Denmark
No residence permits for nurse authorisations
On 7 October 2025, the Danish Patient Safety Authority is expected to introduce a quota on the number of applications for authorisation as a nurse for the period up to 31 December 2025.
The quota is set at zero, which means that residence permits cannot be granted for the purpose of obtaining Danish authorisation as a nurse. This includes pending applications.
Accompanying family members of persons covered by the quota scheme will also no longer be able to obtain a residence permit on that basis. However, accompanying family members of persons who have been granted a residence permit in Denmark before 7 October 2025, for the purpose of obtaining Danish authorisation as a nurse, will still be able to apply for and be granted a residence permit as accompanying family members.
The aim is to create a balance between the number of foreign healthcare professionals from third countries who travel to Denmark to obtain Danish authorisation and the estimated future need for healthcare professionals within the relevant professional group in regions and municipalities.
The full fee paid in connection with the submission of the application will be refunded if the application is rejected due to the quota system.
There will be no change to the possibility of applying for an extension of an already granted authorisation to reside as a nurse and as an accompanying family member, nor will pending extension applications be affected by the changes.
The Positive List for People with a Higher Education updated
The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) has updated the Positive List for People with a Higher Education. The update has been implemented based on the Regional Labour Market Councils, which have submitted additional job titles that are to be added to the list. The new list will take effect as of 1 October 2025.
The Positive List is a list of professions experiencing a regional or national shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark.
A foreign national who has been offered a job from the Positive List can apply for a residence and work permit in Denmark based on the scheme. They must have an educational background that makes them qualified for the job.
A job title can be added to the Positive List if a shortage of qualified professionals is assessed by ongoing labour market monitoring (the Labour Market Balance Model); or by profession-specific unemployment insurance funds (a-kasser); or by the Regional Labour Market Councils.
The update of the Positive List based on the ongoing labour market monitoring happens twice a year – 1 January and 1 July.
The Regional Labour Market Councils and the profession specific unemployment insurance funds also update the Positive List twice a year, but this normally happens on 1 April and 1 October.
Ireland
ISD urges customers intending to travel over the coming Christmas period, whose current permission will expire, to submit a renewal application
The Department of Justice has issued a warning that the Immigration Services Registration Office Burgh Quay Dublin is currently experiencing a very large volume of applications for renewal of permission with a current processing time to renew an Irish Residence permit (IRP) card of 3-4 weeks.
Following the completion of the renewal of registration it may take a further two weeks to receive the new IRP card via post. An in-date IRP card may be required to facilitate travel to and from Ireland.
To facilitate non-EEA nationals legally resident in Ireland and who are intending to travel over the Christmas holiday period the Minister is urging customers to submit a renewal application online by 31 October 2025, should their current permission be expiring between now and their intended departure date or during travel.
Therefore, non-EEA nationals in Ireland, who are required to apply for a renewal of their IRP card, before or during any intended international travel over the coming Christmas holiday period, should apply online via the ISD online portal as soon as possible.
The Immigration Services Registration Office Burgh Quay Dublin cannot guarantee that any renewal submitted after the 31 October 2025 will be processed and an IRP card delivered in time to facilitate travel over the Christmas holiday period (although every attempt will be made to do so).
ISD notes that, regardless of the date on which a renewal application is submitted or processed, the validity period for renewal of the permission will be based on the current expiry date.
Portugal
Further details on renewal of residence permits
The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has announced that holders of residence permits that expired between 22 February 2020 and 30 June 2025 who have not yet been notified by email by AIMA to renew their residence permit must now request the renewal here.
After making a renewal request, the user will be contacted at the email address they indicate to confirm their renewal request; to proceed with the payment of the fees due; and, after payment confirmation, to confirm an in-person appointment with biometric data collection. They will also receive instructions on how to submit all necessary information and documentation via the AIMA services platform before the appointment.
Within ten business days after payment confirmation, a receipt proving the renewal request will be made available in the user’s account section of the services.aima.gov.pt platform.
Applications for renewal of residence permits which expired from 1 July 2025 must be made here.
AIMA notes that this service does not cover the renewal of CPLP Residence Permit, Residence Permit for Investment and EU Residence and Family Cards. The renewal of CPLP AR continues to be carried out via a separate procedure here.
