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WORKING IN DENMARK

JOBS

You got your first job in Denmark. What do you do next?

Human resources expert Nancy Rasmussen gives an overview of the basics that need to be in order before starting your first job in Denmark, from your contract to your CPR number and telling the difference between NemID and e-Boks.

Published: 14 June 2018 14:08 CEST
You got your first job in Denmark. What do you do next?
Unrelated file photo of people in Copenhagen. Photo: Jonas Olufson/Ritzau Scanpix
You’ve written a great CV, been on some interviews and finally received the call. The job is yours! It’s an exciting period of time but there are some initial practicalities to take care of, especially if this is your first job in Denmark.
 
1. Your contract
 
Your employer is generally required to give you a contract, with limited exceptions. The contract will specify the conditions of your employment such as your salary, working hours, and other relevant terms. Before signing it, make sure to review the contract carefully and ask questions if you don’t understand some of the terms. As a general rule, if any of the terms should change in the future, you will receive the amendments in writing within a required notification period. 
 
2. CPR number
 
Although you can get through the interview and acceptance process, you can’t actually start to work in Denmark until you have permission to do so and a CPR number.
 
Nordic citizens are allowed to work in Denmark and simply register at their local Citizen’s Centre (Borgerservice) to get a CPR-number. 
 
EU/EEA citizens need to get a registration certificate first and then their CPR-number. This can be done at one of the International Citizen Service Centres. 
 
Non-EU citizens will need a visa that allows you to work in Denmark and be issued a CPR number. If you don’t already have a visa, it’s possible that your employer would be willing to sponsor you, but you will still likely have to deal with some paperwork. You can learn more about visas here if you need to apply for your own. Note that there can be long waiting times to get approved for a visa.  
 
 
3. Tax card
 
The tax card isn’t so much a card as it is a form where you fill out your personal information and  expected income. The Danish tax authority Skat keeps this information in its database and your employer will also receive this information in order to correctly deduct taxes from your paycheck. It is extremely important to have a tax card on file, because if you don’t, you will automatically be taxed at 55 percent until you get a tax card set up. While taxes are notoriously high in Denmark, most employees have a lower tax rate than that.   
 
If you forget to do this before you get paid, all is not lost, as you just need to get a tax card set up to get back on track, and then your taxes can be reconciled in the following tax year.  You can also speak to your company’s payroll department to see if they can do anything to get the money back to you sooner. 
 
You can get your tax card at one of the aforementioned International Citizen Service Centres or contact Skat for information. Skat has also created a tax guide in English which can be found here. 
 
 
4. Bank account, NemID and e-Boks
 
Your salary will be deposited into your bank account, generally at the end of the month. But if you still have to open a bank account in Denmark, you need to have your CPR number ready first. You will also want to get a NemID, which is a kind of single sign-on ID that is used for many sites in Denmark, including your bank and Skat.
 
NemID is also used to set up your account on the e-Boks site, a service some people don’t hear about right away when they move to Denmark. Basically, e-Boks is a digital mailbox where you can receive all your official documents, such as notifications from your municipality. This is also where you will receive your payslips. 
 
If you live in the Copenhagen area, you can get help for most of these services at International House Copenhagen.
 
Now you should be all set with the first steps! What else do you want to know about being an employee in Denmark? Let us know.
 
Nancy Rasmussen
A previous version of this article was originally published on February 24th, 2015 and was written by Nancy Rasmussen, a change management consultant for IT projects with 12 years of experience within large, international companies. 
 
The column was part of a series contributed by Nancy in her free-time in connection with NemCV and was not affiliated with her full-time employment. 
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JOBS

How much Danish do you need to learn to get a job in Denmark?

Learning a new language like Danish is a process that can take years. So at what level can you test out your new skills and apply for a job in Danish? We spoke to a language teacher to find out.

Published: 8 May 2024 15:38 CEST
How much Danish do you need to learn to get a job in Denmark?

There are many international companies in Denmark where the workplace language is English – opening up opportunities to many nationalities who want to live and work in Denmark. However for some professions, a certain level of Danish is a requirement and for others, working in Danish opens up more doors.

“The level we say you need to get a job is to have passed the Prøve i Dansk 3 (PD3), which is the official exam by the Ministry of Education. It is equivalent to the B2 European Framework level,” Maria-Sophie Schmidt, language consultant at Studieskolen’s private Danish department told The Local.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an international standard for describing language ability. It uses a six-point scale: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, where C2 is for those who are advanced and fluent in the language. It means employers and educational institutions can easily assess language abilities.

“When you pass Prøve i Dansk 3 and are B2 level, you’re not completely fluent but you can function in Danish and read newspaper articles in Danish. Usually I say B2 level is like a driver’s license we give you on your Danish. So you can drive a car but if you want to be a really good driver, you have to go practice in traffic. So after PD3 and with practice and with help perhaps, you should be able to write an application in Danish and go through an interview,” Schmidt said.

“PD3 will always help you get a job because companies appreciate you have the certificate. There’s a worry for some companies that you aren’t fluent.

“It is also helpful because Danes like to socialise in our workplaces such as at julfrokost (Christmas lunch) or fredagsbar (Friday afternoon drinks) and some are uncomfortable having to change their language to English all the time, maybe because we don’t feel we speak it well enough. So if you come as a foreigner and have a certificate of Prøve i Dansk 3, I think it’s a big advantage,” Schmidt added.

Foreign dentists and doctors need to have passed Prøve i dansk 3, as well as other professional tests before being able to start an evaluation period of working. 

However there are some sectors where passing the Danish language exam isn’t a requirement. Due to current pressure on hospital waiting times in Denmark, nurses outside of the EU are no longer asked to pass Prøve i dansk 3. Instead, they can demonstrate their Danish language ability, in line with the requirements used for nurses from EU and EEA countries. This includes a six-month probation period where Danish communication skills are assessed.

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The construction industry and engineering, as well as hospitality are other sectors where Danish language skills won’t necessarily need to be B2 level or need certification. But whether or not you require the Prøve i Dansk 3 certificate, practicing Danish is the key to gaining confidence in the Danish workplace.

“Sign up for a language course or sign up to a sports club and surround yourself with Danish language. Insist on speaking Danish and if you know anyone speaking native Danish, ask to have a coffee and practice your Danish. If you have kids and meet other parents, speak Danish, or volunteer at somewhere like a nursing home,” Schmidt suggested.

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Language schools offer a Module 6 course, called Studieprøve to get to C1 level. Here you learn to read, write and speak more academic Danish. It is a requirement for those wanting to study in Danish but you don’t need it for a job.

“At Studieskolen we offer Classes after PD3 – a conversation class at B2 and C1 level where you don’t focus on grammar and writing but on speaking relevant topics in society such as what’s going on now, newspaper articles, TV shows and practice speaking to colleagues in small talk and more complicated conversations. PD3 is a driver’s license but you often can’t join a conversation spontaneously or you may lack confidence and vocabulary, so those classes help that.”

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