Denmark Immigration - Green Card Scheme

Denmark grants foreign nationals to get residence in Denmark for the purpose of seeking employment. In this case you do not need to get a job offer from an employer residing in Denmark. Instead this scheme allows you to travel to Denmark first and search for work. This residence permit is for 3 years which can be further extended later on.


You must attain 100 points to qualify for this scheme. These points are calculated on the following factors.

1- Age
2- Education
3- Language Skills
4- Work Experience
5- Adaptability

Age:

• 35-40 years: 10 points
• 34 years or younger: 15 points

In order to receive points for educational level, you must, as a minimum, have the equivalent of a Danish Bachelor’s degree. Denmark official website specifically mentions about the degrees obtained from Pakistan and India. See the table below first and assess yourself that which danish equivalence you fall for.

Education:
 
Master degrees completed in 2007 and later:

Pakistani qualification:	Danish level of education
2-year bachelor degree + a 2 year master degree	A Danish bachelor degree
3-year bachelor degree + a 2 year master degree	A Danish bachelor degree as well as 1 year of a Danish master's degree
4-year bachelor degree + a 2-year master degree	A Danish bachelor degree as well as 1 year of a Danish master's degree, possibly a Danish master’s degree if the programme includes a thesis
Master of Philosophy	A Danish master's degree

Bachelor degrees completed in 2005 and later:

Pakistani qualification	Danish level of education
2-year bachelor degree	1 year of a Danish bachelor degree
3-year bachelor degree	2 years of a Danish bachelor degree, or a Danish academy profession degree
4-year bachelor degree	A Danish bachelor degree

Master degrees completed before 2007:

Pakistani qualification	Danish level of education
2-year bachelor degree + a 2-year master degree	2 years of a Danish bachelor degree, or a Danish academy profession degree.
3-year bachelor degree + a 2-year master degree	A Danish bachelor degree as well as 1 year of a Danish master's degree
4-year bachelor degree + a 2 year master degree	A Danish bachelor degree as well as 1 year of a Danish master's degree, possibly a Danish master’s degree if the programme includes a thesis
Master of Philosophy	A Danish master's degree

Bachelor degrees completed before 2005:

Pakistani qualification	Danish level of education
2-year bachelor degree	A Danish upper secondary education
3-year bachelor degree	2 years of a Danish bachelor degree
4-year bachelor degree	A Danish bachelor degree

Now Denmark green card scheme allocate points in education on following basis.

• Bachelor's degree: 30 points
• Bachelor's degree followed by one-year Master's degree: 50 points
• Master's degree: 60 points
• PhD: 80 points

Danish Agency For International Education is responsible for evaluating degrees to danish equivalence. The above table is for a general guideline only. Danish Agency for International Education assess qualifications on case to case basis and actual assessment can vary from what we see above. Your grade score on each subject, courses in the degree, course length, research work and other academic factors are some factors that are also considered in evaluation process. Degrees must be attested from HEC. Education Bonus Points If you are graduated from world top 400 universities ranked by THES-QS then you can claim additional points as per following.

• Top 400: 5 points
• Top 200: 10 points
• Top 100: 15 points

Below is the link of top universities of 2011 ranked by THES-QS http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2011

Language Skills

You can only receive points for one Scandinavian language and for either English or German. As such, you can receive points for both Swedish and English, or both Danish and German, but not for both Danish and Norwegian, or for both English and German.

If you have studied atleast one year in higher education in English/Gernman or employed at a place for one year where mode of language was English/German then you get the maximum points and you are not required to take test.

You can claim additional points in language if you know any of the following language.

Swedish, Danish, Norwegian Level 1: 5 Points
Swedish, Danish, Norwegian Level 2: 10 Points
Swedish, Danish, Norwegian Level 3: 15 Points

However, maximum 30 points can be awarded in this category. 

Work Experience:

Danish government maintains a list of occupations where Denmark is experiencing shortage of skilled workers. If your occupation is fortunate enough to fall in one of these then you can achieve maximum points in this category.

1-2 years experience in last 5 years in field listed in positive list: 10 Points
3-5 years experience in last 5 years in the field listed in positive list: 15 Points

If however your occupation is not listed in the Positive List then only 5 points will be awarded provided you have 3-5 experience in it.

The Positive List

Below follows an overview of all job titles on the Positive List, divided into professional fields.

Engineer

• Building engineer
  
• Electric engineer
• Energy engineer
  
• Environmental engineer
  
• Mechanical engineer
  
• Plastics engineer
  
• Production engineer
  
• Oil and gas engineer

Doctor, dentist and veterinarian

• Chief surgeon
  
• Hospital doctor
  
• General practitioner
  
• Medical consultant
  
• Medical specialist
  

Other academic work

• Accountant
  
• Assistant professor/lecturer, natural sciences and technology
  
• Assistant professor/lecturer, the humanities
  
• Associate professor/senior lecturer, the humanities
  
• Attorney
  
• Financial controller
  
• Land surveyor
• Legal counsellor
  
• Upper secondary school teacher, natural sciences and physical education

IT and telecommunication

• IT architect
• IT consultant
  
• IT head of security
  
• IT salesperson
  
• IT quality manager
  
• Network consultant
  

Management

• Accounting manager  
• Area manager 
• Head of department
  
• Head of institute/centre
  
• Production manager
  
• Quality manager

Educational, social and religious work

• Childcarer/social educator
  
• Social worker 

Sales, purchases and marketing

• Product specialist

Health, healthcare and personal care

• Anaesthetic nurse
  
• Chiropractor
  
• Dental therapist
  
• Head midwife
  
• Head nurse
  
• Nurse
  
• Optician
  
• Surgical nurse

Adaptability:

Adaptability means the factors which can help you to adjust in the Denmark culture and environment more easily than others. These factors are based if the candidate

• Has completed at least one year's study at a higher educational programme in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 5 points
• Has completed at least three years' study at a higher educational programme in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 10 points

Or

• At least one full year's (12 consecutive months') legal residence and work in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 5 points
• At least two consecutive year's legal residence and work in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 10 points

You will be given 5 bonus points for Danish language skills (passed exam in Danish Language Test, Level 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2) or higher).

Note:
Danish language skill (Level 2) points will awarded in both categories of Language and Adabtability separately. Such candidate will be awarded with 10 bonus points. 5 for Adabtability + 5 for Langauge.