Quota for applications

A “quota of zero” means that, as a general rule, it is not possible to apply for Danish authorization as a nurse if you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA.

The quota applies from 7 October 2025 to 31 December 2026.

The quota has been introduced because there is currently no general shortage of nurses in Denmark.

The quota applies to nurses who are citizens of and/or educated in countries outside the EU/EEA.

However, the quota does not apply if you:

• Have a specific offer of an employment for adaptation and training purposes as a specially requested healthcare professional, covering the full evaluation period of three years, and meeting the requirements for completing the authorization process as described on this page
• Have legal residence in Denmark at the time of application for Danish authorization
• Have completed an education in a country outside the EU/EEA, but are a citizen of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands or Greenland, or of another EU/EEA country, etc.
• Are educated in Greenland or the Faroe Islands.

If you are covered by the quota, you are generally not allowed to apply for authorization as a nurse in Denmark. The current quota for nurses is zero and applies from 7 October 2025 until 31 December 2026.

If you are exempt from the quota, for example because you have legal residence in Denmark, and you wish to apply for Danish authorization, you must attach documentation confirming that you are exempt from the quota along with your application.

If you wish to apply for authorization as a specially requested healthcare professional, you will be asked to provide documentation in the form of a specific offer of employment for adaptation and training purposes covering the full three-year evaluation period.

Please note: If, during the processing of your application, we find that you are not in fact exempt from the quota – for example, if a check of your documentation shows that you do not have a valid residence basis – your application will be rejected, and the application fee will not be refunded.

You can read more about who is covered by the quota under “Who is covered by the quota?”

That depends on how far your application has progressed by 7 October 2025.

The quota does not only apply to new applications for Danish authorization. It also applies to applications we received before 7 October 2025 that have not yet been processed – either with a permanent Danish authorization or a rejection.

• If your education has not yet been approved:
  If you have submitted an application for Danish authorization, but have not yet received permission to begin the authorization process (i.e. had your education approved), your application will generally be rejected. Your fee will be refunded. You will receive direct notification from us if your case is rejected.
  
  
• If your education has been approved:
  If you have received a decision from us stating that you may begin the authorization process, and we already have information from The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) about your legal residence, your case will continue as normal. You will receive direct notification if your case continues.
  
  
• If we do not know whether you have legal residence and are therefore exempt from the quota, we will contact you later to ask whether you have legal residence. You will be asked to submit documentation.
  • If you send documentation showing that you have legal residence, your authorization process will continue as before.
  • If you do not submit documentation confirming your legal residence within the set deadline, your application will be rejected, and your fee will be refunded.

Yes, your case can be reopened if you can document that you belonged to one of the groups exempt from the quota on 7 October 2025.

If your application fee has already been refunded, the application fee will be charged again before we can continue processing your case.

If you did not meet the conditions for being exempt from the quota on 7 October 2025, but meet the conditions at a later time, you may submit a new application at that time.

You can see who is covered by the quota under “Who is covered by the quota”.

If you have legal residence in Denmark under the Danish Aliens Act, you have received a residence permit letter and a residence card from either the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) or the Danish Immigration Service.

This is the documentation you must upload together with your application if you are applying for Danish authorization as a nurse and are exempt from the quota due to legal residence.

Documentation of your residence includes:

• A color copy of your valid residence card (front and back).
• A copy of your most recent residence permit letter from either SIRI or the Danish Immigration Service.
• If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA with the right to reside in Denmark under EU rules, you must upload a copy of your EU/EEA residence document if you do not yet have a residence card.

If your residence permit has expired, you must also upload documentation showing that you have applied for an extension of your residence permit or for a new residence basis.

If we are unsure based on the documentation you submit whether you have legal residence, we will contact the relevant authority (The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) or the Danish Immigration Service) to verify your legal residence status.

The quota is valid from 7 October 2025 until 31 December 2026.

We expect that a new quota will be set each year to reflect the current demand for a specific professional group.

If applications for Danish authorization reopen in 2026, the information will be published on this page.

Yes, if you have already applied and your application for Danish authorization is rejected, your fee will be refunded.

However, if your casefile already has been processed either with a permanent Danish authorization or a rejection, your fee will not be refunded.

We will usually refund the fee of DKK 1,295 to the payment card used for the original payment. If the card is no longer active or if the refund fails for other reasons, we will contact you.

No, it is not possible to appeal a rejection based on the quota. However, you may request for your case to be reopened if you can document that you are exempt from the quota, for example due to legal residence.