EXPLAINED: What do you need to be able to start a job Denmark?
You've landed a job in Denmark and excitement, nerves and anticipation kick in. From your contract and CPR number, to opening a bank account, here are the practicalities you need to take care of before your big move.
1. Contract
Your employer is generally required to give you a contract, with limited exceptions. The contract will specify the conditions of your employment such as your salary, working hours, and other relevant terms.
Before signing it, make sure to review the contract carefully and ask questions if you don’t understand some of the terms. As a general rule, if any of the terms should change in the future, you will receive the amendments in writing within a required notification period.
Most people (around 70 percent) on the Danish labour market are members of a trade union. It's well worth carefully considering whether to join one, reading about the rights it will give you and asking them to look over your contract.
It's also advisable to check whether you employer is a member of an employer's confederation, and thereby bound by Danish collective bargaining agreements which regulate pay and other working conditions.
READ ALSO:
- Can foreign workers be exploited on the Danish labour market?
- EXPLAINED: What is a Danish collective bargaining agreement?
2. CPR number
Although you can get through the interview and acceptance process, you can’t actually start to work in Denmark until you have permission to do so and a CPR (personal registration) number.
Nordic citizens are allowed to work in Denmark and simply register at their local Citizen’s Centre (Borgerservice) to get a CPR-number.
EU/EEA citizens need to get a registration certificate first and then their CPR-number. This can be done online, followed by a meeting at one of the International Citizen Service Centres.
Non-EU citizens will need a visa that allows you to work in Denmark and be issued a CPR number. If you don’t already have a visa, it’s possible that your employer would be willing to sponsor you, but you will still likely have to deal with some paperwork.
There are various ways to get a work permit, depending on your profession. A list of different types of work sectors and requirements needed, can be found on the website nyidanmark.dk. It can take up to several months to get a visa approved.
As of November 2023, foreigners working for subsidiaries of Danish companies can work in Denmark for short periods without a work or residency permit. The new rules allow the employees to work in Denmark for two 15-day periods every six months, with a minimum 14-day gap between the two periods. To be eligible, foreign workers have to be employed by a foreign branch or subsidiary of a company registered in Denmark, which has at least 50 employees.
READ ALSO:
- How can you get a work permit in Denmark if you are not an EU national?
- What’s the difference between temporary and permanent residency in Denmark?
3. Tax card
Your tax card (skattekort) is a digital piece of information telling your employer your tax rate.The actual tax rate depends on how much you earn a year and how many deductions you can get. The Danish tax authority Skat keeps this information in its database and sends your tax card directly to your employer, who will deduct your tax and transfer it directly to the Tax Agency and then pay you your salary.
You can apply for your tax card a month before your employment starts, through the Skat website, which has instructions in English. Once registered, you can find your digital tax card at the top of your preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelsen).
If you don't register a tax card, you will automatically be taxed at 55 percent. While taxes are high in Denmark, most employees have a lower tax rate than this.
If you forget to do it before you get paid, all is not lost, as you just need to get a tax card set up to get back on track, and then your taxes can be reconciled in the following tax year. You can also speak to your company’s payroll department to see if they can do anything to get the money back to you sooner.
READ ALSO:
4. Health card
Once you have a CPR number, you are issued with a yellow health card. Once you have this, you can register with a local GP and access Denmark’s health services. This includes free GP appointments and free specialist consultations and treatments under the national health system. You can also receive subsidies for medicine and medical services including some dental treatment, physiotherapy, chiropractor treatment and psychological consultations.
You are not eligible for free medical care while awaiting personal registration or your CPR number.
5. MitID and e-Boks
MitID is a digital identity app for mobile phones or tablets used in Denmark to prove identity when accessing government or commercial services online or in apps.
You need MitID for pretty much everything you do online in Denmark: banking, MobilePay (a digital payment system), shopping online, tax, healthcare, pensions, Borger.dk (the portal to online government services and information) and Digital post.
Digital post, called e-Boks is a secure digital post systems where you receive all your official documents, such as government agencies and health services, to communicate with Danish citizens and residents and requires MitID to log in. This is also where you will receive your payslips.
You need a residency permit to get MitID but you don't need to have a CPR number. If you don't have a CPR number, you need to obtain an 8-digit 'P code' to log into the app.These can be obtained by contacting your bank, by contacting MitID Support or by visiting your local Borgerservice centre. If you live in the Copenhagen area, you can get help for most of these services at International House Copenhagen.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Denmark's MitID app
6. Bank account
Your salary has to be paid into a Danish bank. There have been calls by business organisations for these rules to change because the process can take months, as new arrivals in Denmark first need to get a residency permit, then a CPR number, a Danish address, access to the MitID digital identification service, and a health insurance card before finally, opening a bank account.
Under current rules though, you need a Danish bank account to receive your salary.
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See Also
- Can foreign workers be exploited on the Danish labour market?
- EXPLAINED: What is a Danish collective bargaining agreement?
- How can you get a work permit in Denmark if you are not an EU national?
- What’s the difference between temporary and permanent residency in Denmark?
You can apply for your tax card a month before your employment starts, through the Skat website, which has instructions in English. Once registered, you can find your digital tax card at the top of your preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelsen).
If you don't register a tax card, you will automatically be taxed at 55 percent. While taxes are high in Denmark, most employees have a lower tax rate than this.
If you forget to do it before you get paid, all is not lost, as you just need to get a tax card set up to get back on track, and then your taxes can be reconciled in the following tax year. You can also speak to your company’s payroll department to see if they can do anything to get the money back to you sooner.
Once you have a CPR number, you are issued with a yellow health card. Once you have this, you can register with a local GP and access Denmark’s health services. This includes free GP appointments and free specialist consultations and treatments under the national health system. You can also receive subsidies for medicine and medical services including some dental treatment, physiotherapy, chiropractor treatment and psychological consultations.
You are not eligible for free medical care while awaiting personal registration or your CPR number.
MitID is a digital identity app for mobile phones or tablets used in Denmark to prove identity when accessing government or commercial services online or in apps.
You need MitID for pretty much everything you do online in Denmark: banking, MobilePay (a digital payment system), shopping online, tax, healthcare, pensions, Borger.dk (the portal to online government services and information) and Digital post.
Digital post, called e-Boks is a secure digital post systems where you receive all your official documents, such as government agencies and health services, to communicate with Danish citizens and residents and requires MitID to log in. This is also where you will receive your payslips.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Denmark's MitID app
6. Bank account
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