VisaDenmark applies updated salary statistics to work applications filed from October
A follow-up explains which filing date controls the salary comparison, the evidence employers need and why the pay-limit threshold is a separate test.
Official source date: 2026-09-17
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The application date selects the statistical dataset
Denmark work-permit applicants filing from 1 October 2026 are assessed against updated income statistics when SIRI checks whether their offered salary matches Danish standards. The agency September 17 notice says the new dataset uses second-quarter 2026 information. Applications filed between 1 July and 30 September instead use first-quarter information. This is a follow-up on the effective October change, not a newly announced increase in every worker salary.
The notice says statistics are updated quarterly and the next update is expected from 1 January 2027. An applicant should therefore identify the submission date and applicable dataset rather than use a downloaded table without checking its period. Employers preparing a late-year application need the correct current comparison, while an earlier applicant should not assume that a later decision date automatically moves the file onto October statistics.
Danish salary standards apply across work schemes
SIRI salary guidance applies the standards condition to first applications and extensions across routes including the Pay Limit Scheme, Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme, relevant Fast-track tracks, researchers and the Positive Lists. It also identifies separate rules for the skilled-work Positive List and conditions for sideline work or work by accompanying family members. The October statistics should consequently not be described as relevant only to one high-salary visa.
The guidance says the comparison uses the job function, relevant experience and work region. It requires the job title and description, experience evidence and six-digit DISCO code. Where the workplace differs from the employer registered region, the fixed workplace address and production-unit number should appear in the employment contract. Use the salary resource to assemble those details before submission rather than send only a salary figure and a company name.
The occupation code must reflect actual duties
The separate SIRI DISCO resource explains that the classification compares job functions regardless of title or educational background. The employer should select the six-digit code from the primary duties. A title such as account manager does not alone establish whether the work is sales, accounting or marketing. Use the DISCO guidance to document the substantive job rather than choose a code because its salary benchmark appears easier.
For illustration, two employees with the same management title can perform materially different work and require different comparisons. SIRI can ask the employer to reconsider an inaccurate code and, where uncertainty remains, seek a regional employment council assessment. An applicant should discuss the duties and experience evidence with the employer before filing; the classification is not a self-selected exemption from the salary test.
Meeting the pay limit does not replace the standards condition
The separate minimum-amount resource states that the Pay Limit Scheme annual threshold is DKK552,000 for 2026, equivalent to DKK46,000 monthly, and is regulated each January. It also says salary and employment terms must still meet Danish standards. Existing holders seeking extension may continue with the minimum amount applicable when they first applied, subject to the relevant conditions. Do not confuse that historical threshold rule with the statistical dataset used for the current salary comparison.
The scheme application page identifies guaranteed salary, pension contributions and eligible paid holiday amounts as relevant components, while benefits such as housing, a car or paid internet do not count towards the threshold. An employment package headline can therefore differ from the amount recognized for immigration. Obtain a breakdown from the employer and check the official calculation rules rather than add every benefit to reach the minimum.
Submit the right application and complete biometrics
The Pay Limit application resource lists a DKK6,810 processing fee and normal processing of one month, potentially three months where more information is needed. It offers AR1, completed in separate employer and applicant parts, or AR6 with employer power of attorney. Biometrics are normally required within 14 days after submission; the page explains what to do where an appointment cannot be obtained in time.
Use the application page for the form, fee and biometric deadline, the DISCO page for occupation classification and the dated statistics notice for the applicable dataset. This review cannot determine the correct salary for an individual job without the duties, experience and region. Those are the concrete facts the applicant and employer should resolve before relying on an October filing.
