Kingdom of Denmark vs Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Kingdom of Denmark and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- New to Denmark — Official immigration portal
SIRI / Ministry of Immigration and Integration - verified
- Immigration Department
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - verified
- New to Denmark — Pay Limit Scheme
SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) - verified
- Immigration Department - General Employment Policy
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - verified
Kingdom of Denmark
Denmark's immigration is administered by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) under the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. Key skilled-migration schemes include the Pay Limit Scheme (salary threshold), Positive List (shortage occupations), Fast-Track Scheme (certified employers), and Start-Up Denmark for entrepreneurs. Permanent residence requires 8 years of legal residence (reducible to 4 with full-time employment and Danish language).
- Official portal
- SIRI / Ministry of Immigration and Integration
- Languages
- Danish
- Currency
- Danish krone
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Hong Kong's Immigration Department runs a suite of talent and employment admission schemes rather than a single points-based system. The headline routes are the General Employment Policy (GEP) for sponsored professionals, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) and Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) for talent without a prior job offer, and the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG). Most schemes are residence tracks: seven years of continuous ordinary residence can lead to the right of abode.
- Official portal
- Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR)
- Languages
- Chinese, English
- Currency
- Hong Kong dollar
How Kingdom of Denmark and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China differ
| Dimension | Kingdom of Denmark | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 5 | 8 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 1 | 5 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 4 | 8 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Pay Limit Scheme -> permanent residence after 8 years, or 4 years for strongest cases -> citizenship after meeting naturalisation conditions. | GEP residence -> extensions -> right of abode/permanent resident status after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Pay Limit Scheme (Beloebsordningen) | General Employment Policy (GEP) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | DKK 552,000/year | No fixed published floor |
| Skilled visa processing time | SIRI lists normal Pay Limit Scheme processing at 1 month, with up to 3 months where additional information is needed. | Hong Kong Immigration says General Employment Policy applications are normally finalised in four weeks once all documents and fees are received. |
| Skilled visa government fees | Denmark lists a DKK 6,810 fee for the Pay Limit Scheme work-permit application and DKK 3,080 per accompanying family member to an employee. | A Hong Kong GEP application with an initial stay over 180 days costs HKD 1,900 in listed Immigration Department fees. |
| Official languages | Danish | Chinese, English |
| Currency | Danish krone | Hong Kong dollar |
| Primary regulator | Advokatsamfundet | Law Society |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Kingdom of Denmark
Pay Limit Scheme (Beloebsordningen)
- Salary minimum
- DKK 552,000/year
- Government fees
- Denmark lists a DKK 6,810 fee for the Pay Limit Scheme work-permit application and DKK 3,080 per accompanying family member to an employee.
- Processing time
- SIRI lists normal Pay Limit Scheme processing at 1 month, with up to 3 months where additional information is needed.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
General Employment Policy (GEP)
- Salary minimum
- No fixed published floor
- Government fees
- A Hong Kong GEP application with an initial stay over 180 days costs HKD 1,900 in listed Immigration Department fees.
- Processing time
- Hong Kong Immigration says General Employment Policy applications are normally finalised in four weeks once all documents and fees are received.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Kingdom of Denmark
Routes unique to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Visa routes side by side
Kingdom of Denmark (5)
Pay Limit Scheme (Beloebsordningen)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to 4 years; renewable if employment continues.
Positive List Scheme (Positivlisten)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to 4 years; renewable.
Fast-Track Scheme (Fast-Track-ordningen)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to 4 years.
Student Residence Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration of studies; renewable annually.
Family Reunification (Familiesammenfoering)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Tied to the sponsor's residence status. Leads to permanent residence on the same conditions as work-permit holders.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (8)
General Employment Policy (GEP)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months on employment conditions; extensions typically follow a 3+3+2-year pattern.
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months under the General Points Test (or a longer initial period for Achievement-based applicants); renewable.
Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay of 36 months (Category A) or 24 months (Categories B and C); renewable on meeting the criteria.
Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay of 24 months on time limitation only; renewable subject to meeting the criteria.
Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Employment-based stay aligned with the company quota and the applicant contract; renewable subject to continued eligibility.
Entry for Investment as Entrepreneurs
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months on employment (business) conditions; extensions follow the standard pattern.
Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay granted under the scheme, renewable while the investment and asset requirements continue to be met.
Entry for Residence as Dependants
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Stay normally aligned with the sponsor permitted period of stay; renewable alongside the sponsor.
Frequently asked questions
How long does permanent residence typically take in Kingdom of Denmark vs Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China?+
Kingdom of Denmark: Pay Limit Scheme -> permanent residence after 8 years, or 4 years for strongest cases -> citizenship after meeting naturalisation conditions.. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China: GEP residence -> extensions -> right of abode/permanent resident status after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence.. Both timelines are route-dependent — see each country’s settlement page for the breakdown per visa.
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Kingdom of Denmark or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China?+
Kingdom of Denmark’s Pay Limit Scheme (Beloebsordningen) requires a salary of at least DKK 552,000/year; Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China’s General Employment Policy (GEP) requires No fixed published floor. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Kingdom of Denmark or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 1 for Kingdom of Denmark. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Is the main skilled visa cheaper in Kingdom of Denmark or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China?+
Comparing the dominant skilled route in each country: Denmark lists a DKK 6,810 fee for the Pay Limit Scheme work-permit application and DKK 3,080 per accompanying family member to an employee. By contrast, A Hong Kong GEP application with an initial stay over 180 days costs HKD 1,900 in listed Immigration Department fees. Those are government fees only and exclude relocation, qualification recognition, and living costs — open each fee page for the itemised breakdown.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Kingdom of Denmark vs Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/denmark/vs/hong-kong. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons