How to apply for jobs in Denmark

Workindenmark tells applicants to keep only the most relevant information for the job in the CV. It starts with a personal profile of four to eight lines, sometimes beside a photo, headed with your main qualification ("Engineer with experience in plastic moulding") and naming your top three competences for the role. Update it for every application. In the work history, say what you achieved and add numbers where you can; explain unfamiliar foreign employers and job titles, and state whether a role was a student job, internship or fixed-term contract, because an unexplained entry is read as regular full-time work.

Personal details are more open than in many countries: it is normal to give your age, whether you are married and have children, and what you do in your spare time, under a heading such as "About me" at the end. The Danish CV format guide covers the layout. The cover letter should be no longer than one A4 page and make the employer want to meet you: describe how you meet the criteria in the advert, hard skills first, back each claim with an example and explain what the company gains by hiring you. Ruubu's cover letter builder drafts a letter from your CV that you then fit to the advert.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

The Act on the Prohibition of Differences of Treatment in the Labour Market bans discrimination and harassment on grounds of race, colour, religion or belief, political affiliation, sexual orientation, age, disability and national, social or ethnic origin. It covers applicants for vacant jobs as well as employees, so it applies to hiring decisions just as it does to pay, promotion and dismissal.

If you believe you were treated unfairly, you can complain to the Board of Equal Treatment, go through your trade union or take the case to court. Filing a complaint with the Board is free, and if your claim is upheld you are entitled to compensation.^[14][15]

Workindenmark's advice is not to raise salary or benefits yourself; the topic usually comes up near the end of the interview, and you should be ready with at least a salary range. Workindenmark points to salary calculators, such as the one on Jobindex, to research the going rate before you go. If you hear nothing after the interview, a short, polite email to the recruiter is a reasonable way to ask about the timeline.

If the job lasts at least a month and averages more than eight hours a week, the employer must give you a written employment contract. It has to state, among other things, the start date, the job title or description, the salary and how often it is paid, working hours, holiday rights, notice terms for both sides and any collective agreement that covers the job.

For staff covered by the Salaried Employees Act (funktionærloven), an agreed probationary period can last up to three months; during it the employer can end the job with 14 days' notice, and you can leave without notice. After that, you give one month's notice, and the employer's notice grows with your length of service. Where a collective agreement applies, its notice rules usually take over.^[12][16][17]

Citizens of the EU/EEA and Switzerland can live and work in Denmark under EU rules and apply for an EU residence document after arriving; you will also need a tax card before you start. Most other nationals need a residence and work permit from SIRI. Under the Pay Limit Scheme, you need a job offer from a company registered in Denmark with a salary of at least DKK 552,000 a year (2026 level, adjusted every 1 January), at least 30 hours a week and terms that meet Danish standards; the salary must be paid into a Danish bank account in your name. SIRI also runs other schemes, such as the Positive Lists, and some professions need a Danish authorisation before a permit can be granted.

To help an employer understand a foreign degree, you can ask the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science for an assessment that states the equivalent Danish level; it is for the most part free and takes from two weeks to two months. If your CV is not yet in English or Danish, translate your resume before you start applying.^[2][18][19]