Guide: Moving from Denmark

You are obliged to notify the civil register if you will be living abroad for more than six months.

If you are moving from Denmark to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland or the Faroe Islands, you must report the move to the civil register in the municipality from which you are moving. You must also notify your move in the country to which you are moving. You will not be registered as having left Denmark until you have been registered in the new Nordic country.

Please note that the Danish civil register is not automatically informed if you move to a new address abroad. You must notify the civil register yourself.

You must inform the Danish Tax Agency that you have moved abroad.

If you are receiving state benefits, you should check to see whether you can take them abroad. You should therefore contact your municipality or Udbetaling Danmark before you move.

You must notify your unemployment insurance fund of your move. If you continue to work in Denmark, or if you are posted abroad, it is possible that you will still covered by Danish social security and must therefore continue to be a member of a Danish unemployment insurance fund if you wish to be insured against unemployment.

If you move to Iceland or Norway and become covered by social security there, you will automatically be covered by the public unemployment insurance scheme without having to join an unemployment insurance fund.

In Finland and Sweden there is basic public insurance and supplementary insurance that requires you to be a member of an unemployment insurance fund. If you wish to be a member of an unemployment insurance fund it is important that you register quickly, so that you do not lose the possibility of combining your insurance periods between Denmark and Finland or Sweden.

If you are receiving Danish unemployment benefit, you can under certain conditions continue to receive your Danish benefits for three months while you are looking for work in another EU or EEA country.

You should report your move to Postnord so that you can have your post forwarded to your new address.

There are a number of private companies you should inform about your move, such as:

• Your bank

• Your insurance company

• Your pension fund

You should also contact any organisations or associations of which you are a member, and newspapers or magazines to which you subscribe.

If you are a Danish citizen, you can apply to be included on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of Danish citizens abroad (‘danskerlisten’). This list makes it easier for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contact you with important information about crises such as major natural disasters, political unrest or terrorist attacks. Registering for the list of Danish citizens abroad is voluntary, but it is recommended for both travellers and permanent residents abroad.

As a general rule, you are fully liable for tax in the country in which you live. If you work in another country, you will normally be subject to limited tax liability there.

You can find out about the taxation rules in the Nordic region at Nordisk eTax, which is a collaboration between the tax authorities of the Nordic countries.

In general, you are covered by the social security system of the country in which you live and work. Special rules apply if you are not working, or if you live and work in different countries, or if you have been posted abroad.

The national social security system by which you are covered also determines the rules that apply to your unemployment insurance, pension, family benefits and more, as well as where your employer must pay social security contributions.

You will not lose your Danish citizenship when you move abroad, even if you become a citizen of another Nordic country. You can renew your Danish passport at a Danish embassy or consulate in another Nordic country. You can also do so at a Citizen Service Centre in Denmark, or at the police in the Faroe Islands or Greenland.

You retain your Danish civil registration number (CPR number) for life.

If you move abroad and are deregistered from the Danish civil register (CPR), you cannot as a rule vote in Danish parliamentary elections or referendums – even if you are a Danish citizen. However, certain groups of people may, upon application, be included on the electoral roll and thus vote in these elections or referendums, regardless of whether they live abroad.

If you live in another Nordic country, you cannot vote in municipal or regional elections in Denmark. On the other hand, you can vote in local elections where you live if you are a citizen of a Nordic country, an EU country or an EEA country.

You can retain your MitID when you move abroad.

You can use your Danish driver's licence throughout the Nordic region. If you move to another country, it may be advantageous to exchange it for a new driver's licence in the country in which you live. This can make it easier to get a new one if you lose your licence.You should in any case renew or exchange your Danish driving licence in your new country before it expires.

If you are moving to the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway or Åland, you should check which customs rules apply to removal goods.

You will usually need to draw up an import declaration, for which you will need a ‘single administrative document’. It is recommended that you have this done by your carrier or freight forwarder.

If you are moving abroad and have a car, it must be deregistered in Denmark. You can often obtain a refund for part of the Danish registration fee.

If you are taking your pets with you to your new home abroad, you should familiarise yourself with the rules for importing animals in the country to which you are moving. A pet passport and vaccinations will usually be required. Please also note that certain animals and animal breeds are illegal in some countries.

If you are pregnant and expect to give birth in the country to which you are moving, you should contact the local health authorities for information about the documentation you will need to bring with you from Denmark.

You should also be aware of the rules for maternity/paternity leave. As a general rule you will not be entitled to parental benefit in a country unless you have worked there, but if your leave begins in Denmark before you move, you can usually continue to receive Danish parental benefit even after you have moved, as long as you do not interrupt the period of leave.

If you have a chronic illness that requires medicine or regular check-ups, talk to your doctor to make sure you have medicine available and the necessary documentation for your illness and treatment. You should also contact the health service in your new country of residence to ensure that you are referred to the correct practitioners.

It is a good idea to gather important information and documentation that you can use when communicating with authorities and employers in the future.

This might for example include your:

• Civil registration number

• Birth (or baptismal) certificate

• Marriage certificate

• Employment contracts

• Pay slips

• Annual tax statements

• Information about pension savings and bank accounts

• Examination diplomas

• Authorisations and certificates