Greenlandic police, if you are not staying in Nuuk

You can see the address and the opening hours for SIRI's branch office in Nuuk here

Please contact the police in order to find out where in Greenland you can submit your application outside of Nuuk.

You are submitting the application in Danmark

If you are residing legally in Denmark, you are normally able to submit the application in Denmark. This is the case, if you:

  • hold a valid visa
  • are exempt from the visa requirement or
  • already hold a valid residence permit.

Read more about the legal residence requirement and submission of your application in Denmark

You can send the application directly to SIRI via our contact form, by attaching the application form and the relevant documents to the contact form.

Find SIRI's contact form

You can also submit the application in one of SIRI’s branch offices.

You must remember to book an appointment before you show up in person to submit your application.

You can find more information about booking an appointment

You can see the normal case processing time to the right on this page. When we make a decision in your case, you will receive an answer.

SIRI will contact you or your employer if we need further information to process your case.

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Last updated 16-02-2026 - Published by: SIRI