Denmark
Area: 42,921 km²
Residents: 5,748,769 (2018)
Population density: 134 E / km²
Form of Government: Parliamentary hereditary monarchy
System of Government: Parliamentary democracy
Neighboring countries: Sweden, Germany
Capital: Copenhagen National
Language: Danish
Religions:
81.5% Protestant,
3% Muslim,
0, 6% Catholics,
0.26% Jehovah’s Witnesses
Currency: Danish krone (DKK)
1 Danish krone = 100 ore
Exchange rates:
1 EUR = 7.44 DKK
1 DKK = 0.13 EUR
1 CHF = 6.85 DKK
1 DKK = 0.15 CHF
(rate from 13.07.2021)
Telephone area code: +45
Time zone: UTC +1
In 2020, 1,479 Germans officially emigrated to Denmark and 785 came back to their homeland. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 12,708 Germans officially emigrated to Denmark and 8,445 moved back to Germany. This landed this coastal country on the remarkable 6th place on the satisfaction list of all emigration destinations. In 2020 there were officially 26,135 Germans living in Denmark, most of them on the border with Germany.
In 2017, 11.5% of the population was born abroad. Most come from Scandinavian countries, followed by immigrants from Turkey and Eastern Europe. The official language is Danish. German is recognized as the only minority language. Dialects such as Sønderjysk and Bornholmsk are spoken in some parts of the country. English is the most important foreign language in Denmark, but French still has some influence. About 90% of the students learn German as a second foreign language at least temporarily.
Denmark is divided into the following five regions with a total of 98 municipalities: Nordjylland (Northern Jutland and the islands of Vendsyssel-Thy, Mors and Læsø), Midtjylland (central part of Jutland), Syddanmark (south of Jutland and the island of Funen), Hovedstaden (northeast Zealand with the capital Copenhagen and the island Bornholm) and Sjælland (large part of the island Sjælland and the islands Lolland, Falster and Møn).
The economic upswing and reforms on the labor market have led to a sharp decline in unemployment since the mid-1990s. The country is climatically very balanced; not too hot summers, but mild winters due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. Due to the islands and the rugged bays, Denmark has a relatively long coastline of 7,314 km.
Work – job offer
Perhaps things are not going as well as one is used to in the Danish labor market, the job satisfaction rate, but it is among the highest in Europe. Denmark’s labor market combines flexibility with social security for all workers. Everyday work is characterized by flat hierarchies, teamwork and relaxed, friendly cooperation.
All Danish employers are legally obliged to provide you with an employment contract. You are entitled to a contract if you have been employed for at least one month and more than eight hours a week.
Denmark has one of the highest wages in the EU. However, these are reduced to a moderate level by high taxes. In many cases it is easy to get a job because there are no bureaucratic hurdles and you do not need a work permit. It should be noted, however, that not all German training courses are recognized here. Before starting work, you should apply for a tax card (e-tax card) from the responsible tax authority. If you do not do this, the employer pays a tax of 60%.
Everyone who works in Denmark pays income tax. To ensure this, it is necessary to apply for an electronic tax card from the Danish Customs and Tax Administration (SKAT). Without this tax card, the employer will automatically deduct 55 percent tax from your salary. You can find more detailed information on applying for the tax card at https://www.skat.dk/
As an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, the step into self-employment is made easy. To do this, you need to register your company with the Danish Commerce and Companies Agency. You can do this online at virk.dk (this page only exists in Danish).
There is a particular need for skilled workers in the catering, agriculture and healthcare sectors. Craftsmen, construction workers and engineers are also wanted. The employment office or the central office for job placement and the European Employment Services (Eures) can help with the job search.
If you pay into Denmark’s unemployment fund yourself, you can also take advantage of Denmark’s extensive unemployment insurance, as the following graphic shows (unfortunately only in English at the moment). If you click on the graphic, you will find more information in English on the skift-a-kasse.dk website.
As in Germany, there is a statutory health insurance requirement in Denmark if you have a job. In comparison to Germany, however, Denmark only has state health insurance. To take advantage of this, you should register with the residents’ registration office as soon as possible and apply for a health insurance card. Since the exhibition can take some time, you should cover yourself with a foreign health insurance for the transition period.
Homeschooling, homeschooling, free learning
An increasingly popular alternative to normal school attendance is homeschooling (home tuition or home tuition) or free learning (unschooling). In Denmark, home schooling is legally controlled by the school as an alternative to the compulsory public school system. Inspections are mandatory every year unless specific arrangements have been made.
One possibility to be examined is to have the children taught at home in German by the Wilhelm von Humboldt Online Private School. This means that children can be taught according to the German curriculum by teachers who are accredited in Germany and thus be prepared for the secondary school leaving certificate and the Abitur – information HERE.
