Fast-Track Scheme (Fast-Track-ordningen)

The normal processing time is 1 month, and quick job start normally takes 0–30 days. In some cases a provisional work permit can let the worker start before the final residence-and-work permit is issued.

The company applies to SIRI for Fast-Track certification. Requirements include meeting size criteria (minimum number of employees), being tax-compliant, and offering employment conditions meeting Danish standards. Certification is valid for 4 years and covers all future Fast-Track hires during that period. Most major Danish employers (Novo Nordisk, Maersk, Vestas, Carlsberg, etc.) and many international companies with Danish offices are already certified.

If you want to change employers, the new employer must also be SIRI-certified, or you must apply for a standard work permit (Pay Limit or Positive List). You cannot simply switch to any employer — the Fast-Track privilege is tied to certified employers.

Not necessarily — Fast-Track now has five tracks: pay limit, supplementary pay limit, short-term, researcher, and educational. A degree is not a universal requirement, but the employer must be SIRI-certified and the job must fit the conditions of one of the tracks. Confirm which track fits your situation on nyidanmark.dk.

Family members are not brought in through the Fast-Track Scheme itself — spouses and children apply separately for family-reunification permits, which are processed by the Immigration Service and can take around 3–10 months. Plan for your family's permits to follow on a slower timeline than your own fast-tracked start. Verify on nyidanmark.dk.