The Fast Track Scheme
The Fast Track Scheme is Denmark’s express lane for hiring international talent: it lets SIRI-certified companies recruit non-EU employees and – crucially – let them start working straight away, before the permit is finalised. This guide explains who it is for, the five tracks, the 2026 salary thresholds, and how it differs from the standard work-permit schemes.
Overview
Most Danish work permits make you wait for a decision before you can start. The Fast Track Scheme (officially the Fast-Track Scheme) is built to remove that wait. If your employer is certified by SIRI, you can begin working the moment the application is submitted, switch between different tracks as your role changes, and even work partly abroad. It is designed for larger organisations that hire international specialists regularly – and it is one of the smoothest routes into Denmark for skilled non-EU workers.
The Fast Track Scheme lets a SIRI-certified employer hire a non-EU worker who can start immediately, under one of five tracks – the pay-limit track needing a salary of at least DKK 552,000 in 2026.
Who the Fast Track Scheme is for
The scheme is aimed at companies – private or public, including universities – with a genuine, recurring need to recruit highly qualified people from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. It is the employer who unlocks it by getting certified; the employee then applies through whichever track fits the job. EU citizens do not need it at all, as they can work under free movement.
The five tracks
One scheme, five routes – the company picks the one that matches the job:
- Pay limit track – a job paid at or above the Pay Limit Scheme amount.
- Supplementary pay limit track – a job at or above the lower, supplementary amount.
- Short-term track – for stays of up to three months at a time, with the flexibility to work in Denmark and abroad.
- Researcher track – for someone employed as a researcher, with room to change project or be promoted within the same employer without a new permit.
- Educational track – where the purpose is a high-level educational or training stay.
Salary thresholds (2026)
The two pay-based tracks have set minimums, regulated every year on 1 January:
- Pay limit track: at least DKK 552,000 a year (the same as the Pay Limit Scheme).
- Supplementary pay limit track: at least DKK 446,000 a year.
On top of the threshold, your salary must be customary for the role and the Danish labour market. Because the figures change annually, confirm the current amounts with SIRI before applying.
Quick job start
This is the headline benefit. Because the employer is pre-certified, SIRI grants a temporary work permit on submission, so the new hire can start working immediately rather than waiting weeks or months for the full decision. Combined with the freedom to move between tracks and to work both in Denmark and abroad, it is why fast-growing and research-heavy employers favour the scheme.
Certification (the employer’s job)
The scheme runs on certification. A company applies to SIRI to be certified to recruit foreign labour, and the certification attaches to that specific company (by CVR number) – a group with several entities needs one for each. Certified employers take on ongoing reporting duties in exchange for the speed and flexibility. SIRI keeps a public list of certified companies.
How to apply
- The employer gets certified by SIRI (a one-off step, then reusable for many hires).
- The employer submits the residence-and-work-permit application online – you give them power of attorney, or use form AR1 yourself.
- You record biometrics at a Danish mission or visa centre.
- You start work on the temporary permit while the full decision is processed.
- Family can join – a spouse or partner and children under 18, often with the right to work.
Fast Track vs Pay Limit and Positive List
Think of the Fast Track Scheme as the certified-employer express version of the standard routes. The Pay Limit Scheme (salary-based) and the Positive List (shortage occupations) are the everyday schemes any employer can use; the pay-limit track here is essentially the Pay Limit Scheme, just faster and more flexible because the company is certified. If your employer is not certified, those standard schemes are your route.
Questions and answers
What salary do I need for the Fast Track Scheme?
For the pay limit track, at least DKK 552,000 a year in 2026; the supplementary track needs at least DKK 446,000. Both are reviewed each January, and the pay must be customary for the role.
Can I start working before my permit is approved?
Yes – that is the point. With a certified employer, SIRI issues a temporary permit on submission so you can begin straight away.
Does my employer need to do anything special?
Yes. The employer must be certified by SIRI to use the scheme, and certification applies per company.
Can my family come with me?
Yes. A spouse or partner and children under 18 can usually join as accompanying family, and family members may be allowed to work.