Denmark Restricts Foreigners From Securing Work Permits in 2 Occupations

• Denmark's Patient Safety Authority has set the professional authorisation quota for foreign doctors and nurses to zero, effective until 31 December 2026
• The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration confirmed that applications submitted during the restriction period should expect a refusal
• The move deals a significant blow to foreign-trained healthcare workers who had planned to relocate to Denmark and regularise their professional status

Denmark has effectively closed its doors to foreign doctors and nurses seeking professional authorisation to practise in the country, after the Danish Patient Safety Authority set the quota for both occupations to zero.

The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) confirmed the development on its official immigration portal, which was last updated on 12 October 2026.

The agency stated that the zero quota applies to applications for authorisation as a nurse or a doctor and will remain in place until 31 December 2026.

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What Denmark's zero quota means for applicants

Under Danish immigration rules, foreign healthcare workers must obtain professional authorisation from the Patient Safety Authority before they can legally practise as doctors or nurses. Residence and work permits are closely tied to this process, meaning that with the quota now set at zero, no residence permits can be granted to anyone pursuing authorisation in either profession during the specified period.

SIRI's guidance on the portal is unambiguous: those who proceed with an application regardless of the restriction should anticipate a refusal. The agency also issued a specific caution to individuals currently in Denmark on visiting visas who had intended to regularise their status through the authorisation route, warning of potential penalty risks for remaining in the country under those circumstances.

The restriction does not appear to affect dentists or those classified on the portal as "specifically requested healthcare professionals," whose eligibility conditions are outlined separately.

Impact on foreign-trained medical professionals

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For foreign-trained doctors and nurses who had identified Denmark as a destination for professional practice abroad, the development represents a considerable setback. The country had previously been among the European destinations explored by healthcare professionals seeking to work overseas.

With the quota in force through the remainder of 2026, the ambitions of those professionals are effectively on hold, and there is no indication yet of what the position will be when the new year begins.

The restriction carries particular weight for applicants who were already in advanced stages of planning a relocation to Denmark based on the expectation of obtaining authorisation upon arrival.

Denmark lists 12 African countries eligible for tourist visas

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Denmark had announced a new route for citizens of 12 African countries.

This allows them to apply for short-stay tourist visas without requiring a Danish host or sponsor.

Source: YEN.com.gh