25 Helpful Links for Expats in Denmark
If you are living and working in Denmark, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with Danish culture both inside and outside the workplace.
In this post, we have collected what we think are the most useful and up-to-date resources for navigating life as an expat in Denmark.
These links may also interest you if you don't live in Denmark but are working with Danes or for a company headquartered in Denmark. Or maybe you are a Dane who is curious to learn more about how you are perceived by your non-Danish friends and colleagues.
We've organized the links into four categories: Working in Denmark, Living in Denmark, Learning Danish, and Having Fun. We hope there's something for everyone.
Working in Denmark
Finding a job
Obviously, the first step to working in Denmark is finding employment! This free e-learning course from Work in Denmark (The Danish Ministry of Employment) contains four modules: Job search in Denmark, Contacting companies and succeed in job interviews, The use of LinkedIn in your job search, and An introduction to Danish workplace culture. The course is very thoughtfully made – you're sure to find something useful, even if you already have a job.
E-learning Course About Job Search in Denmark
Work permit regulations
The official web portal for the Danish Immigration Service and the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) is where you should go to make sure you know the rules and regulations for working and living in Denmark.
Resources from SKAT – the Danish tax authority
The Danish tax authority, SKAT, offers a number of resources in languages other than Danish (NB: these links can change frequently – please let us know at kontakt@c3consulting.dk if you experience a broken link).
There is a comprehensive, web-based guide about taxes when you work in Denmark here, currently available in English, German, Polish, Romanian and Lithuanian:
Your guide to working in Denmark
There is a shorter PDF guide in English here:
A practical guide to the Danish tax system
More info on the Danish tax system
If you would like to know more about the Danish tax system, here are two more resources you might like to check out.
The Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri), the Danish Tax Agency (Skattestyrelsen), and International House Copenhagen (Københavns Kommune) have made this one-hour video introducing the Danish tax system:
The Danish Tax System – YouTube video
In addition, the Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri) frequently offers free online Q&A sessions where you can get familiar with the Danish tax system:
Tax Webinars by Danish Industry
Getting settled
The Danish Society of Engineers, IDA, is a trade union for people who work in technology, natural sciences, and IT, but they have many resources on their website that are useful for workers in any field.
A light-hearted look at Denmark
Just because something is funny doesn't mean it's not true. On the How to Live in Denmark website, Kay Xander Mellish shares sharp observations that will help you understand and navigate Danish culture both inside and outside the office. Kay is an American-Danish dual citizen, author, podcaster, public speaker, and C3 trainer.
Info on Denmark for international talents
Missing your friends back home? Why not tempt them to move to Denmark too! The website "A State of Denmark" is specially targeted at internationals thinking about moving to Denmark. The website gives a brief intro to everyday life and working in Denmark and also offers a newsletter with updates on career opportunities in Denmark and invitations to webinars etc.
Living in Denmark
Official information
The homepage for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a great source of official information about Denmark, with sections on People and Culture, Society and Business, and Innovation and Design, Quick Facts, and Quizzes.
Practical information
Lifeindenmark.dk is another government-backed resource for non-Danish citizens, where you can find information about doctors, taxes, housing, and more. The website is organized based on whether you are coming to, living in, or leaving Denmark.
The official guide to life in Denmark
Assistance for internationals
Permits and paperwork can be a big headache for expats. Fortunately, International Citizen Service, a coordinating cooperation between all the relevant Danish authorities, can help you get the necessary paperwork done.
ICS: International Citizen Service
Decoding Danish culture
The podcast What The Denmark is on a mission to resolve cultural confusion in Denmark. In each episode the hosts, Sam Floy and Josefine Volqvartz, spotlight a topic that might get internationals in Denmark wondering. They invite experts and other guests into the studio to help them explain the background for a wide range of (seen with non-Danish eyes) strange aspects of Danish society.
News from Denmark – in English, Romanian, Polish, Spanish, Italian and Turkish
Imagine receiving a clear and well-prepared summary once a week describing what has been happening in Denmark over the past week. Written in English. And totally free. Does that sound too good to be true?
Yet it is true just the same, because that is exactly what you get with the newsletter Last Week in Denmark. The newsletter is compiled by a dedicated team of volunteers on a mission to empower people with information and help non-Danish speakers become a part of Danish society.
You can read about the backgrounds of the team and newsletter here:
Sign up for the English newsletter here:
Last Week in Denmark newsletter in English
As of February 2024, the newsletter is also available in the following languages:
Last Week in Denmark newsletter in Romanian
Last Week in Denmark newsletter in Polish
Last Week in Denmark newsletter in Spanish
Last Week in Denmark newsletter in Italian
Last Week in Denmark newsletter in Turkish
Expat in Denmark newsletter
The Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri) is behind the website Expat in Denmark. Here you can sign up for the "Expat in Denmark" newsletter, which offers info on everything Danish, from culture and social events to jobhunting and networking.
International parenting stories
Jackie is an American-Filipina mother of two children now living in Denmark. In her podcast My Kids Think I’m Cool But… she talks with guests from all over the world about raising kids and parenting in Denmark as an international parent and about starting a business in a new country.
Podcast: My Kids Think I’m Cool But…
Get started with personal investments in Denmark
Denmark is not a budget country. If you need inspiration for getting the most out of your money, help is at hand in this article written by Andreea Bianca Pascalau Buza. Andreea comes from Romania, has lived in Denmark since 2015, and has a strong passion for personal finances. In this article, she guides you through some of the personal investment options within your reach in Denmark.
How to get started with investing in Denmark
Safe cycling tips
If you really want to get the most out of Danish life, you should consider hopping on a bicycle. This article explains how to cycle safely in Denmark, using hand signals and following the written and unwritten rules of the road. It's from Your Danish Life, an expat magazine that is published twice a year, and there are a number of other great articles on their website.
Cycling – find our BEST TIPS to help you make a safe trip all year round
Expat YouTube channels
Looking for more interesting, personal, unusual, quirky and funny angles on life in Denmark? There's plenty of inspiration on YouTube!
Here are three YouTube channels to get you started – all run by internationals living in Denmark:
The Young family: Joshua, Miranda, and Maya – Americans living in Denmark and exploring the world:
Derek and Mike, an American couple who like to laugh and explore their way through life:
Kriti Prajapati, an Indian comedian, public speaker, and YouTube content creator based in Denmark:
Kriti Prajapati – An Indian in Denmark
Learning Danish
Learning Danish: easy or hard?
This light-hearted article by a Danish teacher from the University of Edinburgh explains the link between Danish and English and provides some examples of useful words and phrases along with their pronunciations. Did you know that selvfølgelig (which means 'of course' or 'obviously') is pronounced se-foo-lee? Read this post, and you just might have a better understanding of why.
Why learning Danish might be easier than you think
Strange Danish expressions
One of the biggest challenges to learning Danish is the fact that the written version can seem completely unrelated to the spoken pronunciation. This amusing post by the University of Copenhagen Post illustrates the phonetic pronunciation of common phrases that you might hear or use in everyday life.
"Nå" – a tiny word with many uses
Even though "nå" is a tiny word, you can use it in surprisingly many ways in Danish – and understanding the many uses of “nå” will help you show off your language skills! This article guides you through 10 different meanings of this tricky Danish word.
How to Use Nå – 10 Ways to Use the Most Fun (and Tricky) Danish Word
Learn Danish with Duolingo
The language learning platform Duolingo’s mission is to make education easily accessible and free for all, and the platform uses gamification to make learning fun and motivating. Duolingo offers courses on over 40 languages – including Danish. Duolingo won’t be enough on its own if you really want to master the Danish language, but it's a great place to start. You can access Duolingo from a browser and a mobile app.
Having Fun
Quirky Danish behaviours
Erin, a.k.a. Oregon Girl Around the World, put together fun list of '65 Things You Need to Know About Life In Denmark'. The list will probably elicit a chuckle of recognition from people who have been in Denmark for a while.
65 Things You Need to Know About Life In Denmark
How to "hygge" in Denmark
If you know just a little about Denmark, you've no doubt met the Danish word "hygge"! This guide gives you an introduction to what Danes do when they hygger sig. You can also learn about five common phrases that include the word hygge.
The absolute beginner's guide to hygge in Denmark
A humorous look at life in Copenhagen, Denmark and the rest of the world
The podcast hosts themselves describe it like this: "Three comedians walk into a studio in Copenhagen: An Irishman (Owen) an American (Abby) and a Dane (Marius). And they discuss what's going on in Copenhagen, Denmark, Scandinavia and the world." With Owen, Abby and Marius, you are in good company – and you'll cover some ground!
What's with the flag?
Whether it's birthdays, national football games, or Christmas time, the Danish flag somehow always seems to be put at the center of celebrations. This article tells the tale of "Dannebrog" from the legend of origin to its many everyday uses today.
The Dannebrog in Danish culture
Please share your input!
This post is a collaboration between C3 Consulting's CEO and Chief Trainer Annette Dahl, who has worked and lived across the globe and has trained people of various nationalities in Danish culture, and Phoebe Berke, an American living in Denmark.
Did we miss something? If you know of a great online resource for expats in Denmark, please email us at kontakt@c3consulting.dk. We appreciate your input!
We'd also be very grateful if you'd contact us at kontakt@c3consulting.dk, if you find a link that doesn't work so that we can update the blog post.
Want to know more?
Do you have international employees who live and work in Denmark? Learn about our Danish cultural training for international employees and tailored programmes for international assignees and families.
Contact us for a chat about how we can address your Danish cultural training needs.
For more inspiration on how to successfully live and work across cultures, follow us on LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletter using the form below.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in October 2018. It has been updated in December 2019, January 2022, and February 2024 with new links and content.
