Moving to Denmark from the UK

Scandinavian countries have plenty of appeal for those looking to relocate and, when you take a look at Denmark, it’s not hard to see why. The capital Copenhagen is a cosmopolitan metropolis, with direct links to Malmö in Sweden, so you can easily experience Swedish culture as well as Danish. But there’s so much more to this majestic country that entices people to move here.

Typically known as a liberal nation, Denmark is a clean and modern country with tolerant attitudes towards the new, yet holds true to age-old traditions. While Copenhagen is home to more than 25% of the population, there is plenty more that this country has to offer, with fantastic recreational activities, such as hiking, camping, cycling and water sports to name but a few.

This guide will give you all the information on the things to know before moving to Denmark. We’ve covered shipping costs, visas, transferring money to Denmark, buying property in Denmark and the cost of living.

If you’re convinced about moving to Denmark from the UK already, we can help you get started. Simply fill in our easy-to-understand form with a few details about your move and we’ll connect you with our trusted suppliers. They’ll get in touch with bespoke, obligation-free shipping quotes for you to compare.

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Shipping your belongings from the UK to Denmark

With a move abroad, it’s likely that you will want to take at least some of your worldly possessions with you to make the transition smoother and potentially keep costs down for furnishing a new home. With this in mind, here’s a few helpful estimates on shipping to Denmark from the UK – we’ve covered both sea freight and air freight costs to give you an idea of the differences.

Sea freight costs from the UK to Denmark

Sea freight is generally the most cost-effective way to get your belongings from the UK to Denmark, but it does take longer than air freight.

The table below has some approximate prices for shipping from the UK to Denmark. We got these rates from Freightos.com, basing these estimates on the port-to-port transportation of a 20ft container of used furniture worth £55,000 (the typical value of the contents of a three-bedroom home according to the Association of British Insurers).

Please note: these container shipping costs exclude typical add-ons such as door-to-door delivery, professional packing/unpacking and basic insurance cover. Our shipping suppliers normally incorporate these services into their prices, so expect some discrepancy between the rates given here and the quotes you receive. These estimates should be used as an indication only. This information is up to date as of January 2025.

Air freight costs from the UK to Denmark

If you need to get your belongings to Denmark as quickly as possible, then air freight is the way to go. You’ll naturally pay more for this convenience, of course, and when we say more, we mean it – air freight can be up to 18 times more expensive than sea freight.

It’s really only an option in emergencies, or if you only need to move a few essential items that don’t weigh hundreds of kilograms. In fact, it can be more economical to use air freight for really small shipments.

Below is a table showing the rough costs of flying 250kg of household goods (worth £2,500) from the UK to Denmark. We’ve sourced these rates from freightos.com and they’re correct as of January 2025.

Living in Denmark

Denmark is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which also includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, but Denmark itself comprises the Jutland Peninsula, which borders Germany and more than 400 individual islands of which only around 70 are inhabited. The largest island is Sjælland and is home to Copenhagen. These facts alone make Denmark an incredibly interesting place to visit and explore.

Visas and becoming a citizen

If you’re looking to stay longer than a visitor’s permit allows, you will need to apply for temporary residency for up to 5 years. This will allow you to work and live in Denmark, contribute taxes and make use of the social system, such as healthcare and education.

If you want to gain permanent citizenship for Denmark, you can do so with nationality by birth, ie, one or both of your parents are Danish citizens, or you will need to obtain it through naturalisation. This process requires you to have a permanent residence permit, which can be applied for after 5 years of living in Denmark.

Short-term visas

Like many countries, Denmark has a number of agreements with countries that allow foreign nationals to freely enter the country on a short-term basis – up to 90 days – without the need for a visa.

These countries include all EU/EEA countries and other countries including the US, Japan, UAE, Australia and New Zealand. You can find more information on the countries exempt from this agreement here.

Healthcare

Denmark offers excellent public healthcare facilities, which include access to doctors, pharmacists, dentists and other special medical care. The healthcare services are available to nationals and all EU/EEA nationals with a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and it’s state funded, so the majority of medical treatment is free.

You may be required to pay for certain services, such as up to 50% of prescription . However, all emergency medical treatment is free, even for foreign visitors, so you can have peace of mind that you will be treated without hesitation.

Once you’ve relocated to Denmark, you will need to register with the National Register in your municipality to receive a health insurance card. This will grant you access to healthcare facilities and should be taken with you for any visits to doctors, dentists or medical practitioners.

Setting up your finances

Opening a bank account in Denmark is pretty simple, but you’ll need to have a range of documents with you (and some need to be notarised). Individual banks in Denmark will have different policies too, so it’s important to check this before you go.

You should also be aware that some accounts require a small fee to open (this is the case for specialist accounts for non EU/EEA students). Most standard accounts are totally free to open, though.

You’ll need the following to open a standard account:

• Photo ID (such as your passport)
• CPR number (the number all residents of Denmark are given)
• Proof of your Danish address (such as recent utility bills)
• Proof of employment with a Danish company

A few banks might require a minimum opening deposit amount, which you’ll need to pay in order to get the account up and running.

Transferring money from the UK to Denmark

If you’re moving to Denmark from the UK, you’ll need to convert some of your British pounds into Danish krone. You could use a bank for this, but the exchange rates are often high.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with Wise, an easy-to-use online international money transfer service that uses the real exchange rate, and keeps its fees low.

How much could you save? Well, Wise is up to 8x cheaper than high-street banks.

Join more than 12.8 million active customers and start using Wise today (or fill in the form below).

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Job market

The Danish economy is currently in a good position, and as a result of its strong economy, there is a thriving job market with an unemployment rate of just 2.6%.

You’ll find the best way for expats to find work is with an inter-company transfer or if that isn’t an option it’s time to brush up on your Danish. Despite the majority of people having a good grasp of English in business, going up against locals without knowing a little bit of the language could set you back.

There are plenty of free language courses to make use of, and you could also take advantage of the services from Jobnet or Work in Denmark.

There are also a large number of successful self-employed people in Denmark, with many running trade companies, restaurants, bars and agricultural businesses. If you’re a budding entrepreneur, this could be the perfect opportunity to take the plunge.

Buying property in Denmark

With a move to Denmark, you will invariably need a place to call home, but do you rent or buy? What’s the normal practice? And how easy is it to go about finding and potentially buying property?

Well, living in Denmark is expensive, which inevitably means that renting and buying property is pricey. However, higher wages help to offset some of the higher living costs.

When it comes to property in Denmark, the majority are well-built wooden terraced or detached houses that range from modern builds to traditional ones. More than 50% of the population live in either terraced or detached houses that they own.

But in the cities, these types of properties are harder to find, so will come at a premium price. This is why in cities like Copenhagen and Aarhus you’ll find an abundance of apartment blocks that are typically rented, rather than bought, which offer a more affordable alternative until you can afford to buy your own property.

In terms of property prices, undoubtedly costs in the major cities will be more expensive than in the suburbs or rural locations. If you want to be in the heart of the capital with all the amenities you could possibly need, monthly rental prices average around 9,391 DKK (£1,052) for a one-bedroom apartment outside the centre, and up to 12,699 DKK (£1,419) for a one-bedroom apartment in the centre of Copenhagen.

And if you want to own a property, these prices will be in the range of 2,106,000 DKK (£235,934) up to 3,150,000 DKK (£352,892) respectively. That being said, if you don’t want to live in the hustle and bustle of a city, you’ll find house prices can be up to 50% cheaper outside of the city.

Buying homes in Denmark as a UK expat

If you are looking to get on the property ladder, there’s good news because foreigners have the same rights for taking out a mortgage as the Danes, and this is likely to be your best bet for financing your purchase.

Providing you have at least a 20% deposit available, securing a mortgage in Denmark as a foreigner shouldn’t prove any more difficult than it is for locals. Typically you can borrow up to 80% of the property value to be paid over 10-30 years, and enjoy either fixed or variable interest rates.

There’s seven major banks offering mortgages on the market, with the biggest two being Realkredit Danmark and Nykredit.

Living Costs

Like its Scandinavian counterparts, Denmark has high living costs. While a large portion of your salary will go towards your rent, utilities, food and transport, the flip side is you will enjoy a high standard of living and access to excellent infrastructures.

Food

You won’t go wanting for variety in Denmark, particularly in Copenhagen and the other larger cities. Groceries and restaurants are generally expensive, but you pay for high-quality produce, which can go some way to justifying the high prices.

How much you spend on your groceries and meals out will really depend on what you fancy – basic products such as milk and bread are inexpensive at 13 DKK (£0.97) and 22.25 DKK (£1.59), but you should expect high prices on meats and fruit and veg. A fast-food meal will set you back around 96.99 DKK (£6.93), but for something fancier in a nice mid-range restaurant, that price will rise to 700 DKK (£50).

Other expensive products include alcohol, particularly if you’re in bars and restaurants, with beers costing up to 111 DKK (£12.52) for the equivalent of a pint.

Transport

Getting around in Denmark can range from the very reasonable to the very expensive, depending on what mode of transport you’re taking. If you’re getting out and about on trains and buses, you’ll find decent prices, with a one-way ticket costing around 25 DKK (£1.79). Avoid taxis where you can as these cost more than 17 DKK (£1.21) per kilometre.

Your other option is driving, which, if you live out of the city, can be the most convenient mode of transport, especially for those with kids. But expect high fuel prices, with petrol costing around 18.39 DKK (£1.31) a litre.

Schools and education

Another area where the Danes excel is their education system, which is ranked as one of the best in the world. They offer exceptionally high standards of free education to all students living in Denmark, although foreign students may be required to pay tuition fees for higher education. They also offer free Danish-language tuition to all foreign students.

The education system structure consists of nursery childcare, pre-school, primary and secondary education and upper secondary schooling in preparation for higher education. The average school day starts at 8am and will finish around 3pm, with the option of additional after-school programmes.

Between the ages of 7 and 16, children will attend primary and lower secondary school (folkeskole), where they will receive primary and lower secondary education, after which they will attend gymnasium or upper secondary school for an additional three years. This is where they can obtain a secondary school leaving certificate that qualifies students to attend university.

As well as public-funded schools, there are also a number of private international schools in Copenhagen and other major cities. Teaching is usually in English and students can work towards the International Baccalaureate.

Universities in Denmark

For higher education, there are also a number of opportunities for students to study a wide range of academic subjects at university, as well as practical and vocational qualifications at higher education colleges.

Driving in Denmark

Denmark consists of a land-bordered peninsula and more than 400 small islands, which you would think would make travelling through the country difficult. However, the fantastic infrastructure in Denmark, which consists of interconnecting bridges and ferries, provides a road system that’s convenient, efficient and relatively congestion free.

The Danes drive on the right-hand side of the road, so if you’re not familiar with right-hand drive cars, it may take a little time to adjust. But driving on the roads in Denmark – even in the cities – should be pretty stress-free.

When it comes to your driving licence, EU citizens can use a valid EU licence without the need to replace it for a Danish one. However, if you’re a national from a non-EU country, and a permanent resident, you will need to exchange your licence for a Danish one within 14 days of receiving your residency permit. Depending on what country you’re originally from, you may be required to take a practical and written test to gain a Danish driving licence.

Ranking against the world

Denmark enjoys a number of accolades in the world rankings, and always features high up on the lists for best country to live in the world or the happiest people in the world. This is all down to its infrastructure, progressive economy, high living standards and equality measures, which consistently make it a very desirable place to live, work and retire.

Despite the high living costs, which might put some people off, what you get in return is an exceptional quality of life with a healthy work-life balance that far surpasses the likes of the UK or the USA. There’s more focus on spending hard-earned salaries on socialising with family and friends than material possessions, which is perhaps also key to its happy culture.

If education is an important factor in your move to Denmark, you can rest assured that your children will be getting some of the highest standards of education in the world. According to World Population Review, Denmark had the world’s 2nd best higher education in 2024, compared to the UK’s 12th place ranking.

Essential information for Denmark

Conclusion

Moving to Denmark is a fantastic choice, and by this point you should have all the information you need to get started on moving there!

You’ll get access to some of the cleanest cities in the world, high education standards, a very healthy economy and stunning natural landscapes.

If you’d like to get free quotes for shipping your belongings to your new home, fill in this form and start your new life in Denmark.