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Work guideDenmarkUpdated 2026-09-14

Denmark Positive List Jobs 2026: How the 164 + 63 Job Titles Really Work

Understand Denmark's July 2026 Positive Lists for Higher Education and Skilled Work, how to check your exact job title and why inclusion does not guarantee a permit.

Researched and updated by Nordic Life Guide Research Desk

Quick answer

Denmark's Positive Lists were updated on 1 July 2026. The Positive List for People with a Higher Education contained 164 job titles, while the Positive List for Skilled Work contained 63. These lists identify occupations where Denmark assesses a shortage, but they are not a general 'jobs for foreigners' list and do not guarantee a residence/work permit. Your concrete job must match the relevant listed occupation and you must satisfy the route's other conditions.

Professional reviewing employment documents and eligibility notes at a Nordic desk
Denmark Positive List.

Updated: 2026-09-14

Sources checked: 2026-09-14

On this page
  1. There are two Positive Lists, and they are not interchangeable
  2. Match your actual contract to the listed occupation
  3. Why a listed job can still fail
  4. Turn the list into a job-search system
  5. Before accepting, run a permit + affordability check

What to know first

  • 1 July 2026: 164 higher-education job titles.
  • 1 July 2026: 63 skilled-work job titles.
  • Match the official job title/occupation—not a loose marketing title.
  • Inclusion does not replace employer, salary, contract or documentation requirements.
  • Use Jobnet and employer sites to find a real matching vacancy.

Before you decide

Use this guide for the right situation

Who this guide is for

Non-EU skilled workers and graduates targeting Denmark.

What it covers

Current list sizes, matching method, limitations and job-search use.

Also check separately

Full reproduction of the official listPersonal eligibility decisionJob placement

Next step: Open the current official list, match your actual occupation and then search for a concrete job that satisfies the route.

Key facts

Key facts used in this guide

Higher Education
164 titles

Source ↗

Skilled Work
63 titles

Source ↗

Current list update
1 July 2026

Source ↗

Current official-data context

Numbers worth checking before you decide

These figures give the guide a current factual baseline. They are reference points, not promises about your personal salary, tax bill, rent or eligibility.

Labour-market contribution
8%

AM-bidrag is deducted before the main income-tax calculation for salary income.

Danish Tax Agency — 2026 income-tax brackets ↗

Average municipal tax
25.049%

2026 nationwide average; the actual municipality rate differs by address.

Danish Ministry of Taxation — Municipal taxes 2026 ↗

Q1 2026 earnings growth
+3.2% year on year

Standardized average earnings change, not a monthly salary level.

Statistics Denmark — Wage development, Q1 2026 ↗

Positive Lists
164 + 63 job titles

Higher-education and skilled-work lists effective 1 July 2026; being listed does not itself guarantee a permit.

SIRI / New to Denmark — Positive Lists updated 1 July 2026 ↗

2025 price level
140.2 (EU=100)

Country-level household-consumption price index; not a personal budget.

Eurostat — Comparative price levels in Europe, 2025 ↗

Source check: 2026-08-08. Recheck official sources before making a high-stakes financial, tax or immigration decision.

There are two Positive Lists, and they are not interchangeable

One list covers occupations requiring higher education; the other covers skilled work. A job that sounds similar in English can belong to a different occupation or qualification level, so use the official title and description when checking fit.

The lists can change, so verify them on New to Denmark when preparing an application.

Evidence for this section: SIRI / New to Denmark — Positive Lists updated 1 July 2026 ↗ · New to Denmark / SIRI ↗

Match your actual contract to the listed occupation

Start with the duties, qualification requirement and official occupation title rather than choosing the nearest-sounding list entry. If the job is materially different, do not assume the route applies.

Keep the vacancy, job description, contract and qualification evidence aligned so the application tells one consistent story.

Evidence for this section: SIRI / New to Denmark — Positive Lists updated 1 July 2026 ↗ · New to Denmark / SIRI ↗

Why a listed job can still fail

Positive List inclusion addresses the shortage-occupation part of the route; it does not automatically satisfy every permit condition. The employment, employer, salary/terms and documentation still need to meet the current requirements.

Treat the list as a route filter, not an approval prediction.

Evidence for this section: New to Denmark / SIRI ↗

Before accepting, run a permit + affordability check

Once you have an offer, verify the current New to Denmark route and then estimate Danish net income and housing costs. A qualifying route can still produce a poor personal budget, especially if your first choice is central Copenhagen.

Evidence for this section: New to Denmark / SIRI ↗ · Danish Tax Agency — 2026 income-tax brackets ↗ · Statistics Denmark — Rent indices, Q2 2026 ↗

Useful tools

Try the numbers or checklist yourself.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How many jobs are on Denmark's Positive Lists in 2026?

The 1 July 2026 update contained 164 job titles on the Higher Education list and 63 on the Skilled Work list.

Does a Positive List job guarantee a Danish work permit?

No. The job must match the relevant occupation and all other current route conditions still apply.

Where can I find Positive List vacancies?

Use the official lists to identify matching occupations, then search Jobnet and employer career pages for actual vacancies.

How we check this guideSources, boundaries and update checks
  • Time-sensitive rules and statistics are linked to primary or official sources where available.
  • Planning guidance is kept separate from legal eligibility, live availability and personal financial advice.
  • Important dates and source checks are shown so you can re-verify changing information before acting.

Sources

Official and primary references

Open the references if you need to verify a rule, statistic or date before making a decision.

View 8 sources and verification dates
SIRI / New to Denmark — Positive Lists updated 1 July 2026 ↗

The Positive List for People with a Higher Education contains 164 job titles and the Positive List for Skilled Work contains 63 job titles from 1 July 2026. Inclusion on a list is not a job offer and applicants still need to meet the route requirements.

Data period: Lists effective 1 July 2026

Checked: 2026-08-12

Jobnet / Work in Denmark ↗

Official Workindenmark job portal for international jobseekers. Its current guidance states that jobs in the international portal are presented in English and lets users narrow by location, duration and full/part-time status.

Data period: Current service checked August 2026

Checked: 2026-08-17

Statistics Denmark — Rent indices, Q2 2026 ↗

Official Danish rent-index source, updated 14 July 2026. The private-rental sample covers about 110,000 dwellings out of roughly 500,000 privately owned rentals.

Data period: Q2 2026

Checked: 2026-08-08

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