Emigrating to Denmark: Everything you need to know at a glance

Would you like to emigrate to the beautiful country of Denmark? To make sure nothing goes wrong, we have put together a comprehensive overview summarising important information about living and working in Denmark. Checklists, to-do’s and helpful links will help you with your preparations and planning. God fornøjelse i Danmark!

Emigrating to Denmark: Advantages

Before emigration

Preparation and planning

De-registration or re-registration

As a citizen of the UK, you need to apply for a residence permit in Denmark. Be aware that it might take some time, so apply early in advance! Check, depending on the reason for emigration, whether you fulfil all the requirements for registration and check if you have all the documents to hand. Please consult the Danish Government website, as they provide detailed information for British citizens moving to Denmark.

You will need to register with the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) and apply for a CPR number (Danish national insurance number) at the Residents’ Registration Office (Folkeregisteret). This is not only important for insurance purposes, but also for everyday life in Denmark, just like the personal number in Sweden. You will also need a sundhetskort (health insurance card) from the public health insurance scheme (“Sygesikring”).

In order to receive a salary from your employer, you will need a NemKonto account, from which taxes are also deducted. You should also apply for an electronic tax card from the Danish Customs and Tax Administration (SKAT), otherwise taxes may be deducted from your salary. Here you can find instructions on the first steps from the Danish Tax Agency.

Here you can find information on re-registering vehicles if you come to Denmark by car.

Danish citizenship can be applied for after 7 years of residence.

Prerequisites

In order to be entered in the Folk Register and thus obtain a residence permit, one of the following points must be fulfilled and verifiable:

Living in Denmark

Climate

Denmark lies in the temperate climate zone and is relatively small and flat, so there are no extreme temperature differences throughout the year or within the country. Winters in Denmark are relatively mild (-2 °C and 4 °C) and summers are relatively cool (15 °C -22 °C). Maximum temperatures are reached between June and mid-August. On the west coast it tends to be slightly warmer due to the Gulf Stream, but more changeable. The sunniest region is Zealand with the capital Copenhagen. The rainiest weather is in South Jutland/Funen.

Culture

The Danes love cosiness, togetherness and are known for creating a feel-good atmosphere with ease. All of this is part of the Danish concept of hygge. It is not for nothing that they are among the happiest people. You might also think that the clocks tick a little slower there, as people take their time and take everything a little more calmly. Nevertheless, the Danish population emphasises punctuality, agreements and the regular use of the word tak (“thank you”).

If you want to live in Denmark, you should be prepared for a lot of cyclists and a conscious approach to sustainability. The country is not exactly cheap due to its high taxes, but this creates many social benefits, such as free education and healthcare.

Danes like to poke fun at themselves and it is said that their humour is reminiscent of the British. They are also great storytellers. Hans Christian Andersen’ s fairy tales are known worldwide and mythical creatures, such as trolls, are mentioned in many Danish legends. You can find out what other Scandinavian legends and gods there are in our article on Nordic mythology.

In your free time, flea markets and craft markets are very popular and second-hand shops and vintage fashion are also becoming increasingly popular. If you like to celebrate, Denmark is the right place for you, as there are several Danish festivals and holidays that are traditionally and extensively honoured. Foodies also get their money’s worth in our neighbouring country. In addition to recipes with fish, which are characterised by the coast, you will also find delicious pastries such as Wienerbrød and Æbleskiver in Denmark. Smørrebrød with various toppings can be found on every corner and the traditional lunch dish is also perfect for breakfast.

Cost of living, shopping and transaction fees

Due to the high tax rates, life in Denmark is not cheap. The 25% VAT is noticeable when shopping. Food tends to be more expensive than in the UK, especially meat and dairy products as well as exported products. It can therefore be worth paying attention to the choice of supermarkets. The cheapest supermarkets in Denmark are Netto, Lidl, Fakta and Rema 1000, while Irma and Meny are the most expensive and Bilka, SuperBrugsen and Føtex are in the middle price segment.

As in Sweden, card payments are widespread in Denmark and cash payments are becoming increasingly rare. This is practical, as you don’t have to exchange large amounts of cash. However, there may be transaction fees when paying by debit card and it may not work everywhere. It is therefore recommended that you also carry a credit card with you.

Please note: If you want to transfer money from the UK to Denmark, or vice versa, there are fees due to currency conversion. These are often slightly lower with external providers, such as Wise.

If you want to estimate the cost of living in Denmark more accurately, you can use databases and comparison portals such as expatisan.com and numbeo.com.

Working in Denmark

Everyday working life in Denmark is characterised by flat company hierarchies and decentralised decision-making. This leads to the involvement of employees in decision-making. Interaction is relaxed, informal and people are on first-name terms. Independent work and personal initiative are valued. A working week usually consists of 37 hours and there is no statutory minimum wage. In principle, you have at least 25 days’ holiday in Denmark and from May to September you are entitled to three weeks’ consecutive holiday (main holiday). However, it should be noted that, as in Sweden, paid holiday must first be “earned” (2.08 days per month).

Also be prepared for the concept of the Fredagsbar (Friday bar), which is not a special bar, but a social gathering with colleagues after a working week. This is also common in a university context.

Job search in Denmark

If you do not have your own business or already have a permanent job in Denmark, you should start looking for a job there at an early stage. To prepare, it is advisable to get an overview of the Danish labour market, your industry and regional opportunities.

A large number of companies offer English-speaking jobs, so you don’t necessarily have to speak perfect Danish from the start. However, these jobs are very popular and in order to integrate in the long term and expand your opportunities, we recommend that you have at least a basic knowledge of Danish. Professional language skills are required in some professions. It is best to find out what the situation is like in your desired field. In Denmark, employees are particularly sought after in IT and engineering as well as in the health and sustainability sectors.

In addition to the well-known job platform LinkedIn, workindenmark.dk and jobindex.dk are good places to search for vacancies in Denmark. It is also worth making contacts and building up a network. Either online or at trade fairs and events. Also look specifically at interesting companies in your desired sector or at British companies in Denmark. Perhaps an internship is also an option to start your career in Denmark, gain experience and learn the language.

Application: In Denmark, you usually apply with a short cover letter (in Danish or English) and your CV. Keep it short and fill it with information that is relevant to the desired position. It is also best to include references, such as contact details from previous employers.

Danish education system

The Danish education system emphasises early childhood and free education. Teacher quality is extremely high and children are offered individualised support to ensure equal educational opportunities. Schools have extremely good IT equipment and the education policy is very future-orientated. While the Danish Ministry of Education provides a centralised framework, it is up to the local authorities and individual schools to shape it. The training of teaching staff is integrated and cross-phase, so that theory and practice are combined at an early stage.

The curriculum offers flexibility and many schools offer SFO (skolefritidsordning). The extracurricular programme offers additional space for further development, experimentation and individual learning. Danish students have proven very high competences in the area of computational thinking.

In Denmark, students

If you want to study in Denmark, you can choose between 8 universities. There are 3 universities in the capital Copenhagen and others in Aarhus, Roskilde, Aalborg, Odense and Lyngby. Half of these universities are full universities with a wide range of courses, while the other four specialise in specific subject areas. There are also 20 art colleges and 23 further education centres (Danish: Centre for Videregående Uddannelser). Danish universities are often very personalised and have smaller study groups. The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is used to assess performance. The quality assurance of the universities is carried out by Danmarks Evalueringsinstitut and Danmarks Akkrediteringsinstitution.

A special feature in Denmark: With a degree from a university of applied sciences, you can apply for a Master’s programme at a university.

Many international study programmes are offered in English. As a rule, a standardised test such as TOEFL or IELTS must be passed for admission.

Living in Denmark

The Danish housing market is quite similar to the British housing market, as there is less renting and letting. If you want to move to one of the larger cities, Copenhagen, Aarhus or Odense, you have to be prepared for higher prices and less living space than in smaller towns and rural areas.

Rent a flat

Many of the rental flats on offer are furnished and there are shorter notice periods. Service charges are comparatively low, as a number of things are already included in the rent. Rental prices vary greatly between the city centre, outer districts and rural areas. Copenhagen is by far the most expensive city in Denmark. A 3-room flat in the city centre costs between GBP 1,870-2,725 on average.

It can make sense to look for a holiday home or a temporary rental first and then look for a rental property locally.

Buying a property

To purchase a property in Denmark, it is worth contacting the British Embassy in Copenhagen for information or inform yourself on purchasing a permanent dwelling and making sure that all requirements are met.

In general, the ancillary purchase costs are lower than in the UK and for many Danes, buying a property is not a lifelong decision, as they move on average every 7 years, even for property reasons. Digital administration means that the formalities are less complicated and buying/selling is relatively straightforward. Information on every house and property is available online at Danmarks Miljøportal.

No notarisation is required to buy a house in Denmark. This is done via the markler or the lawyer. It makes sense to find your own English-speaking lawyer for this. Sites like aiel.com and gov.uk will help you in your search.

In addition to the purchase price and the costs for the marketeer/lawyer, the following fees and taxes apply:

Moving to Denmark: What are the costs?

If you want to take your entire household with you, it can add up to quite a lot, especially if you are moving from a large flat, house and family. In order to be able to transport all of this to Denmark as smoothly and cost-effectively as possible, early planning is recommended!

Depending on the number of rooms, the moving price varies roughly between GBP 425 (1 room) and GBP 2,980 (4 rooms). The price also depends on the amount of furniture and the number of kilometres between the old and new place of residence. Plus a container costs between £1,500 and £4,000+, depending on size. If you hire a removal company, make sure that they have experience with removals abroad. If possible, it is best not to schedule the move for a weekend or a public holiday, as this is usually the most expensive. You can save money during the week. Compare different removal companies and ask for individual offers, as generalised quotes can be very inaccurate.

Links and addresses

Sources

• umziehen.de – Hej, Hygge-Feeling: Auswandern nach Dänemark
• lifeindenmark – The official guide to life in Denmark
• Deutsche im Ausland e.V. – Länderinformationen Dänemark
• Länderdateninfo – Das Klima in Dänemark
• wetterkontor – Klima Dänemark
• dansk.de – Die facettenreiche Kultur Dänemarks
• Meermond – Was ist typisch dänisch?
• Pendlerinfo – Gegenseitige Anerkennung von Dokumenten
• studieren-in-daenemark – Allgemeines zum Studium
• Skawelg – Hauskauf in Dänemark
• shz – Hauskauf in Dänemark
• Beskæftigelseministeriet – Bestimmungen und Rechte, wenn Sie in Dänemark arbeiten
• Deutsch-Dänische Handelskammer – Neues dänisches Urlaubsgesetz
• Deutsches Schulportal – Mehr „hygge“ in Schulen? Von der dänischen Bildungspolitik lernen
• college-contact – Studieren in Dänemark