How to Hire Farm & Agricultural Workers from Abroad in Denmark

6 min

Labor Shortages in Danish Agriculture: The Real Picture

Danish agricultural operations face persistent labor shortages across key farming regions, including Syddanmark, Midtjylland, Nordjylland, and parts of Sjælland. Dairy farms, pig producers, crop holdings, and greenhouse operations routinely struggle to fill positions locally for general farm hands, herd managers, tractor operators, and seasonal field staff. Local Danish applicants for manual farm labor remain scarce, forcing site managers and farm owners to look beyond national borders to keep operations running smoothly.

Hiring non-EU workers directly into entry-level or general farm roles in Denmark involves significant administrative hurdles. Denmark does not maintain a general visa route for low-skilled or unskilled labor from third countries. For standard farm hand positions that do not require specialized higher education, bringing in workers from outside the EU/EEA is difficult unless the worker qualifies under specific designated schemes. Most Danish farms that employ non-EU nationals rely on the Agricultural Trainee Scheme (landbrugspraktikanter) or specialized professional roles that meet strict minimum pay thresholds.

If you need general farm labor quickly and cannot meet high statutory salary minimums or qualify for trainee programs, hiring non-EU workers is usually not the easiest or fastest route. In those cases, employers typically rely on EU/EEA citizens who hold immediate rights to work in Denmark without a visa, or recruit non-EU candidates who already hold valid residence and work permits in Denmark through family reunification, humanitarian status, or ongoing agricultural study programs.

Legal Routes and SIRI Work Permit Schemes

All work permits for non-EU nationals in Denmark are processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI - Styrelsen for International Rekrutfaring og Integration). You must always verify current procedural rules, wage thresholds, and form requirements directly with SIRI before making formal employment offers.

When recruiting non-EU agricultural staff, Danish employers generally navigate one of three pathways:

The Agricultural Trainee Scheme: This is the most common legal route for non-EU farm workers under 30 years old. Candidates must be currently enrolled in an agricultural education program in their home country or have recently graduated. The internship must directly complement their training. SIRI issues permits for up to 18 months. The work must involve standard practical agricultural duties on a certified Danish farm.
The Pay Limit Scheme (Beløbsordningen): If you are hiring a herd manager, farm director, or specialized technician, you can use the Pay Limit Scheme or the Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme. To qualify, the position must meet an annual minimum salary threshold set by the Danish government (typically updated annually). This scheme does not require specific education credentials, provided the salary meets or exceeds the official threshold and is paid into a Danish bank account (NemKonto).
The Fast-Track Scheme: If your agricultural business is certified by SIRI as a Fast-Track employer, you can onboard high-earning or specialized staff under expedited conditions, allowing the employee to start working as soon as the application is submitted and initial fee paid. This route is primarily used by large agricultural enterprises and agribusiness corporations rather than smaller family farms.

The application process is initiated jointly online using the SIRI self-service portal (using your business MitID Erhverv). The employer completes their section of the application form (such as form AR1 or GR1 online), submits the signed employment contract, pays the SIRI processing fee, and then the worker completes their portion and submits biometrics abroad.

Timeline: From Job Offer to Arrival in Denmark

Bringing a non-EU farm worker to Denmark requires careful planning around seasonal milestones like spring planting or autumn harvest. You should expect a total timeline of 2.5 to 4 months from the moment you send a contract to the day the worker begins their first shift.

Contract Finalization (1 to 2 weeks): Draft an employment contract that complies with local Danish labor standards or the relevant collective agreement. Both parties sign the agreement electronically or via physical scan.
SIRI Fee and Application Submission (1 week): Create the case order ID on the SIRI portal, pay the required processing fee, and submit the employer portion of the digital application. The candidate submits their personal details online.
Biometrics and Verification Abroad (1 to 3 weeks): The worker must visit a Danish diplomatic mission (embassy or VFS application center) in their home country to submit biometrics, present their passport, and verify their identity.
SIRI Case Processing (4 to 8 weeks): Official decision times vary depending on the permit scheme. Trainee applications and Pay Limit applications usually take between 30 and 60 days once biometrics are logged. Peak application periods in spring can lead to delays.
Arrival and Onboarding (1 to 2 weeks): Upon arrival in Denmark, the worker must register their address at the local International Citizen Service (ICS) or municipality (Borgerservice) to obtain a CPR number (Danish personal identification number), request a tax card (SKAT), and set up a Danish bank account (NemKonto).

Pay Standards, Collective Agreements, and Housing Rules

In Denmark, pay and working conditions are largely defined by collective bargaining agreements (overenskomster) negotiated between trade unions and employer associations. In agriculture, the dominant labor agreement is negotiated between the employer organization GLS-A (Gartneri-, Land- og Skovbrugets Arbejdsgiverforening) and the trade union 3F (Fagligt Fælles Forbund).

Even if your farm is not an active member of GLS-A, SIRI requires that wages offered to non-EU workers correspond to standard Danish terms for equivalent work. Salary dumping is strictly forbidden, and applications offering sub-standard pay will be rejected.

Wage Rates: For standard farm hands and practical agricultural staff, baseline wages under collective agreements generally range from DKK 150 to DKK 180 per hour, depending on experience and shift patterns. This translates to a typical monthly gross salary of DKK 24,000 to DKK 29,000 for a standard 37-hour work week. Trainees receive lower statutory trainee rates, typically between DKK 11,000 and DKK 15,000 per month depending on their program stage.
Overtime and Rest Hours: Agricultural work must strictly follow Danish workplace environment rules (Arbejdstilsynet) regarding continuous rest periods (11 consecutive hours per 24-hour cycle) and weekly days off. Overtime must be compensated with additional hourly pay or time off in lieu as stipulated by local agreements.
Housing Provisions: On-farm housing is common in rural Denmark, particularly for dairy and pig operations in Jutland. If you provide accommodation to your workers, the housing must meet health and safety standards, featuring adequate heating, sanitary facilities, and private sleeping quarters. Rent charged to the employee must represent fair market value and cannot be arbitrarily deducted from the worker's wage without a written agreement that complies with local tax and labor rules.
Certifications and Qualifications: If the role requires driving specialized farm equipment on public roads or handling chemicals, you must verify qualification equivalency. Operating heavy machinery or applying pesticides often requires specialized local certifications, such as a Danish tractor license or a spraying certificate (sprøjtebevis).

Estimated Cost Breakdown for Employers

Hiring from outside the EU involves fixed administrative fees and optional setup expenses. Here is an overview of standard cost ranges per worker when recruiting non-EU agricultural personnel:

SIRI Application Fee: DKK 4,000 to DKK 6,000 (non-refundable state fee per application).
Document Translation and Legalization: DKK 1,000 to DKK 3,000 (translating educational certificates, foreign passports, or official records).
Travel and Relocation Support: DKK 2,000 to DKK 6,000 (flights or ground transport to Denmark, depending on origin country).
Housing Setup and Preparation: DKK 3,000 to DKK 8,000 (preparing furnished farm accommodation, utilities setup, and initial amenities).
Professional Advisory or Legal Fees (Optional): DKK 4,000 to DKK 10,000 (if using an immigration lawyer or agency to handle SIRI filings).

Worker Exploitation and Legal Employer Responsibilities

Danish labor laws and international standards prohibit charging job seekers fees for recruitment, placement, or contract processing. A legitimate employer never asks a candidate to pay for their job offer, application submission, or placement into a Danish business. Candidates who are asked to pay upfront broker fees, illegal deposit payments, or mandatory fee deductions are being exploited and defrauded.

Danish authorities, including 3F and the Danish Working Environment Authority, inspect farms regularly. Using third-party brokers who charge candidates recruitment fees exposes your enterprise to severe legal penalties, civil liability, loss of SIRI hiring privileges, and public reputational damage. As an employer, you are responsible for ensuring that your entire recruitment pipeline is transparent, ethical, and free from worker-paid placement charges.

Finding Farm Workers via the Workuro Registry

If you are looking for agricultural talent to join your farm in Denmark, you can search the Workuro registry directly to connect with candidates who are eager to move or relocate. Workuro provides an open platform where candidates publish detailed profiles listing their farm experience, machine-operating skills, livestock knowledge, language abilities, and availability.

You can filter candidates by trade, machinery experience, and country of origin. Because Workuro is not a recruitment agency, you manage the selection process yourself. You contact promising candidates directly through the platform, evaluate their experience, conduct interviews, and negotiate contract terms without paying any per-hire recruitment fees or placement commission fees.

Our candidate registry is young, focused, and growing continuously. While our list of agricultural workers is still expanding, it provides a transparent way to find self-motivated non-EU and EU farm workers who want to build a career in Danish agriculture. Employers pay a straightforward fee for access to search and contact candidates directly, while candidates never pay anything to create a profile or receive job offers.