How to immigrate to Denmark

Denmark, a Scandinavian country, is known to rank very highly among several international rankings, some of which include the human development index and the gross domestic product per capita. Of course, the Danes are among the happiest people on the planet. Denmark is a very scenic country and is peaceful. Corruption is almost non-existent, and people are content with the almost equal distribution of wealth. So, if you are mulling over relocating to a different country, I think you should give Denmark a serious thought. The only problem might be the language, Danish, which is considerably hard to learn despite being very similar to English, because of its pronunciation. It is among the costliest countries in the world though. That is expected because of the high standards of living.

Here I present to you a few ways of getting a residence permit in Denmark. This guide is mainly aimed at non-EU nationals, as it is almost a trivial process for an EU national to enter Denmark.

The Danish Green Card Scheme

1. This is one of the easiest ways to enter Denmark. It is for highly skilled professionals. You generally need to have at least a Masters degree and about 2-3 years of work experience to get into Denmark through this scheme without any delays.
2. This provides you with a residence permit, allowing you to enter and stay in Denmark for a period of 1 year. You do not need to have a job offer to enter Denmark through this scheme. You can enter, and search for a job during your 1 year stay. Of course, you will have to show that you have the necessary funds to sustain yourself during your 1 year stay.
3. Also, you need to prove that you are proficient in either English/German or Danish/Swedish/Norwegian. The processing time is very little, and you should be able to land in Denmark in about 6 months, whichever country you are coming from.

The Paylimit Scheme

1. This is applicable to you if you have already bagged a high paying job in Denmark. You need to have a job offer that promises you at least DKK 375,000 per annum. This should not be too difficult as most IT related jobs pay you far more than that sum. The residence permit provided is valid for 12 months, which is extensible.
   
2. There is a lot of demand for IT related jobs in Denmark, and there is a considerable shortage. So, just search for the job from your home country and you might be in Denmark in no time.
3. This applies not only to permanent positions, but also temporary positions. Once your temporary contract expires, you are given an extra 6 months to search for another job in the country.
   

For students

1. You are granted a residence permit for the duration of your studies, if you are accepted in a Danish university.
2. Once you complete your education, you are allowed to stay for an extra 6 months to look for a job in Denmark. Once you get the job, your residence permit is further extended. Also you can apply for permanent residency.
3. There are lots of scholarships available, and the tuition fee is very little compared to other countries (though not free). Also, you can work during your studies, for a maximum of 15 hours per week, and full time during vacation.
4. There are several courses available in English, though it is recommended that you learn Danish to improve your chances of getting a job later.

There, those are some of the easiest ways to enter and get a residence permit in Denmark. Though of course, there are easier ways, like marrying a Danish citizen, or having a Danish parent. Chances of marrying a Danish citizen are low if you are not already in Denmark. Well, now you know much about Danish immigration. Anybody who has followed any of these processes and landed in Denmark, please share your experiences with us here.