Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare
professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa
procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute
to Denmark’s healthcare system
Inas
Shukri, from Iran, is one of the founders of Kadre Darman
BERNARDO BASILICI MENINIJUN 23, 2025XSoSoLEtP
“It seems there are never enough nurses and doctors in
Denmark, and the country needs to attract them. But
once they are here, it’s almost impossible for them to
get a job.”
Finding a job as a healthcare professional in Denmark
is not easy. For sure, not as easy as many think. Inas
Shukri, a 42-year-old clinical nursing specialist from
Iran, has seen this firsthand. This is why she cofounded
Kadre Darman, an association that aims to
support foreign-trained healthcare workers.
In March this year, they formalised their efforts by
establishing an association. Today, Kadre
Darman counts around 500 members—mostly
Iranians, but open to all nationalities.
“Our goal is to make the system work better—for
Denmark and for us,” says Inas. Why? You have
probably heard that Denmark is lacking healthcare
professionals and is trying to attract them from abroad.
What you may not know is that hundreds of them are
already here but cannot work.
According to Inas, one of the main issues foreign
nurses and doctors face is a gap between the language
training they receive and what is actually needed in the
medical field. “The Danish language courses cover
everyday communication, but not medical Danish.
That takes much longer to learn, and you can’t start
working without it,” she says.
Visa duration is another concern. Nurses arriving on a
job-seeking visa typically receive a three-year permit.
However, the period begins from the date of issue,
which often means it includes waiting time in the home
country, visa processing, and relocation, leaving only
about two and a half years in Denmark. Then there is
the language course.
“You often lose several months before you can even
begin looking for a job as a nurse. By the time you’re
ready to work,” says Inas.
While there is a dedicated visa pathway for foreigntrained
nurses, doctors, and sometimes dentists,
introduced due to staff shortages, gaining authorisation
to work in Danish hospitals remains difficult. The
process typically involves a six-month hospital training
course, followed by an evaluation. But hospitals are
not required to provide these placements, and many
lack the resources.
“There are about 1,700 foreign nurses in Denmark,”
says Inas. “Roughly 1,400 are from Iran. But only
around 350 have received authorisation to work in the
healthcare system.” And this is why, despite attracting
so many health professionals, the country is still
desperate to have more: they are here, but they can’t
work.
The main reason, she says, is cost. Hospitals must find
funding for the evaluation programme outside their
usual budgets. In practice, this means few candidates
are accepted, and many end up working in restaurants
or spending their own savings while waiting for an
opportunity.
Some foreign-trained doctors have similar experiences.
One Kadre Darman member reportedly submitted over
300 job applications without success. “He was told
directly: we prefer Danish doctors,” Inas says. “Others
complete the necessary training, sometimes unpaid, but
are still not hired.”
The association has started contacting ministries and
government agencies to raise awareness, but Inas says
responses have been limited. She believes there are
ways to improve the system, for example, offering
longer visas, or having more evaluation positions for
doctors and nurses at hospitals, or allow doctors to be
evaluated by general practitioners in Denmark.
Another issue is about families: “Many of these people
have arrived with their children, and are living under
stress, which has also significantly affected their kids.”
“We understand the need for strict rules,” she says.
“But we also need a realistic path to reach goals