Denmark's 2027 Certified Employer Plan Opens New Immigration

Denmark's parliament passed a bill on September 4, 2026, creating a new work-permit route for foreign workers from 16 specific countries. The new Collective Agreement-Based Business Scheme is scheduled to open on January 1, 2027.

According to the source, the measure gives eligible businesses another way to recruit internationally. It targets companies operating under collective agreements and is intended to make hiring possible at a lower salary threshold than some existing routes. The scheme does not create an unrestricted channel for overseas workers.

Employer requirements for the new route

Employers must meet several conditions before hiring through this new immigration lane. The job must be offered by a certified employer covered by a relevant collective agreement. The business must also have operated for at least two years and employ at least 10 full-time workers in Denmark.

The salary floor will be DKK 322,000 a year. That amount sets the minimum pay under the new scheme. The collective-agreement requirement places the route inside Denmark's established labor framework. Companies outside that framework will not qualify.

Eligible nationalities for the scheme

The legislation creates a route for workers from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Its country limits distinguish it from a general work-permit program. The approved nationalities form a closed group of 16 countries.

The list includes the following nations:

Indian nationals therefore fall within the permitted group. They will still need an eligible job, a qualifying employer, and pay that meets the annual floor. Eligibility by nationality alone will not satisfy the employer-side requirements.

Existing options for Indian applicants

Indian workers do not have to wait for the new scheme to seek employment in Denmark. Existing Danish options include the Positive List and the Pay Limit Scheme. The Positive List is occupation-based. The Pay Limit Scheme is salary-based.

The Fast Track Scheme is another existing route identified in guidance on work permits for Indian applicants. Those pathways remain available during 2026, while the new collective-agreement route is scheduled for the following year. Each route has its own requirements, so an applicant's occupation, salary, and employer can affect which option applies.

The new system adds a separate channel rather than replacing those routes. Its defining features are the approved nationality list, the collective-agreement link, and the employer's operating and staffing record.

The parliamentary action also gives companies time to assess whether they meet the business conditions before the route begins. An employer that has operated for fewer than two years or has fewer than 10 full-time workers would not meet the stated tests.

A different policy discussion concerns plans to send the first foreigners to a partner country by the end of 2027. That initiative belongs to a broader migration policy and is separate from the work-permit pathway created by the bill. The work route concerns recruitment by qualifying Danish employers.