Denmark · Business & founder
Start-up Denmark
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open, but subject to a hard quota of 75 permits per calendar year.
A genuine no-capital start-up route into a Nordic economy — but the 75-permit annual quota tells you how seriously Denmark wants to scale it. This is a boutique programme, not a pipeline.
Qualifying routes
—
Expert panel approved start-up
no investment threshold; the business idea must be approved by the Danish Business Authority's expert panel before the SIRI permit application
The facts
- Total landed cost
- Permit fees plus proof of funds for the first year for you and your family. No fixed investment requirement.
- Timeline
- 3–8 months — expert panel approval first, then the SIRI residence permit application
- Physical presence
- You must play an active part and your presence must be necessary to the business
- Family
- spouse or partnerchildren under 18
- Permanent residency
- Separate track under general rules
- Citizenship
- 9 years
- Language test
- Prøve i Dansk 3 plus the Indfødsretsprøven
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- business idea approved by the Danish Business Authority's expert panelinnovative growth companyactive participation with your presence necessary to the businessfunds for the first year for you and any accompanying family
What can go wrong
- HARD QUOTA: a maximum of 75 permits per calendar year across the whole scheme. Timing within the year matters and rejection is not a reflection on your file.
- The expert panel excludes lifestyle businesses in practice — shops, restaurants, consultancies and import/export do not qualify. It must be an innovative growth company.
- Approval by the panel comes first; the SIRI permit application is a separate second step.
- You must play an active part and your presence in Denmark must be necessary — this is not a passive holding structure.
- Denmark's 9-year citizenship path and parliamentary-act naturalisation make this a very long game for a passport.