Do you want to move to Denmark from Australia? The first thing you should know about coming to Denmark is that you need to establish the basis for your residence, the motive for the long-term stay in the country. Each expat has his or her own story and moving to a new country comes with a different set of challenges according to age, employment status, family matters, and a number of other issues.
Our team describes the main steps for moving to Denmark in this article, starting with applying for the right type of residence and work permit and ending with the conditions for permanent residence in the country.
Our team specializes in offering tailored solutions if you are interested in Denmark immigration. You can reach out to our agents for more information apart from what is highlighted in this article as well as personalized advice on relocation matters.
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Residence and work permits in Denmark
Australian citizens who wish to move to Denmark from Australia will need a permit that will allow them to stay for more than 90 days. Foreign nationals applying for a Denmark residence permit or a work permit with the Danish Embassy through the Danish Immigration Service or the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).
Our immigration lawyer in Denmark describes the following types of permits:
- Work: for employment under the fast-track scheme, for researchers as well as those who have special individual qualifications (for example, specialized chefs);
- Study: for those who have been admitted by the Copenhagen University or another higher education institution;
- Family reunification: for Australians who have a family member who is lawfully living in Denmark (can be a spouse, cohabiting partner or another family member);
- Business: if you want to open your own business in Denmark (that is innovative and can create jobs – not applicable in case of restaurants or retail shops and other business ventures).
Each of these types of permits has certain conditions for application. Our team can help you with detailed information on each one if you wish to move to Denmark from Australia.
Our team can give you complete details on the most important steps for moving to Denmark, starting with the residence permit application, and continuing with matters that need to be handled even before you arrive in your chosen Danish city. Our services are tailored to individual needs, and we can answer questions for students, just as well as for families moving with their children.
Permanent residence in Denmark
Once you have lived in Denmark for some time you can apply for a permanent residence permit. It is useful to know that special rules can apply in certain cases based on your ties to the country or your particular situation. Our Denmark immigration specialists list the periods of time after which an Australian national can apply for permanent residence:
- 8 years: this is the period after which you can apply for a permanent residence permit in Denmark under the general rules; this applies to many of those who move to Denmark from Australia.
- 5 years: for those who have stayed in the country with a residence permit as a retired employee of an international organization;
- 4 years: this is possible if the applicant meets all four of the supplementary requirements (for the language test, the minimum employment period, the active citizenship exam and the certain annual average income);
- 1 or 2 years: for special categories of foreign nationals; for Australians, this is possible if both parents are natural-born Danish citizens or, in very particular cases, if only one of the parents is a natural-born Danish citizen.
Please note that a number of particular requirements apply in all of these cases. Our immigration lawyer in Denmark can help you with detailed information about obtaining permanent residence in the country based on your particular status and the conditions you meet.
Living in Denmark
Once you decide to move to Denmark from Australia, you will need to become accustomed to the Nordic lifestyle as well as the Danish language. There are plenty of courses for adults and you will want to enroll in one that suits your schedule. As seen above, good language skills are mandatory when applying for permanent residence.
Some other practical matters you need to attend to when you move to Denmark from Australia are the following:
- Obtain a personal registration number and then the NemID;
- Open a bank account and take up insurance, as needed; several types of insurance are mandatory and our immigration lawyer in Denmark can give you more details;
- Research the schooling options, both public and private, that are available for children, if applicable;
- Exchange your driver’s license for a Danish one.
The decision to move to Denmark from Australia is an important one. Having adequate assistance from an immigration specialist can be important before you arrive in the country when you wish to apply for the adequate type of visa or permit, and once you are in Denmark, in order to make sure that you follow all of the post-arrival procedures.
You can contact our Denmark immigration specialists for more information on the services we provide to expats and how we can help you if you want to move from Australia.
If you are a foreign national from another country looking to apply for a Danish residence permit, our team can assist you. We will give you complete details about the documents that you need to submit to the Danish Immigration Service based on your reason to remain in the country. Understandably so, the documents for business purposes will be different from those for study purposes. Our team can help you with details.
