Work in Greenland - extension

You want to extend your permit to work in Greenland

Normal processing time
3 months

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

Processing fee
No fee

Can I extend my residence permit?

You can apply for an extension of your residence and work permit in Greenland if there has not been made changes to your employment. This means that

  • your position and your workplace must have been the same during the entire period,
  • you must have been working and receiving salary during the entire period, and
  • your salary and terms of employment must be unchanged.

When receiving your application, SIRI requests a statement from the Government of Greenland  that stresses the following conditions:

  • Whether there are available professionals residing in Greenland who are qualified to carry out the job in question, 
  • whether the nature of the job in question is specialised enough to warrant a residence and work permit, and
  • whether 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 only allowed to work in the job and in the company that you have been granted a permit to work in.

You may continue working while SIRI processes your application for an extension.

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. You must not start in the new job before you have received a new permit. This also applies if you are offered a new position within the same company.

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

Read more about and apply for sideline employment in Greenland

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 Greenlandic address 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

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

During your stay in Greenland, you must be able to support yourself and your family. Therefore, you are not allowed to receive public benefits.

If you or one of your family members receive public benefits during your stay in Greenland, your permits can be revoked – and you will all 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 on your case.

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   

If the position you are employed in requires that your employer has a permit for hiring external labour (municipal permit) and the permit 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 normally could be.

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 stated 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.

If your employment changes, you must inform SIRI. For instance, this may be if you:

  • lose your job
  • change your position
  • change your job and start working for another employer.

Send us your changed information via our contact form

If you lose your job, you must inform SIRI.

If you lose your job, let us know via our contact form

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’s residence permits be extended?

An extension of your residence and work permit in Greenland allows any accompanying family members to extend their residence permits as well.

The extension of their permit will be for the same period as your extension. Accompanying family can be:

  • A spouse
  • A cohabiting partner
  • A registered partner
  • A child living at home

Read more about accompanying family

The Health Agreement

If there has not been made any changes to your employment, you can apply for an extension of your job as a healthcare professional at The Greenlandic Healthcare System.

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.

If you have been offered employment as a healthcare professional in The Greenlandic Healthcare System, you can submit an application for a residence and work permit according to the regulations in The Health Agreement.

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

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

What more do I need to know before I apply?

You can submit an application for an extension of a residence and work permit no sooner than 2 months before your permit expires, and no later than the last date your permit is valid for.

If you apply after your permit has expired, you can expect to receive a refusal.

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.

1

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:

Your employer must submit:

2

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 read the instructions under the section 'Need to know' and that you have completed all the preceeding steps under this section 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)

3

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

Log in to see your applications

4

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

If you have used the printable application instead, 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.

5

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