Denmark
Closed: no spouse during the degree. This route is not ranked.
Verdict
Rule Denmark out. Since 1 October 2026 a taught-master's student cannot bring a spouse at all, which breaks the one non-negotiable requirement. On top of that, the earliest start is August 2027 and the degree is a 2-year paid programme. The post-study permit is only 1 year, with a USD 81,600 salary bar to stay.
PR needs 6 to 8+ years with Danish tests, and Bangladeshi applicants are the named target of the crackdown.
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source money plan for this route compare
- Can the spouse come
- No
- Conditions
No. If you are a student in a state-approved bachelor's or master's programme and you submit your study-permit application on or after 1 October 2026, your family "cannot be granted a residence permit as your accompanying family member".
This covers a spouse, a cohabiting or registered partner and children under 18 alike, regardless of when the family member applies. Only PhD students (and Turkish citizens under the EU-Turkey Association Agreement) keep the family right.
The date you submit the application decides which rules apply, so any application made from 14 Nov 2026 onwards falls under the new rule. Your spouse can come neither at the same time nor later on the student route.
Your spouse would need an independent permit (own study admission or own work permit) or short Schengen visits with no work rights.
- Spouse work rights
- None
- Spouse work in detail
No accompanying-family permit exists for spouses of taught master's students who apply on or after 1 Oct 2026, so there are no derived work rights. Your spouse would need their own Danish work permit (for example the Pay Limit Scheme: minimum salary DKK 552,000 per year at 2026 level, about USD 81,600) or their own study permit.
- Student work hours
90 hours per month from September to May, full time in June, July and August (state-approved programmes only). Work limits during the post-study job-seeking period are not confirmed.
- First year for two
- about 37.9 lakh USD 30,400 before earnings over the 35 lakh ceiling
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Tuition in detail
Not free for non-EU students. Official Study in Denmark range: DKK 45,000 to 120,000 per year (EUR 6,000 to 16,000; about USD 6,650 to 17,740 at DKK 6.764 per USD, Nationalbanken 13 Nov 2026).
Example: Copenhagen Business School MSc costs EUR 8,000 / DKK 60,000 per semester, which is DKK 120,000 per year (about USD 17,740), plus a EUR 150 application fee. CBS first-semester tuition for non-EU students is due by 1 June. The Aarhus BSS business master's fee is not confirmed.
Programmes are 2 years, so total tuition is roughly USD 22,000 to 35,500.
- Money to show in detail
Student only (your spouse cannot be included at all): DKK 7,426 per month (2026 level), capped at 12 months = DKK 89,112 (about USD 13,175 at 6.764).
You need a bank statement in your own full name, dated no more than 30 days before submission, showing liquid assets only (no stocks, bonds or portfolios), with all statements on the same date. Alternatively, a scholarship or student loan granted to you.
A statement in another person's name (for example your parents) or a sponsor declaration is not accepted. Shortcut: proof of paid first-semester tuition is accepted instead of other funds documentation.
- Budget note
Figures are for the student alone because your spouse cannot come. Year-1 tuition is about USD 14,000 (range 6,650 to 17,740; CBS is 17,740). Living is about USD 16,000 (DKK 9,000 per month, an estimate; the official minimum is DKK 7,426). The SIRI fee is DKK 3,060 (USD 452).
Together that is about USD 30,400, and a second tuition year of about USD 14,000 follows. Up-front cash is about USD 11,000: first-semester tuition about 7,000 (or 8,870 at CBS), fee 452, flight about 900, two months' living about 2,660. The 25,000 "couple living" figure is hypothetical only.
Living costs are estimates, not from an official page.
- Realistic earnings
Student: 90 h/month at roughly DKK 130 to 150 per hour gives about DKK 11,700 to 13,500 gross per month before tax (about USD 1,730 to 2,000). This is an estimate: Denmark has no statutory minimum wage and pay is set by collective agreements. English-only jobs are mostly cleaning, warehouse, delivery and hospitality.
Spouse: zero, because your spouse cannot get a permit.
Applying
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Visa
- Residence permit for higher educational programmes (form ST1), issued by SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration)
- Lands
- August 2027 (you alone) An estimate, not a promise.
August 2027 (apply by 15 January 2027, offers in spring, tuition due about 1 June, permit 2 to 3 months), and you would arrive alone
- Next intakes
- January/February 2027 (winter, limited programmes)Deadline: 15 September 2026 for non-EU applicants (Aarhus University). CBS winter round: 15 October 2026 (the last winter intake CBS will offer)Still open: No, closed
- August/September 2027 (summer, main intake)Deadline: 15 January 2027 for non-EU applicants who need a residence permit. Aarhus University: round opened 5 November 2026. CBS: portal opens 15 December 2026, deadline 15 January 2027 23:59 CET, EUR 150 application feeStill open: Yes. Aarhus is open as of 14 Nov 2026, CBS opens 15 December, about 2 months left
- January/February 2028 (winter, few programmes; none at CBS)Deadline: About 15 September 2027 for non-EU applicants (Aarhus pattern)Still open: Not yet open
- Typical length
- 24 months
- Where to apply from Bangladesh
Apply online with form ST1 on newtodenmark.dk (the university completes its part first), then give biometrics (photo and fingerprints) within 14 days. Denmark has an embassy in Dhaka (Bay's Edgewater, Gulshan 2; the visa section phone is answered only 2 to 3 PM on Sundays and Wednesdays).
Whether biometrics are taken at a VFS Global centre in Dhaka is not confirmed, and the embassy page does not say. You will likely not need to travel to India, but confirm with the embassy before paying anything. SIRI does not state a routine interview.
Visa and passport risk
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Risk for a Bangladesh passport
- High
- Why
Bangladesh is named in Denmark's 2025-2026 crackdown. The government said it would be "significantly more difficult" for students from Bangladesh and Nepal to be admitted.
The measures: verification of foreign educational documents before admission (extra checks for Bangladesh and Nepal), optional entrance exams or targeted language tests, faster removal of non-progressing students, the family ban and the job-seeking cut (both in force since 1 Oct 2026).
Bangladesh is also not on the list for the new collective-agreement work-permit scheme. Data cited: at Aarhus about two-thirds of Bangladeshi students passed exams against about 90% of other foreign students; first-year dropout was 13% against 4%; Bangladeshis were the largest group starting a master's in 2024.
SDU rejected about 700 qualified non-EU applicants for its February 2026 intake and Roskilde closed a programme. No official permit refusal percentage for Bangladeshis was found. Your CGPA 3.79 and IELTS 7.5 make a strong profile, but the nationality is under maximum scrutiny.
- Visa processing time
SIRI: normally 2 months, up to 3 months if more information is needed (CBS itself warns of at least 8 weeks). Fee DKK 3,060. Biometrics must be recorded within 14 days of the online application or the case is rejected. Extra time for Bangladeshi files due to document verification is likely but not quantified officially.
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Hassle
- 9 out of 10 10 is the most hassle. This site's rating, not a checked fact.
After the degree and PR
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Work after the degree
The job-seeking permit is generally 6 months or 1 year (cut from 3 years) for bachelor's and master's students who applied for the study permit on or after 1 October 2026. PhD keeps 3 years.
To stay afterwards you need a job-based permit, for example the Pay Limit Scheme: minimum salary DKK 552,000 per year (2026 level, about USD 81,600), fee DKK 6,810. That is a high bar for a fresh graduate. Positive List details are not confirmed.
- no single source · see all sources
- PR route
Master's (2 years), then up to a 1-year job-seeking permit, then a job-based residence permit (Pay Limit DKK 552,000 / Positive List / Fast-track), then permanent residence after 8 years of temporary residence, or 4 years if all four supplementary requirements are met.
Time on a study permit does count toward the residence years (SIRI lists studies among qualifying permit grounds). Basic requirements: Danish test 2 (Prove i Dansk 2); regular full-time work (at least 30 h/week or 120 h/month) for 3 years 6 months of the last 4 years; employed at decision time.
Supplementary requirements (you need 2 of 4; all 4 for the 4-year route): Danish test 3; 4 years' full-time work in the last 4.5 years; active-citizen exam or 1 year of active citizenship; average taxable income of at least DKK 346,155.57 (2026 level) over 2 years.
Student work (90 h/month) is below full time, so the work clock really starts after graduation. PR fee DKK 7,570. One of the hardest PR systems in Europe.
- Language for PR
Danish language test 2 (Prove i Dansk
2) is a basic requirement. Danish test 3 is one of the four supplementary requirements (all four are needed for the 4-year route). English does not count.
Recent rule changes
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- 2025 and 2026
1) 1 October 2026 (SIRI news 30 Sept 2026): spouses, partners and children of bachelor's and master's students can no longer get accompanying-family permits; job-seeking permit cut from 3 years to 1 year; PhD and Turkish Association Agreement cases exempt; decided by application submission date.
2) 2 May 2025: students in non-state-approved programmes lost work rights, the job-seeking permit and family permits.
3) Sept to Oct 2025: government package against misuse of study stays naming Bangladesh and Nepal, with document verification before admission and possible entrance tests.
4) Oct 2025: SDU rejected about 700 non-EU applicants for February 2026; RUC closed a programme.
5) 2026 levels: self-support DKK 7,426 per month (max DKK 89,112); study permit fee DKK 3,060; Pay Limit DKK 552,000; PR fee DKK 7,570.
6) CBS: winter intake discontinued after the February 2027 start; summer only after that.
- Corrected in this check
- Exchange rates used: DKK 6.764 per USD (Nationalbanken, 13 Nov 2026) and 124.75 BDT per USD (Bangladesh Bank, 12 Nov 2026).
- Proof of funds DKK 89,112 is about USD 13,175; SIRI fee DKK 3,060 is USD 452; the tuition range is USD 6,650 to 17,740.
- Tuition: the CBS fee is DKK 120,000 per year (EUR 8,000 per semester), the top of the national range. Typical tuition is USD 14,000, the year-1 total about USD 30,400 and up-front cash about USD 11,000.
- Aarhus pass-rate statistic: about two-thirds passed against about 90%.
- PR: study-permit years do count toward the 8 or 4-year residence requirement. Full time means 120 h/month, the income threshold is DKK 346,155.57, you need 2 of 4 supplementary requirements, and the PR fee is DKK 7,570.
- Citizenship needs 9 years, as stated on the ministry page.
- Post-study route: the Pay Limit Scheme threshold is DKK 552,000 (2026) and the fee DKK 6,810.
- Intakes: CBS portal opens 15 Dec 2026, deadline 15 Jan 2027, EUR 150 fee. CBS has no winter intake after Feb 2027.
- Where to apply: biometrics at VFS Dhaka is not confirmed. The embassy address and phone hours are stated on the embassy page.
- The SDU article is dated 6 October 2025. Bangladesh is excluded from the new collective-agreement work scheme.
- The 90 h/month limit is not stated as continuing during the job-seeking period.
Not verified
unverified- Whether biometrics and submission for Bangladesh are at VFS Dhaka or the embassy, and any service fee
- Aarhus BSS business or analytics master's tuition (only CBS and the national range are confirmed)
- Living cost figures for one person and a couple (estimates)
- Hourly wages for student jobs (estimate)
- Official refusal rate for Bangladeshi study-permit applicants (none found)
- Whether SDU and RUC accept non-EU applicants again for 2027
- Work rights during the job-seeking period and Positive List details
- Whether universities currently apply entrance tests to Bangladeshi applicants for the 2027 round
- Any rule changes announced after 1 October 2026
Confidence in this page: High.
Programmes
0 in the programme listSources
15 official pagesStudy permit: fee DKK 3,060; processing 2-3 months; self-support DKK 7,426/month max DKK 89,112; own-name statement max 30 days old; sponsor/parent statements not accepted
www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/You-want-to-apply/Study/Higher-educationNew rules from 1 Oct 2026: no family permits for bachelor's/master's students, job-seeking cut 3 years to 1, PhD and Turkish citizens exempt, submission date decides
www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/News-Front-Page/2026/09/SIRI---Nye-regler-for-studerendePermanent residence: 8 years (4 with all supplementary requirements); study permits count; Danish test 2; 3.5 of last 4 years full-time work; supplementary requirements incl.
www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/You-want-to-apply/Permanent-residence-permit/Permanent-residencePay Limit Scheme minimum salary DKK 552,000 (2026 level), fee DKK 6,810
www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/You-want-to-apply/Work/Pay-limit-schemeCitizenship: general requirement 9 years of uninterrupted residence
uim.dk/statsborgerskab/udenlandske-statsborgere/betingelser/ophold/Aarhus University non-EU deadlines: 15 January (Aug/Sep start, round opens 5 November), 15 September (Jan/Feb start)
masters.au.dk/deadlines-and-important-datesCBS: non-EU (residence permit needed) portal opens 15 December, deadline 15 January; tuition EUR 8,000 / DKK 60,000 per semester, first semester due 1 June; EUR 150 application fee
www.cbs.dk/en/study-programmes/master-programmes/application-and-admissionAnnual tuition for non-EU full-degree students EUR 6,000-16,000 (DKK 45,000-120,000)
studyindenmark.dk/study-options/tuition-fees-and-scholarshipsAarhus MSc Business Intelligence: 2 years, English, August/September start only, no winter intake
masters.au.dk/businessintelligenceExchange rate: DKK 676.40 per USD 100, DKK 747.56 per EUR 100
www.nationalbanken.dk/api/currencyratesxml?lang=enUSD/BDT 124.75
www.bb.org.bd/en/index.php/econdata/exchangerateDanish package targeting Bangladeshi and Nepali students; Aarhus data (about two-thirds pass vs 90%, dropout 13% vs 4%); Bangladesh not on new work-scheme list
www.infomigrants.net/en/post/67343/denmark-to-tighten-visa-policy-for-students-from-bangladesh-amid-concerns-over-misuseSDU rejected about 700 qualified non-EU applicants for February intake; RUC closed a programme
uniavisen.dk/en/university-of-southern-denmark-sdu-shuts-door-on-non-eu-applicants/Embassy of Denmark in Dhaka address and visa-section phone hours (page does not state where residence-permit biometrics are taken)
um.dk/bangladesh/en/travel-and-residenceVFS Bangladesh-Denmark page
visa.vfsglobal.com/bgd/en/dnk/apply-visa