COPENHAGEN - Denmark will open a new route for foreign skilled workers on January 1, 2027, and India is on the short list of just 16 eligible countries, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) says on its official New to Denmark portal. Under the Collective Agreement Scheme, a foreign worker can be granted a residence and work permit if they are offered a job with a yearly minimum salary of DKK 322,000 at the 2026 level — yaani about Rs 47 lakh a year — provided the job is covered by a collective agreement and the employer is certified by SIRI.

Source: SIRI / New to Denmark (nyidanmark.dk), official notice

The 16 eligible countries span three regions, according to the agency's listing reported on Monday: the United States, Canada and Brazil in the Americas; the United Kingdom, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova in Europe; and Singapore, China, Japan, Australia, Malaysia and India in Asia-Pacific. For Punjabi and Indian workers, the inclusion of both India and Canada — the two countries between which much of the diaspora moves for work — makes the route directly relevant to families weighing a European option.

Source: Winneba News, Oct 26, reporting the SIRI listing

DKK 322,000 / yearNew minimum salary under the Collective Agreement Scheme (2026 level) — yaani about Rs 47 lakh a year
DKK 552,000 / yearExisting Pay Limit Scheme threshold — the new route cuts the bar by more than 40%
16 countriesEligible nationalities, including India, Canada, the UK, the US and Australia
January 1, 2027Date the scheme takes effect; employer certification applications expected from early December 2026

The cut is steep: according to The Local, cited in industry reporting on the scheme, the threshold under the existing Pay Limit Scheme is DKK 552,000 a year, about DKK 46,000 a month, so the new route lowers the salary needed by more than 40 per cent, to just under DKK 27,000 a month. Companies without a collective agreement must sign one with a trade union to use the scheme — a condition meant to stop foreign workers being hired on worse terms than Danish staff. People already on a Danish work permit are not affected, and the other routes, including Pay Limit, Positive List and Fast Track, stay as they are.

Source: The Local, via TrustList industry report

What employers must do first

The burden sits with employers. SIRI says companies must be certified before they can hire foreign employees under the scheme, and before the employee can apply for a residence and work permit. The agency expects companies to be able to submit certification applications from the beginning of December 2026, and applications will only be processed from January 1, 2027, when the scheme comes into effect; new application pages will be launched on its website. EY's immigration alert on the law adds that certification is subject to compliance requirements and can be revoked if the scheme's conditions are not met, and that the scheme carries enhanced oversight of wages and working conditions.

Source: SIRI / New to Denmark (nyidanmark.dk), official notice

Denmark's Parliament passed the legislation on September 4, 2026, according to reporting on the bill. The scheme is designed for Danish businesses covered by collective agreements that are struggling to fill roles because of labour shortages, and employers must have been in continuous operation for at least two years and maintain at least 10 full-time employees in Denmark. No applications can be filed yet — for workers in India, Canada or elsewhere, the practical next step is a job offer from a certified Danish employer once certification opens in December.

Source: FlipIt Money, reporting the Sept 4, 2026 parliamentary passage