Working in Denmark After Graduation: The Job-Seeking Permit

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Denmark lets non-EU graduates of Danish degree programmes stay on after the diploma to look for a job. The rules changed for applications submitted from 1 October 2026, so the date of your original student application decides which version applies to you. This guide follows the SIRI pages (the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) as read in October 2026. It is written for students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland.

How long you can stay

The length depends on your programme and on when your student application was submitted.

Applied before 1 October 2026: generally 3 years for a programme approved by a state authority.
Applied on or after 1 October 2026: generally 1 year for a professional bachelor's, bachelor's, part-time master's or master's programme. PhD graduates generally still get 3 years.
Programmes with only an advisory statement from the Accreditation Council secretariat or EVA, and master's programmes for working professionals: 6 months.
Non-state-approved programmes: if you applied on or after 2 May 2025, you are generally not eligible. Check with SIRI that your programme is state-approved before you enrol; see student visa for Denmark.

Turkish citizens covered by the EU-Turkey Association Agreement can have different rights. For applications from 1 October 2026, spouses, partners and children can no longer be granted a permit to accompany the student, except for PhD students.

How you get the permit

SIRI usually grants the job-seeking period automatically together with your study permit, if your passport is valid long enough. You apply separately only if:

your student permit was shortened because your passport expires soon,
you did not receive the full period you are entitled to, or
you finished after the prescribed study time, which shortened the period.

In those cases the steps are:

Create a case order ID on SIRI's website.
Pay the fee of DKK 3,060 (the amount published in October 2026; fees are reviewed each year).
Fill in form ST6 and attach the receipt, copies of every passport page and proof that you completed a Danish programme.
Submit it online or at a SIRI branch by appointment.
Record your photo and fingerprints within 14 days.

You can apply no earlier than 4 months before your student permit expires. Normal processing is 3 months, up to 4 if SIRI needs more information. The card is posted to your CPR address, so put your name on the mailbox.

What you may do during the permit

You may live in Denmark and look for work. The work rights are the same as during your studies: up to 90 hours a month from September to May and full time in June, July and August. Working more is illegal and can cost you the permit. You may not receive public benefits such as the SU grant, housing benefit or unemployment benefit. See working while studying in Europe.

The permit lapses if you give up your Danish address or stay abroad for more than 6 consecutive months. PhD students and students on Erasmus Mundus, Erasmus+ or Nordic Master programmes are exempt from that rule, and a dispensation can be requested for a longer stay abroad.

Work without the hour limit

Holders of a job-seeking permit based on a state-approved degree can apply for a work permit without limitations. You do not need a job offer. Form ST7, fee DKK 840, normal processing 2 months, up to 3. You may start full-time work from the day you submit the application. It covers any employer or self-employment and lasts as long as the job-seeking permit. Academy profession degrees and programmes without state approval do not qualify.

When you find a job

If a job needs more hours than your limited permit allows, you apply for a permit based on that job, or for the unrestricted permit above. SIRI states that if you apply for a residence and work permit based on a job offer, you may start working while the application is processed.

Two common routes for qualified employees:

The Positive List for people with higher education: a list of professions with a shortage of qualified people in Denmark. You need a job on the list, a contract, a relevant degree at the listed level and terms not below Danish standards. Fee DKK 6,810, normal processing 1 month.
The Pay Limit Scheme: a job paying at least DKK 552,000 a year (2026 level, adjusted every 1 January) for at least 30 hours a week. Same fee and processing time.

For both, salary goes into a Danish bank account in your name, opened within 180 days.

Planning from the first year

Learn Danish. Free lessons are open to permit holders aged 18 or over with a registered address, but a deposit applies and is lost if you do not pass modules on time.
Keep your passport valid: a permit cannot run beyond 3 months before it expires.
Compare options before you enrol: our catalogue has 582 programmes at 83 institutions, listed here.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.