Going to Denmark on working holiday

General information

Only nationals of countries that have made Working Holiday agreements with Denmark can apply. Working Holiday residence permit applications to Denmark are processed by The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). On the website of SIRI you can find detailed information about the Working Holiday residence permits to Denmark and how to apply. All questions regarding Working Holiday must be directed to SIRI.

How to apply

Denmark’s external service provider, VFS Global, receives applications for Working Holiday residence permits at the Denmark visa application centre in Tokyo.

The applicant prepares the application in accordance with the instructions on the website of the Denmark visa application centre. After preparations, the applicant makes an appointment with the visa application centre, and on the day of the appointment, the applicant submits the application and supporting documentation at the centre. At the same time biometric data of the applicant is recorded. The applicant also agrees with the application centre how to receive the decision, either by postal mail (a service fee applies) or to pick up the decision letter personally.

Once the application has been submitted with all the necessary documentation, the application, the documentation and the biometric data are forwarded by the visa application centre to the Danish Embassy in Tokyo, after which the Embassy forwards the application and the biometric data to the Danish immigration authorities (SIRI) for processing.

Please note: regardless whether you apply online or you apply by a paper application, you must still appear in person at the visa application centre for submission of documents and recording biometrics. The difference between the two forms of application is that with online application you submit much less documents on the day of application at the visa application centre.

Please visit the website of the Denmark visa application centre for information about how to book an appointment and how to submit an application.

Fees
For a Working Holiday permit application there are up to 2 fees to be paid: Embassy fee and the visa application centre fee.
The Embassy fee is paid using the Webshop of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://dys.um.dk/Permit.

Japanese nationals are exempt from the Embassy fee, but not the visa application centre fee.

During the case processing

Once the application has been submitted at the visa application centre, the applicant should refrain from contacting the Embassy about the case. The Embassy can offer no relevant information about a case which is under processing.

If, in exceptional circumstances, the Danish immigration authorities determine that there is a problem with the submitted documentation, or if the applicant needs to be called for an interview to clarify something regarding the application, the same process as the applicant has agreed with the visa application centre for receiving the decision, will be used for delivery of the message about the problem.

Receiving the decision

Regardless whether you are granted a Working Holiday residence permit to Denmark or your application is rejected, the decision will come in the form of a letter, which will be sent by the Danish immigration authorities to the Embassy, who will forward the letter to the visa application centre.

Depending on the applicant’s agreement with the visa application centre, the application centre will either send the letter to the applicant by postal mail (a service fee applies), or the applicant will be requested to pick up the letter in person. Please make agreement with the visa application centre on the day you apply how to receive the decision letter.

Leaving for Denmark

If you decide to go to Denmark before receiving the decision letter, make sure to inform the Danish immigration authorities (SIRI) directly about your new address in Denmark. The visa application centre and the Embassy are unable to register your new address in Denmark, and they will not contact the Danish immigration authorities on your behalf.

If you fail to inform SIRI directly about your new address in Denmark, they will send the decision letter to the Embassy, and then the letter will be sent to the visa application centre for pickup. Once that process has begun, there is no way for the visa application centre or the Embassy to re-direct your decision letter to another address. If you fail to follow this guide and leave for Denmark without notifying SIRI about your new address, you must contact the immigration authorities directly to get your decision.

Nationals of the countries which have Working Holiday agreements with Denmark are all visa exempt to Denmark. Therefore, recipients of a Working Holiday residence permit do not need a visa sticker in their passport to go to Denmark.

Please remember that if you decide to go to Denmark on a visa-free stay before you receive the decision letter, you are not allowed to begin the activity you have applied for (Working Holiday) until you have received an approval.

Residence card

If you are granted a residence permit to Denmark, you will receive a residence card once you have arrived in Denmark. The decision letter will instruct you how to receive the residence card. The visa application centre and the Embassy are not able to offer guidance regarding what to do, once you have arrived in Denmark.