Applying for a work permit for children under 13 years of age

Both companies and the child's parents may apply for a work permit. This can be done by clicking on the link to the application form and logging in with MitID or MitID Erhverv.

The child's social security number, address and information about the parents/guardians, including their social security number, are required for the application. This information is used, among other things, to register the work permit for the child and to inform the parents/guardians of the granting or refusal of the permit.

Yes, all foreign children under the age of 13 intending to work in cultural or similar activities in Denmark must secure a work permit before participating in these activities. The application must include the child’s ID number and a copy of their passport must be attached. The same requirement applies to information about the parents or guardians if they are also foreign nationals.

The activity in which the child will participate must be described in as much detail as possible.

Examples of descriptions could include:

• The child will participate in a theatre play where they have a minor supporting role. The child has fewer than 10 lines and the role primarily involves walking on stage with an adult and interacting with props.
• The child will take part in modelling, where they will be photographed playing with other children.
• The child will participate in a TV recording where they play one of three main roles. The script is approximately 100 pages long and the child has lines in about 35% of it. In the role, the child will prevent burglars from breaking into a house by creating and using traps with their friends. The traps are mainly constructed from objects that trigger each other, such as hand mixers and washing machines. When setting up the traps, everything will be turned off and the traps will be triggered by the burglars, who are adults.
• The child will participate in a TV recording where they have a minor supporting role with about one page of lines. The child will ride a pony in this role. The child has been riding ponies for the past two years and a horse trainer will be present to train them before filming and to supervise during filming.
• The child will participate in a church choir where, along with the rest of the children’s choir, they will sing at family services once a quarter. In addition, choir lessons are held in the parish hall once a week.

The child’s working hours include preparations for the work (e.g. practising lines), preparations for the activity (e.g. make-up), breaks and participation in marketing the activity.

For example, if a child is at school in the morning and works in the afternoon, the time spent at school is counted towards the Danish Working Environment Authority’s assessment of the child’s total employment.

The application must outline the framework for the child’s participation in the activity. For example, a contact person could be assigned to ensure the child’s wellbeing in the workplace. Additionally, a dedicated rest area for children equipped with games, drawing materials and similar items could be provided.

You only need to list the addresses or locations where the child’s primary working days will take place. For example, if the child is to work at location A for two days and then at location B for three hours, location A must be included in the application, while location B does not need to be specified.

The purpose of providing addresses is to enable the Danish Working Environment Authority (WEA) to supervise the child’s work.

No, as a general rule, children and young people under the age of 15 are not allowed to work between 8pm and 6am. Exceptionally, however, permission may be granted for a child to participate in a cultural or similar activity during this time if it is necessary. In the application, you must explain why this is necessary, for example, if it is a TV recording that takes place at night.

However, as a general rule, working hours between 8pm and 6am should be avoided whenever possible.

The application must include a contact person from the company. The Danish Working Environment Authority (WEA) will reach out to this person if there are any questions regarding the application or if an inspection visit needs to be arranged.

Therefore, it is important to carefully consider the selection of the contact person.

If a permit has been granted for a child who then becomes ill or otherwise unavailable just before or during the activity and you need a permit for another child, you are advised to contact:

arbejdstilladelsertilbørn@at.dk

No, you can only apply for a permit for cultural or similar activities.

This is subject to an individual assessment of the child, their circumstances and the framework of the activity.