On this page you will find
information about
ARRIVING IN DENMARK
What are you looking for information about?
Registration & Paperwork
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If you are a citizen of a Nordic country (Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden) you are free to enter, live, study and work in Denmark. You do not need a visa or residence permit. You do need to register your address at your municipality’s citizen service (CPR-registration).
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Nationals of countries within the EU/EEA and Switzerland need to obtain an EU residence document if residing/planning to reside in Denmark for longer than 3 months. This certificate can be granted based on four main grounds of residence: work, studies, self-employment, and sufficient funds for self-support.
Under certain conditions, nationals of non-EU states can/have to apply for an EU residence document also.
Please refer to newtodenmark.dk for official information and application forms & procedures. -
Nationals of non-EU states need to obtain a residence and work permit to legally live and work in Denmark. There exist many different types of permits, which are granted based on different grounds for residence.
Please refer to newtodenmark.dk for official information and application forms, procedures & fees. -
The Danish CPR-number is a unique identification number. The CPR number is essential in relation to any contact with the Danish authorities and especially in connection to tax and social security issues. Note that a permanent address in Denmark is mandatory to obtain a CPR-number.
You can read how to receive a CPR-number and book appointments for citizen service on lifeindenmark.dk
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To receive a personal CPR-number, you need to be able to document that you hold a permanent address in Denmark. On the day you’re applying for a CPR-number, you therefore need to provide proof of an address you’ll hold the coming 3 months (or longer). The following documents can be presented as proof:
Valid rental contract/lease, that has come into effect (signed by both you and your landlord)
Proof of ownership of a flat/house
Statement in your employment contract stating employer-provided housing and its terms
If you live with a friend, family member or your employer (“host”) and do not hold a rental contract, you need to:
Bring your host with you to the appointment or
Have Citizen Service send a formal request to your host (this will delay the process slightly)
If you currently live in a hotel, AirBnB, hostel or similar, you need to present:
A receipt for paid accommodation until the effective date of a future lease or
Proof of a pre-paid booking for at least 3 months
You can download and view the standard rental contract (lejekontrakt) in Danish and English here.
See also: Our tips on where to find housing.
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The so-called “yellow card” (sundhedskort/ “det gule kort”) is your national health insurance card in Denmark. It will be sent to your address in Denmark after you have received your personal CPR-number.
You need to present your yellow card or yellow card app at many occasions, e.g., when going to the doctor.
Besides your CPR-number, name and address, your general practitioner’s (“praktiserende læge” / “egen læge”) name, address and phone number will be stated on your yellow card.Remember to order the additional blue health insurance card, if you are planning on travelling within the EU. Please note that you need to fulfil certain criteria to be eligible for the blue card.
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When you come to Denmark to work, you need to apply for a digital tax card (skattekort). Through your tax card, your employer knows how much tax to deduct from your salary. If you don’t have a tax card, you will pay 55% income tax.
To get a tax card you need a CPR-number or a tax number. If you are working here for 3 months or less, you will get a tax number instead of a CPR-number.Please familiarize yourself with the rules and apply for a tax card (requires MitID or E-tax password) on the official website of the Danish Tax Agency.
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When receiving salary in Denmark and making payments here, it is very useful to have a Danish bank account. To open a bank account, you need to contact a bank of your own choice (usually online or in person at one of their branches). The fees for bank accounts differ between different banks. It is therefore advisable to do some research and talk to e.g., your new colleagues before choosing a bank.
If you are a member of a Danish union, it can be worth it checking whether your union collaborates with a certain bank – leading to free or discounted bank accounts for their members.
Please note that most banks in Denmark heavily rely on online banking solutions. It is therefore important that you familiarize yourself with your banks online banking self-service (website, app) in order to ensure a smooth experience and continuous access to your bank account.
Basic payment account:
Everyone residing legally in the EU holds the right to open a basic payment account. A basic payment account enables you to make deposits, withdraw cash as well as receive and carry out payments.
If you are experiencing issues with opening a bank account in Denmark, ask for a “basic payment account” (in Danish: almindelig bankkonto or basal betalingskonto).You can read more about this right on YourEurope.
Housing
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Moving in:
When moving in to a rental home, the landlord will usually require the tenant to pay a deposit, the first month’s rent plus a pre-paid rent for one month.Before move-in, an inspection should be conducted with both the tenant and (a representative of) the landlord present. Make sure that all defects and shortcomings of the room/flat/house are noted on the inspection report before signing it. Take pictures.
Paying rent & consumption:
When renting a home in Denmark, rent is usually paid monthly and by bank transfer – not in cash.Consumption (heat, electricity, water, gas) is separate from the rent. Often, heat and water are paid via the rent, to the landlord. This is called “aconto” and is a fixed amount, paid every month.
At the end of the fiscal year, the pre-paid amount will be compared with your actual consumption, meaning that you’ll either receive some money back or have to pay an extra amount – depending on your consumption.
Electricity and gas (if applicable) are usually paid directly to the supplier, by the tenant. You can read more about electricity, heat, water, and gas here.Recycling:
In Denmark, waste sorting is taken very seriously. As a tenant (or owner), you are responsible for sorting your waste according to your municipality’s rules. Read what goes where here.The municipality provides all citizens with trash bags for residual waste and, if applicable, bio waste. Please use these provided trash bags and sort your waste into the correct containers outside your building.
Containers for glass and batteries are placed at central locations in most neighbourhoods.
Bottles and cans with a deposit (“pant”) can be returned at all supermarkets.
If you need to get rid of larger items, you can drive them to a local recycling site (genbrugsplads) yourself or order a pick-up.
Little dictionary of waste management:
Restaffald – residual waste
Plast & metal – plastic & metal
Blød plast – soft plastic / hård plast – rigid plastic
Pap & papir – cardboard & paper
Madaffald – food waste
Haveaffald – garden waste/compost
Tøj – clothes/textiles
Farligt affald – haxardous waste
Skraldespand – bin/trash can
Genbrugsplads – recycling site
Moving out:
When moving out, a move-out inspection needs to be conducted with both the tenant and (a representative of) the landlord present. Here, the move-in report will be compared to the current state of the flat/house.
Tenant and landlord then agree on the defects etc. which need to be repaired and paid for by the current tenant. (Amount will be taken out of their deposit.)
Please note: It is common that rental properties are freshly painted or renovated to a greater extend in between tenants. This means two things:Usually, the move out date is 2 weeks prior to the end of the lease.
Tenants often do not receive their full deposit back – regardless of whether larger repairs/renovations must be made or not. Tenants are entitled to receive a statement over the costs of the renovations done.
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Most people find their rental flats or houses on online housing websites. To find the respective websites, simply search for “lejeboliger Danmark” or “lejeboliger [your city]”. On these websites, you can choose to look for rooms, flats, or houses of different sizes.
There also are local Facebook groups, where free rooms and flats are shared. They are easy to find when searching for one or more of these terms:
“lejeboliger”
“ledige lejeboliger”
“ledige boliger”
“lejeboliger i [location]”
“find bolig i [location]”
In bigger cities, Facebook groups targeting internationals or students are often a good source to find available flats and rooms.
Useful words:
Bolig – home
Lejebolig – rental housing
Væreslse – room
Lejlighed – flat/apartment
Rækkehus – semi-detached house
Hus – house
Kollegie – student/youth “dorm”
Ungdomsbolig – youth housing (reserved for people under a certain age and/or in education)
Bofæller – flat mate/roommate
Bofællesskab – “housing community”
Delevenlig – “sharing-friendly”, meaning a flat’s outline is well-suited for sharing it with roommates
Ledig – available
You can find subsidised housing on DanmarkBolig.dk
You can find more information about renting in Denmark here.
You can find more information on student housing our pages dedicated to international students.
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Housing Associations (almen boligorganisation/boligforening) are a big part of the rental housing market in Denmark. They are partially subsidised and (to some extent) protected from the price developments on the private housing market.
In order to get access to a flat or house owned by a housing association, you need to be signed up to that association’s waiting list.
For the more popular properties, these waiting lists can be very long. However, there are locations that are less popular, making them accessible for internationals, that have not had the chance to be on the waiting list for long.
There is a small fee for getting and staying on a waiting list.
To find the housing associations represented in your area, search for “almen boligorganisationer + [your city/region]” or search for subsidised housing here.
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It is advised that every tenant of a flat or house has either their own rental contract or is included in a shared contract. If you are renting a room in a shared flat, each tenant usually receives and signs their own rental contract.
For employer-provided housing: For your own sake, it is highly recommended that you hold – either in your employment contract or as a separate contract over housing – a document stating the terms and conditions of the housing provided by your employer.
You can download and view the standard rental contract (lejekontrakt) in Danish and English here.
Read more about electricity, gas, water, and heat here and how to e.g., read your meter when moving in here.
To register your address and therein receive a CPR-number, you need to be able to present a (valid) signed rental contract or another “proof of residence”.
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For information on student housing (exchange and degree students), please refer to our pages dedicated to international students.
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Note that there are several conditions that apply to foreigners that wish to buy real estate in Denmark.
You can read more about the general rules and regulations, and taxes here.
Please note that the fact that you have bought a permanent dwelling in Denmark does not count as a ground for residence. EU-citizens still need to apply for an EU residence document, non-EU citizens for a residence/work permit.
Digital Denmark
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The website borger.dk will become your best friend when it comes to interacting with the Danish public service. Lifeindenmark.dk is the English version of borger.dk. It therefore covers the exact same topics and gives you access to the same services and information.
Some key features:
Read your mail from and securely write to public authorities via Digital Mail
Read about all things you need to know about daily life in Denmark
Sign your children up to daycare and school
Apply for social benefits
Change your address when moving
All information on borger.dk and lifeindenmark.dk is publicly available. For some features, like Digital Mail and filling out forms, logging in with MitID is required.
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MitID is your Danish eID to be used in contact with many public authorities and businesses in Denmark. MitID itself is an app, which you can download from the App Store/Google Play.
About 48h after you’ve received your CPR-number at the citizen service, your personal MitID profile can be activated.
Whether you can do so on your own or need to book a separate appointment with citizen service depends on the qualities of your passport.
At your appointment for CPR-registration, the citizen service employee will inform you about MitID and how to activate it.
You can also read more about MitID here.
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In Denmark, almost all communication between citizens and the public sector is done digitally. It is therefore very important that you check your official digital mailbox regularly.
Mail from public authorities like the municipality, SIRI or Udbetaling Danmark can be accessed via multiple platforms, some of them also providing mobile apps and notification services (regular e-mail/text message), ensuring that you don’t miss important messages.
The official channels to access your mail from public authorities are:
Borger.dk and lifeindenmark.dk (browser) – digital post from public authorities
Digital post app - digital post from public authorities
eBoks - digital post from public authorities and private companies like e.g., insurance companies, banks etc., that are using this platform (iOS/Android)
mit.dk - digital post from public authorities and private companies like e.g., insurance companies, banks etc., that are using this platform (iOS/Android)
You are free to choose which platform you read your digital post on.
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”Nem” translates to simple or easy and “konto” means bank account. As a resident in Denmark, you will need to have a NemKonto assigned to be able to receive payments from Danish public authorities. This can be payments such as:
Tax refunds
Child subsidies
Student loans
Unemployment benefits
Holiday allowances
A NemKonto is a normal bank account you already own. You choose yourself which of your accounts you want to be your NemKonto. Payments from public authorities will be transferred directly to this account.
Your NemKonto is connected to your personal CPR-number.
Most people receive their salary directly to their NemKonto.
If you do not have a Danish bank account (yet), you can assign a foreign bank account as your NemKonto.
Visit this page to read more and access the self-service solution for assigning a (Danish or foreign) bank account as your NemKonto.
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TastSelv/E-tax is the self-service platform of the Danish Tax Agency.
By logging in using MitID, you can view and edit your tax assessment notice (årsopgørelse), enter information to your preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelse), pay outstanding tax and authorise your accountant and other to access your information on E-tax (if applicable).
Most sections and functions of E-tax can be viewed in English.
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Sundhed is the Danish word for “health” and sundhed.dk is where you can view your healthcare related data as well as your digital access point to Denmark’s healthcare sector.
You can use sundhed.dk to find specialised doctors and other healthcare providers within a chosen radius.
By logging in using MitID, you can (amongst other things) view:
Your prescriptions & referrals
Your lab results, medical journal & imaging (e.g., x-ray)
Details about your general practitioner/GP (egen læge)
Your past & upcoming appointments with your GP and other healthcare providers
The vaccinations you have received (in Denmark)
Sundhed.dk is furthermore the place to go in order to:
Register your emergency contact(s) (stamkort)
Give someone power of attorney regarding your health data
(De-)register as an organ donor
Register as a stem cell donor
Utter your wishes regarding life-prolonging treatment & resuscitation attempts
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"Min Læge" is a Danish mobile app that translates to My Doctor. It's designed to facilitate communication between you or on behave of your children and your doctor offering features like video and e-consultations, appointment management, access to test results, and prescription management.
Find further information at this link.
Health Care
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112 is the number for the emergency services in Denmark and all other EU-countries. Dial 112 if you require emergency assistance from an ambulance, fire department, environmental authorities or the police in situations such as:
Accidents, serious crimes or a fire
Situations that put life, property or environment at risk
Life-threatening illness and injury.
Calls to 112 are answered by an emergency operator who, while speaking to you, will pass your information to the right authority.
All calls to 112 are recorded.
You can read more about what happens when you call 112 on the website of the Danish Police (Politi)
Medical helpline North Denmark (lægevagten): +45 70 15 03 00 Provides medical advice and help on weekdays between 4 pm and 8 am, weekends and public holidays (24/7).
Dental emergency helpline North Denmark (tandlægevagten): +45 70 20 02 55
Provides advise and dental emergency care for dental injuries and issues that cannot await treatment until the next (week-)day.
Phone hours: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays from 09 am to 10 am.Psychiatric helpline North Denmark (psykiatrisk skadestue): +45 98 13 42 02
Call 112 if you are at immediate risk of suicide! Provides psychiatric/psychological help and treatment to both patients and relatives.
You can find more detailed information and the phone numbers and addresses of these and further emergency services on lægevagten.dk – for all Danish regions.
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Residents, international and Danish, that are registered with a Danish CPR-number are – generally speaking – covered by the Danish public health insurance.
This health insurance is tax-funded and means that residents of Denmark receive most medical consultations, treatments, and interventions for free or at a state-subsidized price.
Your proof of Danish health insurance is your “yellow card” which in Danish is usually referred to as either “sygesikringskort” or “det gule kort”.
Children are covered by the health insurance scheme together with their parents until they reach the age of 15 and are insured independently of their parents.
You can read more about how to receive your CPR-number and yellow card here.
Special Health Insurance Card:
Certain international citizens, for example border-crossing workers from another EU-country, are entitled to receive the so-called “special health insurance card” (“det særlige sundhedskort”).
Special health insurance cards are only issued to citizens who do not live in Denmark but are socially insured in the country.
You can read more about the conditions and how to apply for this card here.
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The Danish healthcare system is administered by the state, the 5 regions and the 98 municipalities.
The regions (“regioner”) are responsible for hospital care, including emergency care, psychiatry, and for healthcare services provided by general practitioners (GPs) and specialists in private practice.
The municipalities (“kommuner”) are responsible for a number of primary health and social services, for instance elderly care services, rehabilitation outside hospital, home nursing, child dental treatment, child nursing, and physiotherapy.
The majority of healthcare services are financed by general taxes and mainly provided free of charge.
Your general practioner/GP (“egen læge”) is stated on your yellow card. If you wish to switch GTP, you can request another clinic here.
You can find all medical providers on sundhed.dk
In every region in Denmark, you will find a patient office (“patientkontoret”). The regional patient advisers (contact) have knowledge of the healthcare services and can advise you on your options for the treatment, you request.
Find out more about the Danish healthcare system here.
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For adults, dental care is not covered by the general public health insurance. This means that you will have to pay your visits at the dentist. The price is highly dependent on the treatments you receive.
For adults, a certain percentage of the price of medically necessary and preventative (not cosmetic) treatments is covered by the municipality.
It is recommended to book a general check-up at least once a year.
You are free to subscribe to a private health insurance which covers (parts of) the costs of your treatments at the dentist.
Children and young people under the age of 22 have access to free-of-charge dental care coordinated by the municipality. Your child’s school can usually help you with identifying the available clinic(s).
You can read more about how dental care is organised in Denmark on this page (in Danish)
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The Danish word for pharmacy is “apotek”.
Pharmacies sell both prescription medicine and over-the-counter medicine and cosmetic products. If you are prescribed medication by a medical doctor, your prescription is automatically visible to all Danish pharmacies via your CPR-number.
When going to the pharmacy, remember to bring your yellow card.
You can find the emergency pharmacy closest to you here.
Please find information and guidance on prescriptions issued in another EU/EEA-country here.
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In case you ever are in a situation where you no longer are able to utter your wishes regarding medical treatment etc., it is important that you register your wishes in advance. In Denmark, you can do that on the platform sundhed.dk.
Here, you can inform yourself and take a stance on:
Inform yourself on and (de-)register for:
and enter information regarding:
Power of Attorney (if applicable)
If your opinion changes, you can change your choices.
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You are free to choose one or more additional private health insurance to (partially) cover expenses endured in connection with e.g., dental treatment, physiotherapy, or glasses.
In Denmark, it is not uncommon to pay for an additional private health insurance.
Talk to your new colleagues or friends to find out which insurances they can recommend.
Note that private health insurances are private businesses that operate under their own terms and conditions and are therefore not obliged to accept you as a customer/member.
Good to know
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When you move within Denmark, you must register your move through lifeindenmark.dk/borger.dk.
You can do so up to 28 days prior to your move and up to 5 days after moving. If you fail to change your address prior to this deadline, you’ll have to pay a fine.
It is generally not necessary to manually inform single public authorities like SIRI about your move.
You can read more about moving and change your address here.
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When you decide to leave Denmark for your home country or another country, there are a few mandatory steps to take.
Deregister your Danish address if
You are leaving for a period longer than 6 months
You are leaving for less than 6 months but are subletting your hiring out your Danish residence
Cut up your health insurance card and/or reset the yellow card app
Notify the Danish Tax Agency (Skat)
Take your Danish state pension with you
Ensure that you maintain access to MitID
Depending on your situation, there are a few other things to consider. Please visit this page for more information and links in good time before leaving Denmark.
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Evey May, in all of Denmark, the public alarm systems are tested through sirens and phones. This happens on the same day and at the same time every year: first Wednesday in May at noon (midday).
You will hear several different sirens go off for a few minutes. This is just a test. You will also hear a loud noise from your/others mobile phones. This is a test of S!RENEN – Denmark’s mobile-based public warning system.