Hiring from outside the EU from 2027: Denmark's new Collective Agreement Scheme explained

Danish companies that cannot fill positions with candidates from Denmark and the rest of the EU get a new route on 1 January 2027. The Collective Agreement Scheme lets certified companies with a collective agreement hire citizens of 16 non-EU countries at a salary well below the general Pay Limit Scheme, with a fast start while the permit is processed. This guide sums up what is known as of October 2026.

Which companies can use it

According to the bill the Folketing adopted in September 2026, a company must be certified by SIRI before it can hire under the scheme. To be certified, the company must:

• employ the person in a full-time position covered by a relevant collective agreement, for example an agreement between FH and DA organisations, or the green-sector agreements such as those of GLS-A
• have at least 10 full-time employees in Denmark
• have been operating, and have filed an annual report or annual accounts, within the last two years
• submit an exhaustive service certificate (serviceattest) from the Danish Business Authority without remarks, issued within the last three months
• not have been ordered by the Labour Court or industrial arbitration to pay a fine for underpaying foreign workers within the last two years, have no more than two penalties under the Aliens Act within the last year, and have no unfulfilled immediate orders from Arbejdstilsynet
• not be involved in a lawful labour dispute
• declare that it only employs foreign workers under the scheme in positions covered by the agreement, and keep that under control
• pay the fee and attend a guidance meeting with SIRI beforehand

The first certification lasts three years, and an extension lasts four. Certification can be withdrawn in cases of fraud, if the conditions are no longer met, or for certain breaches of the collective agreement.

Which employees qualify

• Nationality. Citizens of the USA, the United Kingdom, Singapore, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, Australia, Canada, India, Brazil, Malaysia, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Ukraine or Moldova. The list was set as of 1 January 2026.
• Salary. A full-time job offer of at least DKK 322,000 a year at the 2026 level, paid into a Danish bank account.
• No recent fines. No fines of DKK 3,000 or more under certain laws, including the Aliens Act, within the two years before the application.

Permit, family and a fast start

• The residence and work permit can be granted for up to three years and extended by up to four years at a time.
• Family members can come along. A spouse who is to work at the same company needs a separate work permit.
• The employee can typically start work as soon as the application has been submitted, the fee has been paid and their biometrics have been recorded. Biometrics must be recorded within 14 days of submitting the application.

The unemployment brake

The scheme only runs while unemployment is low. According to the bill, it cannot be used if the average seasonally adjusted gross unemployment over the previous three months has exceeded a set level, which the bill's remarks put at 3.75 percent. Plan with that in mind: if unemployment rises, new hires under the scheme can stop.

Timeline

When	What happens
September 2026	The Folketing adopts the scheme
Early December 2026	SIRI expects to open applications for company certification
1 January 2027	The scheme takes effect and SIRI starts processing permit applications

What to do now

1. Check that the positions you want to fill are covered by your collective agreement and are full-time.
2. Count your full-time employees in Denmark and check your annual reports for the last two years.
3. Order the service certificate from the Danish Business Authority close to when you apply, so that it is less than three months old.
4. Follow nyidanmark.dk for the certification application, and book the guidance meeting with SIRI.
5. Set the salary at or above DKK 322,000 a year and make sure it can be paid into a Danish bank account.
6. Plan housing, Danish registration (CPR number, tax card, bank account) and the first weeks for the people arriving.

Where Clever Recruiting fits

Under the scheme, the certified company hires the person, and SIRI grants the permit for that job. Clever Recruiting does not recruit from outside the EU. We place candidates who already have the right to work in Denmark: citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, and people who already hold a Danish residence and work permit that allows them to take the job.

That makes us an alternative for companies that cannot use the scheme, for example because they have fewer than 10 full-time employees or no collective agreement, and for companies that need people before their certification is in place. Clever Recruiting (CR Recruiting Group ApS, CVR 46664426) staffs Danish employers in transport, farming, hospitality, construction, mechanics and cleaning.

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