On January 24, 2024, a political agreement was reached to ensure better and more flexible recruitment of foreign healthcare professionals from third countries.
With this agreement, the government aims to create a more efficient authorization process for third-country applicants, allowing competent and in-demand healthcare professionals to contribute more quickly to solving healthcare tasks. As part of this effort, there is consensus to implement the 16 recommendations from the Task Force on Foreign Labor.
Read the political agreement (in danish)
Read the 16 recommendations from the Task Force (in danish)
What will be changed?
We expect that the changes will include amendments to the Authorization Act and various authorization regulations. Currently, the bill is under consideration in the Danish Parliament and is expected to take effect on July 1, 2024.
Se the bill (in danish)
What Does This Mean for You?
We expect changes to the current fee structure, that supports the administration of authorization, including a fee to be paid upon application for authorization. Currently, the fee is paid only when the authorization has been achieved. This is expected to change to an application fee, which will always be payable upon submission of the application.
These changes apply to both Danish-educated and foreign-educated applicants and will affect those applying for:
- Danish authorization
- Permission to work independently
- Recognition as a specialist
Application fees proposed in the bill (2024 rates):
- Application for authorization (excluding doctors, dentists, and chiropractors): DKK 1,295.
- Application for permission to work independently (doctors, dentists, and chiropractors): DKK 3,508.
- Application for recognition of your specialist medical- and dental training: DKK 5,195.
- Application for registration as an emergency medical technician with special competence (paramedic): DKK 1,295.
Doctors, dentists, and chiropractors will not pay a separate fee for their authorization, as the costs associated with this process are included in the fee associated with the application for permission to work independently.
Emergency medical technicians and osteopaths, who currently pay a different authorization fee than other professional groups, are expected to pay the same application fee as everyone else.
Furthermore, there are expected to be changes that specifically affect foreign applicants from third countries.
These changes are expected to take effect on July 1, 2024.
It is important to emphasize that the changes have not yet been adopted, and adjustments may occur during the Danish Parliament's consideration of the bill.
At present, we are unable to provide precise answers to questions about the implications of these changes, either generally or in specific cases.
Go to:
Changes for Applicants Educated in Denmark
Changes for Applicants Educated in the Nordics/EU/EEA
Changes for Applicants Educated outside the Nordics/EU/EEA
Danish-educated applicants for authorization, permission to work independently, specialty recognition or registration as an emergency medical technician with special competence (paramedic):
The fee is expected to change to an application fee, covering the processing of the application. In practice, the fee will need to be paid at the same time as today. This is because most Danish-educated individuals currently pay the fee to obtain authorization simultaneously with submitting their electronic application. In the future, the fee will not be refunded in case of, for example, if your application for a Danish authorization gets rejected.
Additionally, there will be an adjustment of the fee rates, which have not been regulated for a period of years. Generally, the fees will increase.
If we have received a fully documented application before the changes take effect, the application will be processed according to the current fee rules. The case being fully documented means that if documentation needs to be submitted in addition to the application itself, we must have received all necessary documentation before the change, so the only thing that remains is the agency's final processing of the case.
Most newly graduated individuals applying for authorization do not need to submit documentation beyond the application itself.
For applicants who need to submit documentation for completed education, such as internship (KBU) or specialized training, the opportunity to obtain a decision at the current fee rates can be facilitated by ensuring that the agency has all relevant documentation before the expected rules come into force—including any documentation requested after submitting the application.
Applicants from the Nordics/EU/EEA, with an education from the Nordics/EU/EEA, who apply for authorization, permission to work independently and/or specialty recognition:
The fee is expected to change to an application fee, covering the processing of the application, and it must be paid in connection with the submission of an electronic application for authorization, etc. The fee will not be refunded in case of, for example, if your application for a Danish authorization gets rejected.
Additionally, there will be an adjustment of the fee rates, which have not been regulated for a period of years. Generally, the fees will increase.
If we have received a fully documented application before the changes take effect, the application will be processed according to the current fee rules. The case being fully documented means that we must have received all the necessary documentation from the applicant and possibly foreign authorities, documenting that the applicant has completed and meets all requirements, so the only thing that remains is the agency's final processing of the case. If a case does not meet these criteria, we will charge the fee according to the new rate to continue processing the application.
You can promote the opportunity to obtain authorization, etc., at the current fee rates by ensuring that we have all relevant documentation before the expected rules come into force—including any documentation requested after submitting the application.
Applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA and/or with an education from a country outside the EU/EEA:
A series of changes will occur, resulting in a better and flexible authorization process. Information about the changed rules will be continuously added to this page.
We expect:
- A special authorization process for particularly sought-after healthcare professionals who have a specific employment agreement at a treatment facility, ea. hospitals that meets certain criteria.
- That certain healthcare professionals will be able to incorporate formalized education acquired after completing their basic education, such as specialized training, when your education is being assessed suitable for testing or equivalent to the Danish education).
- If a healthcare professional's education is equivalent to the Danish education in terms of level, duration, and theoretical content, but lacks clinical hours compared to the Danish education, there will under certain circumstances be an option to compensate for the fewer clinical hours through an extended evaluation employment.
- The fee is expected to change to an application fee, covering the processing of the application, and it must be paid in connection with the submission of an electronic application. The fee will not be refunded in case of, for example, if your application for a Danish authorization gets rejected.
- Additionally, there will be an adjustment of the fee rates, which have not been regulated for a period of years. Generally, the fees will increase.
It is important to emphasize that these changes have not yet been adopted, and adjustments may occur during the public consultation and the Danish Parliament's consideration of the bill.
Therefore, at this time, it is not possible for us to precisely answer questions about what will apply. We cannot answer questions about the significance of the changes, either generally or in specific cases.
If an applicant meets all the conditions to obtain Danish authorization and has submitted documentation to the Danish Patient Safety Authority before the changes take effect, the application will be processed according to the current fee rules. In practice, this means that the applicant must complete their final evaluation employment before the change, and we must have received documentation in the form of the positive evaluation of the employment—so the only thing that remains is the agency's final processing of the case. It is possible to submit attested documentation for positive evaluation employment during the last month of the evaluation employment for all other professional groups except dentists.
For dentists, it is possible to submit attested documentation for positive evaluation employment 14 days before the end of the evaluation employment.
If a case does not meet these criteria, we will charge the fee according to the new rate to continue processing the application. This will apply, for example, to all applications where the applicant has not passed language tests, professional tests, or completed evaluation employment.