- The Danish government has updated its Positive List for Skilled Work in 2026, covering professions with a shortage of qualified workers in the country
- Foreigners who receive a job offer in any listed profession can apply for a Danish residence and work permit under the scheme
- The list spans fields including construction, healthcare, engineering, food processing, and agriculture, with some roles carrying specific requirements
Denmark has published its Positive List for Skilled Work, identifying over 60 professions where qualified workers are in short supply and where foreigners with a job offer can apply for both a residence and work permit.
The list is maintained by the Danish government and is reviewed twice a year, on January 1 and July 1.
Photo Credit: Kevin Dietsch, Raimund Linke
Source: Getty Images
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.
Professions on Denmark’s Positive List for Skilled Work
The professions are grouped by field as follows:
Science and Engineering
1. Foreman.
2. Service Electrician.
3. Oil Burner Technician.
4. Foreman, Operations and Production.
5. Electronics Technician.
6. Food Inspection Technician.
7. Agricultural Technologist.
8. Pilot (maritime).
9. Aircraft Technician.
Health
10. Ambulance Driver.
Business and Administration
11. Finance Officer, Credit and Analysis.
12. Finance Officer, Standard Products.
13. Accountant Assistant.
14. Valuer.
15. Insurer.
16. Ship-broker.
17. Flight Dispatcher.
18. Real Estate Agent.
19. Medical Secretary.
20. Customs Officer.
21. Investigator, Police Work.
22. Port Assistant.
Legal, Social, Cultural and Related
23. Visual Merchandiser.
Numerical and Material Recording
24. Finance Assistant.
25. Bank Assistant.
Personal Services
26. Chef.
27. Hairdresser.
Personal Care
28. Social and Health Care Worker, institutions and hospitals (excluding nursing homes).
29. Social and Health Care Assistant, institutions and hospitals (excluding nursing homes).
30. Social and Health Care Worker, private homes (including nursing homes).
31. Social and Health Care Assistant, private homes (including nursing homes).
Note: Danish authorisation is required for all Social and Health Care roles. 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.
Rescue and Safety
32. Police Officer.
33. Prison Officer.
Agriculture and Nursery
34. Farm Manager (Field Crops, Agriculture).
35. Landscape Gardener.
36. Farm Manager (Field Crops, Mixed Crops).
Building and Related Trades
37. Bricklayer.
38. Heat and Ventilation Technician.
39. House Painter.
Metal and Machinery
40. Sheet Metal Worker.
41. Vehicle Body Technician.
42. Ship Builder.
43. Steel Construction Work.
44. Blacksmith.
45. Metal Worker.
46. Locksmith.
47. Tool Maker.
48. Industrial Technician.
49. CNC Operator.
50. Mechanic, Passenger Cars and Vans.
51. Mechanic, Trucks.
52. Mechanic, Other Areas (Motor Vehicles).
53. Ship’s Fitter.
54. Industrial Mechanic.
55. Agricultural Machinery Mechanic.
56. Construction Machinery Mechanic.
57. Ship’s Mechanic.
Electrical and Electronic Trades
58. Electrician.
59. Utility Operator.
60. Automation Technician.
61. Service Technician, Electro Technician.
Food Processing, Woodworking and Related Trades
62. Butcher, Retail Trade.
63. Baker (excluding industrial).
64. 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
Meanwhile, 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.
Source: Legit.ng