Living in Denmark

Stay up to date

The UK is leaving the EU. This page tells you how to prepare for Brexit and will be updated if anything changes. You should:

• sign up for email alerts to this guidance
• follow the British Embassy in Denmark on Facebook and Twitter

Attend a citizen outreach meeting

The British Embassy regularly holds events across Denmark for UK nationals. Attend one of our citizens’ outreach meetings to keep up to date on working and living in Denmark after Brexit.

You can also:

• also visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website
• visit and the Ministry of Immigration and Integration website
• read Living in the EU: prepare for Brexit

Visas and residency

Check the entry requirements for Denmark.

Read custody and residence of children in Denmark.

You must register as a Danish resident if you want to stay in Denmark for more than 3 months or more than 6 months if you are looking for a job.

Once you have an EU residence document (EU-opholdsdokument), you must register with your local civil registration office (Folkeregistret). When you register you will get a central person register (CPR) number.

Read the Danish government’s guidance for UK nationals in Denmark.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal and you are resident in Denmark before the implementationend periodof endsthe onimplementation 31period December 2020, you will be able to stay.

If there are changes to residency rules or registration processes after Brexit, we will update this guidance as soon as information is available.

Passports and travel

You can apply for or renew your British passport from Denmark.

Passports and travel after Brexit

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Driving in Denmark

If you are a UK licence holder living in Denmark, you should exchange your UK licence for a Danish one. You can still use your Danish licence in the UK for short visits, or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test if you return to live in the UK.

If you have an old UK licence that does not have a 10 year validity period, you must renew or exchange it for a Danish licence once you’ve been resident in Denmark for 2 years.

If you are in Denmark and your UK driving licence is lost, stolen or expires you will not be able to renew it with the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). You will need to apply to the DVLA for a ‘certificate of entitlement’ in Danish to be able to apply for a Danish driving licence.

For information on driving in Denmark, read the guidance on:

• driving licence exchange and renewals
• what you need to drive abroad
• driving rules in Denmark (In Danish)

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Denmark

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

Read the Danish Customs and Tax Administration’s guidance on car registration rules and taxes in Denmark.

You may be exempt from some of these taxes. If so you will need certificates of exemption.

Driving after Brexit

DrivingIf there is a deal, driving licence rules will stay the same until 31the Decemberend 2020.of the implementation period.

If there’s no deal and you arrive after Brexit you will have to pass a controlling driving test in order to exchange your driving license regardless of when your UK license was issued.

Read our guidance on driving in the EU after a no-deal Brexit.

Healthcare

If you are legally resident in Denmark, you will be entitled to treatment on the same basis as Danish insured citizens.

When you with your local civil registration office (Folkeregistret) you will receive a national health insurance card (Sygesikringsbevis), which gives you access to free medical treatment.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are resident in Denmark, you must not use your EHIC from the UK to access healthcare in Denmark.

• you can use an EHIC to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland
• the EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home
• an EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance
• for more information read our travel advice pages and advice on foreign travel insurance

For an assessment of your Danish EHIC’s validity, contact Udbetaling Danmark.

If you are a student, read the NHS guidance on healthcare and studying abroad.

You can find English-speaking doctors in Denmark.

Check your prescriptions are legal in Denmark.

Read the guidance on healthcare in Denmark.

Healthcare after Brexit

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More information about your right to health services if there’s no deal is available from the implementationDanish period.Patient Safety Authority.

Read the guidance on healthcare for UK nationals living in Denmark and how it may change after Brexit..

Working and studying in Denmark

If you are registered as a resident in Denmark, you have the right to work in Denmark. Read our guidance on working in another EU country and Life in Denmark.

Some jobs may require a UK police certificate.

Once you have registered residence in Denmark and have a CPR number, you should apply for an income tax card (Skattekort). Your employer will need this card.

Read the guidance on providing services if you’re planning to start a business, provide a service, or do a job in a regulated profession after Brexit.

Working in Denmark after Brexit

YourIf there is a deal, your right to work will stay the same, as long as you remain a resident in Denmark.

If there’s no deal and you are registered as a resident in Denmark before Brexit, you will have the right to work in Denmark.

If you were legally resident in another EU memberMember stateState and working across the Danish border before Brexit, your right to work in Denmark will continue.

If you want to work in Denmark after Brexit, you must apply for a work permit.

Studying in Denmark after Brexit

If you are resident in Denmark before the end of the implementation period, you will continue to access higher education on the same terms as you do now. This means you will only pay tuition fees for education in Denmark where EU and EEA citizens also pay tuition fees. You will also continue to have access to Danish student grants.

If there’s no deal, the same conditions apply if you are a resident before Brexit.

Read the Danish no-deal legislation and guidance on continuing your studies in the European Union after Brexit.

Money and tax

Denmark and the UK have a double-taxation agreement to prevent income being taxed in both countries.

Once you have registered as a resident in Denmark and have a CPR number, you must apply for an income tax card - Skattekort. Your employer will need this card.

Read the guidance on:

• telling HMRC if you leave the UK to live abroad
• the tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• paying income tax in Denmark

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Denmark. Find an English-speaking lawyer in Denmark.

Declaration of overseas assets

When you move to Denmark, you have a duty to inform the Danish Tax Agency (Skattestyrelsen) of any assets or savings you have abroad.

You will not be taxed on any savings or assets that you bring with you from abroad when moving to Denmark, but you may be taxed on interest income and any dividends.

National Insurance

Find out if you can pay National Insurance while abroad so that you protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

If you are employed or self-employed in the EU or EEA and you have a UK-issued A1/E101 form, you will remain subject to UK legislation until the end date on the form.

If there’s no deal and the end date on your form is after the day the UK leaves the EU, you should contact the relevant EU or EEA authority. They will confirm whether you need to start paying social security contributions in that country after Brexit, as well as UK National Insurance contributions.

Find out more about social security contributions after a no-deal Brexit.

Money and tax after Brexit

Brexit will not change existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Denmark. You should send your questions about double taxation as a taxpayer to the relevant tax authority.

Pensions

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If you retire in Denmark, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pensions Centre to claim
• apply for a Danish pension, if you have worked in Denmark
• pensions from working abroad, if you have worked in other EU countries

Life certificates

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Pensions after Brexit

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If youthere areis livinga indeal Denmarkand by 31 December 2020, you will be able to count future social security contributions towards meeting the qualifying conditions for your UK State Pension.

If you work and pay social security contributions in Denmark, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Danish pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after the end of the implementation period.

Benefits

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Benefits

You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Denmark. You should:

• read our guidance on which benefits you can claim if you live abroad
• use our tool to check which benefits you can claim while you’re abroad

Many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.

Danish benefits

You may be entitled to Danish benefits. To find out if you are entitled to Danish benefits and how to claim, you can read the EU´s guidance on Danish social security benefits. Your local municipality (Kommune) will be able to help you with any questions about Danish benefits.

Benefits after Brexit

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If forthere asis longa asdeal you live there and meet all other eligibility requirements.

If you work and pay social security contributions in Denmark, your UK social security contributions will be taken into account when applying for Danish contribution-based benefits.

If there’s no deal and you are registered as a resident in Denmark before the day before the UK leaves the EU, you will have the right to contribution-based benefits. If you arrive after Brexit, you will not be entitled to contribution-based benefits until you have got a residence and work permit.

Voting

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter if you would like to vote

If you’re resident in Denmark, you can vote in local municipal and European parliamentary elections.

You cannot vote in general elections in Denmark.

Voting after Brexit

UK nationals resident in Denmark by the day the UK leaves the EU will continue to be able to vote and stand in local and European elections after Brexit.

If you move to Denmark after Brexit, you will be able to vote and stand in local elections if you have had uninterruptedpermanent residency in Denmark for 4 years prior to the election. You will not be able to vote in European elections.

For more information about voting in Denmark after Brexit, please see the Danish Ministry for Economic Affairs and the Interior.

Births, deaths and getting married

If your child is born in Denmark, you will need to register the birth abroad.

If someone dies in Denmark you can:

• read our guidance on what to do after someone dies abroad
• find a list of English-speaking funeral directors in Denmark

Find out how you can get married abroad.

Find out about notarial and documentary services for UK nationals in Denmark.

Accommodation and buying property

Read guidance on how to buy or let property in Denmark.

Pets

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Whilst the UK is still in the EU, you can take your pet between the UK and the EU under the current pet travel rules using your current EU pet passport.

If you’re travelling with your pet for the first timetime, you must visit your vet to getobtain a pet passport.

Read guidance on returning your cat, dog or ferret to the UK.

For moving pet travelhorses and other equines read guidance on export horses and ponies: special rules.

Emergencies

You can dial the European emergency number on 112 or:

• 114 for police
• 1813 for health emergencies
• 114 for firefighters
• 114 for local police

If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact your nearest British embassy or consulate.

Returning to the UK

Tell the UK and Danish authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.

Read Life in Denmark’s information about leaving Denmark.

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax, access to services and bringing family members.

Disclaimer

This information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Danish authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.