How to live and work in Denmark

If you are a citizen of Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden, you do not need to apply for a registration certificate because as a citizen of a Nordic country you have the right to reside in Denmark without permission. As a Nordic citizen, you are free to reside, study and work in Denmark.

Nordic nationals may enter Denmark without a passport, but you must always be able to identify yourself by means of, for example, a driver’s license, a passport or a cash card.

The video below is a guide to you as a citizen from Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden on which steps you need to follow if you are staying in Denmark for more than 3 months.

More information for Nordic citizens:

• Nordic Co-operation: What should you remember when moving to Denmark? (new window)
• Guide for newcomers in Aarhus: Citizens from Nordic countries (new window)
• Øresunddirekt (new window)
• EURES in cross-border regions (new window)

As an EU citizen you may freely enter Denmark and remain in this country for up to three months without an EU residence document (registration certificate).

If you are a job seeker, you may reside in Denmark for up to six months without a registration certificate. The periods of three and six months are calculated from the date of entry.

If you expect that your stay in Denmark will last more than three months, you have to apply for an EU residence document (registration certificate) before the expiry of the three months. Job seekers are required to submit their application within six months after entry.

How to apply for an EU residence document

Read more about EU residence document at the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

• EU residence document at the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (new window)

An EU residence document is your proof that as an EU citizen - or as a family member of an EU citizen - you have a right to reside in Denmark. You can also apply for EU residence document at International Citizen Service.

You must make a personal appearance and hand over the application.

When you have received your registration certificate, you may contact the citizen services of your municipality of residence in order to get a civil registration number (CPR number) and a health insurance card. Thus you first need a registration certificate in order to get a civil registration number (CPR number).

If you are a citizen of Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden, you need not apply for a registration certificate because as a citizen of a Nordic country you have a right to reside in Denmark without permission.

You can get help at one of the four International Citizen Service centres located in four mayor cities in Denmark: Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense.

• International Citizen Service (ICS)

The video below is a guide to you as a citizen from the EU, Lichtenstein or Switzerland or as a family member to an EU citizen, on the registrations you must attend to when taking up residence in Denmark for more than three months.

The video below is a guide to you as a citizen from outside the EU, Lichtenstein or Switzerland taking up residence in Denmark for more than three months to work or study. 

For more information about residence as an EU/EEA citizen:

• Guide for newcomers in Aarhus: Citizens from EU countries (new window)
• New to Denmark (new window)
• International Citizen Service

If you are a citizen from a country outside Scandinavia, the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you must apply for a residence and work permit in your home country through a Danish mission, i.e. a Danish Embassy or a Danish Consulate General.

In the majority of cases, your future employer in Denmark will contribute with information for the application.

There are several different options for a residence and work permit in Denmark. Your education, qualifications and the type of job you have been offered are important to how you should apply.

You must be aware that a Danish authorisation can be a condition for your residence and work permit. For example, this applies if you are going to work as a doctor, dentist or a schoolteacher.

After 20 May 2012, all non-EU citizens over the age of 18 applying for residence permits under the terms of the Aliens Act must have their biometric features (facial image and fingerprints) recorded when submitting their application. Biometric features will also be recorded when applying to renew a residence permit and when applying for permanent residence.

Read more about how you can apply for a residence and work permit:

• How to apply for a residence and work permit (new window)
• Guide for newcomers in Aarhus: Citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland (new window)
• Residence cards with biometric features (new window)

There are a great many things to take care of when you arrive in Denmark as a foreign employee.

You can get help at one of the four International Citizen Service Centres (ICS) placed in the largest cities in Denmark. All the public authorities you typically need to contact are represented at these four International Citizen Service Centres, but they are only located in Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen and Odense. If you live outside these cities you will probably have to contact your local municipality.

The ICS centres make the contact to Danish authorities as easy as possible.

In most cases, you will only need to visit an ICS centre in order to take care of your paperwork with regard to residence permit, registration certificate, tax card, civil registration number (CPR), health insurance card etc.

• International Citizen Service

You can also get help at International House Copenhagen.

• International House Copenhagen (new window)