Foreign-born population – 2025 | 12.6% of the population | Main countries of birth: Poland (6%), Ukraine (6%), Romania (5%) |
Size: 0.8 million, 51% women | Evolution since 2015: +50% |
International Migration Outlook 2026
50th Edition
In 2025, Denmark received 52 000 new immigrants on a long-term or permanent basis (including changes of status and free mobility), ‑4% compared to 2024. This figure comprises 55% immigrants benefitting from free mobility, 23% labour migrants, 20% family members (including accompanying family) and 2% humanitarian migrants. Around 10 000 permits were issued to tertiary-level international students and 4 200 to temporary and seasonal labour migrants (excluding intra-EU migration). In addition, 55 000 intra-EU postings were recorded in 2024, a ‑13% decrease compared to 2023. These posted workers are generally on short-term contracts.
Ukraine, Romania and Germany were the top three nationalities of newcomers in 2024. Among the top 15 countries of origin, Nepal registered the strongest increase (1 100) and Poland the largest decrease (‑1 000) in flows to Denmark compared to the previous year.
In 2025, the number of first asylum applicants decreased by ‑16%, to reach around 1 900. The majority of applicants came from Eritrea (300), Afghanistan (1 100) and Syria (1 300). The largest increase since 2024 concerned nationals of Pakistan (50) and the largest decrease nationals of Syria (‑300). Of the 1 200 decisions taken in 2025, 35% were positive.
Emigration of Danish citizens to OECD countries decreased by ‑4% in 2024, to 9 600. Approximately 19% of this group migrated to Sweden, 12% to Spain and 10% to Norway.
On 25 June 2026, the Danish Government proposed a law introducing a new Pay Limit Scheme where the minimum salary required is DKK 322 000 per year (2026). The scheme builds on a common understanding with the Danish social partners concluded in June 2025. The scheme will cover nationals of 16 non-EU countries, linking eligibility to employment covered by specific collective wage agreements and to companies subject to such agreements. To be able to use the scheme, companies must be fulfilling a number of requirements to ensure decent working conditions and be certified by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). The scheme will require a close co-operation between the immigration authorities and the social partners, who will be responsible for monitoring that the collective agreements are respected by the employer.
On 7 October 2025, the Danish government introduced a quota system to ensure that the recruitment of foreign healthcare professionals follows the actual demand in the health and care sector. Consequently, a zero-quota currently applies to foreign nurses and doctors seeking Danish professional authorisation, implying that foreign nurses and doctors, as well as their accompanying family members, cannot obtain a residence permit for the purpose of obtaining Danish authorisation due to lack of demand in the healthcare sector.
Following the parliamentary decisions in June 2024 and November 2024 respectively to participate in those parts of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum linked to the Schengen and “Dublin” now AMMR co-operation, a national implementation bill was presented to parliament in late 2025 and debated during early 2026. However, due to the Danish election and the parliamentary situation in Denmark from February to May 2026 a new national implementation bill was presented to parliament on 25 June 2026 and was passed at the end of August 2026. The new legislation entered into force on 3 September 2026.
From 15 June 2025, rules on suspending sentence for the purpose of return were expanded to include a larger group of foreigners, who have been expelled by court ruling, making it possible to suspend imprisonment sentences of up to one year if immediate return is possible. With effect from 1 January 2026 legislative changes were introduced with the aim of restricting access to some publicly funded services for foreigners without legal residence, and stricter control measures were introduced for foreigners without legal residence who are subject to return procedures.
In accordance with the Schengen Borders Code, Denmark on 12 June 2026 prolonged the temporary border control to run until 11 November 2026.
Residence permits issued under the Special Act for displaced persons from Ukraine were extended until March 2027.
From July 2025, Denmark implemented a new three-tier social assistance framework replacing the previous “self-sufficiency and return benefit” system. The reform introduced differentiated minimum, basic and enhanced benefit levels and linked access to benefits more closely to participation in employment-related activities, Danish language instruction and municipal activation programmes.
For further information: www.uim.dk (in Danish) | www.nyidanmark.dk
