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LIVING IN DENMARK

Do you need to register a change of address in Denmark?

If you move home in Denmark, you are obliged to tell authorities. When should this be done and how do you do it?

Published: 12 October 2023 15:35 CEST
Do you need to register a change of address in Denmark?
Don't forget to register your change of Danish address. Photo: Signe Goldmann/Ritzau Scanpix

Denmark’s personal registry rules require you to register a change of address within five days of moving. Not doing so can result in a fine, although enforcement varies between local authorities.

It is the municipality you are moving to (or within) which must be informed of your change of address. This is normally done on the borger.dk platform, where you can select the relevant municipality from the drop-down list.

You then log in using the MitID digital ID, and begin the registration process.

READ ALSO: 17 essential phone apps to make your life in Denmark easier

There are several options to consider once you begin working your way through each step of the digital registration.

You can register the change in address for everyone in your current household – useful if you are moving with your family, but don’t forget to make sure it’s not selected if you live in shared accommodation.

It you’re moving into a shared house or bofælleskab as they’re sometimes termed in Denmark, you must also confirm that the current residents of your new home are not moving out. They will then receive notification to confirm that you are moving in.

You can register your new address up to four weeks before you move but it is important, as mentioned above, to do it no later than five days after leaving your old home.

READ ALSO: Summer houses in Denmark: What are the rules and when can you live in them?

The new address registration is combined with registration with a GP. This means that, if you are moving to a different municipality, you will be able to select a new GP from a list of available options. If you are staying in the same municipality, you can either choose to change or keep your existing doctor.

Your new address will automatically be registered with the Central Personal Registry (CPR), meaning you will receive a new yellow public health insurance card with your new address on it.

Mail sent to your old address will automatically be forwarded to the new one for six months after the date you move, with the exception of parcels which are returned to the sender.

You must also remember to register your change of address with your electricity supplier – which does not have information sharing with the CPR registry. Do this at least 10 days before you move if possible.

Not everything related to registering your move is online: there are also a few physical steps to keep in mind.

You must put your name on your letter box (your landlord will normally do this for you of it is a rented property). Only your surname is required (and the surnames of all people who live there), but first names are also recommended to ensure you receive the correct post.

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RENTING

Eight ways you will accidentally annoy your Danish neighbours

Getting along with your neighbours is essential if you want an easy life - but there are a some house rules in Denmark that you may not even know you're breaking.

Published: 5 March 2024 14:44 CET
Eight ways you will accidentally annoy your Danish neighbours

Anyone who’s lived in Denmark for a while knows that there are rules for everything, so it will come as no surprise that there are plenty of guidelines for living with, or near other people.

Husorden

When you live in an apartment block, you will come across house rules (husorden).

These are a set of collectively chosen rules to make sure everyone is happy with living within the close quarters of an apartment. Each apartment building has a different set of house rules, as they are decided by the board members (bestyrelsen) who live there.

It is not always clear what the rules are, so you have to ask an apartment board member, or you can find them on the housing department’s website. You can also ask to join the board and propose or amend some of the rules.

But generally speaking, these are the main areas to watch out for if you don’t want to accidentally annoy your neighbours:

1.Recycling and rubbish 

There are large shared bins in the courtyard of apartments. Make sure to put your rubbish in the correctly coloured bin and do not leave it overflowing.

2. Bicycles and prams

Apartment blocks usually have a locked room where you can choose to store bikes and prams. Don’t go taking or borrowing anything from here without permission, even if you think it’s not being used.

3. Ball games

Some apartment blocks share outside children’s toys. But there may be rules about how to store and borrow these, as well as when to play certain ball games. Don’t be alarmed if a neighbour points this out to your children.

4. Smoking

You may think, my house, my rules. But there may be restrictions in your block, for example smoking near hanged washing on a balcony, so check out your local apartment rules first. Some housing associations and landlords do not permit smoking inside at all.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to get out of a rental contract in Denmark

5. Laundry

Not every apartment comes with a washing or drying machine so you’ll find these facilities in the basements of apartment buildings. But you can’t just turn up and use a machine, even if it’s empty.

On the wall will be a timetable where you put down your apartment number to book your time slot — these are usually now electronic and operated by a chip, or by logging in to the housing department’s website. Make sure you empty the machine within your allocated slot: not doing so will result in an annoyed neighbour and possibly your things being thrown into a basket with more than a mild undertone of passive aggression. Stick to your slot, exactly.

Use your own detergent. There may be unlabelled bottles piled up around you but it’s always best to stick to your own washing detergent. 

6. Care of the outdoor space

It’s very common for an apartment block to have something called ‘arbejdsdag’, which translates as ‘working day’. This is a weekend day, at least twice a year, where residents tidy up the shared yard and garden area.
 
It’s often an opportunity to get to know your neighbours better, enjoy some food and drink after the work is done, and generally feel part of the community. Missing this without explaining why is seen as usolidarisk (not acting in solidarity with others) and could earn you a frown or two. 
 
Neighbours
A neighbour collects rubbish in front of his apartment in Aarhus. Photo: Mikkel Berg Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix
 

7. Pets

Some apartments just don’t allow them. Check this out before moving in to avoid upset. If pets are allowed, you might find that some people object to dogs barking loudly at times considered to be ‘quiet’ — no later than 10pm on a weekday.

8. Noise and loud music

A study from the Institute of Public Health in 2017 showed that every third Dane who lives in an apartment is bothered by noise from neighbours. After some research from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen, a 20-page downloadable handbook was created, to give advice on how residents and housing boards can deal with the noise challenges that come from living in an apartment block. 

Some moderate noise is to be expected, from music, children, TV and you will also create some moderate noise yourself. Some apartment blocks don’t have modern sound proofing, which residents need to be aware of. You can try to make your own soundproofing in your apartment or try to collectively update it as a building.

The main advice from the research is to have clear communication and dialogue with your neighbours, as noise and other nuisances are experienced by everyone.

Let your neighbours know if you’re going to make more noise than usual, either by a note in the hallway or knocking on their door. You may have come across this in Danish apartment buildings when someone is planning a party, but it can apply to many aspects of apartment living. Keeping an open dialogue with neighbours when either you make a mistake or they do, will mean it’s much easier to resolve.

If things do get tricky, the housing board can assign a conflict mediator to the property so that internal conflicts can be resolved on a neutral basis if needed, hopefully leading to a happier apartment experience.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What is Denmark’s co-operative housing system?

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