Moving to Denmark

• Get your employment contract

  When you have been offered a job at SDU, you will receive a contract from SDU HR.

  You need to have the contract to be able to register in Denmark and to find a place to live.

• Apply for residence and work permits, if required

  Whether you need permission to reside and work in Denmark depends on your nationality.

  If you are a citizen of Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden you are free to enter, reside, study and work in Denmark. You do not need a visa, residence or work permit.

  If you are a EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, you can reside in Denmark in accordance with special regulations. Upon arrival in Denmark you only need to apply for an EU residence document.

  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  Embassy or a Danish consulate general before coming to Denmark.

  The International Staff Office will start the application process once your contract has been issued and will then inform you of the following process.

  Read more about residence and work permits here
• Find accommodation

  Once you have received your contract, you can begin searching for accommodation.

  We recommend that you start as soon as possible, as it can be difficult to find suitable accommodation, particularly before the beginning of a semester.

  Read more about accommodation here
• Healthcare

  Before you move to Denmark, it is strongly recommended that you obtain private health insurance to cover you until you are registered here. If you are from the EU, make sure to bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

  Everyone residing in Denmark for more than three months has the right to become a resident and receive national health service treatment free of charge at the point of delivery. To be covered by the national healthcare system, you need to register as a resident and apply for a civil registration number (CPR number). Until then, it’s important to have private healthcare insurance.

  Read more about how the Danish healthcare system works here
• Moving your belongings, goods and pets

  Moving your personal belongings

  Please contact your new department at SDU to arrange how to move your personal belongings.

  Importing a pet

  If you wish to bring your pet with you to Denmark, you must contact your local veterinarian in your country of residence prior to your departure to ensure that all requirements are met.

  If you are departing from an EU country, you can enter Denmark with a dog or cat without any pre-arrangements as long as your pet has a microchip or tattoo, holds a valid EU passport and has its valid vaccinations.

  Other rules apply to pets arriving from third-countries.

  Read more about the various rules and guidelines here

  Importing a vehicle

  When you bring a vehicle with international number plates to Denmark there are three options for how you must proceed:

  1. You apply for permission to drive your vehicle in Denmark without paying registration tax
  2. You seek permission from the Danish Motor Vehicle Agency to pay a proportion of the normal vehicle registration tax on a quarterly basis, rather than annually or biannually.
  3. You import your vehicle and have it registered to Danish number plates.

  
  

  Read more about importing a vehicle here

  
  
• Accompanying family members

  Residence permit

  Accompanying family members from non-EU countries will have to apply for a residence permit by using the MF1-application form. One form must be filled out for each person, including children and infants.

  Read more about the MF1-application form and apply here

  Children

  If you're bringing your children with you to Denmark, we will be happy to advise you on issues such as childcare options, school enrollment and social activities.

  Read more about bringing your children to Denmark here

  Accompanying partners

  Moving to a new country as an accompanying partner is an exciting yet overwhelming experience and network is a resource designed to counter these initial challenges. SDU offers the Dual Career Programme, which includes:

  • Help with job seeking through workshops, personal coaching and network meetings
  • Information and tips on living in Denmark
  • Social events such as meetups for spouses, international book club, veggie dinners and yoga in English
  • Monthly newsletter with updates on activities and events in Odense

  Read more about SDU's Dual Career Programme here

• Learn Danish

  SDU is a parallel language workplace, where both Danish and English are used as working languages. For this reason, in cooperation with the local language centers we offer our new international employees a variety of special and customised Danish language courses. Our courses are publicly financed but adapted to the needs of university staff. 

  Please note that SDU's Language Policy describes special regulations regarding the attainment of Danish language competencies for International employees in permanent positions. 

  Pre-arrival online course with AOF

  If you are interested in learning basic Danish before you arrive in Odense, you can also sign up for our pre-arrival course by contacting Jane Vinter Moscoso from AOF. 

  Courses on arrival

  If you are interested in learning Danish on arrival, we offer courses in all of our campus cities. Accompanying partners can also attend Danish classes by paying a deposit.

  Read more about Danish courses here
• Cross-border commuter

  If you ar employed at SDU while retaining residency in another country, you are considered a cross-border commuter. This means that, depending on your nationality, special rules apply to you and there are some practical issues you need to settle before starting your employment.

  • You commute from Germany

    Taxation

    You need to open a Danish bank account (Nem-konto) or have NemKonto assigned to your international bank account to receive your salary.

    If you are eligible for the researchers' tax scheme, please contact the International Staff Office: iso@sdu.dk.

    Otherwise, you need to apply for a tax card and a personal tax number using this online form at skat.dk.

    Social security

    If you live in Germany and work in Denmark, you are usually covered by social security in Denmark.

    Please use this online form to apply for a special health insurance card at lifeindenmark.dk.

    The special health insurance card is proof of your right to healthcare in Denmark. You will also receive a German health insurance card marked 'Status 7' that proves your right to healthcare in Germany as well.

    Read more about social security at pendlerinfo.org.

    Unemployment benefits

    If you want to be covered by unemployment insurance, you have to sign up to an 'A-kasse' in Denmark, but you will receive unemployment benefits from Germany if you lose your job in Denmark.

    Read more about the rules at pendlerinfo.org.

    At pendlerinfo.org and lifeindenmark.dk you can find supplementary information.

  • You commute from Sweden

    Taxation

    You need to open a Danish bank account (NemKonto) or have NemKonto assigned to your international bank account to receive your salary.

    Read more about NemKonto at nemkonto.dk.

    If you are eligible for the researchers' tax scheme, please contact the International Staff Office at iso@sdu.dk.

    Otherwise, you need to apply for a tax card and a personal tax number using this online form at skat.dk.

    Social security

    If you live in Sweden and work in Denmark you are covered by social security in Denmark.

    Please use this online form to apply for a special health insurance card at lifeindenmark.dk.

    The special health card is proof of your right to healthcare in Denmark. If you also work in Sweden for another employer, you will still be covered by Danish social security provided your work in Sweden does not exceed 25 % of your total working hours.

    Read more about working in more than one country at oresunddirektbusiness.dk.

    Unemployment benefits

    If you want to be covered by unemployment insurance, you have to sign up to an 'A-kasse' in Denmark, but you will receive unemployment benefits from Sweden if you lose your job.

    Read more about the rules at norden.org.

    At oresunddirektbusiness.dk, you can read about the relevant rules and find a checklist of what to remember in connection with your employment.

    At norden.org you can find supplementary information.

  • More information about working from abroad

    Find more information about working from abroad here
• Join our staff community on Facebook

  Our International Club (IC) is dedicated to bringing together all cultures represented at SDU through cultural and social activities.

  We invite employees and their accompanying families to join us at our monthly cultural and social events.

  Join our Facebook group for more information