Moving to Denmark for work

You’re going to crawl through a jungle of information about moving, working and living in Denmark. Allow us to go through some of the most basic stuff you’re going to do when moving to Denmark.

We at Kold+Partners are here to offer you advise and point you in the right direction in the process.  

Research all legal requirements for working in Denmark

There are different legal requirements for living and working in Denmark depending on your nationality. We suggest you coordinate the onboarding process with your new employer as soon as possible.

This includes getting all relevant information from your new employer and relevant immigration offices in Denmark - which forms you must register, when to register those forms and VISA forms, if necessary.

We suggest you research in advance on government-sites like Work In Denmark which focuses on foreigners moving to Denmark for work and the website of your local municipality. Through these channels, you will gather a lot of information and get all the necessary contact information if you have any questions or need any help from the authorities.

Contact local authorities for help and guidance

If in any doubt, contact the local municipality or citizen service centre. They will be able to help you with any questions regarding local laws, requirements, health care, passport, CPR-registry and so on. Basically, all questions related to the Danish welfare system should go their way.

Resources for house hunting

It takes time to find the perfect place to live in a new city. Therefore, don’t postpone your search process until you’re waiting for your luggage at the airport.

Coordinate your efforts for house hunting with your employer. Some employers have a setup that allows for temporary housing for a certain amount of time. It can be a company apartment where you can live for a couple of months in order to find the right apartment. Make sure to talk to your employer so you don’t use valuable time looking for housing right off the bat if there is a temporary housing setup available.

There are also a wide variety of housing portals online for both rental housing and for buying property. The most popular for rental housing is Boligportal where you can find almost any type of property. Note that having a profile on a rental housing site usually costs a monthly subscription fee but most have free sign-ups or 7 days to a month of free subscription.

Opening a bank account

When documents are in order you’ll be able to open a bank account in Denmark. It’s pretty straightforward when you are registered, have an employment contract and proof of address (e.g. the lease agreement). Every bank has its own policy for new clients so check their policy online or call them in advance. All Danish banks have very good online banking facilities. A good idea is usually to use the same bank as your employer as they tend to give you better service.

Moving your family to Denmark

Moving your family to another country can be stressful for the whole family. Maybe your spouse has to find work or continue studies in Denmark or you have to find out how the daycare or school systems work. You and your family can receive a wide variety of help from Danish authorities when it comes to school and daycare. Contact the local municipality for more thorough information about waiting lists and acceptance processes

There are a lot of resources for job searching and CV registration. Usually, your new employer can help your spouse and Kold+Partners can assist with the process. In any case, you can register on as many platforms as you like in order to find the best fit. It’s usually encouraged that you learn Danish in order to better integrate into your workplace and it increases the chances of getting a job.

Socialising is key for successful integration and happy day-to-day life. Research networking groups in the city you’ll be living in. There are a lot of international networking groups which can help ease integration. An important task will be to establish and grow your social networks outside of work so you and your family also have a private network and life.

List of resources with relevant and essential information

Life in Denmark - Read about life in Denmark

Work in Denmark - About working in Denmark

Denmark - Official website of Denmark

Ny i Danmark - Read more about moving to Denmark

International House Copenhagen - Specifically for the Capital Region of Denmark

Work Live Stay - Specifically for Region of Southern Denmark

Learn Danish - Sign up for language courses in Danish

Boligportal - Biggest portal in Denmark for rental housing