Foreign pharmacy staff
In Denmark, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are not authorised (registered), and there is no registration scheme in Denmark.
This means that foreign pharmacists or pharmacy technicians neither need to or can be registered in Denmark.
If you are a foreign pharmacist or pharmacy technician and want to work in the pharmaceutical industry in Denmark, you do not need permission from the Danish Medicines Agency.
If you have qualified as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician outside Denmark and you want to work at a Danish community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy, you must apply for permission from the Danish Medicines Agency. This appears from section 36(2) of the Danish Pharmacy Act.
The application and supporting documents must be submitted to us using the designated form and cannot be handed in physically at the Danish Medicines Agency.
Before you apply, please pay attention to the following:
Danish language qualifications
To work at a community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy in Denmark, foreign pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must have adequate Danish language skills.
Pharmacy staff must carefully and conscientiously fill and verify prescriptions as well as dispense, sell and provide information about medicines. You must therefore have the necessary knowledge of Danish for safe practice and effective communication with the pharmacy's customers, health professionals and the authorities, etc.
The Danish Medicines Agency requires of foreign pharmacists/pharmacy technicians from third countries (non-EU/EEA countries) to have successfully completed Danish 3, FVU (adult preparatory education) 4 or higher before they can start working at a Danish community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy.
To be eligible for admission to Danish universities which teach solely in Danish, you will need to pass the ‘Studieprøven i dansk’ (a nationally approved test for foreign language speakers).
Certified true copies
You must submit documentation in the form of certified true copies. This means that all copies of the original documents must be certified by either an embassy/consulate, the police, an authority (e.g. job centre), notary public or the authority having issued the document adding its stamp and signature on each copy to certify that the copy is a true copy of the original document. Private persons cannot certify copies.
The Danish Medicines Agency may request to see the original documents.
Translation to Danish or English
Documents in English, Norwegian, or Swedish need not be translated.
If the required documents are not in English, Norwegian or Swedish, they must be translated before submission.
A translation to Danish or English must be carried out by either of the following:
- The educational establishment or authority that has issued the document or
- A certified translator. The name and stamp of the translator must appear clearly on the translation. If the stamp is not in Danish or English, this must also be translated by a certified translator. The translator must join together the translated document and the original-language document using document tape, a seal or the like. In certain cases, other translators can be used if allowed by the Danish Medicines Agency.
Residence permit and work permit
A permission to work as a pharmacy technician or pharmacist at a community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy in Denmark is not the same as a residence permit or work permit.
For further information about residence permits and work permits, please contact:
Danish Immigration Service
Ryesgade 53
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Denmark
Telephone: +45 35 30 85 55
www.nyidanmark.dk
How to apply:
Select the relevant application route below according to whether you want to apply for permission to work as a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician.
The education for pharmacists in Denmark is a five-year university programme (Master in Pharmacy).
The education for pharmacy technicians in Denmark is a three-year vocational programme. If your education is shorter than five years, we recommend that you apply for a permission to work as a pharmacy technician.
Applying as a pharmaxist qualified in the EU/EEA or Switzerland
Applying as a pharmacist qualified in a third country (non-EU/EEA)
The following documents must be submitted with the application to apply for permission to work as a pharmacist at a Danish community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy. Please note that several of the documents must be submitted as certified copies.
Please note that several documents must be submitted as certified copies.
- Certified copy of evidence of nationality in the original language (e.g. copy of the relevant pages in your passport, copy of residence permit card if you reside in Denmark and have no other ID document). The information must be readable for the authorities.
- If your name has changed by marriage, please also submit a certified copy of the marriage certificate.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Certified copy of the original certificate attesting successful completion of a pharmacy degree.
- Certified copy of a certificate from the competent authorities in the home country attesting that you have the right to practice pharmacy. The certificate must not be more than three months old.
- Copy of material from your university of study, listing the courses covered by the education. It must also appear how many lessons you received in each individual course.
- Study programme (syllabus) – a description of the topics covered in each study course (attached as a PDF file).
- Certified copy of diploma attesting successful completion of Danish 3/FVU (adult preparatory education) 4 or other evidence attesting the commencement of Danish 3.
Link to application form where the above-mentioned documents must be submitted
The documents must be submitted together. The processing of your application will not start before we have received all of the above documents
Certified true copies means that all copies of the original documents must be certified by either an embassy/consulate, the police, an authority (e.g. job centre) notary public or the authority having issued the document by adding its stamp and signature on each copy to certify that the copy is a true copy of the original document. Private persons cannot certify copies.
Applying as a pharmacy technician qualified in the EU/EEA or Switzerland
The following documents must be submitted with the application to apply for permission to work as a pharmacy technician at a Danish community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy.
Please note that several of the documents must be submitted as certified true copies.
- Certified copy attesting EU/EEA nationality, name, date of birth (e.g. in the form of copies of the relevant pages in your passport).
- If your name has changed by marriage, please also submit a certified copy of the marriage certificate.
- Certified copy of the original diploma and translated diploma if relevant.
- Certified copy of material from your training establishment listing the courses covered by the education and the number of lessons you received in each individual course.
- Study programme (syllabus) – a description of the topics covered in the course (attached as a PDF file)
- Documentation of work experience if relevant.
- Curriculum Vitae.
Link to application form where the above-mentioned documents must be submitted
The documents must be submitted together. The processing of your application will not start before we have received all of the above documents
Certified true copies means that all copies of the original documents must be certified by either an embassy/consulate, the police, an authority (e.g. job centre) notary public or the authority having issued the document by adding its stamp and signature on each copy to certify that the copy is a true copy of the original document. Private persons cannot certify copies.
Applying as a pharmacy technician qualified in a third country (non-EU/EEA)
The following documents must be submitted with the application to apply for permission to work as a pharmacy technician at a Danish community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy:
Please note that several of the documents must be submitted as certified true copies.
- Certified copy of evidence of nationality in the original language (e.g. copy of the relevant pages in your passport, copy of residence permit card if you reside in Denmark and you do not have another ID document). The information must be readable for the authorities.
- If your name has changed by marriage, please also submit a certified copy of the marriage certificate.
- Certified copy of the original diploma and translated diploma if relevant.
- Copy of material from your training establishment listing the courses covered by the education and the number of lessons you received in each course.
- Study programme (syllabus) – a description of the topics covered in the course (attached as a PDF file)
- Curriculum Vitae.
- Certified copy of the original diploma attesting successful completion of Danish 3/FVU (adult preparatory education) 4 or other evidence attesting the commencement of Danish 3.
Link to application form where the above-mentioned documents must be submitted
The documents must be submitted together. The processing of your application will not start before we have received all of the above documents
Certified true copies means that all copies of the original documents must be certified by either an embassy/consulate, the police, an authority (e.g. job centre) notary public or the authority having issued the document by adding its stamp and signature on each copy to certify that the copy is a true copy of the original document. Private persons cannot certify copies.
After you have submitted your application
When we have received your application, you will receive an email either confirming that your application is complete or informing you that the application is incomplete and that we therefore cannot start the processing of your application.
If your application is complete and the processing can begin, the email will contain a case number that you will need when making inquiries to the Danish Medicines Agency about your case.
If the email informs you that the application is incomplete and we therefore cannot start the processing of your application, please check the following:
- Do you have all the required documents?
- Have the documents requiring certification been certified by the relevant authority?
- Have the required documents been translated into Danish or English?
When you have obtained the required documents, and they have been translated and certified, then send them by means of the application form.
Processing and review time
Once we have received a complete application, it will be processed within two to three months, which includes the assessment by either the Danish College of Pharmacy Technicians or the University of Copenhagen/the University of Southern Denmark. You will then be informed of our decision.
The assessment of your education is made by the Danish Medicines Agency based on an opinion by the Danish College of Pharmacy Technicians (if you are a pharmacy technician) or the University of Copenhagen or the University of Southern Denmark (if you are a pharmacist).
The Danish Medicines Agency may impose additional requirements before you can be permitted to work at a Danish pharmacy. This could happen if we assess that your complete training differs significantly from the training covered by the pharmacy technician programme or pharmacist training programme in Denmark.
Additional requirements for pharmacy technicians could for example be an internship at a pharmacy and the passing of an aptitude test in medicines and pharmacy law offered by the Danish College of Pharmacy Technicians.
Additional requirements for pharmacists could for example be the completion of the Pharmacy Internship course or parts of the master’s programme.
Complaints procedure
If you want to complain about the Danish Medicines Agency’s processing of your application or declaration or the resulting decision, you must file a complaint with the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health will assess whether the applicable procedural rules have been followed and will assess the legal framework on which the Danish Medicines Agency has based its decision. The Ministry of Health cannot assess the health professional aspects on which the decision is based.
Ministry of Health
Holbergsgade 6
1057 Copenhagen
Denmark
Email: Send an email