Yes, you can change employer in Denmark on a work permit, but you cannot simply hand in your notice and start somewhere else on the permit you already hold. A Danish residence and work permit (opholdstilladelse and arbejdstilladelse) issued under a job scheme is tied to one employer and one specific job, so a move to a new employer always needs a new application to SIRI, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration. The good news is that under the job change rule most skilled workers may start with the new employer on the day they submit that application, without waiting for a decision. This guide explains when a new permit is needed, when you can start, what happens to your old permit, how the job seeking permit fits in, and why EU citizens, permanent residents and family permit holders are treated differently.

The short answer on changing employer in Denmark

If you hold a permit under the Pay Limit Scheme (beløbsordningen), the Fast-Track Scheme, the Positive Lists (positivlisten), the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme or the Researcher Scheme, the rule is the same at its core: a new employer means a new residence and work permit application. SIRI assesses that application as a fresh case against the conditions of the scheme you apply under. You choose the scheme that fits the new job, which does not have to be the scheme you hold today.

Three practical points follow from this:

• You must submit the new application no later than the day you start the new job if you want to rely on the job change rule. If you start first and apply later, you are not covered and must stop working until a permit is granted.
• You must tell SIRI when you lose or change your job. Every main scheme page on the New to Denmark portal (nyidanmark.dk) states this duty.
• The new job must meet the conditions of the scheme on its own merits, including salary and terms that correspond to Danish standards and any salary threshold that applies to the scheme.

Whether a role change with the same employer needs a new permit depends on your scheme, as explained below.

Why a Danish work permit is tied to one employer and one job

Denmark has an opt-out from EU justice and home affairs cooperation, so the EU Blue Card and the EU Single Permit Directive do not apply. Instead, Denmark uses national schemes under the Danish Aliens Act, and most of them grant permission to work on the basis of one concrete job offer. SIRI's scheme pages put it plainly: your residence permit is linked to your job in Denmark, and you may only work in the position and for the company stated in your permit.

Your SIRI decision letter names the employer and describes the position, and it defines what work you are allowed to do. SIRI's guidance for employers confirms that holders of job specific permits may only work for the employer linked to the permit, and that it is the employer's duty to check a foreign worker's right to work before employment begins.

In practice, a second paid job needs a sideline permit unless your scheme grants that right, and if the job ends, the basis for the permit falls away and SIRI revokes it.

This is different from a residence permit that is not based on a job. SIRI explains that if your permit is not linked to a specific job, for example a permit as an accompanying family member or an Establishment Card, changes in your terms of employment do not affect it.

When you need a new work permit in Denmark

SIRI's page on changes in employment with the same employer sets out the general principle: if your permit is tied to a specific job with a specific employer, significant changes to your terms of employment generally require a new residence and work permit. What counts as significant depends on the scheme.

A new employer always needs a new application

Across every job based scheme, a new employer means a new application. This applies whether the new employer is a competitor, a client or a company in the same group. Note that Fast-Track certification is attached to an individual company's CVR number (the Danish business registration number), so each company in a group needs its own certification.

A new position with the same employer depends on your scheme

For the Pay Limit Scheme, the Fast-Track Scheme and the Researcher Scheme, SIRI allows the content of your job to change within the same employer without a new work permit. Examples given include a promotion, a change of workplace or a change of research project. The conditions are that your salary and terms still meet Danish standards and, on the Pay Limit Scheme and the Fast-Track pay limit track, that your salary still meets the pay limit. If your pay or terms get worse, you must inform SIRI, which will look at whether you still meet the conditions.

There is one notable exception for the Pay Limit Scheme. If you reduce your working hours to below 30 hours a week, SIRI says you need a new permit, and your salary must still meet the pay limit.

The Positive Lists are stricter. A permit under the Positive List for People with a Higher Education or the Positive List for Skilled Work covers only the position stated in it. A new position with the same company requires a new residence and work permit. Gaining or losing management responsibility also requires a new permit.

For the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme and other work schemes, SIRI lists similar triggers for a new permit: a new position, gaining or losing management responsibility, and being seconded to Denmark and then offered permanent employment in Denmark.

Changes that do not need a new permit

SIRI gives a list of changes that, as examples, do not require a new permit when you stay with the same employer:

• A salary increase.
• Temporary employment converted into permanent employment.
• Moving to another department within the same company (same CVR number) with no change in position.
• A new contract under the collective agreement with the same employer, with no change in position or duties.
• A general renaming of your type of position, or a promotion in title (for example engineer to senior engineer) with no change in tasks.
• A business transfer governed by Danish rules on the transfer of undertakings.
• Conversion from a sole proprietorship to a limited company where the CVR number stays the same.

Even when no new permit is needed, remember to apply for an extension in time if your current permit is due to expire.

The job change rule and starting work for your new employer

The single most useful rule for anyone changing employer in Denmark is what SIRI calls the job change rule. It lets you start a new job, or keep working, before SIRI issues your new residence and work permit, as long as you submit the new application no later than the day you start.

Which permits the job change rule covers

According to SIRI, the rule applies if your current permit was granted under:

• The Fast-Track Scheme (except between two first time short-term stays).
• The Positive List for People with a Higher Education or the Positive List for Skilled Work.
• The Pay Limit Scheme or the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme.
• The Start-Up Denmark Scheme or the Establishment Card Scheme.

It also covers permits granted as a researcher or guest researcher, PhD, trainee, herdsman or farm manager, on the basis of special individual qualifications, for work on a drilling rig or other mobile workplace, or for employment at the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Sweden. A job seeking period based on a permit under the Authorisation Scheme is covered too.

The deadline is the day you start

SIRI's wording is precise: you must submit your new application on the same day as you are going to start your new job at the latest. If you start on a Monday and only send the application on the Tuesday, you are not covered, and SIRI says you must then stop working until you receive the new permit.

In practice this means you should prepare the new application before your first working day: create the case order ID, pay the fee, gather the signed contract and documents, and agree with the new employer who completes which part of the form. Our separate guide on applying for a residence and work permit in Denmark covers the general procedure, including biometrics.

Changing scheme while keeping the same job

The job change rule also helps if you stay in the same job but want to move to a different legal basis, for example from the Pay Limit Scheme to the Fast-Track Scheme. SIRI says you may keep working after applying, provided you apply before your current permit expires. If the permit expires while the application is pending, you may continue working while you wait for a decision.

Where you must wait for a decision

The job change rule is not universal. SIRI states clearly that you must not begin a new sideline job before a new sideline permit has been granted. Accompanying family members who need a separate work permit to work for their sponsor's company must also wait, apart from a narrow 14 day rule described later in this guide. If your current permit is not on the list above, ask SIRI before you start anything.

Changing employer under each Danish work permit scheme

Each scheme has its own conditions that the new job must meet.

Pay Limit Scheme (beløbsordningen)

SIRI's Pay Limit Scheme page says you must always notify SIRI if you lose or change your job. If you get a new job with a new employer, you must apply for a new permit, and you may start on the day you submit the application. The new job must meet the pay limit, which is a minimum annual salary that is adjusted every year on 1 January. Because the threshold changes, the date you apply matters: a salary that met the old amount may fall short of the new one. Check the current figure on the SIRI page before you sign. Only guaranteed salary counts, along with certain pension contributions and holiday allowance, and salary must be paid into a Danish bank account for most applications. Our separate guide on the Pay Limit Scheme explains the salary rules in depth.

Fast Track Scheme and certified companies

The Fast-Track Scheme is only open to employers certified by SIRI. If you change job under Fast-Track, you submit a new application for the new job and may start on the day you submit it. Because only certified companies can file Fast-Track applications, a move to a company that is not certified means applying under another scheme, such as the Pay Limit Scheme or a Positive List, and meeting that scheme's conditions. SIRI's page on certification adds that if a company loses its certification, employees' existing permits are not immediately affected, but they cannot be extended under Fast-Track and the employee must apply under another work scheme.

Positive List for Skilled Work and Positive List for People with a Higher Education

SIRI's page on the Positive List for Skilled Work says you may only work in the job and for the company stated in your permit, that you must submit a new application before changing job, and that a new position with the same employer also requires a new permit. You may start on the day you submit the new application. If the new job is under a Positive List, the occupation must be on the current list when you apply, and any required Danish authorisation (for example for a regulated profession) must be in place. The Positive Lists are updated periodically, so an occupation that was listed when you first came to Denmark may no longer be listed when you change job. If it has been removed, you will need another scheme.

Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme

The Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme is demanding when you change job. A new position with the same employer requires a new permit, and every new application must meet all conditions again. These include a lower salary threshold than the ordinary Pay Limit Scheme (also adjusted each 1 January), a requirement that the job has been advertised on Jobnet and EURES for at least 2 weeks before you apply and no more than 6 months before, and a condition linked to the national seasonally adjusted gross unemployment rate in the 3 months before you apply. SIRI states that the advertising requirement applies even if you already hold a permit for another job. You can start on the day you submit, under the job change rule, but you should confirm with your new employer that the vacancy was advertised correctly before you resign.

Researcher Scheme

The Researcher Scheme is the most flexible. You can change position or research project within the same university or company without a new permit. A different employer or place of work requires a new application, and you can start once it is submitted.

How to change employer in Denmark step by step

1. Check that the new job fits a scheme. Compare the offered salary, hours and occupation with the scheme pages. For the Pay Limit Scheme, check the current threshold. For a Positive List, check that the occupation is on the current list and whether authorisation is needed.
2. Get a signed contract or job offer. It should state salary, working hours, duties and start date. Salary and terms must correspond to Danish standards.
3. Agree on the application route. For many schemes, the employer and the employee each complete a part of the application form, or the employer completes it alone with a power of attorney from you. Under Fast-Track, the certified employer submits the application.
4. Create the case order ID and pay the fee. SIRI lists the fee on each scheme page (DKK 6,810 on the scheme pages reviewed for this guide). Fees are adjusted, so check the amount before paying.
5. Submit no later than your first working day. This is what activates the job change rule. Keep proof of the submission date.
6. Record biometrics if requested. SIRI normally requires a facial photo and fingerprints within 14 days of applying for residence permits that need them. If you refuse, the application is rejected.
7. Tell SIRI about the change. Every scheme page states that you must inform SIRI when you lose or change your job.
8. Wait for the decision. You may work for the new employer while SIRI processes the case, but not take on extra jobs outside your permit.

Normal processing times are published on each scheme page and differ widely. The Fast-Track Scheme shows a much shorter normal time than the Positive List for Skilled Work or the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme. SIRI also states longer maximum times when more information is needed. Never plan around a guaranteed decision date.

What happens to your old work permit

SIRI does not describe a transfer of an existing permit from one employer to another. You apply for a new permit, and the old permit stays tied to the old job. The scheme pages say that if you lose the job your permit is based on, the residence and work permit will be revoked, because it is based on that exact job.

In practice this means the following:

• You remain covered while the new case is pending, provided you applied no later than your first day with the new employer and your previous permit was one covered by the job change rule.
• You cannot use the old permit to work for the new employer, and you cannot go back and forth between the two jobs unless you hold permits for both.
• If SIRI refuses the new application, you are no longer authorised to work in the new job. Because your old job has ended, the old permit no longer has a basis either. Contact SIRI at once about your options, and read the refusal letter carefully for any deadline to leave Denmark or to appeal.
• The new permit has its own validity. For several schemes, a permit granted for less than 4 years normally follows the length of the employment contract, so check the dates in your new decision letter.

The same applies to a sideline permit linked to the old job. SIRI states that a sideline permit is revoked if your main residence and work permit is revoked or not extended. If you want to keep a second job after changing your main employer, check whether the sideline permit still fits and apply again if needed.

Accompanying family members' permits generally depend on yours, so a refusal or revocation can affect the whole family.

Combining a job change with the job seeking permit

Sometimes the change of employer happens after a gap rather than straight from one job to the next. SIRI's job seeking permit for employees can bridge that gap for some workers, and our separate guide on losing your job on a Danish work permit covers it in full. The main points for a job change are these:

• It is available to holders of permits under the Positive List for People with a Higher Education, the Pay Limit Scheme, the Researcher Scheme and the Fast-Track Scheme's pay limit, researcher and educational tracks. It is not available for the Fast-Track supplementary pay limit track or for other work permits not listed by SIRI.
• You must have lost your job through no fault of your own, for example through cutbacks, and you must apply no later than 2 days after your employment ends, which means after the notice period expires.
• The permit is valid for up to 6 months, and you may not work while you hold it.
• If your permit under one of these schemes was granted for less than 4 years, it normally follows the length of your contract, and you are then automatically granted up to 6 months of job seeking. You still cannot work during that period.

When you find a new job during a job seeking period, you must apply for a new residence and work permit under a job scheme. SIRI states that you may start the new job once you have submitted the application, as long as you apply no later than the day you start. This is the job change rule applied to job seekers, and it is the route that connects the job seeking permit to a new employer.

Two points are easy to miss. First, the Positive List for Skilled Work and the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme are not on SIRI's list of schemes that give access to the job seeking permit for employees. If you hold one of those permits, a gap between jobs is far riskier, and a direct move is safer. Second, the job seeking permit is a separate application with its own fee and case processing, and you must keep your Danish residence while you are on it.

Resigning versus being dismissed

Whether you leave voluntarily or are let go affects your options. The job seeking permit for employees requires involuntary unemployment, so if you resign to look for something better without a signed offer, you will normally not qualify for it. Your permit is then revoked because the job has ended, and you would have no basis to stay and look for work.

The safest sequence is therefore to secure a signed offer that fits a scheme, prepare the new application, and time your resignation and notice period so that you can submit on or before your first day with the new employer. Check your contract and any collective agreement for the notice period that applies to you. If you are dismissed, ask your employer for a written dismissal letter that states the reason, because SIRI asks for proof that the job ended through no fault of your own.

Sideline jobs and working for two employers

Some workers want to add a second employer rather than replace the first. SIRI's page on sideline employment explains that holders of a job based permit need a separate sideline permit for a second job or to run their own business. The sideline job must be naturally related to the main job, salary and terms must correspond to Danish standards, and permits normally allow 8 to 15 hours of sideline work a week. There is no fee, but you must not start the sideline job before the permit is granted.

Researchers, guest researchers and PhD students, practising or performing artists, and professional athletes and coaches may take sideline employment without a specific permit, as long as their decision letter grants this right. SIRI notes that researchers granted a permit under the Pay Limit Scheme do need a sideline permit. A sideline permit is not a residence permit, so it cannot keep you in Denmark if your main permit ends.

Family members and their own jobs

Accompanying family members of a worker on a job based permit usually have their own right to work, and SIRI's guidance on exemptions says holders of residence permits based on family reunification are exempt from the work permit requirement and automatically have the right to work. Because that right comes from the family permit rather than from a job offer, a change of employer does not normally require a new work permit for them.

There is one important exception. If the decision letter says so, an accompanying family member who wants to work for the sponsor's company or a closely related company must apply for a separate work permit, and a new job at the same or a related company also requires a new permit. This does not apply to accompanying family of researchers, Fast-Track permit holders, Turkish citizens or permanent residents. SIRI also states that if your sponsor gets a new permit to work for your employer, you can apply within 14 days of the sponsor starting that job and keep working while SIRI assesses your application.

Who can change employer freely in Denmark

The rules above apply to non-EU nationals on job based permits. Other groups can move between jobs without a new permit.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens work in Denmark under EU free movement rules. SIRI's page on EU residence as a worker says they do not need a permit to work and can start working on arrival. If they stay more than 3 months, they apply for an EU residence document, which has no expiry date and remains valid as long as they meet the conditions. Changing employer does not require a new work permit. The work must be genuine and effective, and SIRI usually looks for at least 10 to 12 hours a week for at least 10 to 12 weeks. An EU worker who loses a job should register with the job centre within 14 days of the end of employment to protect their worker status, according to SIRI's guidance on terminated EU residence.

Permanent residence holders

A permanent residence permit also gives the right to work in Denmark, according to the Danish Immigration Service. SIRI's guidance for employers lists permanent residents among those who are exempt from the work permit requirement and automatically have the right to work. They can change employer, work part time or take a second job without asking SIRI.

Family reunification, refugees and other free access permits

Holders of permits based on family reunification and people granted asylum are, according to SIRI, exempt from the work permit requirement and automatically have the right to work. Holders of an Establishment Card may work for any employer without further statutory restrictions. The exact rights of any permit are stated in the decision letter, so the letter is what an employer should see before employment begins.

Risks of working outside your permit

SIRI warns that both employers and employees may face penalties for working in breach of the conditions of a permit. Starting with a new employer before applying, taking an unauthorised second job, or staying in a role that has changed enough to need a new permit can all count as working outside your permit. Fines can also count against later applications. For example, the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme requires that you have not received a fine of DKK 3,000 or more in the 2 years before applying.

Keep copies of every decision letter and receipt, re-read your decision letter before accepting any change in duties, hours or employer, and if in doubt contact SIRI before the change takes effect.

Checklist before accepting a new job offer in Denmark

• Which scheme will the new job fall under, and does it meet the salary rules on the date you will apply, using SIRI's guidance on Danish salary standards?
• Is the occupation on the current Positive List, if you rely on one, and do you need Danish authorisation?
• For the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme, has the vacancy been advertised on Jobnet and EURES for long enough?
• Is the new employer certified, if you plan to use Fast-Track?
• Can the full application, including the fee, be submitted no later than your first working day?
• Do your notice period and start date line up so that you never work without cover?
• Will any sideline permit or family member's work permit be affected?
• If the job falls through, is your current scheme one that gives access to the job seeking permit?

Changing employer on a Danish work permit is a new permit case every time. Plan the application before you resign, submit it no later than your first day, and keep SIRI informed.

Sources and References

• Change in terms of employment with the same employer, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• The job change rule, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• The Pay Limit Scheme, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• The Fast-Track Scheme, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Certification under the Fast-Track Scheme, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Positive List for Skilled Work, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Researcher Scheme, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Job seeking permit for employees, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Job seeking permit definition, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Sideline employment, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Work permit for accompanying family members, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• When is a work permit compulsory, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• EU residence as a worker, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Terminated EU residence, SIRI (New to Denmark)
• Yes to permanent residence, Danish Immigration Service (New to Denmark)
• Danish standards for salary, SIRI (New to Denmark)