Foreign students in Denmark will face tighter rules after the government announced seven measures to curb misuse of study permits, restrict accompanying family members and shorten post‑study stays. The plan targets schemes seen as a “backdoor” to the labour market and follows weeks of scrutiny of admissions at Roskilde University (RUC).
Policy shift: seven measures to ‘close the backdoor’
The government outlined seven initiatives aimed at strengthening admissions controls and narrowing access routes that enable non‑EU students to work in Denmark:
- Stricter entry requirements to master’s programmes and improved selection of qualified applicants.
- Stronger university checks of educational documents.
- Tighter monitoring of insufficient study activity.
- Higher tuition fees with larger upfront payments.
- Ending the option for accompanying family for international students.
- Reducing the post‑study job‑search period from three years to one.
- A national ID centre to assist verification and review documents for students from Bangladesh and Nepal already in Denmark, to assess whether residence permits were granted on falsified papers.
Family visas and shorter stays: what will change
Under the proposal, non‑EU foreign students in Denmark would no longer be able to bring spouses or children, and graduates’ job‑search visas would be cut to one year. Ministers argue the move will reduce incentives to use study permits primarily to access the labour market. Authorities also highlight higher dropout rates and lower grade profiles among some cohorts as a rationale for tightening entry and oversight.
Why Bangladesh and Nepal are in focus
Applications and admissions from Bangladesh and Nepal have risen sharply in recent years, and a large share of permits for these students have included accompanying family members.
The government says targeted document checks are needed due to suspected fraudulent credentials and to ensure academic preparedness. Officials stress the measures are designed to protect academic standards and address risks of social dumping.
Universities under scrutiny: the RUC fallout
Roskilde University has faced criticism for relying on fee‑paying international students to bolster finances and for rapid growth in admissions from Bangladesh. In response to public debate and political pressure, RUC confirmed it will close the Business Administration and Leadership master’s programme and its board chair has resigned.
The government’s new package extends earlier tightening for non‑state‑approved programmes to state‑approved universities, raising expectations for sector‑wide compliance and due diligence.
Labour market impact and who is not affected
The measures are expected to significantly reduce annual inflows of non‑EU students, particularly from South Asia, and restrict the ability of spouses to work full‑time via student‑linked permits.
EU/EEA students and exchange students are not the primary target of the reforms and remain covered by EU free‑movement rules. The government frames the package as balancing the need for international talent with safeguarding academic integrity and labour standards.
