How to Immigrate to Denmark as a Nurse?

If you have studied in a foreign country and not in Denmark, you need to pass a few steps to immigrate and work in Denmark as a nurse. You need to send your degree and documents to Danish officials for recognition. They assess them and determine whether you are eligible to work as a nurse in Denmark. The responsible center that evaluates your degree and documents is Danish Patient Safety Authority. You will have to send them everything.

This section brings you the steps you have to follow and the requirements you have to gather.

The nationals of EU/EEA or nurses who have got a degree from the member states of these two unions follow a different procedure than non-EU nationals.

For the first step, you need to gather the supporting documents. This is a list of the documents you have to gather:

Do you have to send original documents?

If you send an original form of your documents, you must also send a copy. It must be in black and white and exactly identical to the original document. It must be on A4 paper and without any staples or folders and in good quality.

If the Danish officials ask for an original form of your document, they will return it by post to your postal address, but you’d better keep a copy for yourself. If you change your address, you have to inform the officials as they might ask for further documents or post a document to you.

If you do not have your documents translated into one of the approved languages, the Danish officials might ask you to have them translated, but this can prolong the application process.

The person that translated the documents must be either the university or the authority that issues it or a verified translation office with a stamp, name, and paper heading.

The assessment of your nursing degree and documents.

After the Danish Patient Safety Authority receives your application, they will email and confirm the receipt of the application. They will begin assessing it by order of the received applications. If one piece of document is missing or they require further supporting documents, they will inform you, so you should check your email regularly.

The average processing time is about 3 months but you might have to wait longer as there are so many applications, and the officials could ask for further documents or a translation of your document, which prolongs the process.

One item that can speed up the process is having a job offer from a Danish employer. It prioritizes your application, and the officials assess it sooner. You can also add another document that can speed up the process, like a Danish authorization.

After the assessment is over, the Danish Patient Safety Authority will email you the result. If the answer is positive, they will send you the authorization, and you can begin working in Denmark as a nurse.

At this stage, your name and information will appear on the public online register of healthcare professionals. The employers or anyone can see your information and that you are a registered nurse in Denmark.

Non-EU/EEA nurses immigration to Denmark.

The procedure for nurses from non-EU countries is different that EU nationals. So it is with the requirements and supporting documents. This section brings you how a non-EU/EEA nurse can immigrate and work in Denmark. This procedure applies to these groups of nurses:

Application and supporting documents to get approval.

Like a nurse from an EU country, you need to get approval from the Danish Patient Safety Authority to work as a nurse in Denmark. First, you need to gather the supporting documents and send them to the Danish officials.

The point you need to know and remember is the 6-year rule. If you completed your education 6 years ago, your application will be rejected unless you submit a document that proves your professional experience as a nurse for at least one year (12 months). Determine if this rule applies to you or not, then apply it to the Danish officials.

This is a list of the documents you need to gather:

Assessment of your nursing degree and documents.

After the Danish Patient Safety Authority receives your documents and application, they will email you and confirm the receipt. If you send any additional documents by their request, you will not receive any confirmation. They will assess your degree and documents to know if you are eligible to work as a nurse in Denmark.

The applications received in 2022 will be processed at the end of the second half of 2024.

So you might have to wait a long time to get your application processed if you are from a non-EU country. The applications received by non-EU nurses in the first half of 2023 will be processed in the second half of 2024.

If the answer is positive, they will send you a letter and inform you of the further steps to get Danish authorization as a nurse. This letter is not a license but will inform you of the further steps you have to take.

In this example the two test scores cannot be combined as the applicant has scored below the required score (C+) in the Writing component during his second attempt.
For the ease of applicants looking to combine their scores the NMC has released a tool that allows you to check the eligibility of your scores. This tool can be viewed at the following link: Score Calculator

If you have additional documents that will benefit the Danish healthcare system or economy, they will prioritize your application:

After taking the language exam or having the certificate that exempts you from it, you have to post it to the Danish Patient Safety Authority. You must send the original document or a certified copy of your certificate. The officials will return the original certificate to your address.

Also, you can submit the certificate in person to the Danish Patient Safety Authority at their address.

Employment in Denmark for adaptation and training purposes

After you take the language test and pass it, you need to take the adaptation period and work for some time in Denmark. The purpose of this period is that you become familiar with the working procedure and culture and assess your clinical skills and your communication skills. The duration is six months. You will have to find a full-time job offer with a Danish employer and sign a contract with him/her and begin working.

Also, you need to make sure that the employment with this employer will be approved by the officials. You need to apply for authorization before you begin the training period.

Look at the below section to learn how to find a job offer as a nurse in Denmark.

Denmark visa options for immigrant nurses

You might need these visa options in the process. Denmark work visa

Every non-EU person who wants to work in Denmark needs a work visa. The first step is to find an employer who needs your skills. He/she applies for a work permit and then you can apply for a visa to enter Denmark. Immigrant nurses’ salaries in Denmark.

Your salary as a nurse in Denmark depends on various factors:

Assessment after passing the training period.

After you pass the adaptation period and the Danish officials get a positive result on your training, you will receive Danish authorization as a nurse. You can find a job with an employer and begin working legally. The process of recognition ends here. At this stage, you have to apply for a work permit.

If the result of your adaptation period is negative, Danish Patient Safety Authority will decide about the rest of the process and what you will have to do.

Work permit application.

After finishing the recognition process, you need a work permit to work in Denmark as a foreign nurse. Every non-EU person who wants to work in Denmark needs a work permit.

You can find more information about the Denmark work visa, its work permit, the requirements, and the procedure you must follow from the Visa Library article or watch the related video on Visa Library YouTube Channel.

What is an Authorization residence permit for nurses immigrating to Denmark?

If you are from a non-EU country and getting your degree or diploma there, you must go through the registration process to immigrate to Denmark as a nurse.

It’s a long and tedious process and might take a few years. You need to spend some time in Denmark to complete the process and pass the language test and training period. The Danish officials have considered it and created a special residence permit to complete the procedure.

But, remember an essential point. The authorization residence permit is just to:

  • learn Danish.
  • pass the tests.
  • and complete the stages.
    • It doesn’t permit you to work as a doctor. After completing the registration, you must apply for a work permit. You will find out how to do it in the above section or from the Visa Library.

    There is another point you need to know. If you are already in Denmark under a valid residence permit, you do not need to apply for the residence permit for authorization. For instance, if you have a family permit or a study permit, you can use it to complete the steps with the Danish Patient Safety Authority.

    How to get the Authorization residence permit as a nurse?

    You have to follow these steps to get the authorization;

    Step 1. Verification of your degree.

    For the first step, you must send your medical degree to the Danish Patient Safety Authority. They evaluate your degree and decide whether to approve it or not.

    After they approve your degree, you can use a copy of their verification and apply for the Authorization residence permit to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI)

    Step 2. Financial ability as a nurse to immigrate to Denmark.

    Getting your degree verification from the Danish Patient Safety Authority is not the only requirement. You must have enough funds or money to cover your stay in Denmark. Remember that you have no permission to work in Denmark, so you need available funds or income to cover your stay.

    The amount must be enough to cover your expenses and the people who accompany you; your spouse and children.

    Danish officials have already announced the required funds;

  • YDKK 38.100, main applicant.
  • DKK 76.200, the main applicant and your spouse.
  • DKK 91.416, main applicant, spouse, and children.
  • DKK 76.194, the main applicant with a spouse and no children.
    • There are various ways to prove your financial ability. One way is to submit bank statements that prove you have enough money to spend in Denmark. The alternative way is to transfer the required amount to a bank account in Denmark and submit the proof.

    Step 3. Create a case order ID on the SIRI website.

    At this stage, you have to create a Case Order ID on the SIRI website. The link in the previous section guides you to do so. You have to insert the below information to create it:

  • Personal names.
  • Passport number.
  • Email address.
    • Be careful while you complete the information, as it must be according to your documents.

    You also have to pay a fee that is DKK 1,890.

    After you receive the case order ID, you must pay the processing fee.

    Prepare your credit or debit card to pay it after completing the empty sections.

    After you pay the fees, you have to keep the receipt or a screenshot of the payment as you have to submit it along with the rest of the supporting documents.

    Step 4. Gather the supporting documents.

    Here, you must collect the supporting documents to prove you are eligible for the authorization.

    You have to gather this list of documents:

  • Receipt of paid application fee.
  • A copy of all of your passport pages.
  • A copy of the Danish Patient Safety Authority approval of your medical degree.
  • Financial independence proof.
    • If your documents are not in English or Danish, you must get them translated into English or Danish by a verified translation office. The office must have a stamp, address, and telephone number, and the translation must be in their heading.

    Step 5. Complete the application form.

    Now you have to complete the application form. There are two options;
  • online application form.
  • paper application forms.
    • he online application form is faster and will be processed quickly. It outweighs the paper application form. The SIRI link in the above section provides you with the link to the online and paper application form.

    There are detailed instructions on how to complete the application forms.

    You need the Case order Id number and the receipt of paid application to complete the application form.

    Step 6. Submit the application form. If you complete the online application form, it will be submitted to the SIRI officials automatically.

    But suppose you pick the paper application form. In that case, you have to submit it with the rest of the documents to the Danish embassy, consulate, or visa center responsible for visa processing in your home country.

    You can find a list of them from this link.

    Step 7. Submit biometrics.

    You have to submit your biometrics, digital photo, and fingerprints. You have to do it in 14 days after completing the online application form. If you cannot submit your biometrics in the time frame, you have to inform the SIRI of the reason and submit your biometrics at the first available time.

    There are a few scenarios with submitting your biometrics.

    If you are in Denmark at the time of application, you can submit your biometric with the SIRI’s offices in your city.

    Suppose you are applying from your home country or a foreign country, not Denmark. In that case, you can submit your biometrics to the Danish embassy, consulate, or the visa center responsible for visa processing.

Step 8. Wait for processing and answer.

The processing time of your application is about one month, but it might take longer. You have to wait for the SIRI’s decision. After you take the Danish Patient Safety Authority approval, you will likely receive the authorization unless there is a serious issue with your application. If such a thing happens, your application will get rejected, and the Danish official will tell you why. You can remove the obstacle and apply it again.

After the authorization is approved, you will receive instructions to get your permit and move to Denmark.

The residence permit will let you stay in Denmark for a few years to complete the stages of immigrating to Denmark as a nurse. You can also visit the Schengen Area for 90 days in six months but not longer. Moreover, you may not leave Denmark for longer than six months. If so, you will lose your residence permit.

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