It is possible to be granted a three-year residence permit for the purposeof seeking work, and subsequently working, in Denmark. A residence andwork permit under the Greencard scheme is issued on the basis of an individual evaluation using a point system designed to assess the likelihood that the applicant will be able to find qualified work in Denmark.

If you are a Nordic citizen, you do not need a residence permit but are free to enter, live and work in Denmark. If you are an EU/EEA citizen or Swiss citizen, you must apply for a proof of registration at the Regional State Administration. In some cases, however, citizens of the new EUcountries need to apply for a work permit at the Immigration Service inorder to work in Denmark.

If you already hold a Danish residence permit based on family reunification or asylum, or hold a residence permit on humanitarian grounds, you do not need a work permit in order to work in Denmark.

It is your own responsibility to obtain a residence permit if you are required to. If you work illegally in Denmark, you risk deportation, and you and your employer risk fine or imprisonment.

In order to be granted a residence permit under the Greencard scheme, you must attain at least 100 points. Points are given for- educational level,language skills, work experience, adaptability, and age.

You must have full health insurance covering you and any accompanying family members until you are covered by the Danish national health insurance.

You must be able to support yourself during your first year in Denmark.You need to document that you dispose of an amount equal to Danish startaid (starthjalp) for one year.

The monthly start aid amount is (2009 level):

Your educational level will be assessed after it has been converted to its Danish equivalent for comparison. This is done as academic degrees vary from country to country, even if they are called by the same name. The Immigration Service will ask CIRIUS, a body under the Ministry of Science,Technology and Innovation, to assess your educational level. To enable CIRIUS to do this, you must include diplomas as well as transcripts inyour application.

In order to receive points for educational level, you must, as a minimum, have the equivalent of a Danish Bachelor’s degree. You will only be given points for one educational level.

Your language skills will be given points based on a four-level systemmodelled after the official Danish language proficiency tests for foreigners (the Danish Language Test, Levels 1, 2 and 3 and the Study Testin Danish as a Second Language).

In order to be given points for language skills, you must document thatyou have passed an exam in either Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German at a level corresponding to at least Danish Language Test, Level 1(Prove i Dansk 1). You can only receive points for one Scandinavian language and for either English or German. As such, you can receive pointsfor both Swedish and English, or both Danish and German, but not for both Danish and Norwegian, or for both English and German.

Here is a list of foreign language exams with their corresponding Danishlevel. Only approved exams qualify for points. Other exams do not qualifyfor points.

As an alternative to a language exam, you can document your languageskills with a statement from a previous employer attesting that you have used Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German on the job for at least one year, or by presenting documentation that you have completed at least one year of studies at a higher educational programme which was taught inone of these languages. This will be accepted as a level corresponding tothat of Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieproven). Points are given as follows:

You can be given a maximum of 30 points for your language skills.

Your work experience can be given points according to how many years, within the last five years, you have worked as a researcher or in a fieldwhere Denmark is currently experiencing a shortage of qualifiedprofessionals. You can see these fields and specific job titles on the Positive List. You can also be given points for other work experience. Points are given as follows: .

You can be given points for your educational or work related attachment tothe EU/EEA (including Denmark) or Switzerland, as this is seen to increaseyour ability to quickly adapt to the Danish labour market. Points aregiven for either education or work. Points are given as follows:

Completion of at least one year's study at a higher educational programmein an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 5 points.

Completion of at least three years' study at a higher educationalprogramme in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 10 points.

Or

At least one full year's (12 consecutive months') legal residence and workin an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 5 points.

At least two consecutive year's legal residence and work in an EU/EEAcountry or Switzerland: 10 points.

You will be given 5 bonus points for Danish language skills (passed examin Danish Language Test, Level 2 (Prove i Dansk 2) or higher).

You can be given a maximum of 15 points for your adaptability.

You can be given points based on your age. Points are given as follows:

You can be given a maximum of 15 points for your age.

When submitting your application for a residence permit, you will be required to attach certain documents. You can either attach original documents or copies of the original, provided that the Danish diplomaticmission (embassy or consulate general), the Danish police, or the ServiceCentre of the Immigration Service confirms that they have seen theoriginal documents. Documents which are not in Swedish, Norwegian or German must be supplied with an authorised translation to Danish or English.

However, documents from the following countries must always be originals:Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia,Ghana, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Moldovia, Nigeria,Russia, Rwanda, the Sovjet Union, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,Uzbekistan.

A residence permit under the Greencard scheme can be granted for up to three years with a possibility for extension of up to four years.

Your residence permit can only be granted or extended up to three monthsbefore your passport expires. This means that if your passport expires in 12 months, you can only be granted a permit for nine months, or your permit can only be extended by nine months.

Your residence permit can be extended by four years if you have worked for the past 12 months for a minimum of ten hours per week.

Your residence permit can be extended by one year if you have lost yourjob through no fault of your own (e.g. due to cutbacks) no more than three months before applying for an extension, and if prior to this, you worked for 12 months for a minimum of ten hours per week.

There are several web portals, databases and cv banks which can be useful in the process of seeking work in Denmark. Read more about jobseeking in Denmark.

Special scheme for students at higher educational programmes. There is a special version of the Greencard scheme for students who complete a higher educational programme in Denmark.

If you hold a residence permit under the Greencard scheme, your spouse,registered partner or cohabiting partner, as well as any children under the age of 18 who are living at home with you, are also eligible for residence permits. Your family members must be able to support themselvesand you must live together in Denmark at the same address. Your spouse,registered partner or cohabiting partner is allowed to work full-time for the entire period his or her permit is valid.

To apply for Denmark Greencard Click here