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What is the Pay Limit scheme?

If you have been offered a job in Denmark with a high salary, you can apply for a residence and work permit via the Pay Limit Scheme.

It is not required that you have a specific educational background or that your job is within a specific professional field.

If you have requested asylum in Denmark and have been offered a job with a high salary, you can also apply based on this scheme. 

What are the conditions?

You must meet certain conditions to be granted a permit to stay and work in Denmark based on the Pay Limit Scheme:

Your salary must meet ,at least minimum amount:

You must have been offered a job with an annual salary that meets, at least, the minimum amount. The minimum amount for 2023 is DKK 465,000. The minimum amount is regulated every year on 1 January.

When assessing whether the salary that you have been offered meets, at least, the minimum amount, only the following salary components can be taken into account:

• Salary in the form of liquid assets, including fixed supplements and bonuses which are, therefore, guaranteed salary
• Payments to labour market pension schemes, including the pension contributions paid by both the employer and the applicant
• Paid holiday allowance 

Your annual salary must meet, at least, the minimum amount even if you take holiday without pay. If you earn holiday allowance, which can only be paid to you in the following year, it cannot count towards the annual salary for the year in which you have earned it. Moreover, it is only holiday allowance paid by the employer whom you are currently allowed to work for, that can be counted as part of your salary.

Your employer might offer you, as a supplement to your salary, benefits such as paid canteen, free use of car, paid phone, paid internet and paid living and housing expenses. Note that these salary components cannot be taken into account when assessing whether your salary meets the minimum amount.

Your salary must be paid into a Danish bank account :

Your salary must be paid into a Danish bank account in a bank operating legally in Denmark.

It is not a requirement that the salary paid into the Danish bank account is transferred from a Danish bank account.

Likewise, there are no limitations to the type of bank account that can be used: both a currency account and a basic bank account can, for example, be used.

The Danish bank account must be opened no later than 90 days after the date on which you have been granted a Danish residence and work permit. If you entry Denmark after having been granted your permit, the Danish bank account must be opened within 90 days from entry. If you already hold a permit which is valid for at least 3 months, your salary must be paid into a Danish bank account from the first salary payment.

The offered salary must correspond to Danish Standards:

The salary that you have been offered must not be inferior to the standards within the professional field in which you are going to work.

When assessing whether the salary you have been offered corresponds to Danish standards, only the following salary components can be taken into account:

• Salary in the form of liquid assets, including fixed supplements which are, therefore, guaranteed salary
• Payments to labour market pension schemes, including the pension contributions paid by both the employer and the applicant
• Paid holiday allowance 

If you earn holiday allowance, which can only be paid to you in the following year, it cannot count towards the annual salary for the year in which you have earned it. Moreover, it is only holiday allowance paid by the employer whom you are currently allowed to work for, that can be counted as part of your salary.

Your employer might offer you, as a supplement to your salary, benefits such as paid canteen, free use of car, paid phone, paid internet and paid living and housing expenses. Note that these salary components cannot be taken into account when assessing whether your salary corresponds to Danish standards.