Changes to the authorization process

A new political agreement, aimed at ensuring a better and more flexible authorization process, has led to changes to the authorization fee in general, as well as changes to the authorization process for foreign healthcare professionals from third countries.

At the end of 2024 we contacted all applicants who applied for Danish authorization before 1 July 2024 at the Danish Patient Safety Authority and who still have a pending case but have not yet paid a fee. An applicant have an ongoing case with us until they either obtain permanent Danish authorization or receive a rejection of their application for Danish authorization.

The reason was, that new rules has taken effect on 1 July 2024, which means, among other things, that an applicant must pay a fee to have their application processed or to maintain a pending case.

What happens if your do not pay the fee?

Please be aware, that if you do not pay the fee, your case will be closed without further processing of your application.

Did you receive an email but you do not have a pending case at the Danish Patient Safety Authority?

If you have received an email concerning the above-mentioned payment of the fee but do not have a pending case or if you already have paid the fee, please contact us via email to aaes@stps.dk. For example, this could be due to us not having updated our registration of a previous decision or payment.

Currently, we are receiving an extraordinary number of inquiries about payment of the application fee - especially from applicants who have not received our letter with the payment link, as we do not have their current email address. You should therefore expect a delay in response. We ask of your patience and understanding in the matter.

We are currently processing the inquiries we have received in mid-March 2025.

Agreement on New Fees and Changes in the Authorization Process for Healthcare Professionals from Third Countries

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)

FAQ: Fee changes

The new fees apply to:

  • All applications submitted on or after 1 July 2024
  • Applications that we have received before 1 July, but where the education does not end until 1 July 2024 or later
  • Applications that we have received before 1 July 2024, but which can only be processed on or after 1 July 2024, e.g. because we lack documentation or because other conditions for obtaining authorisation have not been met.

The fee is changed to an application fee, where it was previously a fee for issuing the authorization/permit. This means that you must pay the fee when you apply for authorisation, independent work, recognition of a specialist etc.

From 1 July 2024, all new applicants must pay a fee when submitting the application.

If you applied before 1 July 2024, and your case has not been concluded before 1 July 2024, you must pay the new fee to have your application processed.

The fee rates have not been regulated for many years. This means that they do not cover our costs for processing applications for authorisation, for permission to work independently as a doctor, dentist or chiropractor and registration of specialist qualifications as a specialist doctor, specialist dentist or as an emergency medical technician with special competences (paramedic).

The fees have therefore increased so that in the future they cover the costs of processing the cases.

The fees will in the future be recalculated every year. The calculation must ensure that the fee always covers the real costs of processing the cases, and the fees can therefore in principle both increase and decrease during the annual adjustment.

You will not get the fee refunded if your application is rejected or if you withdraw your application.

What Does This Mean for You?

There has been changes to the current fee structure, that supports the administration of authorization, including a fee to be paid upon application for authorization. Previosly, an applicant had to paid a fee for the issuance of an authorization. This has now been changed to an application fee, that must be paid when applying for Danish authorization.

These changes apply to both Danish-educated and foreign-educated applicants and will affect everyone who applies for:

  • Danish authorization
  • Permission to work independently
  • Recognition as a specialist
  • Permission for emergency medical technicians with special competences (paramedic)

New application fees (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, changes are expected to be made that specifically affect foreign educated applicants from third countries.

These changes will come into effect on 1 July  2024. 

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 now an application fee, covering the processing of an application. Please note that the fee is non-refundable if e.g. your application for Danish authorization has been rejected by us.

An adjustment of the fee rates has also been made, as it has not been regulated for a period of years. In general, our fees have increased.

If we have received all the necessary information to make a final decision before the changes came into effect on July 1, 2024, the application will be processed according to the previous fee regulations.

This means that if your education is completed and we have received documentation that you have met all the requirements for authorization, permission to work independently etc. - and the only thing pending as of July 1, 2024, is our processing, you will be charged the old fee.

Please note, that should your application not meet the above-mentioned criteria, we will charge the new rated fee in order to continue processing your application.

Most newly graduated individuals applying for authorization do not need to submit documentation other than the application itself.

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 or registration as an emergency medical technician with special competence (paramedic):

The fee has changed 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.

An adjustment of the fee rates has also been made, as it has not been regulated for a period of years. In general, our fees have increased.

If we have received all the necessary information to make a final decision on the application for danish authorization before the changes came into effect on July 1, 2024, the application will be processed according to the previous fee regulations.

This means that if we have received documentation that you have met all the requirements for authorization - for example compensation measures, etc. - and the only thing pending as of July 1, 2024, is our processing, you will be charged the old fee.

Please note, that should your application not meet the above-mentioned criteria, we will charge the new rated fee in order to continue processing your application.

Most newly graduated individuals applying for authorization do not need to submit documentation other than the application itself.

Applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA and/or with an education from a country outside the EU/EEA:

A series of changes has occurred and others are expected, resulting in a better and flexible authorization process. Information about the changed rules will be continuously added to this page.

There has been changes in the Authorization Act which means that:

  1. Medical doctors, dentists and nurses 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).
  2. If a healthcare professional's education is equivalent to the Danish education in terms of level, theoretical content and duration, 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.
  3. The fee has changed 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.

The fee is now an application fee, covering the processing of the application. The fee will not be refunded in case of, for example, if your application for a Danish authorization gets rejected.

Additionally, there is an adjustment of the fee rates, which has not been regulated for a period of years. Generally, the fees have increased.

If we have received all the necessary information to make a final decision before the changes came into effect on July 1, 2024, the application will be processed according to the previous fee regulations.

The announcement about authorization has been changed

The announcement on the authorization of healthcare professionals who are citizens of and/or trained in countries outside the EU/EEA has come into force. The announcement consolidates the regulation of all professional groups that were previously regulated in three separate announcements.

The executive order results in the following changes:

  1. Introduction of a separate authorization process for those following the requirements in the “Specifically Requested Healthcare Professionals” scheme.
  2. The requirement that the grades in the various sub-tests for “Prøve I dansk 3” must be obtained within 12 months is deleted.
  3. Automatic recognition of EU/EEA training for doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives if the training meets the conditions for automatic recognition in the recognition directive, regardless citizenship.
  4. Postgraduate education is included in our assessment for doctors, dentists and nurses, and it will be possible to compensate for  missing clinical hours in the authorization process.
  5. The employer must in the future only send one assessment (evalueringsskema) to the Danish Patient Safety Authority at the end of the employment for adaptation and training purposes.
  6. The deadline for completing of the authorization process is changed for applicants who apply for Danish authorization as a doctor or dentist, so that in future they must have completed the first employment for adaptation and training purposes and have either started or have been offered the last required employment no later than 5 years after our assessment of an foreign education has been made.
  7. An educated medical doctor has now the opportunity to get a dispensation from the 6-year rule. Also, for all professional health groups there is no requirement for fulfillment of the 6-year rule when offering an employment for adaptation and training purposes in the “Specifically Requested Healthcare Professionals” scheme.
  8. Applicants can be exempted from the 3-year deadline when offered an employment for adaptation and training purposes.
  9. Applicants applying for Danish authorization as a medical doctor or dentist will have the opportunity to complete a course in Danish Health Legislation no later than 1 month after the start of an employment for adaptation and training purposes

You can read more in Lov om autorisation af sundhedspersoner og om sundhedsfaglig virksomhed og udlændingeloven"