Denmark How To

How to get a CPR number in Denmark

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What is a CPR number, and do you need one?

A CPR number is your Danish civil registration number. The letters stand for Det Centrale Personregister, the Central Person Register, and the ten-digit number it gives you is the key to almost everything in Denmark: your salary, a bank account, a doctor, insurance and any contact with the authorities borger.dk. You need one if you intend to stay in Denmark for more than three consecutive months Life in Denmark.

How to get MitID in Denmark

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What is MitID and why do you need it?

MitID is Denmark’s national electronic ID. It is how you prove who you are when you log in to your bank, skat.dk, your digital post, the health service and almost every other online service in Denmark MitID.dk.

Without it, most of the country runs offline for you. You cannot check your tax, read letters from public authorities, or manage your bank account. Newcomers often get MitID at the same appointment where they register for a CPR number Life in Denmark.

How to open a Danish bank account as a foreigner

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Can you open a Danish bank account as a foreigner?

Yes, but not on day one. A Danish bank will normally want a CPR number, and in practice MitID as well, before it opens a full account for you. To open an account you contact a bank of your choice and bring photo ID such as your passport and your address details Life in Denmark.

The order matters. Register your address and get your CPR number first. Then set up MitID, which you can get at Borgerservice by booking an appointment and bringing valid photo identification, and which does not require you to have a bank. Only then apply for the account MitID.dk.

How to get a tax card and understand Danish tax

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What is a tax card, and do you need one?

A tax card (skattekort) tells your employer how much tax to take from your pay. It is not a physical card. It is digital information you find in E-tax (TastSelv) at the top of your preliminary income assessment, the forskudsopgørelse skat.dk.

There are three kinds of tax card. You give your primary tax card (hovedkort) to the employer you earn most from, use the secondary tax card (bikort) for any other job, and get a tax-exemption card (frikort) while your income stays under the amount you may earn tax-free skat.dk.

How to rent an apartment in Copenhagen as a foreigner

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How does renting in Copenhagen actually work?

Copenhagen runs two rental markets side by side. The private market is fast, expensive and competitive. The public, non-profit sector (almen bolig) is cheap but allocates by waiting list, often measured in years. Most newcomers start in the private market and join a waiting list in the background.

The word you will see everywhere is lejebolig, which just means a rented home. An apartment you buy outright is an ejerbolig. A cooperative share is an andelsbolig.

Where to live in Copenhagen: the neighbourhoods compared

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How do you choose a neighbourhood in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen is compact and almost entirely connected by metro, S-train and bike, so the decision is rarely “good area or bad area”. It is four trade-offs stacked on each other: how long your commute really is, how much rent you can carry, how much noise or calm you need, and what stage of life you are in.

Work out your commute first. Draw a 30-minute door-to-door line from your workplace, then look only inside it. Second, decide your rent ceiling — including the fact that new-build flats cost more per month but usually mean less competition. Third, be honest about noise: a flat on Nørrebrogade or Istedgade is genuinely loud at weekends. Fourth, if you have children, filter by school and daycare before you filter by anything aesthetic.

Insurance in Denmark: what is mandatory, what is critical, what you can skip

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What insurance is actually mandatory in Denmark?

Several policies are mandatory, and as an employee most of them are not your problem.

Employers must take out arbejdsskadeforsikring (work-injury insurance) for their staff. It covers employees, or their survivors, for injury or illness caused by work. It is not something you buy as an employee, and there is no opting out, as Forsikringsoplysningen explains.

Anyone who owns a car, motorcycle or moped must have liability insurance (ansvarsforsikring) to use it on a public road. It covers damage you cause to other people and their property, not your own car or yourself as the driver. If you do not pay it, the police can seize your number plates, and you pay any damage yourself. See borger.dk and Forsikringsoplysningen.

How to insure your bike in Denmark and how bike theft works in Copenhagen

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why does bike insurance matter in Copenhagen?

Bike theft in Denmark is not a rare event. Gjensidige reports that over 48,000 bikes were reported stolen in 2024, roughly 130 a day. The Danish Crime Prevention Council cites 40,642 bikes reported stolen in 2020, about 111 a day. If you cycle daily in Copenhagen, you are statistically exposed, and a stolen bike is often your main way of getting around.

Insurance is what turns that from a total loss into an inconvenience - but only if you have a policy of your own.

How to get a doctor in Denmark and how the healthcare system works for newcomers

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How does the Danish healthcare system work for newcomers?

Denmark’s health service is funded by taxes and mostly free at the point of use. If you work legally in Denmark you are covered by it, but you have to register and get a health card first. Once registered, you are expected to go through a named family doctor (egen læge) rather than turning up at a hospital for routine care.

Insurance through your job in Denmark: what you have and who pays

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Every employer in Denmark must insure you against accidents and illness caused by your work, and the employer pays for it. Your other cover usually depends on your collective agreement (overenskomst) or your contract, and it normally comes bundled with your pension. That includes disability, life, critical-illness and health insurance. Who pays what is set agreement by agreement. Your payslip and pensionsinfo.dk will tell you more than any general rule.

What insurance does every employer have to pay for?

Only one: arbejdsskadeforsikring (work-injury insurance). Under § 48 of the Workers’ Compensation Act, every employer must insure the people working for them. § 2 says that covers anyone employed to work in Denmark, whether the work is paid or unpaid, permanent or temporary. It applies whether or not you are in a union or covered by an agreement.

Car sharing, mini lease or buying a car in Denmark: costs and rules

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What are your options for getting a car in Denmark?

You have five realistic options. Which one suits you depends on how often you drive and how long you are staying:

Option	Best for	How you pay	Who carries the car’s taxes
Classic rental (Avis, Hertz, etc.)	Trips of a few days, airport pick-ups	Per day, plus deposit	The rental firm, built into the price
Car sharing (GreenMobility, KINTO Share)	Errands, IKEA runs, the odd weekend	Per minute, hour or day	The operator
Peer-to-peer (GoMore)	Cheaper weekends, specific car types	Per day, to a private owner	The owner
Mini lease / subscription	A 1-12 month contract or a trial period	Fixed monthly fee	The leasing company
Buying used	Staying long-term	Purchase price plus running costs	You

Classic hire is covered in our guide to renting a car in Denmark. This guide covers the rest, plus the taxes and parking rules behind the prices.

How to get your children into school and daycare in Denmark

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How does childcare and school work in Denmark?

Denmark’s system splits childhood into clear stages, each with a Danish name you will see on every form. Municipal daycare runs from around 6 months to school start, and the folkeskole (municipal primary and lower secondary school) runs from age 6 to about 16. Both are subsidised, and both are allocated by your address through the kommune (municipality). The City of Copenhagen sets out the stages and age ranges on its public childcare page.

How to find a job in Denmark when you don't speak Danish

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Can you get a job in Denmark without speaking Danish?

Yes. Plenty of people do, and in the right sectors English is simply the office language. Denmark’s public employment service for internationals, Workindenmark, is built entirely around that idea. The realistic English-friendly fields are IT and software, engineering, pharma and life science, research and academia, shipping and logistics, and parts of hospitality, cleaning, production and warehousing. Copenhagen and the biotech belt around it lean most heavily on English.

How to join clubs, play sport and make friends in Denmark

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How do you make friends in Denmark?

The honest answer: through a shared activity, not through small talk. Danish social life is built around the forening (association), a member-run club for almost anything, from football and handball to choirs, board games and scouts. Join one and you get a fixed weekly appointment with the same people, which is how Danes actually become friends. The national sports confederations, DIF and DGI, are the umbrella bodies for most local clubs, and your kommune lists the ones near you.

How to rent a car in Denmark: licences, insurance, tolls and parking

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Can you rent and drive a car in Denmark?

Yes, and it is straightforward once you understand the licence rules, the insurance excess and the tolls. Rentals are widely available in Copenhagen, Aarhus and at the airports. The main things that catch newcomers out are the age limits, the fact that a non-EU licence must be exchanged after 180 days of residence, and the high insurance excess the basic price includes.

Public transport in Denmark: Rejsekort, Rejseplanen and DOT explained

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Do you need a travel card in Denmark at all?

You can travel on a single ticket, but most people who live here use a travel card because it is cheaper and simpler. In the DOT area - Copenhagen, the rest of Zealand, Lolland, Falster and Møn - bus, train, Metro and light rail share one zone-based ticket, and the same ticket works whichever one you take Din Offentlige Transport. Funen and Jutland have their own traffic companies and fare tables, but the Rejsekort app works across the country Rejsekort.

Commuting in Copenhagen: the daily guide to Metro, S-tog, bikes and fares

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What is commuting in Copenhagen actually like?

Copenhagen is small, flat and well connected. One zone-based ticket covers the Metro, S-tog (suburban trains), buses and harbour buses, and the bike handles the last two kilometres. Most journeys mix two: bike to the station, train to work. New to any of this? Start with our public transport in Denmark guide.

Which mode is best for which trip?

Metro (M1–M4). M1 Vanløse–Vestamager, M2 to the airport, M3 the Cityringen circle, M4 Orientkaj–København Syd. Driverless, every 2 minutes at rush hour, and a Metro-only trip never exceeds three zones Metroselskabet.
S-tog and regional trains. 87 S-tog stations, every 10 minutes by day, free bikes, night trains Friday and Saturday. Regional trains are faster over distance, to Roskilde, Køge, Hillerød and the airport DSB.
Buses. Movia fills the gaps the rails miss, and the harbour buses (991–993) run along the water on a zone-1 ticket Movia DOT.
The bike. Free, and usually the fastest way across the city.
Taxi and ride-hailing. TAXA 4×35 charges DKK 39 plus DKK 11/km in weekday daytime, and DKK 49 plus DKK 14.70 evenings and weekends TAXA. Uber and Bolt operate, but every ride is a licensed taxi Bolt.

What does commuting cost in 2026?

You pay per zone crossed, not per kilometre. Singles use “ring zones” — start zone plus everything touching it; commuter cards charge for every zone passed through DOT.

Cycling in Denmark: the rules, and how to buy a used bike without getting scammed

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Do you need a bike in Denmark?

Nobody will make you buy one, but most people here get around by bike, and a bicycle is a vehicle under the Road Traffic Act - with equipment rules and fines attached Færdselsstyrelsen.

What kit does the law require on a bike?

A two-wheeled bike may be at most 3.5 metres long and 1 metre wide, and it must have at least two independent brake systems. It must also carry Færdselsstyrelsen:

Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Danish one

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Can you drive on your foreign licence in Denmark?

It depends entirely on where the licence was issued borger.dk.

EU, EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), Faroe Islands and Greenland: your licence is valid in Denmark. You may drive on it until it expires, or exchange it for a Danish one with no test Færdselsstyrelsen.
Everything else (any other licence, whether or not it is on one of the lists below): it is valid for 180 days from the date you take up habitual residence in Denmark. After that you must hold a Danish licence: you exchange yours, and unless your licence is on one of the two exemption lists below you must also pass a controlling theory and practical test Færdselsstyrelsen.

Two exemption lists sit between the EU/EEA rule and a full test: group 1 and group 2. A licence from either list can be exchanged for a Danish category B (car) licence without a controlling test Færdselsstyrelsen. The conditions are that the licence is valid and written in Latin letters (or accompanied by an official Danish, English or French translation), and that you sign a solemn declaration that you have not been disqualified from driving in the past five years. Group 2 adds one more condition: a declaration that you have held a category B licence and actually driven on it for at least the last two years. If you also want other categories (A, C and so on) exchanged, you must sit a controlling test in category B. Both lists require a medical certificate.

Apartment deposit and moving out in Denmark: how to get your money back

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How much deposit can a landlord charge?

The cap is set in the Rent Act (lejeloven). A landlord may ask for a deposit of up to three months’ rent (excluding utilities) in a residential letting, and may also ask for up to three months’ rent in advance Boligministeriet.

Add the first month’s rent and the most you can be asked for at signing is about seven months’ rent. The ministry’s own worked example, on a rent of 4,000 kr, comes to 28,000 kr: 12,000 kr deposit, 12,000 kr prepaid rent and 4,000 kr for the first month Boligministeriet. In the big cities, expect the full amount for private rentals: even the legal maximum is the biggest cash shock for newcomers.

The role of unions in Denmark: what a foreign worker needs to know

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Wait - Denmark has no minimum wage?

Correct. There is no statutory minimum wage in Denmark, and there never has been denmark.dk. Pay floors are set by collective agreements (overenskomster) negotiated between trade unions and employer organisations instead.

The pattern-setting agreement in manufacturing, Industriens Overenskomst, sets a minimum hourly rate of DKK 143.40 for adults and DKK 82.60 for under-18s from 1 March 2026, rising to DKK 146.90 in March 2027 Dansk Industri. That is a floor, not a salary: most private-sector agreements use a minimum-payment system, where the agreed rate is the baseline and real pay is negotiated locally on top of it ETUI.

Do you need a union and an a-kasse in Denmark? What they cost and what they do

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Do you need an a-kasse in Denmark?

Nobody forces you to join one, but the consequences of not joining are concrete. An a-kasse (arbejdsløshedskasse) is a voluntary unemployment insurance fund. If you lose your job as a member, you get dagpenge. If you are not a member, your only fallback is kontanthjælp (social assistance) from your kommune (municipality), and many newcomers do not qualify for the ordinary rate. The standard rate (grundsats) and the increased rate (forhøjet sats) both require at least nine years of lawful residence in the realm - Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands - within the last ten, and, for people who moved here, two years and six months of full-time work within the last ten. Without both you are left with mindstesats (minimum rate, DKK 7,095 a month before tax in 2026) and an arbejdspligt (work obligation). The residence and work tests do not apply to the extent that EU law already gives you a right to the benefit borger.dk.

MobilePay, Revolut and Wise: how to pay for things in Denmark without a Danish bank

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How cashless is Denmark, really?

Very. Denmark is one of the most card-dependent countries in Europe, and most people pay by card, phone or MobilePay almost exclusively. Supermarkets, cafés, taxis and even market stalls take contactless cards.

That is good news for a newcomer: you do not need a Danish bank account to eat, travel or buy a phone. The problems only start with services that are wired into Danish infrastructure - MobilePay, Betalingsservice and some subscription or transport top-ups.

Free Danish lessons: how to find and use Danish language courses (DU1, DU2, DU3)

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Who is entitled to free Danish lessons?

You are entitled to free danskuddannelse if you are a foreigner living, working or studying in Denmark, you have a CPR number and you are 18 or over. How long the right lasts does not turn on your arrival date: the offer runs for up to five years from the point when you can begin the course, and your referral letter (henvisningsbrev) from the municipality documents when that clock started Dansk og prøver Studieskolen.

Bringing your family to Denmark: family reunification and accompanying family

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Which of the three routes is yours?

There are three completely different sets of rules, and mixing them up wastes months.

You are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen. Your family comes under EU free movement. No Danish reunification conditions, no 24-year rule, no financial guarantee.
You hold a Danish work or study permit and you are not an EU citizen. Your spouse, registered partner, cohabiting partner or child under 18 applies as an accompanying family member New to Denmark.
Your spouse or family member is settled in Denmark as a Danish citizen, permanent resident or refugee. This is family reunification, and it is the hardest route New to Denmark. If the person in Denmark is a refugee with temporary protected status, a waiting period normally applies: they cannot sponsor family reunification until their residence permit has been extended after two years of residence New to Denmark.

Route 1: family of an EU citizen

If the person in Denmark is a non-Danish EU citizen with their own right of residence, their family members apply for an EU residence document. It is free, the normal processing time is about three months and up to four if more information is needed New to Denmark. Family can be an EU citizen or a citizen of a country outside the EU.

Surviving your first Danish winter: light, warmth and the practical kit

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How dark does it actually get?

Darkness is the defining feature of a Danish winter, not cold. At DMI’s station in Copenhagen the day at the winter solstice is about seven hours long, while the June solstice gives roughly seventeen and a half hours DMI. In practice that means December sunrise around 8:30 and sunset around 15:35, with the earliest sunset in mid-December.

The city does not stop. It moves indoors, and the daylight becomes something you schedule rather than something you have.

Weekends in Denmark: what Danes actually do, and where to start

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What does a Danish week actually look like?

The week has a shape, and once you see it, the country makes more sense.

Monday to Thursday are working days, and social life is limited. People go home, cook, train, and look after children.
Friday is the social night. Workplaces and clubs run fredagsbar (Friday bars), friends meet for beers or dinner, and the tone is relaxed. This is the single most important evening for a newcomer.
Saturday is family and errand day: sport for children, shopping, cleaning, and often a long dinner with friends in the evening.
Sunday is quiet. Supermarkets in the cities are usually open, with shorter hours, and many smaller shops outside the big towns close, but Danish Sunday is slow: walks, brunch, family visits, and very little organised social activity.

Opening hours are looser than many newcomers expect. Ordinary Sundays are not restricted by the shop closing act (lukkeloven), so shops may open, but the act bans retail sales on the ten public holidays, on Constitution Day and on Christmas Eve, and from 15:00 on New Year’s Eve. Larger supermarkets and department stores follow that, while smaller shops below the act’s turnover threshold, plus bakeries, kiosks, petrol stations and airport or station shops, are exempt, and bread, dairy products and newspapers may be sold in any case retsinformation.dk. In practice you can almost always buy milk and bread on a holiday, but do not count on a full supermarket shop.

Danish phone number and plans: SIM cards, contracts and costs

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why do you need a Danish number early?

Because Danish systems assume you have one. MitID, the digital ID you need for almost everything, usually runs as an app on your smartphone and works over wifi or data, so the app itself does not need a Danish number; but your bank asks for a Danish number during account opening. Employers, the job centre and landlords call it. MobilePay needs a Danish or Greenlandic phone number, and also your CPR number, MitID, a Danish bank account and a Danish card, so a prepaid SIM alone is not enough MobilePay.

What it actually costs to live in Copenhagen in 2026

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What does Copenhagen actually cost in 2026?

Rent dominates everything. Danish rents rose 2.7% in the year to the second quarter of 2026, the latest quarter in Statistics Denmark’s rent index Statistics Denmark, and Copenhagen is the tightest market in the country. That index follows rent changes across existing tenancies, including regulated ones, so asking rents on new leases in Copenhagen can rise faster. If you get the housing right, the rest is manageable. If you get it wrong, no salary feels big enough.

Do you need a visa or residence permit for Denmark? EU vs non-EU explained

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The fork: are you an EU citizen or not?

There are three different worlds of paperwork, and yours depends on your passport.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a residence permit. You have the right to live and work in Denmark under EU free movement rules, but if you stay more than three months you must apply for an EU residence document from SIRI, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration New to Denmark. It is free, and for workers the normal processing time is the same day, up to one month New to Denmark. There are separate routes for workers, students, the self-employed and people who can support themselves without working.