Guide: Information for elderly people who wish to move to Denmark

If you are a citizen of a Nordic country, you can freely move to Denmark. No residence permit is required. Different rules apply if you are a citizen of another country.

If you move permanently to Denmark, you must be registered in the Danish civil register and registered as having left the country from which you are moving. There are many other practical things to consider when you move – whether or not you are a pensioner. You can read about these in Info Norden's guide to moving to Denmark.

How do you find a place to live in Denmark?

You can find general information about finding a place to live in Denmark in the Info Norden article ‘Housing in Denmark’. At borger.dk you can find information about housing for the elderly in Denmark.

Are you entitled to housing allowance in Denmark?

If you live in Denmark, you have the right to apply for housing allowance. Whether you are entitled to the allowance, and if so how much, depends amongst other things on:

• Your household income
• Your household wealth and assets
• The number of children and adults in the household
• The amount of rent
• The size of the residence
• Whether you receive retirement pension or disability pension.

You can read more at borger.dk.

How do you apply for home help or care in your own home in Denmark?

Pensioners who need practical help in their everyday lives can apply for home help or assistive devices from the municipality.

You can receive home help if you have a disability or have been ill for a period of time, and therefore no longer have the physical or mental skills you previously had. The decision on what help you can get will be made by the municipality, on the basis of an assessment of your needs.

You can receive help with:

• Personal care
• Practical tasks in the home

You can apply to the municipality for home help in the form of permanent help, temporary help or occasional support. You can receive help irrespective of whether you live alone, in your own home, in a care home, a nursing home or otherwise.

If you or your child have a permanent physical or mental disability that can be ameliorated with assistive devices in daily life, you can apply to your municipality to loan a device, or for a subsidy so that you can buy a device yourself.

Your municipality can provide support for assistive devices, certain consumer goods, and changes to your home or relocation costs if you have a permanent physical or mental disability. The aim is for you to be able to live as normal and independent a life as possible, even if you have a disability.

If you are currently receiving support for assistive devices from another Nordic country and you are moving to Denmark, you should contact the authorities in the country you are moving from to see whether you can bring the devices with you to Denmark.

You can read more about home help at borger.dk. You can read more about assistive devices in the Info Norden article on support for assistive devices in Denmark.

Can you move to Denmark if you need long-term treatment or care?

If you need long-term treatment or care and wish to move from one Nordic country to another Nordic country with which you have a special connection, the responsible authorities in the two countries must seek to contribute to such a move if it will improve your life situation.

For further information, contact the municipality from which you are moving and the municipality in Denmark to which you wish to move.

Which country's social security system are you covered by?

If you live in Denmark and have no income other than your pension, you are generally covered by Danish social security.

Where can you apply for the EU Health Insurance Card?

As a general rule, you must apply for the blue EU health insurance card in the country that pays out your pension. If you receive a pension from several countries, you should contact Udbetaling Danmark.

Are you entitled to healthcare services in Denmark?

When you move to Denmark from another Nordic country, you must, as a rule, be registered in Denmark in the municipality in which you live. You will then be issued with a Danish health card, which will automatically be sent to your Danish address. The card is your proof that you are entitled to all public healthcare services in Denmark. You must show the card every time you are in contact with the healthcare system.

If you move to Denmark, or start working in the country, you must provide information about your health insurance conditions to Udbetaling Danmark. Udbetaling Danmark needs this information to assess whether it is Denmark or another country that is responsible for covering the costs of your health insurance.

You can read more about the Danish healthcare system in the Info Norden article on the right to healthcare in Denmark.

Can you bring your pension to Denmark?

The rules in the country or countries that pay out your pension will determine whether you can take your pension abroad and, if so, how much. You should therefore contact the pension authority in the country or countries from which you receive a pension to find out what applies in your situation.

How is your pension taxed in Denmark?

If you live in one Nordic country and receive a pension from another Nordic country, you must disclose your pension in both countries. You pay tax in the country where the pension is paid. You also pay tax on your pension in the country where you live, but your tax will be reduced by an amount equivalent to the tax that you paid in the country that paid the pension. You can read more about this at Nordic eTax, which is a co-operation between the tax authorities in the Nordic countries.

If you are over 67, you can obtain discounts on tickets and season tickets when you travel by public transport in Denmark.

There are also many other discounts available for the elderly and pensioners in Denmark, but they are not collected in one place. Many private companies and organisations offer special rates or offers for the elderly. The discounts vary by provider and range from cultural offers, amusements and insurance to association memberships and supermarket discounts.

You can also obtain guidance from Ældre Sagen, which is a Danish special-interest organisation that works to improve conditions for the elderly.

You can also contact Info Norden by filling out our questionnaire if you have any questions or have encountered obstacles in connection with your move. If you have any questions concerning the processing of a specific case or application or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority.