If you’re planning to live and work in Denmark, your job offer must now meet stricter income requirements. The Danish government has rolled out updated salary benchmarks, and from July 1, 2025, these figures will directly influence the outcome of your work and residence permit application. Here’s what that means for foreign workers — and the companies hiring them.
Denmark has published revised income statistics for Q1 2025, and these figures will guide case assessments for residence and work permits starting July 1, 2025. The data is refreshed quarterly, with the next update scheduled for October 1, 2025.
To qualify, an applicant’s salary and employment terms must align with Danish standards. This applies to both main and sideline employment, as well as work permits for accompanying family members.
The minimum monthly salary has been set at DKK 74,958. Since January 2021, salaries must generally be paid into a Danish bank account. For applications submitted on or after September 1, 2024, salary figures must be declared in Danish kroner (DKK).
The updated income thresholds apply to several permit categories, including:
Pay Limit Scheme
Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme
Fast-track Scheme
Researcher’s Scheme
Positive List for People with a Higher Education
Positive List for Skilled Work
Special Individual Qualifications Scheme
Herdsmen and Farm Managers Scheme
Internship Scheme
Applications submitted after June 30, 2025, will be evaluated using the Q1 2025 statistics. Those filed between April 1 and June 30, 2025, will reference Q4 2024 data.
Only fixed and guaranteed salary components — such as base pay, holiday allowance, and contributions to labour market pension schemes — will be considered in the salary assessment. While employers can offer additional staff benefits like accommodation or meals, these extras do not count toward meeting the Danish pay standard.