Working in Denmark

Got a job in Denmark? Follow these steps

Have you just got a job in Denmark? Find out more about the practical steps you need to take and what you must consider.

Social insurance if you work in Denmark

Being affiliated with the social insurance system of a country means that you are eligible for benefits such as parental allowance, sickness benefit and other benefits in that country. If you work full-time in Denmark and live in Sweden, you follow the general rule that you are affiliated with the system in Denmark, the country in which you work.

Social security when working in both Denmark and Sweden

A person is only entitled to social security in one country. According to the general rule, this is in the country where you physically perform your work. If you have a job in both Denmark and Sweden at the same time, your social security affiliation depends on how much you work in each respective country.

CPR number - Danish personal tax and ID number

How to apply for a CPR number depends on your situation. There are different application procedures depending on if you plan to live in Denmark, or if you plan to commute to your job in Denmark.

Public holidays 2023 – in Sweden and Denmark

In Øresunddirekt's unique comparison of Danish and Swedish holidays 2023, you will quickly get an overview of which days during the year are holidays in both Denmark and Sweden, and which holidays are unique for each country.

Public holidays 2024– in Sweden and Denmark

In Øresunddirekt's unique comparison of Danish and Swedish holidays 2024, you will quickly get an overview of which days during the year are holidays in both Denmark and Sweden, and which holidays are unique for each country.

Open a Danish bank account – when working in Denmark

When you start working in Denmark, you should open a Danish bank account in order to be paid, as your Danish employer usually doesn't want to pay your salary into a Swedish account. Do it as soon as possible so you can get your salary. It is important that your bank account is a NemKonto.

Sick leave and sickness benefits in Denmark

In Denmark there is no sick pay deduction as in Sweden when you get sick. Read about your right to full pay during illness and when you are entitled to Danish sickness benefits.

Child care when you work in Denmark

There are no rules in Denmark that match the Swedish rules about care for a sick child (VAB). This means that you are not always entitled to paid leave to look after a sick child. Many employment contracts nevertheless allow employees to stay at home one or a few days with a sick child while receiving full pay.

Guide to Danish and Swedish authorities

A brief introduction to the authorities and websites that you might need to contact if you commute between Sweden and Denmark for work.

Danish income tax - a short introduction

You pay tax in Denmark if you work there, regardless of whether you live in Denmark or Sweden. Taxation of your salary is done in the country where you actually perform your work, and not where the employer is situated, whereas other income will be taxed in the country you live in. Danish income tax consists of AM-bidrag, municipal tax, health system contribution (sundhedsbidrag), and state tax.

Guide to the Danish tax assessment notice (årsopgørelse)

If you work in Denmark and live in Sweden, you must file a tax return in both Denmark and Sweden. In collaboration with the Danish Tax Agency, we have produced a guide to help you fill in the Danish tax assessment notice, including information on what you as a cross-border commuter need to include in the tax assessment, and how to handle the tax assessment if you have worked remotely a lot.

Guide to the Swedish income tax return if you work in Denmark and live in Sweden

If you work in Denmark and live in Sweden, you must file tax returns in both Denmark and Sweden. Here you will find information about what you as a cross-border commuter must include in your Swedish tax return and how to handle the return if you have been working remotely.

Taxation when working remote

Do you live in Sweden, work in Denmark, and sometimes work from home? Or do you normally or often work remotely for your Danish employer? In this article you can read more about tax when you work wholly or partly from home.

Declaring tax when working in Denmark

If you work and pay tax in Denmark, you must also declare tax there. You can do this easily online on the website for the Danish Skattestyrelsen with a MitID. If you live in Sweden while working in Denmark, you also have to file an income tax return in Sweden.

Tax in Denmark - tips if you recently got a job

When you begin working in Denmark, you will come into contact with the Danish tax office, Skattestyrelsen. You will get a Danish personal ID number called a "CPR-nummer" , and a "forskudsopgørelse" (a preliminary income assessment).

Deductions - limited tax liability

If you live in Sweden and work in Denmark, you have limited tax liability in Denmark. The deductions you can make as someone with a limited tax liability are somewhat different to the deductions permitted under the cross-border rule.

Deductions - taxation under the cross-border rule

If 75% of your total income (calculated according to special rules) comes from Denmark in one income year, you can decide to be taxed according to the cross-border rule. The way that you are taxed affects which deductions you have the right to declare on your Danish declaration.

The Danish tax scheme for foreign researchers and highly-paid employees (Forskerordningen)

Employees living in Sweden and working as researchers or key employees in Denmark have the opportunity to be taxed under a special Danish tax, called "forskerordningen".

Parental leave when working in Denmark

As an employee in Denmark, you are subject to the Danish rules when it comes to parental leave.

Shared parental leave in Denmark and Sweden

If you are a family where one parent is working in Sweden and the other is working in Denmark, your parental leave can be allocated in different ways. The countries use a system to deduct the days.

Child benefit when working in Denmark

Whether child benefit is paid primarily in Sweden or Denmark depends on where both parents work and in which country the child lives. Here is a brief introduction about which authority to contact.

Parental allowance for parental leave when working in Denmark

If you are working in Denmark, you have the right to the same economic benefits concerning parental leave as people who live in Denmark.

The right to healthcare when you work in Denmark

Denmark has public healthcare, which means that you are entitled to be treated by a doctor or in a hospital. If you live in Sweden and work in Denmark, you can choose the country in which you wish to be treated.

Visiting a dentist in Denmark

If you live in Sweden and work in Denmark you have the right to use Danish dental care. You will need to present the Danish social insurence card (særligt sundhedskort). I you prefer to use a Swedish dentist, you can request a certificate from Försäkringskassan.

Danish health insurance

Public health insurance in Denmark means that you are entitled to get medical treatment at the doctor and at the hospital for free. Commuters, who live in Sweden and work in Denmark, are normally entitled to healthcare in both countries.

If you get sick in Denmark

In an emergency – call 112. Otherwise you must contact the emergency medical service (“lægevagten”) before going to the hospital. There is no equivalent to the Swedish health centre (“vårdcentral”) – instead you must choose your own doctor (“egen læge”) who is the one you always contact in connection with less serious illness.

The Danish pension scheme

If you work in Denmark, you will earn a Danish pension, as long as you are a citizen in an EU/EEA-country. Danish pension is divided into three parts: one part is public, one is managed by the labour market, and one part is private.

Pension payment when working in Denmark

You apply for your pension in the country of your residence, for both the pension earned in Denmark and Sweden. The exception is if you have only worked in one of the countries. In that case, you must apply for your pension in the country where you received your income.

Danish old age pension and supplements

If you are an EU/EEA-citizen, you have the right to the Danish old age pension for the years you have worked in Denmark, without being a Danish citizen - but you do not automatically have the right to the full old age pension.

Danish labour market pension

You are not automatically covered by the labour market pension, or "company pension" as it is known in Denmark. It is therefore a good idea to check what is stated in your employment contract.

Private pension insurance in Denmark

Many Danish employees take out private pension insurance, which complements the other pension agreements that they have. In Denmark there are three types of pension insurance - alderspension, ratepension and livsvarig livrente.

ATP - arbejdsmarkedets tillægspension in Denmark

In addition to the state pension, ATP (Arbejdsmarkedets Tillægspension) Livslang Pension is paid out to everyone who has lived or worked in Denmark.

FAQ – about Danish pensions

Below we have listed some of the most frequent questions we receive about pension from people working in Denmark. Read the answers and see whether they answer your questions.

An introduction to Danish trade unions

If you work in Denmark, you can become a member of a Danish trade union. Danish trade unions are divided into the so-called “yellow” trade unions, which are not part of a central organization, and traditional trade unions. It is important to remember that a Swedish trade union cannot help you with your work conditions in Denmark.

Member of a Danish a-kasse - if you work in Denmark

If you live in Sweden and start working in Denmark, and want to be unemployment insured, you should become a member of an a-kasse (unemployment insurance fund) in Denmark. It is important that you sign up for a Danish a-kasse on your first working day.

A short introduction to the Danish a-kasse (unemployment insurance funds)

A-kasser (unemployment insurance funds) administer unemployment benefits in Denmark and offer a range of services to their members. In the following, there is a brief introduction to the topic to different Danish a-kasse organisations.

Cultural worker in the Öresund region

If you are working as a cultural worker in the Öresund region, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the special rules and challenges that exist regarding tax, social insurance and unemployment funds (a-kassa). If you have any questions about what applies in your case, you are welcome to contact the Øresunddirekt’s Information Centre for further information.

Tips when you are looking for work in the cultural sector in Denmark

Are you keen to explore the job opportunities on the other side of the Sound? The way to apply for jobs in Denmark is not very different from what it’s like in Sweden. We’ve put together a few tips below that can be useful to bear in mind.

Tax for cultural workers

If you are working as a performin artist or cultural worker in the Öresund region, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the special rules and challenges that exist regarding tax. If you have any questions about what applies in your case, you are welcome to contact the Swedish Tax Agency at Øresunddirekt’s Information Centre for further information.

Opera singer Klara Ek has the entire Öresund region as her workplace

Klara Ek is opera singer, born and raised in Stockholm and educated at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, studied opera at the Stockholm University of the Arts as well as at the Royal College of Music in London.