KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in December 2021
Here's what changes in Denmark in December and how it could affect you.
Face masks return to Denmark
New Covid-19 rules on the use of face masks and the coronapas health pass took effect in Denmark on November 29th and will stay in effect until at least December 11th.
Face masks are now required on public transport, including taxis and ride sharing services. They will also have to be used in supermarkets and in other retail settings like shopping malls and stores.
Masks will also be required in health and social care settings such as hospitals, clinics and community care.
Rules relating to the coronapas Covid-19 health pass have also been broadened and the interval for which a negative Covid-19 test gives a valid pass reduced.
The rule changes are detailed in full in this article.
Deadline for post-Brexit permanent residency applications approaches
Applications for post-Brexit permanent residency with the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) should be sent be the end of 2021.
In its information letter sent in December last year, SIRI asked British residents born before 1946 to submit their applications up to the end of November, allowing time to attend appointments to submit biometric data, which must be done in person.
Biometric information is submitted at one of Siri's six offices, which are in Valby outside Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aabenraa, Aalborg, and Bornholm.
The overall deadline for applying for residency is December 31st 2021. An application is considered to have been fully submitted once you have both sent in the application form and submitted biometric data.
You apply for residency at the New in Denmark page.
READ ALSO: Brexit: Danish minister urges Denmark-based Brits to apply for new residency status
UK tightens travel restrictions on arrivals from abroad
The UK announced on Saturday that PCR tests and self-isolation for UK arrivals would be reintroduced amid concerns of the new Omicron variant that was first identified in South Africa and has now been found in several people in mainland Europe and the UK.
The new requirements are set to come into force at 4am on Tuesday, November 30th, and are therefore likely to affect travel from Denmark throughout much of not all of December.This means that if you’re arriving in the UK after 4am on Tuesday, November 30th, you’ll need to book and take PCR tests instead of lateral flow tests, which will no longer be accepted.
You’ll need to take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arriving in the UK and self-isolate until you get a negative test result.
READ ALSO: What travellers from Europe need to know about new Covid entry rules in UK
Christmas holidays
Schools will generally close their doors for the festive season on Friday, December 17th, and reopen on Monday, January 3rd.
This is liable to change locally, however, because term times are set by municipalities. For example, children in Frederikshavn will have to wait until the 22nd to go on their Christmas holidays.
School term dates can be looked up on the website of your local municipality.
Deadline for Christmas deliveries
It’s the season for sending letters and parcels, and it you want to be sure your gifts and cards arrive on time, there are a few dates to keep in mind.
According to Danish postal service Postnord, normal letters should be sent by December 16th and parcels by December 21st if you want them to arrive at a Danish address in time for Christmas.
If you’re sending post abroad, the deadlines for both letters and parcels are December 13th (EU plus Norway); December 6th (rest of Europe); November 29th (rest of world).
It’s worth checking the exact time of day you need to drop off parcels at your local post desk or the time at which post boxes are emptied to ensure you are within the deadline.
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Face masks return to Denmark
New Covid-19 rules on the use of face masks and the coronapas health pass took effect in Denmark on November 29th and will stay in effect until at least December 11th.
Face masks are now required on public transport, including taxis and ride sharing services. They will also have to be used in supermarkets and in other retail settings like shopping malls and stores.
Masks will also be required in health and social care settings such as hospitals, clinics and community care.
Rules relating to the coronapas Covid-19 health pass have also been broadened and the interval for which a negative Covid-19 test gives a valid pass reduced.
The rule changes are detailed in full in this article.
Deadline for post-Brexit permanent residency applications approaches
Applications for post-Brexit permanent residency with the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) should be sent be the end of 2021.
In its information letter sent in December last year, SIRI asked British residents born before 1946 to submit their applications up to the end of November, allowing time to attend appointments to submit biometric data, which must be done in person.
Biometric information is submitted at one of Siri's six offices, which are in Valby outside Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aabenraa, Aalborg, and Bornholm.
The overall deadline for applying for residency is December 31st 2021. An application is considered to have been fully submitted once you have both sent in the application form and submitted biometric data.
You apply for residency at the New in Denmark page.
READ ALSO: Brexit: Danish minister urges Denmark-based Brits to apply for new residency status
UK tightens travel restrictions on arrivals from abroad
The UK announced on Saturday that PCR tests and self-isolation for UK arrivals would be reintroduced amid concerns of the new Omicron variant that was first identified in South Africa and has now been found in several people in mainland Europe and the UK.
The new requirements are set to come into force at 4am on Tuesday, November 30th, and are therefore likely to affect travel from Denmark throughout much of not all of December.This means that if you’re arriving in the UK after 4am on Tuesday, November 30th, you’ll need to book and take PCR tests instead of lateral flow tests, which will no longer be accepted.
You’ll need to take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arriving in the UK and self-isolate until you get a negative test result.
READ ALSO: What travellers from Europe need to know about new Covid entry rules in UK
Christmas holidays
Schools will generally close their doors for the festive season on Friday, December 17th, and reopen on Monday, January 3rd.
This is liable to change locally, however, because term times are set by municipalities. For example, children in Frederikshavn will have to wait until the 22nd to go on their Christmas holidays.
School term dates can be looked up on the website of your local municipality.
Deadline for Christmas deliveries
It’s the season for sending letters and parcels, and it you want to be sure your gifts and cards arrive on time, there are a few dates to keep in mind.
According to Danish postal service Postnord, normal letters should be sent by December 16th and parcels by December 21st if you want them to arrive at a Danish address in time for Christmas.
If you’re sending post abroad, the deadlines for both letters and parcels are December 13th (EU plus Norway); December 6th (rest of Europe); November 29th (rest of world).
It’s worth checking the exact time of day you need to drop off parcels at your local post desk or the time at which post boxes are emptied to ensure you are within the deadline.
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