Relocate from UK to Denmark

British nationals who plan on entering Denmark are not required to obtain a visa in order to do so. However, when they intend to immigrate to Denmark from UK, they must apply for the right type of residence and work permit with a Danish Embassy in the United Kingdom. Applying for a residence and work permit is not complicated, however, certain documents are mandatory and the acceptance or the rejection of the application will depend on its correctness.

In most cases, Britons are interested in Denmark immigration for work purposes, however, they may also choose to do so for family reunification or in other cases. Irrespective of the reason why a permanent relocation is an option, it is recommended to reach out to a team of local immigration specialists, such as our lawyers, before you commence the process.

When you move to Denmark you will need to sort out many different issues, not only those concerning your lawful stay. We can help you understand the current requirements for the residence permits, and will also answer questions about housing, the education system if you are moving with your children, taxation, and opening a bank account that will work as your NemKonto.

We recommend reaching out to our immigration lawyer in Denmark for more information, in addition to the brief descriptions in this article.

Residence options in Denmark 

Britons may be interested in relocating from UK to Denmark for a number of reasons. Below, we list some of the most common ones:

• Work: for Britons who are interested in working in Denmark and have been offered a job by a local company; in this case, an employment contract is mandatory; residence permits are also in place for researchers or for those with special individual qualifications;
• Business: start-up Denmark is a programme that allows foreign nationals to reside and work on their business, provided that the new company has certain characteristics regarding innovation; an immigration lawyer in Denmark from our team can provide more details.
• Study: UK nationals who have applied for and were admitted in a Danish higher education programme as well as those who are engaged in internships as part of their education programme.
• Family: your spouse of another family member is already living in Denmark and you wish to come to the country to live together; after a number of years, you can apply for Danish citizenship.

Quick facts
Why relocate from UK to Denmark	– work, – open a business, – study, – family reunification, – marriage, etc.
Visa requirement for UK citizens	None for 90 days
Residence permit in Denmark	For British nationals intending to stay in Denmark for more than 90 days.
Possible required documents	– passport, – employment contract, – marriage certificate, – birth certificate, – visa and work permits, – proof of studying in the country, – medical documents, etc.
Post-arrival considerations	– obtain the Central Person Register (CPR) number; – obtain insurance; – open bank account, – exchange driver’s license, etc.
Work visa schemes	– Pay Limit scheme, – Positive List scheme, – Fast Track scheme, – visas for trainees, – work visa for accompanying family members, etc.
Pay Limit scheme	Applicants can apply for a residence and work permit via this scheme if they have a job with DKK 448,000/year salary or more.
Family reunification visa	Granted for spouses and minor children whose family members are living or working in Denmark.
Retirement visa (YES/NO)	NO
Permanent residency in Denmark	Usually granted after holding a temporary residence permit for 8 years, but there are exceptions.
Temporary residence permit	Temporary permits last 1-2 years, depending on their type (study, work, family reunification, etc.).
Citizenship by naturalization	Continuously live in Denmark for at least 9 years, with the last 2 years as a permanent resident.
Moving with pets	Pets must be vaccinated and microchipped; Special requirements might apply to some dog breeds.
Advantages of moving to Denmark	– high quality of life, – great education system, – work opportunities, – strong economy, – low crime rates, etc.
Assistance	We can help any British national immigrate to Denmark and obtain the appropriate visa for him/her.
Existence of special conditions for UK Nationals (YES/NO)	UK citizens must apply for a new residency status after Brexit. Our immigration lawyers can help.
Maximum processing time for visa applications	15 business days
Maximum processing time for extending temporary residence permit	6 months
Maximum processing time for obtaining permanent residence permit	10 months
Passport validity for entering Denmark	At least 3 months beyond the planned departure date
Residency by investment program	The Start-up Denmark scheme offers an extendable residence permit for up to 2 years.
Healthcare registration	New arrivals must register for healthcare; UK citizens who were already registered before Brexit do not need to re-register.
Marrying a Danish citizen	Grants a temporary residence permit valid for 2 years, which can be extended.
Buying property in Denmark as UK citizen	Only with permission from the Danish Department of Civil Affairs.
Driving license in Denmark	UK citizens must exchange their license for a Danish one.
Tax residency in Denmark	Continuously live in the country for more than 6 consecutive months.
Obtaining Danish passport	Requires having Danish citizenship
Dual citizenship allowed (YES/NO)	YES
Danish citizenship by descent	Only applies if at least one parent is a Danish citizen.
Why choose our team to move to Denmark	– expertise in immigration processes, – post-arrival support, – transparency, – cost-friendly services, – English-speaking team, etc.

One of our agents who specialize in Denmark immigration can provide you with more details on the residence permit in Denmark listed above for several purposes, inlcuding the business visa in Denmark, as well as other situations you may be interested in, such as becoming an au pair with a Danish family.

Guide on applying for a residence permit for Denmark

British nationals who wish to relocate to Denmark are willing to remain in the country for more than 90 days, meaning that they will need to apply for a Denmark residence permit that fits their purpose of stay (for employment, freelance work, family reunification, or business purposes). Our team can help you with complete information about the needed documents and when you should submit the application.

Different types of permits demand certain application documents, such as the employment contract for a work permit or clear evidence of the relationship between members for family reunification purposes. Applications are submitted via an online platform, irrespective of their type and they are all subject to a processing fee. A UK applicant must also know that upon applying for a residence permit, the recording of biometric features will also take place.

If you want to immigrate to Denmark from UK, you should know that some of the post-arrival issues UK nationals should take into consideration are the following:

• Obtain the CPR number: this is a mandatory step and the Central Person Register number will be essential for tax and social security issues.
• Open a bank account: this is essential for employment purposes and once the account is created, most of the operations will take place online.
• Getting insurance: UK nationals will need to obtain liability insurance for motor vehicles, insurance against fire if they own their home and dog insurance, if applicable.
• Others: UK nationals should also exchange their UK driver’s license for a Danish one and register their car with the Danish Customs and Tax Administration.

Our immigration lawyer in Denmark can offer more details on each of these matters and can help you with the application for the residence permit in Denmark.

Britons living in Denmark

According to a local source, as per data released by Statistics Denmark, in 2019 there were approximately 18,835 Brits who were living in Denmark, most of them choosing to live in Copenhagen. The data also reveals the areas in the country where most of these UK nationals chose to settle in:

• 5,920 Britons were living in Copenhagen;
• 1,097 chose Arhus, the second-largest city;
• 755 UK nationals were living in Gentofte at the time the article was published;
• other popular regions were Odense, Aalborg, and Esbjerg.

The existing statistics reveal the fact that Brits live in all of the 98 municipalities of the country and the reasons for their permanent stay are diverse from the living conditions to have met their current Danish spouse. Those who are married to a Danish national can consider the process to obtain Danish citizenship, as do those who have lived in the country long enough.

If you wish to immigrate to Denmark from UK, you can always reach out to our agents for more information on how to relocate to the country. Our lawyers can provide you with personalized information, including the manner in which you may expect things to change following Brexit, according to your particular situation and whether or not you have a business based in both countries.

British citizens who come to live in Denmark work in different fields and some of them even come to the country to open their own businesses. Contact us if you want to know more and are in need of personalized assistance from our immigration lawyer in Denmark.