Moving to Denmark from Germany
Everything German expats need to know about moving to Denmark: permits, tax, healthcare, banking, driving, and practical setup — explained for your specific situation.
Overview for German citizens
You are a EU citizen. This means: Unlimited — as an EU citizen, you have the right to live and work in Denmark without a visa or work permit.
Permit routes: None required. As an EU/EEA citizen, you have free movement rights. You only need to register with the State Administration (Statsforvaltningen) for an EU Registration Certificate if staying longer than 3 months.
Flights: 1 hour 10 minutes from Berlin, 1 hour 15 from Frankfurt, 1 hour 30 from Munich. Alternatively, the train from Hamburg to Copenhagen takes 4.5 hours via the new Fehmarn Belt tunnel (opening 2029) or current route via Fredericia.
Visa & permits
Unlimited — as an EU citizen, you have the right to live and work in Denmark without a visa or work permit.
None required. As an EU/EEA citizen, you have free movement rights. You only need to register with the State Administration (Statsforvaltningen) for an EU Registration Certificate if staying longer than 3 months.
Step-by-step: German citizen moving to Denmark
Here’s the exact sequence, in order, with nothing skipped.
Move to Denmark and find housing
As an EU citizen, you can simply move. No visa, no permit application. Find housing first — this is the hardest step. You need a Danish address to register for everything else.
Register your address at Borgerservice (get CPR number)
Within 5 days of moving in, register at your local Borgerservice or International House Copenhagen. Bring your German passport, rental contract (lejekontrakt), and employment contract or proof of self-sufficiency. You’ll get a CPR number on the spot.
Apply for EU Registration Certificate (opholdsdokument)
If staying longer than 3 months, apply via Statsforvaltningen (SIRI handles this now). As a worker, this is automatic. Bring passport, employment contract, CPR confirmation. Fee: free.
Get MitID
Book an appointment at Borgerservice to set up MitID. This is your digital key to everything — tax, banking, health, public services. It replaces what Personalausweis + ELSTER + ePA do in Germany, all in one system.
Open a bank account and set up NemKonto
Lunar (digital, same-day) or Danske Bank / Nordea (established). Link as NemKonto for salary payments. Your German IBAN still works via SEPA, but a Danish account is required for NemKonto.
Check your tax card and do Abmeldung in Germany
Verify your Danish tax card on skat.dk. File Abmeldung at your last German Bürgeramt (can be done by post). File your final German Steuererklärung for the departure year. Consider Forskerskatteordningen if eligible (27% flat tax for 7 years).
Tax: Germany → Denmark
Double taxation treaty: Yes — Germany-Denmark Double Taxation Agreement. Germany does not tax non-residents on foreign employment income. However, German rental income, pensions, and capital gains may still be taxable in Germany. The Finanzamt in your last German city handles the transition.
German tax is comparable to Danish tax in total burden, so the switch doesn’t feel dramatic. The key difference: Denmark’s tax system is simpler (fewer deductions, fewer special cases) but the marginal rate is higher. You’ll need to deregister from Germany (Abmeldung) and register in Denmark (CPR). The German Finanzamt will want a final Steuererklärung for your departure year.
If you earn above DKK 75,100/month (2026 figure), you may qualify for a flat 27% income tax rate for up to 7 years. This is one of the most valuable tax benefits in Europe. Read the full guide.
Healthcare
Denmark’s healthcare system is similar to Germany’s in quality but structurally different — no Krankenkasse (health insurance) to choose, no monthly premiums, no co-pays for GP visits. Everything is tax-funded. You get a yellow health card and are assigned a GP. Dental is NOT covered (unlike some German Krankenkasse plans). If you’re used to Zusatzversicherung, you may want Danish supplementary insurance (sundhedsforsikring) from Falck or Danmark.
Banking
Opening a Danish bank account is straightforward for German citizens. Your EU passport is sufficient ID. Lunar is fastest (same-day digital setup), Danske Bank and Nordea are the established options. Keep your German account open during the transition — SEPA transfers between DK and DE are free and instant.
Driving
German driving licences are valid in Denmark indefinitely — you never need to exchange them. However, if you want a Danish licence (some find it easier for ID purposes), you can exchange without a test. Danish speed limits are lower than Germany: 130 km/h motorway, 80 km/h rural, 50 km/h urban. There is no Autobahn equivalent.
Cultural tips for German expats
The things that catch German expats off guard, based on real experiences:
- Denmark is less formal than Germany. Du (informal you) is universal — no Sie/du distinction to navigate.
- Work hours are shorter. The 37-hour week is standard, and leaving at 4pm is normal — not Feierabend culture, just normal.
- Bureaucracy is lighter. Denmark is the most digitised government in the EU. No Bürgeramt queues — most things happen online via borger.dk.
- Pfand exists here too (pant), but the system is slightly different. Cans and bottles have different refund amounts.
- Bread culture is strong in Denmark too, but different — rugbrød (rye bread) is the staple, not Vollkornbrot or Brötchen.
- Sundays are quieter than in Germany. Most shops close, though supermarkets in central Copenhagen stay open.
Education & schools
Danish folkeskole is free and high quality. Sankt Petri Skole in Copenhagen is a German-Danish school founded in 1575 — excellent option for German families. Otherwise, the transition to Danish school is relatively smooth since the languages share Germanic roots.
German community in Denmark
Germans are the second-largest foreign nationality in Denmark (~30,000). The Deutsche Gemeinde in Kopenhagen, Goethe-Institut Dänemark, and the German-Danish Chamber of Commerce all provide community and professional networking. The Sønderjylland border region has deep German-Danish cultural overlap.
Pensions
German Rentenversicherung (state pension) credits are preserved. You can claim your German pension from Denmark when you reach retirement age. Danish employer pensions are mandatory and generous — typically 12–17% of salary. ATP (Denmark’s supplementary pension) is also automatic. Consider consulting a cross-border pension advisor if you have significant Riester-Rente or bAV contributions.
Common mistakes German expats make
- Forgetting Abmeldung in Germany — you may continue to receive German tax obligations or lose your Anspruch on certain German benefits.
- Assuming Krankenkasse continues to cover you — it doesn’t once you’re a Danish resident. Cancel your German health insurance.
- Not recognising that Danish tax is actually similar to German tax — the sticker shock is mostly about higher grocery prices, not the tax rate.
- Underestimating how quickly you can integrate — German and Danish cultures are closer than you think. The language barrier is smaller since many Danes speak some German.