What are the rules for taking a second side job if you have a work permit or residency permit in Denmark?
EU citizens and Nordic citizens are, as a general rule, allowed to work in Denmark without needing a work permit.
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But for non-EU citizens here under one of Denmark’s many job schemes, such as the Fast-track scheme, Pay limit scheme, and the Positive lists, or under the various researcher schemes, the rules are more complicated.
You are generally allowed to get a second job, but you may have to apply for a separate work permit for paid sideline employment, (find information from SIRI here), and also fulfill various conditions.
If you are a researcher with a permit under the Research scheme or the Research track under the Fast-track scheme, a Guest researcher, a PhD studenta performing artist or a professional athlete or coach, you are allowed to take up unlimited sideline employment without needing to apply for an additional work permit for sideline employment (as long as this work is related to your current job, see more on that below).
If, however, you are employed as a researcher under the Pay Limit Scheme, then you have to apply for a special work permit for sideline employment.
People who received their residency permits under the Jobseeker scheme are not eligible for a sideline employment permit.
For the other job schemes, you need to apply for a separate work permit for paid sideline employment, find information from SIRI here.
“For sideline employment, the salary must be the standard one for the job, and within the same area of work as the main occupation,” SIRI said.
For example, a musician might want a permit for sideline employment as an instructor at an academy of music, a doctor might want a permit for sideline employment to teach at a medical school, or a researcher might want to work at multiple universities.
You can be granted a sideline permit for as long as the duration of your main work permit. In general, a sideline permit will allow you to work for 8-15 hours a week, although this depends on the number of hours in your main job (a researcher who does not work full time in their main job may be allowed to work more hours on their sideline permit).
If you lose your sideline job or find a new sideline job, you must inform SIRI. If you lose the main job that is the basis for your main work permit, your sideline job permit is automatically invalidated.
