work trotter

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Thank your downloading the light version of The Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark

This light version contains the first 1-2 pages of each chapter of the Worktrotter‘s Guide and is intended to give you a taste of the contents, the quality and the level of detail you can expect in the full version. The full version contains 330 pages of packed information, that explains the first steps before and after moving to Denmark. Many of us had to learn them through trial & error. You can choose to do that too, or you can choose to benefit of the collected knowledge in the international community. Learn from our errors, from our experiences, from our hints and tips. Be smart from the start. You will still find yourself in enough situations with wild heartbeats where you wonder if you did things right. No need for more.

If you like what you read in the light version you can order the Worktrotter‘s Guide via http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide and thus support our work of supportinginternationals living in Denmark.

Rememebr to check out also at the other offerings on the Worktrotter Website.

http://www.worktrotter.dk/businessThe Business Directory makes service providers better known which are aiming at the international community. Here you can make your own services known too.

http://www.worktrotter.dk/hints (available soon)The hints & tips pages enable you to increase the fun-factor of your life in DK.

http://www.worktrotter.dk/events Join our events on various cool topics and increase your network.

Have fun „tasting“Dagmar Fink

- Worktrotter -http://www.worktrotter.dk

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The Worktrotter‘s Guideto

Denmark

Practical step-by-step instructionsfor living and working in DK

By Dagmar Fink

Note: This is a shortened version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide.

It contains 1-2 pages from each chapter for you to understand

the value, quality and level of detail.

WO

RKTROTTER

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1. Edition 2009 (Print 3)

© 2009 by Dagmar FinkAll rights reserved.

Reprint, even in part, is only allowed with the approval of Worktrotter Publishing. Re-using the content in other media, courses, presentations, etc. is prohibited.

Cover design: Roland Poferl Print-Design, Cologne, Germany Cover photo: Casper Tybjerg, DenmarkEditor and proofreader: Laura Stadler-Jensen, Copenhagen, DenmarkPrint: DIP-Digitaler-Print, Witten, Germany

ISBN: 978-3-941696-02-0

Visit our websites: http://www.worktrotter.com http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide

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Table of contents

Why this guide? .......................................................................................................... 1

Target audience .......................................................................................................... 3

How to read the guide ............................................................................................. 4

Thanks ............................................................................................................................ 6

Part 1: General information

1 Culture shock ...................................................................................... 11

2 The country .......................................................................................... 192.1 General .......................................................................................................... 19

2.1.1 History ........................................................................................................... 19

2.1.2 Geography ................................................................................................... 26

2.1.3 Religion ......................................................................................................... 28

2.1.4 The Danish flag ........................................................................................... 28

2.1.5 Security ......................................................................................................... 30

2.2 Political system ........................................................................................... 30

2.2.1 The Danish monarchy .............................................................................. 30

2.2.2 Government ................................................................................................ 32

2.2.3 Administration ............................................................................................ 36

2.3 Integration of foreigners ......................................................................... 39

2.4 Danish values .............................................................................................. 42

2.4.1 Democracy ................................................................................................... 42

2.4.2 Freedom of speech ................................................................................... 43

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2.4.3 Rules and order .......................................................................................... 43

2.4.4 “Jantelov” and equality for all ............................................................... 44

2.4.5 A family-friendly society ......................................................................... 47

3 Made in Denmark ............................................................................. 493.1 Famous Danes ............................................................................................ 49

3.1.1 Tycho Brahe (Astronomer) ..................................................................... 49

3.1.2 Christian IV. (King) ..................................................................................... 50

3.1.3 Bertel Thorvaldsen (Sculptor) ............................................................... 50

3.1.4 Hans Christian Andersen (Author) ...................................................... 51

3.1.5 Søren Kierkegaard (Philosopher) ......................................................... 51

3.1.6 Karen Blixen (Author) ............................................................................... 52

3.1.7 Niels Bohr (Physicist) ................................................................................ 52

3.1.8 Jørn Utzon (Architect) ............................................................................. 53

3.1.9 Other well-known people ...................................................................... 54

3.2 Danish companies .................................................................................... 55

3.2.1 Bang & Olufsen – Designer hi-fi equipment .................................... 57

3.2.2 Carlsberg – Beer ......................................................................................... 57

3.2.3 ECCO – Shoes .............................................................................................. 58

3.2.4 LEGO – Construction toys ...................................................................... 59

3.2.5 A. P. Møller-Mærsk – Shipping .............................................................. 60

3.2.6 Novo Nordisk – Insulin / Novozymes – Enzymes ........................... 61

3.2.7 Oticon – Hearing aids .............................................................................. 62

3.2.8 Velux – Window solutions ...................................................................... 63

3.2.9 Vestas – Wind energy ............................................................................... 64

3.2.10 Other well-known companies .............................................................. 64

3.3 Sports ............................................................................................................ 66

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4 Life in Denmark ................................................................................. 674.1 General .......................................................................................................... 67

4.2 Quality of life ............................................................................................... 69

4.3 Our expectations ........................................................................................ 70

5 Interaction with Danes ................................................................ 735.1 General etiquette ....................................................................................... 73

5.2 Invitations ..................................................................................................... 78

5.2.1 Meal names .................................................................................................. 78

5.2.2 Invitation to dinner ................................................................................... 78

5.2.3 Procedures for major celebrations ...................................................... 81

5.2.4 Weddings ...................................................................................................... 82

5.2.5 “Round” birthdays ...................................................................................... 83

5.2.6 Confirmations ............................................................................................. 83

5.2.7 Baptisms ........................................................................................................ 84

5.2.8 Wish lists ........................................................................................................ 84

5.3 Traditional festivities ................................................................................. 85

5.3.1 Public holidays ............................................................................................ 85

5.3.2 Traditions ...................................................................................................... 87

5.4 Traditional Danish food ........................................................................... 91

6 Experiences of 15 interviewees ........................................... 95

6.1 What do they like / dislike? ..................................................................... 95

6.2 What do they miss in Denmark? ........................................................... 111

6.3 What would they miss from Denmark? .............................................. 112

6.4 What would they have done differently? .......................................... 113

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Part 2: Practical information

7 Getting started – first steps .................................................... 1177.1 Residence and work permits ................................................................. 118

7.1.1 Scandinavian countries ........................................................................... 119

7.1.2 EU and EFTA member states .................................................................. 119

7.1.4 All other countries ..................................................................................... 121

7.1.5 Waiting times .............................................................................................. 122

7.2 CPR number and health insurance ..................................................... 123

7.2.1 Waiting times .............................................................................................. 125

7.2.2 Change of address within Denmark ................................................... 125

7.3 Tax card ......................................................................................................... 126

7.4 Bank account ............................................................................................... 127

7.5 NemKonto .................................................................................................... 127

7.6 Kindergartens and schools .................................................................... 128

7.7 Language training ..................................................................................... 128

7.8 Exchanging a driving licence ................................................................ 129

7.9 Trade unions ............................................................................................... 129

7.10 Unemployment insurance ..................................................................... 130

7.11 Digital signature ........................................................................................ 131

7.12 Importing a car ........................................................................................... 132

8 Work ............................................................................................................ 1338.1 Looking for work ........................................................................................ 133

8.2 Job applications ......................................................................................... 135

8.3 Salary ............................................................................................................. 137

8.4 Salary package ........................................................................................... 138

8.5 Miscellaneous ............................................................................................. 141

8.6 Recognition of qualifications ................................................................ 143

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8.7 Pension ........................................................................................................... 144

8.8 Leave ............................................................................................................... 145

8.8.1 Annual vacation .......................................................................................... 145

8.8.2 Sick leave ....................................................................................................... 146

8.8.3 Leave when children are sick ................................................................. 146

8.9 Unemployment ........................................................................................... 147

8.10 Setting up a business ................................................................................ 149

8.10.1 Common types of businesses ................................................................ 150

8.10.2 Support .......................................................................................................... 151

9 Health system ...................................................................................... 1539.1 General ........................................................................................................... 153

9.2 General practitioners (GPs) ..................................................................... 155

9.2.1 Choosing a GP ............................................................................................. 155

9.2.2 Changing GPs .............................................................................................. 156

9.2.3 Consulting hours ........................................................................................ 157

9.2.4 Surprises ........................................................................................................ 158

9.3 Hospitals ........................................................................................................ 158

9.4 Waiting times ............................................................................................... 159

9.5 Dentists .......................................................................................................... 160

9.6 Medicine ........................................................................................................ 161

9.7 Additional health insurance ................................................................... 162

9.7.1 As part of your salary package .............................................................. 162

9.7.2 Private insurance ........................................................................................ 162

9.7.3 Health insurance outside Denmark ..................................................... 163

9.8 Pregnancy and delivery ........................................................................... 164

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10 Money matters ................................................................................... 16710.1 Bank account ............................................................................................... 167

10.2 Dankort ......................................................................................................... 169

10.3 Obtaining cash ........................................................................................... 169

10.4 Transferring money .................................................................................. 170

11 Housing .................................................................................................... 17311.1 Rent or buy? ................................................................................................ 173

11.2 Pets ................................................................................................................. 179

11.3 Utilities .......................................................................................................... 180

11.4 Television and radio ................................................................................. 183

11.5 Telephone and Internet .......................................................................... 184

11.6 Insurance and legal assistance ............................................................. 186

11.7 Post ................................................................................................................. 187

11.8 Newspapers ................................................................................................. 189

12 Education ................................................................................................ 19112.1 Kindergartens and schools....................................................................... 191

12.1.1 The Danish system .................................................................................... 192

12.1.2 Foreign children in the Danish system .............................................. 196

12.1.3 International schools ............................................................................... 198

12.1.4 Danish or international? ......................................................................... 200

12.1.5 German minority schools ....................................................................... 204

12.1.6 Holidays ........................................................................................................ 204

12.2 Financial aspects ........................................................................................ 205

12.3 Adult education ......................................................................................... 207

12.4 Marks in the Danish school system ...................................................... 209

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13 Taxes ............................................................................................................ 21113.1 General information .................................................................................. 212

13.2 Tax rates ......................................................................................................... 212

13.3 Tax deductions ............................................................................................ 215

13.4 The 25 percent tax scheme .................................................................... 217

13.5 Important tax checkpoints ..................................................................... 219

13.6 Making updates .......................................................................................... 220

14 Language ................................................................................................ 22114.1 Danish without a language course ...................................................... 222

14.2 Recommendations .................................................................................... 224

14.3 Language schools ...................................................................................... 226

14.3.1 Types of courses ......................................................................................... 227

14.3.2 Fees ................................................................................................................. 228

14.3.3 Scope of courses ........................................................................................ 229

15 Transport and travel ...................................................................... 23115.1 Cars .................................................................................................................. 231

15.1.1 Bring or buy? ................................................................................................ 233

15.1.2 Registration options .................................................................................. 237

15.1.3 Selling a car .................................................................................................. 243

15.1.4 Vehicle insurance ....................................................................................... 243

15.1.5 Company cars .............................................................................................. 244

15.1.6 Other options .............................................................................................. 245

15.1.7 Driving licence ............................................................................................ 246

15.1.8 Parking ........................................................................................................... 248

15.2 Cycling ........................................................................................................... 250

15.3 Overview of fines ....................................................................................... 256

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15.4 Bus and rail ................................................................................................... 257

15.5 Air travel ........................................................................................................ 262

15.6 Bridges and ferries ..................................................................................... 263

16 Leisure time .......................................................................................... 26516.1 Getting to know Danes ............................................................................ 265

16.2 Getting to know non-Danes .................................................................. 269

16.3 Popular sports ............................................................................................. 273

16.4 Open-air ........................................................................................................ 277

17 Shopping, having fun & saving money ........................ 27917.1 Shopping ...................................................................................................... 279

17.2 Events & activities ...................................................................................... 284

18 Security ..................................................................................................... 291

19 Last steps – farewell, Denmark ............................................ 295

20 Cross-border commuters .......................................................... 299

21 Worktrotter’s plans for the future ..................................... 305

22 In case of emergency .................................................................... 30722.1 Emergency call ........................................................................................... 307

22.2 On-call doctors ...................................................,....................................... 307

22.3 Dental emergencies ................................................................................. 309

22.4 Problems with plumbing and heating ............................................... 310

22.5 Problems with your car ............................................................................ 310

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23 Addresses and opening hours .............................................. 31123.1 Regional State Administration (statsforvaltning) ........................... 311

23.2 Immigration Service (udlændingeservice) ....................................... 311

23.3 Local authority/municipality (kommune) ......................................... 312

23.4 Tax authority (SKAT) .................................................................................. 313

23.5 Roadworthiness check (bilsyn) ............................................................. 315

23.6 Language schools ...................................................................................... 317

23.7 Non-Danish schools .................................................................................. 321

23.7.1 International kindergartens and schools .......................................... 321

23.7.2 Institutions of the German minority ................................................... 324

24 Danish abbreviations ................................................................... 325

25 Bibliography ......................................................................................... 327

26 Index ............................................................................................................ 329

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Why this guide?

We used to speak of Globetrotters, world travellers in pursuit of fun, but nowa-days more and more people are travelling for reasons related to work. I call them “Worktrotters“.

Globalisation has accelerated this travelling phenomenon. The internatio-nal workforce now transcends national boundaries. To achieve an “informational” equilibrium – and also for reasons of cost – jobs and skills are increasingly moving across borders. This will occur even more in the future (i.e. internationalisation), with higher levels of competition for skilled or specialised individuals, a dynamic that used to be confined within one country.

People also travel more in their free time, as well as study abroad. So it is not surprising that there are more and more intercultural couples. Given that many of them are well educated, this group will play a greater role in the future as competition for qualified labour intensifies. These couples will build up a life together in the country that offers the best opportunities for both of them. After some deliberation, we made a decision in 2006: I would move to Copenha-gen to live with my “Danish prince” in Copenhagen; as a software engineer there were more computers for me there than ships in southern Germany for him (as a naval architect). Before moving, I felt confident that I was well-equipped for my move to Denmark.

For one because my heritage and upbringing is multi-cultural: my ancestors come from Luxembourg, I am German, born in Romania and I grew up tri-lingual.

Secondly, I had experience living in several countries already (Germany, Romania, Sweden, and the USA), and had worked for the large international IT company IBM for many years. In my career I worked with teams from many countries, and thus I considered myself familiar with all kinds of cultures. Mo-reover, I made enquiries about Denmark as much as possible prior to the relocation. And ultimately, you learn best by experience, don’t you? So, off I went.

Looking back, there are many things I would have liked to have known beforehand and possibly been spared. Nothing dramatic, but I often found myself in surprising situations. The first major surprise came when I read on my payslip that a 60 percent tax rate had been applied to my salary because

15

I didn‘t hand in my tax card at work. Good grief! I had ordered it, but in the confusion of the first few days, I had forgotten to pass it on to the accounting department. Many other confusing situations followed.

If only I had known more about Denmark, I could have avoided so many mis-takes and pitfalls ...

At some point I started to think it would be a pity if my experience was of no use to others. This is what motivated me to write this practical guide. It is my hope that the information collected in this book will help you transition into the Danish way of life.

And now let me introduce you to “my“ Denmark.

Welcome! Best of luck in Denmark!

Velkommen! Held og lykke i Danmark!

Dagmar Fink

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Target audience

The Worktrotter’s guide is primarily written for professionals that move to Den-mark to live and work. These include both people that are moving permanently and those whose career bring them to the country only for a couple of years. On arrival, they will all be faced with similar practical problems.

There are, of course, many different aspects to immigration. Refugees and immigrants from non-Western countries will obviously face additional challenges from those I describe here. Grasping those is altogether more complicated and would demand a different perspective, one that is outside of the scope of this edition. Nevertheless, this guide could no doubt be helpful for them.

The book also has the potential to spark interest from the Danes as it will help them to get to know their country through the eyes of foreigners.

When you move you must be well prepared especially when you emigrate. This book examines life in Denmark from various perspectives and will help you make well-informed decisions.

For those who have decided to take the step, a number of practical questions arise. What needs to be done, and in what order? What deadlines need to be observed? Where do you turn in a particular situation? How is this or that handled in Denmark? You can, of course, find answers to most of these questions on the Internet – after a long search – but at the beginning, you often have no idea what information you need. And many of the websites are either only available in Danish or have limited information in English.

This book will provide you with all the details you will initially need and is written in compact form in easy-to-understand language. It will also provide more than 500 web links, addresses and information on where you can find more details. You will get a comprehensive overview of the most important things to consider when starting out in Denmark. The guide is meant as a “starter-kit” – especially relevant for the first couple of years as a new resident gets settled.

The information is tried and tested, and contains many tips from other inter-nationals making it an invaluable resource to you.

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How to read the guide

The book is divided into two parts: The first part contains general information about Denmark. It gives a brief

overview of the country’s history, geography, political system and monarchy, as well as Danish habits and etiquette. It also introduces important Danish personal-ities and companies that have had a great influence on the country and continue to do so.

The second part can be read as a user’s manual. The chapters are arranged in the order in which the topics are likely to be relevant for getting settled. It does not necessarily need to be read in sequence however. On the contrary, you can look up the topics of interest to your situation at any given moment.

In addition, you will find a list of important contact information at the end of the book to help you settle down in Denmark quickly.

All the information in the book relates – at least, insofar as what is available – to the year 2009. Since Danish administrative legislation is often subject to change, information will be reviewed and updated regularly – and made available on the Worktrotter website http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

The guide points to important websites where you can find further information. But web links can quickly become outdated. That is why every link in the book has a number. They are tagged with (Lx), in which x is the number of the link. You can find the list of links via http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide. Registered users of the Worktrotter website can thus avoid the need to key in the full hyperlink. And it gets even better: the hyperlinks are regularly reviewed to ensure relevance, so that the information you access is up-to-date. Note: if you do not have Internet access in Denmark yet, you can use the Internet free of charge at libraries.

Throughout the book British English is used, but where necessary the American word is provided in cases where expressions may be unclear.

The guide contains a lot of Danish terms (always in singular form) that you can use as search words on the Internet. They can also serve as a tool for orienta-tion in everyday life or when you make a request to the authorities. The most im-portant terms are highlighted by being underlined.

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The book includes many tips. However, some of them concentrate on the Copen-hagen area. I would be very grateful for any hints and tips you might have about other parts of the country. Please send any such input to [email protected].

You will find certain companies named in various contexts. When this occurs, it is never meant as a recommendation but merely as an illustrative example.

It is inevitable that the content of this book is, to a large extent, based on my subjective perception and my own experience. So there is no guarantee of objectivity. However, to supplement my own perspective, I conducted interviews with 15 expats from nine different countries regarding their experiences. These interviews are summarised in Chapter 6. The input of many others is referred to throughout the guide.

Despite the intensive research that went into writing this guide, the reader may still find imperfections or even mistakes – that is unavoidable. I would appre-ciate your ideas and suggestions, pointers to errors or omissions, and, of course, positive feedback. Please send your information to [email protected] so that mistakes can be corrected and your feedback taken into account in future editions. Corrections will be made available on http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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Thanks

I received a lot of helpful advice, information and materials in order to write this book. I would like to thank everyone involved for this support.

Many expats have told me about their experiences in Denmark, which has helped me provide a more complete picture. Moreover, a number of Danes have provided assistance with expert knowledge and detailed descriptions ensuring that the information provided is factual and accurate.

I would like to personally thank the following:

– Anne Kamphausen (Germany) – Annika Schwenk (Germany) – Barbara and Ron Baynes (South Africa / Great Britain) – Becky Greene (Great Britain) – Benny Myssing Pedersen (Denmark) – Bernd Reuß (Germany) – Bettina Weber Wismann (Denmark) – Bjarne Andersen (Denmark) – Bo Fønss (Denmark)– Bodil Terkelsen (Denmark) – Brian Keith (Canada) – Dagmar and Andreas Geiss (Germany) – Ebbe Vonsbæk (Denmark)– Finn Rasmussen (Denmark)– Guillermo Martinez (Spain) – Hanne Langkjær-Øhlenschlæger (Denmark) – Harry Jørgensen (Denmark) – Helen Springall (Great Britain) – Holger Kropp (Germany) – Jan Svensen (Denmark)

– Jennifer Herløv (Hong Kong) – Julie Rønne (Denmark)– Lawrence White (Great Britain)– Line Corr (Denmark) – Lone Alstrup and Søren Krüger (Denmark) – Lucie Schellberg (Germany)– Marcus Faber (Germany)– Morten Jordt Duedahl (Denmark) – Michael Christiansen (Denmark) – Nuray Uzun (Turkey) – Paula Jota Pedersen (Brazil) – Pernille Jordt Duedahl (Denmark) – Petra Hechenberger (Austria) – Rachelle Mee-Chapman (USA) – Rasmus Nygaard (Denmark)– Rebecca Fay Orman (USA) – Sharon Benton (USA)– Soumitra Burman (India) – Tom Wismann (Denmark) – Tina Engelsgård (Denmark) – Udo Schröder (Germany) – Ursula Behrle (Germany)

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Many of the “Saving Tips“ in Chapter 17 derive from the knowledge of Charlotte McKay (USA) and her friends. The “Safety Tips“ in Chapter 18 I owe to Fiona Thomas (Great Britain), President of the Ladies International Network København (LINK). I thank them both for their generousity and making this valuable information available to a larger audience.

Ib Stig Sørensen (Denmark) from Københavns Erhvervs Center (KEC) has helped shape my ideas around foreigners in Denmark. Thank you for your support.

I’d like to thank Dan Langlois (Canada) and Emily Clark (USA) for their support in providing high quality feedback.

A special thanks goes to James Bonham of jfb Webdesign (LA) http://www.jfbonham.com for his excellent work on the Worktrotter website and to Laura Stadler-Jensen (LB) www.laura.stadler.com, the editor of this guide, for her good quality work.

I am especially thankful to Casper Tybjerg and “Sund og Bælt” for the picture on the cover of the guide, as well as to Mikael Colville-Andersen / Copenhagen Cycle Chic, and the companies Jyske Bank, Eva Solo and Velux for the pictures sup-plied.

A big thank you goes to Erwin M. Schmidt for his advice and his links to potential helpers and to Klaus Schmidt for his support with logistical aspects.

Above all, I wish to thank my “Danish prince“, Lars Jordt, who has always sup- ported me with great ideas, vast knowledge and loving patience.

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BÆLT

GRENÅ

NYKØBING M.

HANSTHOLM

HIRTSHALS

SÆBY

FREDERIKSHAVNHJØRRING

SKAGEN

FREDERIKSVÆRK

RØNNE

HOBRO

THISTED ÅLBORG

STRUERSKIVE

RANDERS

VIBORGHOLSTEBRO

SILKEBORG

VARDE

TØNDER

ÅBENRÅ

HADERSLEV

KOLDINGESBJERG

HERNING ÅRHUS

HORSENS

VEJLEFREDERICIA

SØNDERBORG

ODENSE

SVENDBORG

ROSKILDE

RINGSTED

SLAGELSE

NYBORG KORSØR

NAKSKOV

NYKØBING F

KØGE

KALUNDBORG

HELSINGØR

HILLERØD

KØBENHAVN

RINGKØBING

BILLUND

MIDDELFART

RIBE

FÅBORG

NORDBORG

MARIBO

SORØ

FREDERIKSSUND

NYKØBING S.

RØDBY

NÆSTVED

HOLBÆK

Gudenå

SKANDERBORG

ØRESUND

STORE- BÆ

LT

FEMERBÆLT

LILLE-

KATTEGAT

SKAGERRAK

Copyright Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen

Denmark

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Part 1: General Information

23

The Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark

1 Culture shock

In the numerous talks I had with foreigners (expatriates – “expats” – Worktrotters), it became clear to me that many are not fully aware of the phenomenon “culture shock”. They are taken by surprise and overwhelmed by it after their move. This chapter gives a quick introduction so that you will be better prepared for it. You can learn more about culture shock in the books listed in Chapter 25.

Note: This topic is not something that only applies to Denmark! You can expe-rience culture shock in any foreign country.

Don’t dismiss the thought that culture shock might catch up with you. Even if it didn’t hit you in one country on your Worktrotter path, it doesn’t mean that it won’t happen in another where the culture might fit less with yours.

The term “culture shock” or “culture clash” sounds dramatic – as if the problem arises suddenly (as in a shock). But in reality its symptoms creep in rather slowly and seem more like irritations at first.

The diagram below illustrates how I visualise culture shock. The values of culture A don’t fit with those of culture B. We feel hindrances and shortcomings, which can raise irritations on both sides.

A

B

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The term “culture shock” was introduced in the mid 1950s, with Cora DuBois and Kalervo Oberg playing an important role in its recognition and explanation. It refers to the feelings and fears that are experienced after a move to a foreign environment, where the known behaviours and norms no longer apply. What was obvious to you in your old environment with regard to greetings, politeness, behaviour in public places, etc. might work differently in the new country and could lead to negativity, confusion, embarrassment, etc. You feel deprived of your skills and abilities, and a certain sense of insecurity can arise.

Listen regularly to yourself after your move. How do you feel? If you have been feeling low and your spirits have been down for a while, you may have arrived at a critical phase of cultural adjustment.

Kalervo Oberg defined four phases which are still referred to today: the Honeymoon, Crisis, Acceptance, and Adjustment phase. The length of time and intensity one experiences these phases differs from one person to another but everyone will go through them in some form. A fifth phase applies to those returning to their old culture: Reverse culture shock.

The diagram below illustrates the phases in a simplified way. You may experience several ups and downs before reaching the Adjustment phase.

1. Honeymoon phase

2. Crisis

3. Acceptance

4. Adjustment

5. Reverse culture shock

1

2

3

4 5

...

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Contents of the chapter

Culture shockEffects of the CrisisPreventionWhat can you do in the Crisis?

Find more details and all you need to know about culture shock in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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2 The country

For your move to Denmark it will help if you know more about the country. This chapter provides an introduction to some important historical, political and social aspects that give a good basis of understanding and context for how things work.

2.1 General

2.1.1 HistoryWhat events have occurred in Danish history and how did they shape this country? Unlike the usual history books, I won’t start with the old Vikings. Current events have a bigger influence on our lives in this country than those of centuries ago.

***Although the “ghost“ of the financial crisis is hovering over Denmark too, the Danish economy is doing well and this has been the case for quite a while. Many ascribe this booming economy to the concept of Flexicurity (flexibility and security), which was introduced in the 1990s. It allows companies to be flexible from a personnel perspective and increase or reduce the number of employees depending on the economic situation, but not at the cost of their employees who have the security of a solid welfare system. See more information in Section 8.9.

***In 2005 and 2008, Denmark made major headlines worldwide with the so-called Mohammed-crisis. The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed, including one as a terrorist. The Muslim world was outraged and even today Danish products and companies are boycotted in some Muslim countries.

***In March 2003, the Danish Parliament decided by a very slim majority to join the war in Iraq and participated with about 500 soldiers. At the end of 2007, the Danish mission was declared complete.

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By contrast, there was strong support when Parliament decided in 2001 to take part in the war in Afghanistan. The first Danish contingent had about 300 soldiers, a number that has increased several times to about 600 soldiers at the end 2008.

***A referendum in 1992 decided against the introduction of the Euro as Denmark’s currency, despite the fact that Denmark had voted to join the EU in 1973.

***Denmark surprised Europe by winning the European Championship in football/soccer in 1992. At first, the Danish team did not qualify to take part, but when the Yugoslavian team was excluded from the Championship due to the Balkan war, Denmark took its place and won despite little preparation. Even today many at-tribute this success to how laid back Danes are – also when facing big challenges.

***Denmark (like many other countries in Europe), was moving towards socialism in the 1960s/1970s. All were to be equal and the welfare state had arrived at its peak. This brought Denmark close to bankruptcy at the beginning of the 1980s. One politician of that time said the country was moving towards the edge of the cliff but with a first class ticket.

The job market reforms (also known as the “potato diet”) introduced during the Schlüter government (1982–1993), along with increased excise duties and taxes, were not popular with the Danes. This became very clear during a speech in 1985, when Schlüter was bombarded with tomatoes and eggs – a very strong sign of disapproval for the otherwise peaceful Danes.

Even if heavily disliked, the reforms had a positive effect on state finances, the unemployment rate was slowly reduced, and privatisations got under way.

Getting both the government and the population to accept financial respon-sibility for state finances is seen by some as being the greatest achievement of the Schlüter government.

The foreign ministers of the NATO countries will remember the Danish “foot-note” practice of that period. A majority in the Danish Parliament insisted on having their disagreement with many NATO decisions recorded in footnotes. When American President Ronald Reagan was asked about this Danish practice, he answered that he knew only Danish pastry, which annoyed many Danes.

...

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The country

2.1 General2.1.1 History 2.1.2 Geography2.1.3 Religion2.1.4 The Danish flag2.1.5 Security

2.2 Political system2.2.1 The Danish monarchy2.2.2 Government2.2.3 Administration

2.3 Integration of foreigners

2.4 Danish values2.4.1 Democracy2.4.2 Freedom of speech2.4.3 Rules and order2.4.4 “Jantelov” and equality for all2.4.5 A family-friendly society

Find more details about Danish history looked at through the eyes of foreigners in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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3 Made in Denmark

Since it’s likely you will be spending some time in Denmark, it will no doubt be of interest to find out what originates in Denmark including famous people, brands and companies. This chapter also provides you with popular topics for your first conversations with the locals, and for talking about what comes from Denmark in general. With these you‘ll be able to score points right away, because the Danes are very proud of their country. The following list of well-known people and companies is meant as a small “taster” to arouse your curiosity.

3.1 Famous Danes

There are many Danes that have achieved global recognition in their respective fields. What follows is my small selection of Danish personalities who have left a significant impression on the world.

3.1.1 Tycho Brahe (Astronomer)14.12.1546 – 14.10.1601

Tycho Brahe was born in Scania (Skåne). At the time, Scania belonged to Denmark but today it is part of southern Sweden. You will therefore find both countries referred to with respect to the heritage of this influential astronomer.

It is said that a partial lunar eclipse, visible in Copenhagen on 21 May 1560, was what first awakened Brahe’s interest in astronomy. However, in the sixteenth century the study of astronomy was not seen as fit for a man of nobility – it was decided that Brahe should study law instead. Nevertheless, he spent his evenings and nights devoted to the charting and mapping of the planets and stars. Brahe made all of his observations with the naked eye, but his measurements – even by today’s standards – show a remarkable degree of accuracy.

In the final two years of his life, Brahe was assisted by the German astrono-mer Johannes Kepler, known for the laws of planetary motion named after him. Kepler’s laws are based, to a large extent, on Brahe’s calculations.

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3.1.2 Christian IV. (King)12.04.1577 – 28.02.1648

Christian IV was the son of Frederick II and Queen Sophie von Mecklenburg. After his father died at a very early age, King Christian assumed the throne as an 11-year old. He was to reign for 60 years (1588-1648).

Although he did not increase the size of the kingdom (in fact he brought it almost to the brink of bankruptcy), Christian IV is the best-known Danish king. He is called the “Builder of the North”. King Christian built an extraordinary number of beautiful Renaissance jewels, chief amongst them are: the old Stock Exchange (Børsen), Rosenborg Castle, the Trinity Church with the Round Tower, Holmens Church, Frederiksborg Castle and others.

3.1.3 Bertel Thorvaldsen (Sculptor)19.11.1770 – 24.03.1844

Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen. At the age of 11, he already showed precocious promise and, due to his phenomenal skills, he was accepted to the Copenhagen Academy of Fine Arts, the artistic focal point of northern Europe at that time.

In 1793, he won the gold medal at the Academy of Arts, which included a travel grant. Three years later, he went to Rome. His stay in Italy had a major influence on his work. His beautiful sculptures, including figures from classical antiquity, were so well-received that he was commissioned from all over Europe. Even Pope Pius VII commissioned him to create a monument in St. Peter’s Basilica, a surprise considering that Thorvaldsen was an avowed Protestant.

Thorvaldsen later referred to the date of his arrival in Rome as his “Roman birthday”. In 1805, he was awarded a professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen.

His statue of Christ, created in 1839 for the Copenhagen Cathedral (Vor Frue Kirke) would later serve as a model for the oversized 11-foot statue of Christ in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Thorvaldsen’s greatest achievement perhaps is to have revived interest in ancient art.

...

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Made in Denmark

3.1 Famous Danes 3.1.1 Tycho Brahe (Astronomer)3.1.2 Christian IV. (King)3.1.3 Bertel Thorvaldsen (Sculptor)3.1.4 Hans Christian Andersen (Author)3.1.5 Søren Kierkegaard (Philosopher)3.1.6 Karen Blixen (Author)3.1.7 Niels Bohr (Physicist)3.1.8 Jørn Utzon (Architect)3.1.9 Other well-known people

3. 2 Danish companies3.2.1 Bang & Olufsen – Designer hi-fi equipment3.2.2 Carlsberg – Beer3.2.3 ECCO – Shoes3.2.4 LEGO – Construction toys3.2.5 A. P. Møller-Mærsk – Shipping3.2.6 Novo Nordisk – Insulin / Novozymes – Enzymes3.2.7 Oticon – Hearing aids3.2.8 Velux – Window solutions3.2.9 Vestas – Wind energy3.2.10 Other well-known companies

3.3 Sports

Find more details about well-known Danes and Danish companies in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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4 Life in Denmark

Many books have been written on the topic of “cultural differences”. But they tend to mostly focus on differences in mentality. However, when moving to a country, you will be confronted with many other aspects. These are the ones we will look at in this chapter.

First of all, it must be stressed that each and every one of us arrives with some baggage – our own background, our own history from our own personal surroundings. In Denmark, you’ll obviously settle into your own particular environment and get to know a certain group of people. Consequently, each of us may get to know a different Denmark. You may recognize some of the aspects described below whereas others you won’t.

4.1 General

– The Danes are known as the “Italians of the north“ because of their generally relaxed attitude. Supposedly, they tend not to take things too seriously.

– They are a homogeneous people, who by and large have similar values. They know the same books / bands / songs / TV shows, etc. It is quite amazing how many people know each other or have common acquaintances. There seems to be little difference between people – a consequence, perhaps of the “Jantelov“ (see Chapter 2.4.4), the equality principle, and the tax rates.

– Rules are there to be adhered to. Therefore, there is no preferential treatment. It is neither expected nor granted.

– Danes are very punctual. Appointment times are meant to be exact. People show up on time – being late is considered extremely impolite.

...

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Life in Denmark

4.1 General 4.2 Quality of life4.3 Our expectations

Find more details and learn about the basics of life in Denmark in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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5 Interaction with Danes

Traditions and rules constitute a country’s culture, but many of them are unwrit-ten. The following chapter is designed to familiarise you with Danish customs and describes practices that are rather typical for Denmark. However, there will of course be variations, depending on the age of the Danes you meet and whether or not they are very conscious of tradition.

Once you have made it into the “inner circle“ of Danes, you might receive invitations to dinner parties. You therefore also need to know a little bit about how invitations work in Denmark. The last thing you want to do is to start off by destroying a newly-acquired and hard-earned friendship right away. For example: if you arrive later than an invitation specifies, you will find – instead of a handful of new potential friends – an unforgiving table, full of starving people wondering where your manners are. Another faux pas: you invite a group of friends to come round at 6 p.m., and then serve them nothing but snacks.

5.1 General etiquette

Knowing some general etiquette in Danish facilitates a polite and cultivated demeanour.

SalutationHej = Hello

Dav(s) = Hello

Goddag = Hello

Godmorgen = Good morning

Godaften = Good evening

Godnat = Good night

Hej, hej = Bye

...

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Interaction with Danes

5.1 General etiquette

5.2 Invitations 5.2.1 Meal names 5.2.2 Invitation to dinner5.2.3 Procedures for major celebrations5.2.4 Weddings 5.2.5 “Round” birthdays5.2.6 Confirmations 5.2.7 Baptisms 5.2.8 Wish lists

5.3 Traditional festivities5.3.1 Public holidays5.3.2 Traditions

5.4 Traditional Danish food

Find more details about etiquette, DOs and DONTs, what to do at invitations and also at major parties in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmarkhttp://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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6 Experiences of 15 interviewees

This chapter summarises 15 interviews that I conducted with other expats to broaden the wealth of impressions and experiences of life in Denmark. The number of participants obviously doesn’t constitute a representative sample, but the responses provide a wide range of different views. It should be mentioned that the opinions expressed do not necessarily coincide with my own.

My interview partners came to Denmark from nine different countries: Austria, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, South Africa, Spain, Turkey and the USA. Most of them live in and around Copenhagen, but some have settled down in southern, central and northern Jutland. A few of the interviewees have moved to Denmark permanently (emigrated) but most of them are only staying in the country temporarily.

I asked all the interviewees the same set of questions. The answers are summarised below in separate sub-sections.

6.1 What do they like / dislike?

Country

� The country offers enough space, has relatively little traffic and hustle, little pollution, and the air is clean. Being environmentally conscious is a natural part of everyday life for many people.

�� Everything is within easy reach and you never have to travel far to get to beautiful spots. There is easy access to the countryside and the sea and also many opportunities for hiking and strolling. Going sailing and swimming can be easily arranged. The Danish countryside and the naturally preserved beaches are very beautiful.

�� Tap water is drinkable. It is tested regularly, and in most areas it tastes very

good. You can also order tap water (poste vand) in restaurants and cafes.

�� The climate is OK, and a nice Danish summer’s day at the seaside is just about

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the most beautiful thing you can experience ...

� ... in winter, however, the weather is depressing and the days are short and dark. Ideally, you should be active. Go to the gym, for instance, and to the sauna afterwards. Or use that time of the year to go travelling, thereby escaping the grey. Many Danes do the same.

� Expats learn to appreciate good weather and to make the best use of it when it is there. As soon as the weather is good, people go outside, while “things that can wait” are duly put on hold.

�� It is disappointing that Denmark – although a member of the EU – didn’t introduce the Euro – especially since the Danish Crown (DKK) is tied to the Euro.

� Danish people seem to understand time differently. If you expect assistance or the immediate execution of a task, Danes seem to consider things on a first-in / first-out basis. This means that urgent matters often need a longer period of time to be completed. So timeframes need mentioning.

Copenhagen

�� Copenhagen has all the facilities of a metropolis, but is still comfortable and small enough to get around on a bicycle.

� It is a very beautiful city. It is harmonious, and the style of the buildings is maintained, giving the city an almost nostalgic atmosphere.

�� The city is international, and gives easy access to a large international com-munity.

� Copenhageners are perceived as somewhat rude, egoistic or “know-it-all“.

...

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Experiences of 15 interviewees

6.1 What do they like / dislike?6.2 What do they miss in Denmark?6.3 What would they miss from Denmark?6.4 What would they have done differently?

Find more details and learn from the experiences of others who have moved to Den-mark in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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Part 2: Practical Information

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7 Getting started – first steps

The following information is a short summary of the first steps to take when moving to Denmark to work. Other reasons for moving such as for family reunification can only be partially considered here because the government takes a lot of precautions to detect marriages of convenience. So, if you want to move out of love for your Danish partner, it is important to consider the necessary immigration requirements and determine whether your relationship to a Dane doesn’t make the bureaucratic hurdles harder – even if you are an EU citizen. In some cases, it can be easier to obtain residency in Denmark as a skilled worker.

This chapter contains important information, links to relevant websites and details about deadlines and necessary paperwork so that the first steps are taken correctly. You can find more specific details in later chapters.

Factors affecting those who work in Denmark but don‘t live here (cross-border commuters) are dealt with separately in Chapter 20.

Those who are reading this guide before moving to Denmark should remember to look up the list of things to take with you from your home country. See website (L549) http://www.worktrotter.dk/component/content/article/22.html

Note:Official regulations or requirements are subject to change from time to time. Updated information will be made available at http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide as often as possible.

The key points are listed below (Note: Steps 1 and 2 must be taken first and in that order – you can take care of the others afterwards in any order):

Essential1. Residence/work permit2. CPR number and health insurance

...

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Getting started – first steps7.1 Residence and work permits7.1.1 Scandinavian countries7.1.2 EU and EFTA member states7.1.3 All other countries7.1.4 Waiting times

7.2 CPR number and health insurance7.2.1 Waiting times7.2.2 Change of address within Denmark

7.3 Tax card7.4 Bank account7.5 NemKonto7.6 Kindergartens and schools7.7 Language training7.8 Exchanging a driving licence7.9 Trade unions7.10 Unemployment insurance7.11 Digital signature7.12 Importing a car

Find more details about the first steps when moving to Denmark in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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8 Work

This very important chapter for Worktrotters will help you with aspects about finding work and negotiating an employment contract. It will explain employment conditions and vacation policy, for example, as well as give you the necessary information to help consider certain aspects of applying for and securing employment.

A good website with information about working in Denmark is: (L26) http://www.workindenmark.dk.

Those who don‘t find work should always consider if opening their own business isn‘t an option. Your capabilities shouldn‘t be wasted! You can find information on how this is done in Chapter 8.10.

8.1 Looking for work

An ever-increasing number of companies are looking abroad to find the employees they require. It remains to be seen how the financial crisis, which began in September 2008, will affect the Danish labour market.

The range of professions that employees are being sought for is very broad: researchers and executives, software developers and IT specialists, archi-tects, advisers, doctors and nurses, office staff, tradesmen, catering staff, cleaners and unskilled workers to name but a few.

You can browse various employment-related search engines (in Danish) such as: (L27) http://www.jobnet.dk, (L28) http://www.jobindex.dk, (L29) http://www.jobfinder.dk, (L30) http://www.jobzonen.dk, (L31) http://www.job-guide.dk, (L32) http://www.it-jobbank.dk.

English-speaking jobs can be found at (L33) http://www.jobsincopenhagen.com,(L34) http://www.careerguide2denmark.com, (L35) http://www.workindenmark .dk, (L568) http://startupdenmark.dk/extras/job-portals.

...

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Work8.1 Looking for work8.2 Job applications8.3 Salary8.4 Salary package 8.5 Miscellaneous8.6 Recognition of qualifications8.7 Pension

8.8 Leave8.8.1 Annual vacation8.8.2 Sick leave 8.8.3 Leave when children are sick

8.9 Unemployment

8.10 Setting up a business8.10.1 Common types of businesses8.10.2 Support

Find more details about all the important aspects around working in Denmark in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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9 Health system

This chapter should help you better understand the health system in Denmark and avoid confusion and frustration. Details are also given on how you can get enhancements to the service of the public health system.

9.1 General

Statutory health insurance is tax-funded and is part of the basic care that everyone registered in Denmark is entitled to. It is important to understand that it does not cover all health care services, but offers good basic care which can be complemented by private insurances.

Statutory health insurance covers the following:

– Examinations by your general practitioner (GP) or specialists– Treatment by the emergency services outside normal working hours– Your stay and treatment in a public hospital– Part of your travel insurance– An allowance for certain dietary requirements– An allowance for dental treatment– An allowance for prescription drugs– An allowance for physiotherapy– An allowance for osteopathic treatment– An allowance for psychotherapeutic treatment for certain severe diagnoses

(e.g. for the victims of violence and accidents, the suicidal, the very seriously ill and their dependents, etc.). For details see web page (L57) https://www.borger.dk/Lovgivning/Hoeringsportalen/dl.aspx?hpid=851365.

...

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Health system9.1 General

9.2 General practitioners (GPs)9.2.1 Choosing a GP9.2.2 Changing GPs9.2.3 Consulting hours9.2.4 Surprises

9.3 Hospitals

9.4 Waiting times

9.5 Dentists

9.6 Medicine

9.7 Additional health insurance9.7.1 As part of your salary package9.7.2 Private insurance9.7.3 Health insurance outside Denmark

9.8 Pregnancy and delivery

Find more details and all you need to know about the Danish health care system in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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10 Money matters

When you move to a new country, sorting out money matters is another area that can cause confusion and considerable cost because a lot of things will be done differently from the way you are used to. This chapter deals with subjects like choosing a bank, opening a bank account and making payments in Denmark. You will find tips to help you make the correct decisions right from the start and, as a result, make your life easier.

10.1 Bank account

If you don’t have an account with a Danish bank, things can get complicated. It means that cashless payment aren’t always an option, so you will need more cash on hand – cash you will have to obtain using a foreign credit card and then pay a fee for the privilege. If you use a foreign credit card to pay in a restaurant, you can generally expect to pay a hefty fee for that too. If you work in Denmark, you absolutely have to have a Danish bank account because Danish employers will not transfer your salary to another country.

But how do you work out which bank to choose? Read the following before you make your choice.

Account without a CPR number?Generally speaking, you need a CPR number (CPR-nummer), the Danish personal identification number, to open a bank account in Denmark. However, new arrivals sometimes have to wait quite a while before they can get the CPR number – two months or more – and that delay can make opening a bank account difficult.

However, some expats have been successful in opening an account without a CPR number with the following banks:

...

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Money matters10.2 Dankort10.3 Obtaining cash

10.4 Transferring money Transferring money abroad Paying bills Automatic bill payment Foreign credit cards Foreign currency

Find more details and all you need to know about the Danish banking and payment system in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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11 Housing

This chapter gives you insight into the Danish housing market including an over-view of the types of housing, house-hunting hints and many other points related to setting up a home.

11.1 Rent or buy?

The main types of housing in Denmark are:

rækkehus = terraced/row house

villa = detached house

villalejlighed = villa flat/apartment (see below)

lejelejlighed = rented flat/apartment

andelslejlighed, andelsbolig = shared ownership flat/apartment or condominium (see below)

ejerlejlighed = freehold flat/apartment

bofællesskab = house and flat/apartment shares

Villa/villalejlighed (villa flat)The term villa is used to denote a normal house or a villa in the traditional sense (a house with an estate). A popular building type is a three-storey house with a separate apartment on each floor. This type of apartment is called a villalejlighed.

Andelslejlighed is the Danish form of shared ownership or “freehold” (often referred to by the term “andel” or “andelsbolig”). Each owner owns a share of the entire house and has a right to “use” the apartment they live in. In practice, this works as follows: the partnership (andelsforening) buys a property (taking out a mortgage to do so), and sells the individual apartments to buyers, who become members of the partnership in the process.

...

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Housing

11.1 Rent or buy? Renting

Buying

11.2 Pets11.3 Utilities11.4 Television and radio11.5 Telephone and Internet11.6 Insurance and legal assistance11.7 Post11.8 Newspapers

Find more details and all you need to know about housing in Denmark in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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12 Education

This chapter will help you with issues regarding kindergartens and schools. And while we are on the topic of “education”, we’ll also cover education for adults.

12.1 Kindergartens and schools

Children in Denmark are offered child care from the age of six months. At this point most children start attending a nursery. From the age of about three they go to a kindergarten and from the age of about six they go to school. For all age groups there are possibilities for child care during business hours which gives both parents the possibility to work full time.

Note:Those waiting for their CPR number and who therefore cannot enrol their children in the public day care facilities or schools will notice that due to the missing demand (all Danish children are either at nurseries, in kindergarten or at school), hardly any recreational activities are offered for children during working hours on weekdays. But there are ample possibilities to visit museums and other interesting places focussing on children. See Section 17.2.

The following sections will first outline the options offered by the Danish child care and school system, then international schools, and finally offer some words of advice to those who are still unsure about what to choose. You will also find brief information about the schools run by the German minority in the south of Denmark.

...

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Danish vs. international schools

Excerpt published in the Copenhagen Post

What speaks in favour of Danish schools?

�� Danish schools may promote other skills than those from your own school system. Children learn more freely and without pressure. There is an em- phasis on creativity, perception, learning through experimentation, indepen-dence, autonomy, assertiveness, etc.

�� Children learn to speak Danish fluently, they integrate into the Danish school

system, they are in contact with Danish culture, and they learn the Danish mentality. For you, as parents, this might make your own integration easier.

�� In the classes, there is greater stability than in international schools where the class composition is constantly subject to change.

� The school costs are considerably lower than at international schools. You only pay for the after-school care.

What speaks for international schools?

� The school system may resemble that of your country of origin more closely making the adjustment phase shorter.

�� The children are in a language environment that is familiar to them from either home or from other countries your Worktrotter path has taken you to.

�� If you plan to return to your country of origin, the transition might be easier if the child arrives from an international school rather than a Danish one.

�� Children and parents alike will find it easier to make contacts in an interna-tional community. Moreover, it is easier for parents to engage in parents’ evenings and parent-teacher conferences, etc.

...

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Education

12.1 Kindergartens and schools 12.1.1 The Danish system12.1.2 Foreign children in the Danish system 12.1.3 International schools12.1.4 Danish or international?12.1.5 German minority schools12.1.6 Holidays

12.2 Financial aspects

12.3 Adult education

12.4 Marks in the Danish school system

Find more details and all you need to know about the Danish education system in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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13 Taxes

Taxes in Denmark are a painful topic; they are high and there is no way to sugar-coat this fact.

But before condemning the tax levels, remember that base salaries in Denmark are also high, and don’t forget what your taxes pay for: public health insurance (from which you benefit directly), education, security, child care, support for needy people, etc. – this is what a welfare state is all about, and it is financed mainly through taxes.

The tax system is confusing in any country, so this chapter aims to give you a rough understanding of the Danish tax system. Some of the areas that will be covered include: the general framework, how much you can expect to be taxed, and what options you have to reduce this amount through allowable deductions. There are many more aspects to consider than can be explained in the scope of this book. It is best to get in touch with SKAT (the Danish tax authority) directly. Visit them during opening hours, explain your personal situation, and ask for ad-vice. You can find addresses and opening hours in Chapter 23.4.

Note:SKAT is constantly on the look-out for illegal work (people working “black“) and it’s often individuals that inform SKAT because they object to others enjoying illegal advantages.

If you have a certain profession and you want to help your friends in your spare time with these skills, the Danish tax authorities will agree to this only to a small extent, even if your help is free. But, you can happily help using other skills without getting in trouble. For example: if you are a software developer, you can help your friends paint their apartment, but not if you are a painter.

It is recommended to involve an accountant that can give advice on how best to use the possibilities available within the Danish tax system. Ask your friends for suggestions or check out the suggestions of other expats on the website (L163) http://www.worktrotter.dk/business.

...

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Taxes

13.1 General information 13.2 Tax rates13.3 Tax deductions

13.4 The 25 percent tax scheme The 33 percent tax scheme

13.5 Important tax checkpoints13.6 Making updates

Find more details and all you need to know about the Danish tax system in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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14 Language

A new language can get you into funny misunderstandings. Once, when a Dane told me that he was going to Bergen, I thought at first that he was going to Switzerland – in Danish, “Bergen” (which lies in Norway) is pronounced in almost the same way as “Berne” (which lies in Switzerland). And my name “Dagmar” is pro-nounced in Danish like “Dama” or “Dauma”, which I didn‘t react to for a long time.

So what does Danish sound like? Within a word, “g” is almost completely ignored and “d” is normally pronounced like an “l” (L) with the tongue touching the lower teeth. Try it yourself. Not so easy, is it?! The same vowel can be pronounced differently in different words, giving them totally different meanings. Dør can mean “door” or “die”, and the difference in pronunciation is minimal. On the other hand, for example, kylling (chicken), killing (kitten) and kælling (crudeterm for a woman) sound very similar to non-Danes, which can lead to some funny situations, like for example, if you are in a restaurant and order killing or even kælling instead of kylling. Most confusing of all, though, is the Danes‘ free-and-easy way with their language. Here once again their casual side comes to light – not only do they often leave out syllables; sometimes they also leave out whole words. How is a foreigner supposed to make sense of that? In my early days in Denmark I tried to learn new words every day. As you‘d expect, the words “ikke” (not) and “også” (also) were quite early among them, and I always pronounced every letter beautifully. But usually they sound like “ik” and “os” and often people say “ik os“ (means isn‘t it?). “Hvad siger du?” (“What did you say?”) was the typical reaction of Danes – they couldn‘t under-stand me. You will come across this reaction a lot at first, because Danes find it difficult to understand the Danish spoken by foreigners. It seems as if they haven‘t developed the ability (perhaps because of the short history of foreign-ers in Denmark – see Chapter 2.3) of applying imagination to what they hear. When I asked for cat food (kattemad) in a pet shop, the shop assistant had absolutely no idea what I wanted, even though there weren‘t many cat-related products in the shop. Maintaining your resolve and speaking Danish in spite of all the obstacles isn‘t easy at first, either because you‘re not understood or because the Danes switch to English. But with consistent practice you‘ll make progress. After a while

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you‘ll notice that your efforts have paid off – and suddenly doors will open to you. So don‘t give up! The language is central to becoming a part of the country. Even though many foreigners get by very well with English, I strongly urge you to learn the Danish language. You will find work easier, get to know Danes, have the possibility to take courses and find your way through day-to-day situations independently. If you‘re only spending three years in the country and the effort of mastering the language seems too much, you should at least develop a basic reading knowl-edge. This will help you understand important information in public places or on websites, your mail, or menus in restaurants – and, not least, advertising leaflets, which can help save a lot of money (see Chapter 17).

This chapter is intended to explain the most important points about learning the language.

14.1 Danish without a language course

It is worth learning some Danish beforehand. There are plenty of free materials on the Internet:

– (L174) http://www.multidansk.horsens.dk was made for children, but is also useful for adults.

– (L175) http://www.nyidanmark.dk/da-dk/Integration/integration_af_nyankom ne/online_danskundervisning/dansk_for_boern/test2.htm is intended for chil-dren and for adults (L176) http://www.nyidanmark.dk/da-dk/Integration/integration_af_nyankomne/online_danskundervisning/danskundervisning_paa_nettet.htm. Both are aimed at beginners and deal with everyday situations.

– (L177) http://netdansk.asb.dk was developed for students and deals with a number of situations in daily life.

– (L178) http://www.danish-online.com looks at reading and/or listening com-prehension, pronunciation and writing. A test can be taken at the end of each lesson.

...

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Language

14.1 Danish without a language course

14.2 Recommendations

14.3 Language schools 14.3.1 Types of courses14.3.2 Fees14.3.3 Scope of courses

Find more details and all you need to know about learning Danish in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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15 Transport and travel

Having a car in Denmark is an expensive luxury. Many people that move to the country will find themselves asking the same questions: Why is car ownership so expensive? What costs should I expect? What other modes of transport are there? In this chapter, you will find answers to some of the most important questions regarding cars like, for example, what to do if you want to bring your car with you from abroad. You will also learn about alternatives to cars.

15.1 Cars

Let’s start with some essential information on the subject of cars (bil).

Unless otherwise stated, the speed limits on Danish roads are as follows:– in towns and cities: 50 km/h (31 miles/hour)– on country roads: 80 km/h (43 miles/hour)– on motorways: 130 km/h (80 miles/hour)

The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving is 5 mg per 100 ml (0.05 percent).

Speed traps are often located in transit vans or minibuses with white number plates, parked on the side of the road. But the police also often measure vehicle speeds from bridges, the roadside or inside their cars using “radar guns”. Station-ary speed traps have been in operation since the beginning of 2009.

Although cyclists do not have priority in all cases, they often think they do. So, always watch out for them – it will save you a lot of hassle. If there is a car accident involving a pedestrian or cyclist, it is almost always the driver of the car that is liable whether or not they have actually caused the accident.

In towns and cities in particular, many people commute to work by bike, leading to heavy cycle traffic during rush hour. This makes turning right with a car quite difficult (due to the large number of cyclists), and is almost as difficult as turning left (due to the traffic light sequence).

...

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15.2 Cycling

...Rules for cyclists

Excerpt published in the Copenhagen Post

Always observe the traffic regulations – the penalties are severe. Even if you do not get stopped by the police, you will often be put in your place by other people because Danes aren’t very tolerant when it comes to traffic – particularly on the cycle paths.To help prevent you from getting into awkward or unpleasant situations, here are the most important rules (I have not seen them written down anywhere else in English):

1. Cyclists indicate their intention by means of hand signals: – Hand signal to the left: left turn – Hand signal to the right: right turn – Hand signal upwards: stopping

2. When turning left at an intersection, a cyclist are not allowed to use the left turning lane for cars, but must cycle across the intersection, stop (indicating this in advance by means of a raised hand), and then ride in the desired direc-tion when the lights turn green again.

3. Cycling against the flow of traffic is forbidden.

4. If a bus stops at a bus stop, cyclists have to stop and wait until the bus doors have closed again. Bus passengers that cross the cycle path when boarding and departing have priority, unless there is a bus island.

5. Pavements/sidewalks are no-go areas for cyclists. If there is no bike path, you must ride on the road. Similarly, bicycle paths are out of bounds for pedes-trians, and if you are walking alongside your bike, you must do so on the pavement.

6. Obey the red light at intersections even when you‘re on a bike. If there are no bicycle traffic lights at the intersection, cyclists must obey the car traffic lights and not the pedestrian ones.

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7. When riding your bike, you must have both feet on the pedals and at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.

8. Bicycle helmets are not compulsory, neither for children nor adults, but they are strongly recommended!

The following components of your bicycle must be in good working order:

– Front and rear light. However, you will notice that only very few bicycle lights are strong enough to light up the road, and are really only “alibi” lights, allowing the cyclist to be seen. Lights are often set to flashing mode to be better seen, particularly in the dark winter months.

– Reflectors must be fitted to the wheels, or the tires must have built-in reflec-tor strips.

– The bicycle must be fitted with a white reflector at the front and a red one at the rear.

– The bicycle must have functioning brakes, both on the front and rear wheel...– …and a bell.

Note:The police carry out regular checks on cyclists – with heavy penalties for infringements of the rules (see Section 15.3).

Yet, despite the rules and their collective enforcement, they are often disobeyed. To avoid getting into an accident, you should not be tempted to do the same. Bikes often travel at very high speeds on the cycle paths. So it is always important to make your intentions clear to other cyclists when you are riding your bike!

...

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Transport and travel15.1 Cars 15.1.1 Bring or buy? Helping you decide A. Buying a car in Denmark B. Bringing your car with you

15.1.2 Registration options A. White number plates B. Yellow number plates15.1.3 Selling a car15.1.4 Vehicle insurance15.1.5 Company cars15.1.6 Other options15.1.7 Driving licence15.1.8 Parking

15.3 Cycling

15.3 Overview of fines

15.4 Bus and rail Public transport Railways Penalties

15.5 Air travel

15.6 Bridges and ferries

Find more details and all you need to know about traffic and the Danish transpor-tation system in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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16 Leisure time

It is likely that the amount of hours you work in Denmark will not be as high as in your home country, and as such you will have far more leisure time at your dispos-al. So you will be able to embark on a variety of exciting pursuits: but with whom?

The first few weeks after your relocation will be very busy, and you will not miss social contacts all that much. But at some point you will realise that you no longer hear from your friends as often as you used to. They will continue to live their lives as before whilst everything is different in yours. Besides, communica-ting only by phone, e-mail or Skype is not really sufficient. Wouldn’t it be nice to go out with someone, chat a little and be able to talk about the topics that occupy your thoughts in your new home?

So, you need new friends! Where and how you can find them is the theme of this chapter. It also provides information about what you can do in your spare time including popular sports, yet another way to gain a foothold in Denmark. And, last but not least, it provides an overview of the best-known festivals.

In a nutshell, this is how best to start: be active, seek social contact with others, try new and different things, take the initiative, invite people to your home, go out with them. Don’t be too picky at the beginning (that will only unnecessarily limit your options). Over time you will discover the people you have fun and get along with. Perhaps this approach will allow you to try something quite different for a change, and gain completely new and interesting experiences.

16.1 Getting to know Danes

As has been mentioned before, most Danes keep their work and their private lives completely separate. It is unusual to keep in touch privately with colleagues from the workplace. So it is rather unlikely that you will develop personal relationships with the Danes you know from work.

Most Danes have an extensive circle of friends, and often this seems to go way back to their childhood. Because they may not be actively looking for new friends, it is up to you to take the initiative.

...

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Leisure time

16.1 Getting to know Danes

16.2 Getting to know non-Danes

16.3 Popular sports

16.4 Open-air

Find more details and all you need to know about how to best spend your spare time in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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17 Shopping, having fun & saving money

When you move to a foreign country you will have to adjust your habits. What’s there to buy and where? What shops and products suit you best? Where can you have fun? And so forth. One of the most important questions, though, will be how to reduce your cost of living. It is always helpful to learn from the experiences of others, and that’s why this chapter contains a number of hints and tips put together by Char McKay, an expat from the USA, and her friends. Some tips are particular to the Greater Copenhagen area, although these are interesting not only for people living there, but also for visitors.

The first tip: use foreign credit cards as little as possible in Denmark! You will incur substantial charges. The Dankort, the Danish bank card, is accepted almost everywhere and you can embark on an expensive shopping tour without taking an army of bodyguards with you to protect your funds.

17.1 Shopping

You may notice that products in Denmark are often advertised in promotional leaflets, which come flowing through your letterbox each week. Here’s why they are still so popular. Advertising on radio and television was banned in Denmark until 1983. Even football matches were not broadcasted if they featured pitch-side advertising. Since then, some companies wanted to do away with their advertis-ing leaflets but they had to revise their plans in the face of falling sales: the Danes love their promotional literature.

You will find that the brochures contain a range of attractive offers. Work through the weekly discount offers with the aid of a dictionary and you’ll be practising the language at the same time. If you are not planning to stay long in Denmark and therefore don’t intend to learn Danish, it is still worthwhile learning enough of the language to enable you to read a little, because the discount offers in the leaflets are generally very good – and you can save a lot of money.

...

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Shopping, having fun & saving money

17.1 Shopping 17.2 Events & activities

Find more details and all you need to know about how to best save money and reduce your costs of livng in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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18 Security

You might be wondering whether this chapter is really necessary since everyone keeps saying how safe it is in Denmark. We are not suggesting anything to the con-trary. Remember that there are thieves everywhere in the world and you shouldn’t let your guard down just because Denmark is considered safe. In any case, the following advice is useful anywhere.

Most of the hints in this chapter have been put together by Fiona Thomas, an expat from Great Britain.

– Pickpockets thrive in crowds of people, e.g. at the main railway station in Co-penhagen. It only takes a slight push or shove to distract you. If your wallet is easily accessible you probably won’t even notice that it’s gone. Some women like carrying their handbag inside a shopping basket, which makes it really easy for a thief to remove. The straps on shoulder bags can be cut easily – all it takes is a slight yank and your bag is gone.

– If you are carrying a backpack you should not stow your wallet in any outside pockets. It is really easy to unzip them or cut them open with a sharp knife. The contents will fall out, and the thief only needs to “harvest” it.

– Be aware that someone might be watching you at the car park/parking lot ticket machine or when you get a supermarket trolley. They will see where you keep your wallet and later know exactly where to find it.

– In restaurants, women often put their bags under the table or on an empty chair next to them making it easy for someone to pick up. Some cafés and restaurants provide hooks attached to the underside of the tables so that you can hang your bags there.

...Find more details and all you need to know about what to do in case of theft in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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19 Last steps – farewell, Denmark

Although the first steps may have been a bit complicated, the last ones are all the more easy.

AccommodationFind out in advance from your landlord how much notice you have to give before leaving. Make sure that you hand in your notice in time. The period of notice is normally three months. If you have paid a deposit (indskud), ask your landlord how the money will be returned to you. If you have any problems, the National Organisation of Tenants (see Chapter 11.6) might be able to give advice.

If you own property in Denmark, you may have difficulty selling it at your

...Find more details and all you need to know about what to do before you leave Denmark in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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20 Cross-border commuters

There are plenty of people that work in Denmark but continue to have their pri-mary residence in their home country. They are known as “border hoppers” or “commuters” and come from neighbouring countries (normally Germany, Poland or Sweden) – in other words, from within the EU.

Although this book is aimed mainly at those who both work and live in Den-mark, the most important issues for cross-border commuters are described in this chapter.

Who counts as a cross-border commuter? Cross-border commuters must have a job in Denmark. To be considered a cross-border commuter, you have to travel home every day or every week, and may not stay longer than 183 days a year in Denmark – otherwise you‘re fully liable for Danish tax. A good point of reference for cross-border commuters wishing to work in Denmark is the website: (L400) http://www.pendlerinfo.org (in Danish and Ger-man).

...Find more details and all cross-border commuters need to know in the in the full versi-on of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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22 In case of emergency

22.1 Emergency call

The Danish emergency call number is: 112.This number applies in case of fire, accidents, health emergencies, as well as

to reach the police.You can reach your nearest police station by ringing to 114.

...


In case of emergency

22.1 Emergency callThe Danish emergency call number is: 112. This number applies in case of fire, accidents, health emergencies, as well as to reach the police. You can reach your nearest police station by ringing to 114.

22.2 On-call doctors

22.3 Dental emergencies

22.4 Problems with plumbing and heating

22.5 Problems with your car

Find more details and and what to do in case of emergency in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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23 Addresses and opening hours

...Contents of the chapter

Addresses and opening hours

23.1 Regional State Administration (statsforvaltning)

23.2 Immigration Service (udlændingeservice)

23.3 Local authority/municipality (kommune)

23.4 Tax authority (SKAT)

23.5 Roadworthiness check (bilsyn)

23.6 Language schools

23.7 Non-Danish schools23.7.1 International kindergartens and schools23.7.2 Institutions of the German minority

Find more details and how to find out the addresses and opening hours of the most important Danish authorities in the full version of the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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24 Danish abbreviations...Find more details about the most common Danish abbreviations in the full version of

the Worktrotter‘s Guide to Denmark http://www.worktrotter.dk/guide.

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25 Bibliography

...

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26 Index

Activities for children, 288, Adult education, 207Air travel, 262Associations, 266

Bank account, 127, 167Being on time , 67, 79Bicycle theft, 255Bottom-bracket tax, 213Bridges, 263

Car rental, 246Cars, 132, 231Car registration, 235, 237Car sharing, 245Cash , 169Changing a GP, 156Child benefits, 205Child care, 192Choosing a GP, 155CIRIUS, 143Climate, 27Company cars, 244CPR number, 123, 127, 129, 132, 149Cross-border commuters, 301Culture shock, 11, 108CVs, 136Cycle theft, 255Cycling, 250

Danish companies, 55-66Danish etiquette, 73Danish food, 91Danish monarchy, 30

Danish school system, 194, 196, 200, 202Danish traditions, 87Dankort, 169, 170, 239, 248, 279, 291Dannebrog (Danish flag), 28Dentists, 160, 309Digital signature, 131 Dinner invitations, 78Driving licence, 246, 295

Emergency numbers, 307Entrepreneurship , 149Evening classes, 208Experiences of expats, 95

Famous Danes, 48-55Ferries, 263Folketinget (Danish Parliament), 32

Geography, 26

Health insurance, 124, 162, 163Health system, 71, 153Hints for saving money, 257, 279History, 19Household insurance, 186 Housing , 173Hospitals, 158Hygge (cosiness), 68

Integration of foreigners, 39International groups, 269Internet, 184International schools , 198, 200, 202, 322

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Jantelov (Jante law), 44, 67, 68, 71, 101, 109, 141, 195Job applications, 135Job market contribution, 213

Kindergartens, 192

Language training, 128, 226, 229, 317Leave when children are sick, 146Legal assistance, 186Local authorities (kommune), 36, 312

Major celebrations, 81Map of Denmark, 8Maternity benefits, 166Meal names, 78Medicine, 161Middle-bracket tax, 213Mobile phones, 184Municipalities (kommune), 36, 312

NemKonto, 127, 206, 216, 220Newspapers, 189

Parking, 248Pension, 144, 296Pets, 179Political parties, 32-35Post, 187Pregnancy, 164Public holidays, 85, 86Public transport, 258

Radio, 183Recognition of qualifications, 143Regions, 37Registration certificate, 118, 119

Religion, 28Residence permit, 121Roadworthiness check, 236, 297, 315Rules for cyclists, 253

Salary, 137Salary package, 138SFO, 206Shopping, 75, 279Sick leave, 146Sports, 66, 273

Tax card, 126Tax deductions, 215Tax rates, 212Telephone, 184The 25 percent tax scheme, 217The 33 percent tax scheme, 218Top-bracket tax, 213Trade unions, 129Traditions, 87Traffic fines, 250, 256TV, 183

University studies, 207Unemployment insurance, 130, 147Utilities, 180

Vacation, 145Vehicle insurance, 243

Weddings, 82White number plates, 237Wish lists, 84Work permit, 118, 119, 122

Yellow number plates, 240

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