Get Paid To Move To Denmark: 15 Steps To Get You Settled !

Are you keen to get paid to move to Denmark? Well, here are 15 tips that could help you with your big move! 

Denmark, known as the happiest country in the world, invites you to experience “hygge“.

Hygge is Denmark’s unique way of creating a warm, cozy atmosphere while enjoying life’s simple pleasures. 

Honestly, it’s hard not to love the place!

Not to mention the uber-cool Danish designs that I personally adore, like the sleek Bang & Olufsen sound systems and the iconic Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair.

There’s so much to appreciate about Denmark!

If you’re as excited as I am about Danish designs and culture, read on as I share 15 tips to guide you on how to get paid to move to Denmark.

Get Paid To Move To Denmark: 15 Tips To Help With Your Move

1. Legal Requirements

2. Finances

3. Housing

4. Job Hunting

5. Healthcare

6. Learning Danish

7. Making Friends

8. Emergency Contacts

9. Citizenship And Residency

10. Moving Belongings And Pets

11. Accessibility And Transportation 

12. Danish Culture

13. Family And Childcare

14. Special Schemes

15. Why Choose Denmark

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Get Paid To Move To Denmark: 15 Tips To Help With Your Move

1. Legal Requirements

Denmark welcomes everyone to the country with open arms.

However, not everyone can stroll in like they were born there. You can only do this if:

• You are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen.
• You are a Nordic citizen.
• You are from a country that has a visa-free Schengen agreement.

Everyone else must apply for a Denmark visa to enter the country.

If you plan to get paid and move to Denmark for the long term to enjoy nature and lifestyle, you must apply for a residence permit. 

To do that, you would have had to be in Demark with a  Denmark long-stay visa that allows you to work, study, or live in Denmark for more than 90 days.

You’ll be applicable for the visa if you’re moving to Denmark for:

• Work purposes.
• Family reunification purposes.
• Study purposes.

While you’re in Denmark, you will need a Centrale Personregister (CPR) number. You must present your EU residence document to your municipality for that number. 

These are some of the legal requirements to move to Denmark. 

You should always learn more from your nearest embassy or the Denmark immigration website. Hence, you have complete information on immigrating to Denmark, how much does it cost to move to Denmark with the legal work, and how to move to Denmark.

2. Finances

Denmark has many expats, so the banking system is friendly towards foreigners. 

While each bank has its own unique policy, you basically will need a photo ID, proof of address, and proof of your employment or student status to open a bank account. 

You’ll also need your CPR number.

Here are some recommended banks for expats in Denmark:

• Arbejdernes Landsbank
• Danske Bank
• Jyske Bank
• Nordea
• Nykredit
• Spar Nord Bank
• Sydbank

Before making a decision, do visit their websites and review their policies and offerings tailored to expats.

3. Housing

Housing in Denmark can be expensive, and it’s advisable to rent before buying a property.

There are two popular types of rentals:

1. Lejelejlighed – small, affordable apartments with shared communal places

2. Rækkehus – larger terraced houses with small private gardens

It would really depend on your budget for what type of rental will suit you. 

A room for a single person in a Lejelejlighed goes for about between DKK 4,000 to DKK 6,000 (USD $591 to $887) for starters.

When you rent, you will usually be required to give an upfront deposit equivalent to three months of rent, and most leases will have a one-year term. 

It’s easier to secure housing with a residency permit, as many agencies and landlords request a CPR number.

The most popular areas to live in Denmark are the larger cities like Copenhagen, Aalborg, Aarhus, and Odense. 

But of course, the closer you are to the city, the more expensive it gets. 

In fact, if you live in Copenhagen’s city center,  your rent goes up by around 30% compared to places further away but still accessible via train. 

If you need help finding housing, some of the sites will be a good place to start:

• Akutbolig
• Apartments in Copenhagen
• Boliga
• Boligportal
• Nordic Housing
• Lejebolig

4. Job Hunting

For most jobs in Denmark, you must know how to speak Danish. If you only speak English, your best bet is jobs in the tech or engineering sector. 

The more specialized you are in a field, the better your chances of finding a job in Denmark. 

When you are negotiating job offers, bear in mind that Danish income taxes are really high. 

If you’re moving to Denmark from UK or moving to Denmark from USA, you might be super shocked at the taxes here. 

Taxes in Denmark are done based on income, and the highest marginal tax rate can go up to 56.5%! 

For most places, the taxes in your native country would be comparably lower unless you’re from Japan, Finland, or the Ivory Coast.

To help you start your job search, get paid and move to Denmark you can visit the following sites:

• Work in Denmark
• Jobnet in English

5. Healthcare

Before you move and get paid in Denmark, it’s best you sort out your health insurance in advance in case anything untoward happens once you’re in Denmark. 

You do get free emergency healthcare as a resident, but it’s a tricky road determining what’s an emergency. 

To gain access to free healthcare, as a permanent resident, you can register with Citizens Services. You will then get a health insurance card and an ID number. 

For routine health stuff, you will need to use your insurance.

When you’re wondering why move to Denmark, healthcare should be one of the top reasons why. 

You know you’ll be well taken care of, as Denmark has some of the highest quality healthcare in the world. 

To find a doctor, you can look in the list provided by the National Registration Office. 

But do ask people around you for recommendations, as they would know best.

6. Learning Danish

As with any other country, learning the primary local language is always best when you move there. Especially if you plan on living in the country for a long time.

The government provides free language courses if you’re on a residency visa. 

But you can get ahead and start learning through classes in your home country or, my personal favorite, online classes. 

Apps like Duolingo make it super easy to pick up the language. 

They break things down into easy-to-digest pieces and chase you to complete daily lessons. And I mean, everyone’s afraid of that big green bird, right? 

7. Making Friends

One of my least favorite parts of entering a new country is that lonely feeling of being out there with no friends or family around you. 

But don’t let this be a downer when you’re considering, “should I move to Denmark?”. 

I’ve learned through the year to try to connect with people before my move so I can have some connections already as I land in my new home. 

In Denmark, there is a huge expat community that you could foster relationships with to help you navigate life in Denmark. 

You can find a ton of groups online that can help you connect with others. 

Some groups you could explore are:

• InterNations Denmark
• Expat Network Denmark
• Expat in Denmark
• The International Women’s Club of Copenhagen  

8. Emergency Contacts

One of my personal mottos is to hope for the best but plan for the worst.

You should keep emergency contacts handy in case of, well, an emergency. 

While I’m all for saving paper and going digital, with emergency contacts, you want a physical hard copy in case there’s anything wrong with your devices.

Okay, enough lecture, so here are the numbers and departments that you can contact in case of an emergency:

• Ambulance, police, and fire services – 112
• Non-emergency police – Dial 14

It’s also good to have contact details of your embassies and to know the location of the nearest embassy to you in case you need help from your fellow countrymen. 

9. Citizenship and Residency

Here are the basic requirements to get permanent residence in Denmark:

• You must continue to meet the requirements of your existing residence permit.
• You must have stayed in Denmark for a minimum of eight years of legal residency.
• You cannot have been convicted of certain crimes.
• You must not have any overdue public debts.
• You should not have received certain forms of public benefits.
• Accepting a declaration of residence and self-support is necessary.
• You must hold a current employment status in Denmark.
• The Danish authorities must not have faced obstacles while establishing your identity.
• You need to pass the Danish language test 2.
• You should have been employed for at least 3 years and 6 months during the last 4 years before the date when the Immigration Service makes a decision about your case.

In addition to the above basic requirements, you must meet at least 2 of the following 4 supplementary requirements. 

If you meet all 4, you can secure a permanent residence permit after just 4 years of legal residency instead of the typical 8 years.

Here are the supplementary requirements:

1. Passing the Danish language test 3.

2. Having been employed for at least four years.

3. Passing the active citizen exam or demonstrating active citizenship.

4. Having an annual average income above a certain amount.

The cost of applying for a permanent residence visa in Denmark is around 3,000 DKK (USD $480). 

You can apply through the Danish Immigration Service or the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration- SIRI.

Denmark allows dual citizenship, so you won’t have to choose between your new home and your original country. 

You can obtain also obtain citizenship by:

• Descent – If one of your parents is a Danish citizen, you can get citizenship by descent. 
• Being a Nordic citizen – If you’re Nordic and you’ve had permanent residence in Demark for the past 7 years, you simply have to submit a declaration to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration Affairs, the National Ombudsman in the Faroe Islands, or the National Ombudsman in Greenland.

10. Moving Belongings and Pets

Wondering how to move to Denmark from US or how to immigrate to Denmark from your home country?

There are several ways to move your belonging to Denmark. It depends on how much you want to spend and how much time you have to transport your stuff. 

If you’ve got plenty of time, you could ship by land or sea as they are the cheaper options. Of course, depending on where you are, land might not even be an option. 

If you want your things to reach sooner and don’t mind splashing a little more money on your move, go with an air shipment.  

The timing is crucial as you need to be in Denmark with a legal visa by the time your belongings arrive.

Keep in mind the few restricted items that you can’t bring into Denmark:

• Animals, except exotic, domesticated, or endangered species.
• Any harmful items.
• Certain foodstuffs, depending on where you’re coming from.
• Plants.

So as you can see, you can bring your pets into Denmark since they would be considered domesticated animals. 

Otherwise, I foresee people abandoning their plan to move to Denmark.

As a pet-lover, I know I would never leave Supervisor Sandy behind. In fact, I took her along with me on my move to Ireland! 🙂

The maximum number of pets you can bring is five, and it’s best that they fly in with you. 

However, iif for any reason that doesn’t work, you can have them escorted by an authorized individual within five days before or after you relocate.

Your dogs and cats will need the following:

• A microchip or a readable tattoo
• An EU passport
• Proof of rabies vaccination – if you’re from another European country
• Veterinarian certificate from your residing country – if you’re not from the EU

You can check out these experts in pet relocation for more information. 

Unfortunately, some dog breeds are banned from entering Denmark through immigration 🙁 

These dog breeds are deemed to be dangerous or aggressive hence they can get on the plane.

The restricted dog breeds are:

• American Bulldog
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Boerboel
• Caucasian Shepherd Dog
• Central Asian Shepherd Dog
• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Brasileiro
• Kangal
• Pitt Bull Terrier
• Sarplaninac
• South Russian Shepherd Dog
• Tosa Inu
• Tornjak

11. Accessibility And Transportation 

If you love to travel and are always packing your hand-carry for the next adventure, you’ll be pleased to know that Denmark has plenty of international accessibility.

Many destinations are connected via air, land, and sea.

Within Denmark, the public transportation system is well-developed and easy to use. 

It’s got a whole network of buses, ferries, trains, and trams that connect the entire country.

12. Danish Culture

One of the most amazing things about living in Denmark is the “hygge” concept. 

It’s so different from other places that are always chasing, always moving, neverending race of life. 

The Danish living concept is more toward enjoying the simple things in life and being cozy and appreciative of life. 

Can Americans live in Denmark and appreciate this concept? I sure hope so!

You might experience “hygge” while drinking from your favorite coffee mug, listening to the rain patter on your window, or on long walks in beautiful parks. 

Appreciating the importance of the little things in life is key to understanding the Danish way of life.

13. Family and Childcare

The schooling system in Denmark is a little unique to the one in the United States.

From the age of 6 to 16, you can enroll your kids at folkeskole (people’s school) within your municipality. 

This covers compulsory education and is also great for your child to assimilate into the culture as they offer free Danish culture and language courses.

When kids reach the ages between 16 and 19, they will get the option to either join vocational or academic-focused secondary school. 

I’ve always thought vocational schools were good options because they teach helpful, practical skills! 

One might not be as lost with a power-drill or sewing kit if you have these skills 🙂

If you wish, you could also send your kid to a private school in Denmark. The curriculum is taught in English in private schools.

And get this, it may sound too good to be true but higher education is free of charge in Denmark too! 

14. Special Schemes

The Danish government has programs and support in place to help people immigrate to Denmark.

One such program is the Pay Limit Scheme. Starting from 1st April 2023, Denmark’s government will introduce this new scheme. 

It allows highly skilled foreign nationals to work and reside in Denmark for up to four years.

The minimum salary amount to be eligible for the program is currently DKK 465,000 (USD $68744). The minimum amount is regulated every year on 1 January.

15. Why Choose Denmark

• Efficient Public Transportation – The entire country is well connected through its buses, trains, trams, and ferries. 
• Exceptional Healthcare – Denmark has a first-rate healthcare system that is free for residents, and for treatments or care that are not free, they’re still accessible and affordable. 
• Free Education – Schools are free from ages 6 all the way to higher education. 
• Great Lifestyle – Denmark continuously ranks as one of the happiest places to live.
• High Wages – While there is no minimum wage in Denmark, the average monthly salary is about 44,513  DKK (USD $6,580). 
• Progressive – Denmark was the first to abolish slavery and legalize same-sex relationships. It’s continuing the fight toward full gender equality.
• Safety – Living in Denmark means living in one of the world’s safest countries. Low crime rates contribute to the general sense of security.

FAQs On Get Paid To Move To Denmark

Do You Get Paid For Living In Denmark?

Well, do you get paid for living in Denmark? You will likely receive a high salary along with free education and healthcare, although you don’t get paid to live here per se. 

Can I Move To Denmark Without A Job?

Wondering, “can I move to Denmark without a job”? Well, you’ll need a job within the country if you’re not a member of the EU. You also must learn Danish and stay in Denmark for 5 years to qualify as a full resident. 

How To Move To Denmark And Get A Job?

To answer how to move to Denmark and get a job, you must apply for a long-stay work visa. You can apply online through the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration – SIRI. You’re also applying for a residence permit when you apply for a work visa. 

How Much Money Do I Need To Move To Denmark?

How much money do I need to move to Denmark, you ask? Comparing housing and approximate costs, the rent per month in a one-bedroom outside the city center is about 5,000 DKK (USD $739), while in the city center is about 7,000 DKK (USD $1,035). Utilities are about 1,200 DKK (USD $177) monthly.

Well, there you have it! My top 15 tips on how you could get paid to make the move to joyful Denmark.

Can you already imagine indulging your taste buds in delicious Danish pastries, cycling along canals, and exploring the cobblestone streets? 

And remember, Denmark is not just about the bustling cities, it’s also about the breathtaking countryside, beautiful castles, and the rich history it holds.

So, are you ready to say ‘ja‘ to Denmark? Let me know in the comments! 

And if you have a friend or a loved one that is also exploring a big move, why not introduce the concept of hygge to them and share this article? 😉

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