Moving to Copenhagen: Step-by-step Guide

Copenhagen Street
How to Move to Copenhagen as an EU citizen 

If you’re reading this post, chances are that you’re probably considering, or already in the process of moving to Denmark. You can be assured that you have made a great choice! Denmark has consistently topped both the worldwide quality of life and happiness indexes. There are many reasons for this, ranging from free education to a strong social safety net. After you have spent some time here, you will be sure to have some reasons of your own to add to the list!


No matter how exciting it is to move to Denmark, international moves can be stressful! We have created a guide for EU citizens who are moving to Copenhagen. Not an EU citizen, or moving to another city in Denmark? No worries, this guide should still provide you with the foundation for what you will need to do - you will just need to modify a few things to fit your situation 🙂 

Probably the best guide

Our guide covers everything from the initial steps to the healthcare system - so even if you’ve already begun the process it should be helpful. It also includes a guide to master Danish pronunciation with one simple trick - just kidding but if you figure that out, please let us know!


In the guide, you will find:

  • The prerequisites that you need which are essentially a job contract, and a rental contract.
    🚨 P.S. we can help you with the rental contract if you’re looking for a co-living flat!

  • The online bookings you should make to kickstart getting your essentials such as: Tax Card, CPR number, EU registration*, NemID, and Bank account. It also explains what each of these things are, so don’t worry if it seems overwhelming.  

  • The office appointments that require your attendance such as: States Administration Office (SIRI), International House (Copenhagen’s Kommune), and Bogerservice. The city you live in will determine the branch that you visit, so if you’re moving to another city in Denmark you will need to search for your local branch of those offices 👍

  • The final steps, almost there! Once you’ve got the basics you’ll need to activate your NemID and set up your E-boks (the online mail system that all government agencies use to communicate with you).

The lakes in Copenhagen
Ready, Set, Go

Our guide covers all the steps you need to take to become registered here as an EU citizen. Once you have all that out of the way you can relax and get excited about your move! We have also included some helpful tidbits about the culture, climate, and healthcare system for your reading pleasure!

Each step is an accomplishment, be sure to celebrate your progress along the way! Relocating can be a daunting process, especially at the beginning. We hope that this guide helps you out with the practical aspects.

Some things can’t be explained easily in a guide, like meeting people and finding your community. So if you catch yourself wondering about finding a home and a community in Copenhagen - be sure to reach out to us, that’s one thing we can take off your to-do list ❤️

*If you’re not an EU citizen, New to Denmark is an excellent source for information on all types of Visas which will allow you to work and live in Denmark - we're working on a full guide about this process as well so stay tuned!