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HEALTH

Can foreigners in Denmark access free health care?

People who move to or reside in Denmark have the right to access the country’s public health system, while different rules apply to those in the country on a more temporary basis.

Published: 12 April 2022 15:57 CEST
Hillerød hospital near Copenhagen
Hillerød sygehus

All persons who are registered as resident in Denmark and have been issued with a personal registration number are entitled to all public health services.

The rights to public health services are stated on the yellow health card itself, which is issued by the municipality in which you reside.

Denmark’s health services included under the public health system provide you with a family doctor or GP as well as free specialist consultations and treatments under the national health system, should you be referred for these.

You can also receive subsidies for medicine and medical services including some dental treatment, physiotherapy, chiropractor treatment and psychological consultations.

It should be noted that, as previously reported by The Local, foreign nationals can experience extended waiting times on residence applications in Denmark. Since they may not have automatic access to the public health system during this time, some decide to take out private health insurance to cover the waiting period.

READ ALSO: Applying for residency in Denmark: Why you might need health insurance during processing period

In some cases, you can also use Denmark’s public health system if you are not a permanent or temporary resident of the country.

This includes people who work in Denmark but live in another EU or EEA country (the EU plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) or Switzerland, who may be entitled to a special health card which provides access to the health system on the same footing as residents.

The card can be issued to persons who do not live in Denmark but are “socially insured” in the country due to one of a number of reasons, including:

  • Working in Denmark while resident in another EU, EEA country or Switzerland
  • Employed by a Danish company and stationed to work in another EU, EEA country or Switzerland
  • Receiving early retirement pay (efterløn) from the Danish state
  • Are employed on an EU contract and have selected Danish social insurance
  • Work on a ship which sails under the Danish flag
  • Are a family member of someone in one of the above categories and are not covered by the public health system in your home country.

It’s also possible to apply for and be granted the special health card if you are staying in Denmark without a personal registration (CPR) number, in some cases. These can include:

  • EU, EEA or Swiss nationals who work for Nato, the WHO or another international organisation in Denmark
  • People who work at EU, EEA or Swiss embassies or consulates in Denmark
  • Non- EU, EEA or Swiss nationals who work for Nato, the WHO or another international organisation in Denmark may also be encompassed by Danish or Nordic law in some cases
  • Family members of people in the above categories who do not have social health insurance in their home countries.

The card is also issued to people who normally live in Denmark but are residing outside of the country for up to one year, and are therefore removed from the Danish personal registration system. Examples of such a situation include students on international programmes, people visiting families, or au pairs or volunteers who work abroad for a limited period.

The special health card is issued for up to two years at a time and does not cost anything. It can be applied for here.

It should also be noted that people from EU countries may be able to use the EU’s European Health Insurance (EHIC) card in Denmark.

British nationals who moved to Denmark after 1st January 2021 are not covered by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and so cannot use the EHIC in Denmark.

However, Britons can use the UK’s new Global Health Insurance card (GHIC) to access emergency healthcare in Denmark.

Sources: borger.dk (1), (2), (3)

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HEALTH

‘Live Danish, die young’: How unhealthy are young people in Denmark?

'Live Danish, die young' - is the new phrase from a movement to promote better health among young people in Denmark. But what does the latest data reveal about health issues among young Danes?

Published: 27 May 2024 12:30 CEST
Updated: 2 June 2024 05:35 CEST
'Live Danish, die young': How unhealthy are young people in Denmark?

Health and lifestyle issues among young Danish people have long been documented.

For example binge drinking and heavy smoking have been highlighted as a major problem among young Danes for years.

In 2019, a study by the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) found that 40 percent of young Danes aged 15-16 had been drunk in the past 30 days.

This was the highest rate in Europe at the time, where the average was just 13 percent.

On a broader level, multiple studies have also shown that Danes struggle when it comes to physical activity levels.

That’s why a new alliance of over 20 patient organisations, medical guilds, and insurance companies is now calling for better preventative health in Denmark.

A new call to action

The alliance believes Danes smoke and drink too much, do insufficient exercise, and have shorter average life spans than their Scandinavian counterparts.

“The Danes have an incredibly unhealthy lifestyle compared to other Nordic countries. We smoke and drink significantly more, and our diet and exercise could also be better. Live Danish, die young, I usually say,” Jes Søgaard, professor emeritus in health economics at the University of Southern Denmark, told the TV2 broadcaster.

The alliance, led by the insurance company Danica, has prepared ten proposals for targets it wants the government to commit to achieving by 2035, including a 2.5-year increase in longevity, an increase in physical activity, and a halving of young people’s binge drinking.

However, while obesity and physical inactivity are both singled out as significant issues plaguing the Danish population frequently, alcohol consumption has emerged as the most notable lifestyle-related health challenge.

Troubling statistics

Young people aged 16 to 24 in the country have topped survey findings as the age category that consumed the most alcohol for more than a decade, from 2010 to 2021.

However, according to the most recent National Health Profile survey, which gathered responses from thousands of Danes about their health, illness, and well-being, it is now the older population (those over 65) that leads when it comes to alcohol consumption.

The National Health Profile survey shows that more than one in five Danes aged 65 or older drink more than ten alcoholic beverages in a typical week.

In comparison, only 10.4 percent of Danes aged 35 to 44 reported drinking at that level.

Anette Søgaard Nielsen, a professor at the Unit for Clinical Alcohol Research at the University of Southern Denmark, told DR that the older generation grew up in a prosperous society where alcohol was a significant part of the social culture.

As they transition into retirement, many continue or even increase their alcohol consumption due to more free time and disposable income, and some seniors also use alcohol as a form of self-medication or to cope with loneliness and other psychological issues, Søgaard Nielsen explained.

However, while seniors have overtaken the young on the top of the findings, the level of consumption among Danish youth is still troublingly high, as 19 per cent reported drinking more than ten alcoholic beverages in a typical week (which is roughly the same percentage as the one among 55-64-year-olds). 

Unhealthy habits: How does Denmark fare at the EU level?

Several things stand out when comparing Denmark’s population to that of its European Union (EU) peers.

According to the European Commission’s latest Country Health Profile Report for 2023, behavioural risk factors accounted for at least 40 percent of deaths in Denmark in 2019.

While tobacco smoking rates in Denmark have significantly decreased over the past two decades, they remained higher than those in other Nordic countries.

In 2019, over one in three Danes (38 percent) engaged in regular heavy drinking, the highest proportion in the EU.

Adult obesity rates also increased to 16 percent in 2019, aligning with the EU average.

Efforts to address these issues

National efforts to reduce smoking have focused on younger generations, as outlined in Denmark’s 2019 National Action Plan against Children and Young People Smoking.

One of the key objectives of this plan is to create a smoke-free youth generation by 2030. To help achieve this goal, a smoking ban in schools was implemented in 2021.

Given Denmark’s history of being Europe’s heaviest drinkers, the government has launched several initiatives to strengthen alcohol control policies.

In March 2022, the Danish Health Authority tightened national guidelines on low-risk drinking for both young people and adults.

The main recommendation is that children under 18 should not drink alcohol, and adults should limit their intake to no more than 10 drinks per week, with no more than 4 drinks per day.

In November 2023, the Danish Ministry of Health announced new measures to restrict alcohol sales to minors and increase the price of nicotine pouches.

“Children and young people are starting to drink far too early and they are drinking too much,” said Health Minister Sophie Løhde at the time.

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