When moving to another country for work, there is a lot of stuff to sort out. Every country has different rules that apply to foreigners. However, if you are an EU citizen moving to another EU country, this makes things a bit easier for you. In our new Knowledge Base series, we will go through what needs to be done when moving to work in another country. Our first focus country is the Scandinavian country, Denmark.
Since Denmark is an EU country, there are certain benefits when you move from an EU country to Denmark. The process is easier. The EU has rules that make the moving process smoother and a lot easier.
As an EU citizen you are permitted to start working immediately in Denmark, but for it to be registered there are certain criteria that must be fulfilled before it is possible.
You must carry out paid work for at least 10-12 hours a week and for you to be registered as a worker the employment agreement must apply for a minimum of 10-12 weeks.
When you are an EU citizen you have an EU residence document. This document proves the right you have as an EU citizen when you enter Denmark.
Civil registration
The civil registration is where you get your CPR number (civil registration system number) and is proof that you are registered in the country of Denmark.
If you are a citizen of a Nordic-, EU- or EEA country (or Switzerland), you have the right to register with the national register in Denmark if you stay in the country for more than three months. But if you stay for more than six months in the country, you are obligated to register within 5 days.
To get the CPR number you must present your EU residence document. By doing this you will get a danish health insurance card, which is paid through your taxes.
When you have been registered in the Danish National Register you have to get a tax card. For this, you must fill out an online application form to the Tax Agency (you can read more on how here).
You will need to inform about how much you will be earning and from which country you are moving from to Denmark.
NemID & NemKonto
The NemId is a digital login service used in Denmark to give digital access to self-service solutions. You can get the NemId through borger.dk, the bank, or the local citizen center. You use this to log on to your bank, confirm bank transactions etc.
The NemKomto (Nem account) is the account that you receive your payments on. This means that you need to pick out one of your accounts to be the NemKonto. This is also the account where you will be able to receive money from the government if needed.
Moving to Denmark from a non-EU country
When moving to Denmark from a non-EU country as a worker, the process is a lot harder than moving from an EU country as a worker. When getting hired as a non-EU citizen the company has to go through a very long process with the Foreigners Directorate. It is obligatory to get a work visa, which can be quite the process. However, compared to most other countries the visa process is much faster.
There are different types of visas such as work, study, or family reunification. Since this is about moving to Denmark for work, it is a work visa that should be applied for.
Of course, there are also different types of work visas. But here the focus is on work visas to the broadest range of employment sectors. It is the following: Fast-Track Scheme, the Pay Limit Scheme, and the Positive List.
There are some requirements that are common for all work visas. All work visas are applied for through SIRI
1) Create a case order ID
Once you have selected which work visa that fits your work, you need to create a case order ID. (With some types of visas, the application can be submitted by your employer. In this case, you will need to hand them a power of attorney form).
2) Pay visa fee
It is important that you pay the visa fee the same year you create your case ID. All applications har handled annually. The general price of the Danish visas is 3,025 DKK (445 USD).
3) Submit the required documents
The following documents need to be submitted:
Proof of payment of visa fee (receipt).
Copy of your entire passport (all pages, front- and back cover).
Form for power of attorney fully completed.
Employment contract or job offer (no more than 30 days old). It must contain information about you, your salary, terms of employment, and job description.
Diplomas of education + qualifications to prove that you are qualified for the position.
If danish authorization is required for the position that must be added too.
4) Submit Work Visa form
Depending on your employment, there are different types of work visa forms. Though there are two common forms.
The first is the AR1 online form: This is filled out by both employer and employee. The employer fills in the first part, where afterward a password is generated, which the employer should give to you. In this way, you, as the employee, can fill out the rest.
The second is the AR6 online form: This is only filled out by the employer. This is where the employer has been given power of attorney.
5) Biometrics
Within 14 days of submitting your application, it is a demanded that you get your biometrics taken. You need to get your photo taken and fingerprints recorded at a Danish diplomatic mission abroad.
6) Wait
Within 30 days after submitting your application you will be informed about the result. Some types of work visas will give results faster though.
Practical good to know stuff
There is a lot of stuff that you should know when moving to Denmark for work.
Public benefits
Under EU rules during your stay, you must normally be able to support yourself and your family financially. This means that you cannot move to Denmark and expect financial support from the government. Of course, it depends on your grounds for the residence, which means that you cannot receive cash benefits or other forms of public assistance regulated by the Active Social Policy Act.
If you or a family member receive such benefits while living in Denmark, your right of residence can be terminated and you can lose your right to be in Denmark.
When you have a health insurance card in Denmark you have the privilege of free medical care in the country. This means that every doctor/hospital visit is paid by your taxes. There are also private hospitals in Denmark, where you can pay to get faster surgeries since there can be some waiting time in the public ones. This is of course depending on the urgency of your condition.
School is completely free in Denmark. In Denmark, it is seen as an investment in future employees.
Pension
If you receive a pension from another Nordic country, it would be a good idea to contact the pension authority to find out how much you can receive when moving to Denmark.
If you have pension savings in another country, contact that company to find information about how it will be affected by the move to Denmark.
In Denmark, you earn the right to Danish social pensions (disability pension and old-age pension) while you are covered by social insurance in Denmark.
Insurance
When living in Denmark, there are some mandatory insurances that you must have in order to follow the law. The following ones are mandatory:
If you own a registered motor vehicle, you must have a liability insurance
If you have a dog, you must have dog insurance.
Besides the mandatory insurances, there are some insurances that are recommended and good to have.
It is good to have home content insurance, home liability insurance, and accident insurance. It is possible to get insurance packages.
Car & Driver's license
If you already have a car and you bring it to Denmark, the car must be registered in Denmark within 30 days.
If you have a driver's license issued in the Faroe Islands, EU, or an EEA country it can be used in Denmark. (Here you can choose to get issued a Danish driver's license)
Otherwise, you will need to get a new driver's license. This takes about 3 months (or you can take a fast course) and costs about 12-14,000 DKK.
The Danish language
Though close to everyone in Denmark speaks very good English, it is appreciated that you try and learn danish. There are several courses everywhere in Denmark that you can take. Otherwise, you can find online language courses on the internet.
