The Danish government has updated its Positive List for Skilled Work for 2026, now covering 64 professions where there is a shortage of qualified workers. Foreigners who receive a job offer in any of these listed professions can apply for a Danish residence and work permit under this scheme. The list spans fields including construction, healthcare, engineering, food processing, and agriculture, with some roles carrying specific requirements.
Understanding the Positive List for Skilled Work
The Positive List for Skilled Work is maintained by the Danish government and is reviewed twice a year, on January 1 and July 1. The list identifies professions where there is a shortage of qualified workers, making it easier for employers to hire foreign nationals. A separate but related scheme, the Positive List for the Highly Educated, covers roles that require university-level qualifications in fields facing similar shortages. Asylum seekers who have secured a job offer in any of the listed professions are also eligible to apply under the scheme.
The professions on the list are grouped by field, including Science and Engineering, Health, Business and Administration, Legal, Social, Cultural and Related, Numerical and Material Recording, Personal Services, Personal Care, Rescue and Safety, Agriculture and Nursery, Building and Related Trades, Metal and Machinery, Electrical and Electronic Trades, and Food Processing, Woodworking and Related Trades.
Professions on Denmark's Positive List for Skilled Work
In Science and Engineering, the list includes Foreman, Service Electrician, Oil Burner Technician, Foreman for Operations and Production, Electronics Technician, Food Inspection Technician, Agricultural Technologist, Pilot (maritime), and Aircraft Technician. In Health, only Ambulance Driver is listed. Business and Administration roles include Finance Officer for Credit and Analysis, Finance Officer for Standard Products, Accountant Assistant, Valuer, Insurer, Ship-broker, Flight Dispatcher, Real Estate Agent, Medical Secretary, Customs Officer, Investigator for Police Work, and Port Assistant.
Legal, Social, Cultural and Related includes Visual Merchandiser. Numerical and Material Recording includes Finance Assistant and Bank Assistant. Personal Services includes Chef and Hairdresser. In Personal Care, the list includes Social and Health Care Worker and Assistant for institutions and hospitals (excluding nursing homes), and Social and Health Care Worker and Assistant for private homes (including nursing homes). Note that Danish authorisation is required for all Social and Health Care roles, and a quota of 1,000 residence and work permits applies to the Social and Health Care Worker positions. Once that quota is reached, the role will be removed from the list.
Additional Professions and Requirements
Rescue and Safety includes Police Officer and Prison Officer. Agriculture and Nursery includes Farm Manager for Field Crops and Agriculture, Landscape Gardener, and Farm Manager for Field Crops and Mixed Crops. Building and Related Trades includes Bricklayer, Heat and Ventilation Technician, and House Painter. Metal and Machinery includes Sheet Metal Worker, Vehicle Body Technician, Ship Builder, Steel Construction Work, Blacksmith, Metal Worker, Locksmith, Tool Maker, Industrial Technician, CNC Operator, Mechanic for Passenger Cars and Vans, Mechanic for Trucks, Mechanic for Other Areas (Motor Vehicles), Ship's Fitter, Industrial Mechanic, Agricultural Machinery Mechanic, Construction Machinery Mechanic, and Ship's Mechanic.
Electrical and Electronic Trades includes Electrician, Utility Operator, Automation Technician, and Service Technician for Electro Technician. Food Processing, Woodworking and Related Trades includes Butcher for Retail Trade, Baker (excluding industrial), and Cabinet Maker.
The full and current version of the Positive List for Skilled Work is available on the Danish immigration authority's official website, where applicants can also find guidance on how to begin their permit application. In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Denmark had listed the categories of foreigners who can get permanent residency without meeting all the requirements.
Danish Income Requirement for Permanent Residency
Legit.ng previously reported that Denmark had set the minimum income requirement foreigners must meet to secure permanent residency in 2026. The requirement is one of four additional conditions applicants can choose from when applying for permanent residence. Meeting any single one of the four is sufficient, but those relying on the income route must demonstrate that their average annual taxable earnings over the two years preceding the permit decision reached or exceeded that threshold.
