Kingdom of Denmark · work sponsored · Leads to settlement
Fast-Track Scheme (Fast-Track-ordningen)
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Source check: all 6 official citations reconfirmed 13 September 2026
Accelerated work-permit processing for workers hired by SIRI-certified Danish employers — work can begin within days.
- Processing time
- Normal processing time: 1 month; quick job start normally takes 0–30 days. Supplementary pay limit cases can take up to 3 months if further information is needed.
- Government fees
- DKK 6,810.
- Typical duration
- Up to 4 years.
- Sponsorship required
- Yes
- Leads to permanent residency
- Yes
In short
As of 8 July 2026, the Fast-Track Scheme (Fast-Track-ordningen) for Kingdom of Denmark is a sponsor-led Denmark immigration route. Sources: official Kingdom of Denmark government pages, reviewed 8 July 2026.
Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/denmark/fast-track-dk#answer
What is the Fast-Track Scheme (Fast-Track-ordningen) in Kingdom of Denmark?
Fast-Track Scheme (Fast-Track-ordningen) is a sponsor-led Denmark route. Indicative government fees are DKK 6,810; indicative processing time is Normal processing time: 1 month; quick job start normally takes 0–30 days. Supplementary pay limit cases can take up to 3 months if further information is needed; typical duration is Up to 4 years. This route can lead to permanent residence.
Verified against SIRI on 1 July 2026.
Overview
The Fast-Track Scheme allows SIRI-certified Danish companies to recruit foreign workers with accelerated processing and, where requested, a quick job start. The employer must be SIRI-certified and the employment must fit one of five tracks: the pay limit track, supplementary pay limit track, short-term track, researcher track, or educational track. Quick job start can allow work to begin before the final residence-and-work permit is issued, while SIRI processes the case. The Fast-Track Scheme is particularly popular with international tech companies, consulting firms, and multinationals with Danish offices.
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓The employer must be SIRI-certified — certification requires meeting criteria on company size, tax compliance, and labour-market conditions. Certification must be applied for in advance and is valid for 4 years.
- ✓The employment fits one of the five Fast-Track tracks: pay limit, supplementary pay limit, short-term, researcher, or educational.SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) ↗
- ✓Salary, working hours, and employment terms meet the conditions for the chosen track and Danish standards.SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) ↗
- ✓The employer submits the application online, normally with power of attorney if applying on the worker's behalf.SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) ↗
Common blockers
- !Employer not SIRI-certified — certification requires the company to meet size and compliance criteria and takes several weeks to obtain.
- !Worker does not fit any current Fast-Track track or the offered salary/terms fail the Danish-standards test.SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) ↗
Typical evidence
- ·Employment contract and employer's SIRI certification number.
- ·Track-specific salary, research, education, or short-term-work documentation.SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) ↗
- ·Power of attorney when the employer applies on the worker's behalf.SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) ↗
Application pathway
Employer obtains SIRI certification
The company applies to SIRI for Fast-Track certification. This is a one-time process (valid 4 years) and requires demonstrating company size, tax compliance, and acceptable labour-market conditions.
Submit Fast-Track application
The certified employer submits the application through nyidanmark.dk and can request quick job start where relevant.
Use quick job start where available
If quick job start is granted, the worker can begin before the final permit is issued. SIRI normally processes Fast-Track applications within 1 month.
After approval: prepare for your next step
For Fast-Track Scheme (Fast-Track-ordningen), use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.
- 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
- 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
- 3. Confirm what you may do. Agree the lawful start date and onboarding with the employer or sponsor. Check whether the permission names an employer, role or activity before changing the arrangement.
- 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
- 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Plan the practical side of your stay
Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Denmark. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- ApplyApplicant + sponsorApply through the Fast-Track Scheme ↗
Certified employers and applicants use this page to create the case order and submit the fast-track work-permit application.
SIRI · verified
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Related routes
Pay Limit Scheme (Beloebsordningen)
Denmark's salary-threshold work permit — no occupation or qualification restrictions if the annual salary exceeds the Pay Limit threshold.
Positive List Scheme (Positivlisten)
Work permit for occupations on Denmark's shortage list — lower salary threshold than the Pay Limit Scheme, but occupation-restricted.
Frequently asked questions
How fast is the Fast-Track Scheme?+
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.
How does the employer get SIRI-certified?+
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.
Can I change to a different employer after arriving on Fast-Track?+
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.
Does Denmark's Fast-Track Scheme require a university degree?+
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.
Can I bring my family if I come to Denmark on the Fast-Track Scheme?+
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.
Need tailored advice?
We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.
Find a regulated advisor in DenmarkHow we verified this
We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.
Primary source: SIRI
Last checked: 1 July 2026