Working Holiday – South Korea

You are a citizen of South Korea and wish to spend up to a year on a working holiday in Denmark on the basis of a Working Holiday agreement between Denmark and your home country. The agreement allows you to work to a limited extent.

Normal processing time
3 months


Working Holiday

What is Working Holiday?

Denmark has made a Working Holiday agreement with South Korea.

The Working Holiday agreement has been made to give young citizens from Denmark and South Korea the opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures and ways of living. The purpose is to further mutual understanding between the countries.

 

The purpose of your stay must primarily be to be on holiday for an extended period of time and secondarily to work for the purpose of supplementing your travel funds.

With a Working Holiday residence permit, you are allowed to work to a limited extent. This means that you are allowed to work a number of months during a period of 1 year. You are also allowed to attend an educational course of limited duration. 

If you have been on a working holiday stay in Denmark before, it is not possible for you to be granted a permit for a new working holiday stay.

The agreement goes both ways. This means that young danes can be granted a permit to stay in the partner countries in accordance with the rules that apply in the respective countries.

If you are a Danish national and want a working holiday stay in one of the partner countries, you should contact the embassy of the country in question.

The countries that have entered into an agreement are:

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Japan
  • New Zealand
  • South Korea

What are the conditions?

You must be both a citizen of South Korea and a habitual resident in South Korea.

This also means that you must have a valid passport issued by South Korea.

As a South Korean citizen, you are required to submit your application from South Korea.

You can submit your application using either the online form or the print version.

If you submit your application from another country, we will, as a rule, reject your application.

The Working Holiday agreements have been made to give young people a better opportunity to learn about each other's culture and way of life. Therefore, you must be of a certain age.

You must be at least 18 years old and no older than 35 years old at the time you submit your application for a Working Holiday residence and work permit.

You must have sufficient funds to be able to support yourself during your stay in Denmark.

You must document that you have sufficient funds equivalent to DKK 15,000. In addition, you must have a ticket to your home country or sufficient funds for this, equivalent to DKK 5,000.

This means that you must present either DKK 20,000 or DKK 15,000 + a ticket to your home country.

Please note that if you present a return ticket as documentation of additional funds for living expenses (equivalent to DKK 5,000) and the return date on the ticket is earlier than one year from the date of your permit, your permit will be shortened accordingly.

To document your funds, you can submit a bank statement that shows:

  • Date of the statement (maximum 30 days old at the time of submission of application)
  • Your full name
  • Balance
  • Currency

If you submit more than one bank statement, both statements must be from the same date.

Please note that we only accept documentation for liquid assets. This means assets that can quickly be realised into cash, which you have access to. Therefore, we do not accept restricted stocks, bonds or an investment portfolio as documentation.

A bank statement under another person's name (e.g. your parents), or a statement from others saying that your financial support is secured, will not be accepted as documentation either.

All documentation must be translated into English, German, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.

 

You are required to have insurance.

You must document that you hold both comprehensive medical and hospitalization insurance which is valid for the entire duration of your stay in Denmark.

The documentation must be translated into English, German, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.

The purpose of Working Holiday agreements is to give young citizens of each country the opportunity to learn about the culture and way of life of the other country in order to promote mutual understanding between the two countries.

The primary purpose of your stay in Denmark must be to spend a longer period of time on holiday. With a residence and work permit under the Working Holiday scheme, you are allowed to perform paid work to supplement your travel funds. This means that you are not allowed to work as a self-employed person, i.e. you are not allowed to run your own business in Denmark.

What are my rights if I am granted a permit?

What are you allowed to do with a Danish residence permit for a Working Holiday stay – and what are you not allowed to do?

In addition to your Working Holiday residence permit, you will be granted a limited work permit.

Your work permit only grants you the right to carry out salaried work. This means that you are not allowed to work as an entrepreneur, i.e. you are not allowed to run your own business in Denmark.

Your limited work permit allows you to work for up to 9 months during a 12-months stay.

The number of months is calculated from the number of months in which your employer reports payment of a salary. It is therefore irrelevant for how many days or hours in any given month you have been working.

If you work more than your limited work permit allows you to or if you work as an entrepreneur, the work will be considered as illegal work. Illegal work can, among other things, mean that your residence permit will be revoked.

You can attend courses or an education for a maximum of 6 months of your stay.

With a residence permit in Denmark, you are entitled to free Danish lessons. However, you must have turned 18 years and have your Danish address registered in the Danish National Register.

If you have a residence permit in Denmark based on work, study, etc. you have to pay a deposit before you can start receiving lessons. Be aware that you can lose your deposit if you do not pass the different modules within a specific timeframe.

Your municipality of residence is obliged to offer you Danish lessons and refer you to a language centre. If you have not been offered Danish lessons within a month after registering your address in Denmark, you can contact your municipality.

You will (typically) be taught together with other foreign nationals who have arrived in Denmark recently.

You must be able to support yourself during your stay. Therefore, you are not allowed to receive benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, study grants or housing benefits.

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

If an authority, e.g. a municipality, disburses benefits to foreign nationals, SIRI will be notified.

See a list of public benefits you are not allowed to receive

If you are going to stay and work in Denmark, there are a number of things to acquaint yourself with. Depending on your personal situation, you might need other important information and options.

The portal lifeindenmark.dk. provides you with information, links and in many cases also options concerning the most important subjects such as:

  • MitID

  • The CPR register

  • Health card

  • Tax matters

  • Holiday entitlements

  • School and daycare

  • Housing

  • Danish lessons

  • Car registration and driver’s license

Go to lifeindenmark.dk (opens in a new window)

How long can I stay in Denmark?

If you are granted a Working Holiday residence and work permit, you are allowed to stay in Denmark for one year calculated from your date of entry. If your residence permit expires before you have stayed in Denmark for a full year, you can apply for an extension.

A residence permit can only be valid until 3 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 accordingly. This means that the validity of your residence permit will be shorter than it could be. Once you have renewed your passport, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit – but no earlier than 3 months before your residence permit expires. 

Read about the passport requirements

The permit can only be granted for the period during which your insurance is valid.

If your insurance does not cover a full year from the date of your permit, your permit will be shortened accordingly. This means that the length of your residence permit will be shorter than it could be.

Once you have been registered in the Danish Central Person Register (CPR) or taken out new insurance, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit.

If you have submitted a return ticket as documentation of sufficient funds (equivalent to DKK 5,000) and the departure date is sooner than 1 year from the date of your residence permit, your permit will be shortened accordingly. This means that the validity of your residence permit will be shorter than it could be.

If you buy a new return ticket, you can apply for extension of your residence permit for up to 1 year from your date of entry into Denmark.

Can my family be granted a residence permit?

Your family cannot apply for a residence permit to accompany you on your working holiday in Denmark.

What more do I need to know before I apply?

An application for a Working Holiday residence permit is processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

Before applying, you must create an SB-ID for the application, and you must pay a fee to cover SIRI's case processing. This can be done in the 'How to apply' tab on the right side of this page.

Here, you also have access to the relevant application, WH1. You can choose between an online form or a paper form.

Please note that SIRI will, as a rule, reject applications for residence permits on new grounds that are submitted too early in relation to the desired start date of the stay in Denmark.

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

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

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

You must submit

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Expect to use

30 minutes

completing the application

1 person

You complete the application form yourself.

In this step, you have access to the relevant application.

You can choose between an online application and a print application. It is best to use the online application, as it is both safer and more efficient.

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

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

Read more about how we process your personal data

Online application

WH1/2

If you do not have MitID, you can send the application by signing our sworn declaration by hand and attaching it 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 in the application.

Printable application forms

If you choose the printable application, you can choose between Word format and pdf format.

The application in Word format can be completed on screen before you print. The application in pdf format must be printed first and then completed by hand.

You must submit the necessary documentation along with the application.

Download the print WH1 application (Word format) 

Download the print WH1 application (Pdf format)

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

Log in to see your applications

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You have applied online

If you have applied online, your application has already been submitted. Read more about having your biometrics recorded in the next step.

You are required to submit your application from South Korea even though you apply online.

You are submitting the application physically

As a South Korean citizen, you can only submit the application to a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in South Korea.

See a list of diplomatic missions or application centres on um.dk (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. 

If you submit your application at a Norwegian mission, you must also submit two passport photos. Read more under the next step about how to submit your biometric data later.

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.

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When you apply for a residence permit, you must have your biometric features recorded. This means that you must have a facial photo taken and your fingerprints recorded. The facial photo and your fingerprints will be stored on a microchip embedded in the residence card that will be issued to you if you are granted a residence permit.

SIRI can, as a rule, only begin to process your application when your biometric features have been recorded.

If you do not agree to have your biometric features recorded, your application will be rejected. This means that your application will not be processed.

Read more about biometrics

You have applied online

If you have submitted an online application, you must have your biometric features recorded no later than 14 days after you submitted your application.

Your biometric features can be recorded at

  • a Danish diplomatic mission abroad (opens in a new window)
  • one of SIRI’s branch offices

See a list of Danish diplomatic missions on um.dk (opens i a new window)

See a list of SIRI's branch offices

If you are unable to have your biometric features recorded within the time limit of 14 days because you are unable to book an appointment at a Danish diplomatic mission, you can inform us of the appointed time you are going to have your biometrics recorded. This way, you can avoid having your application rejected.

Write to SIRI via our contact form

 

You are submitting the application abroad

If you submit an application abroad, you can have your biometric features recorded at a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in South Korea.

See a list of diplomatic missions or application centres on um.dk (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.

If you submit your application to a Norwegian diplomatic mission, you must also submit two passport photos. If you are then granted a residence permit based on your application, you must have your biometric features recorded within a specific time frame after your entry into Denmark.

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 have travelled to Denmark after submitting the application

If you are residing legally in Denmark, (e.g. on a visa free stay), you can have your biometric features recorded in one of SIRI's branch offices. If you plan to have your biometrics recorded in one of SIRI’s branch offices, you must remember to book an appointment.

Book an appointment with SIRI

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You have submitted your application succesfully if you have:

  • created a case order ID

  • paid the fee

  • submitted the application

  • had your biometric features recorded. Only relevant if you have applied online.

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 if we need further information to process your case.

Your residence card will automatically be sent to the address that has been registered under your name in the Civil Registration System (CPR). It is important that your name is written on your mailbox. If your name is not written on your mailbox, there is a chance that the residence card will not be delivered to you, and that it will be sent back to SIRI instead.

Read about what you can expect while you are waiting for an answer

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Last updated 26-02-2026 - Published by: SIRI