Hvorfor Danmark

Du har sikkert hørt et sted at danskene er de lykkeligste menneskene i verden. Og det er mest sannsynlig sant. Danmark er også kjent for sin raffinerte design og syklistkultur. Vi liker å tenke på det som et land med en sunn balanse mellom arbeid og privatliv og et perfekt sted å ha en familie. 

Basic Facts about Denmark

Denmark has a population of 5.831 million people, its capital is Copenhagen and their currency is the danish krone. It’s integrated for the peninsula of Jutland and numerous islands of 443 to be exact and their climate is temperate, with cold winters and slightly warm summers with about 22º degrees. 

The landscape in Denmark is characterized by flat land with low elevation of about 32 meter over the sea level, sandy coasts and huge forest, it’s so little that you’re close to of all these things to choose the one that most call you.

5 curiosities about Denmark

1. It has the oldest flag in the world: With more than 800 years, it is the oldest flag still used by an independent nation.
2. Denmark has the two oldest amusement parks in the world: Bakken and Tivoli Bakken is 20 minutes outside of Copenhagen and Tivoli is right next to the central station. So it’s the perfect place to have a really fun weekend with these parks.
3. LEGO was invented by a dane: Ole Kirk Christiansen invented LEGO in 1949 and you can visit the original LEGOLAND here.
4. Their harbours water is so clean you can swim in it: Not only the copenhagen harbour has a cristal clear water but also other big cities like Århus, Odense og Aalborg.
5. LGBT friendly: Denmark was the first country to legalize same-sex unions in 1989 and same sex marrieage since 2012

Cozy culture in Denmark

Denmark, the progressive country, is worldwide recognized for its values, for being cosmopolitan, well educated and open-minded. It’s the happiest country in the world and equality is very important here, almost all the families belong to the middle class and the poverty percentage is low. Danish love that cosy and warm feeling and even have their own word for that “Hygge”. Denmark has zero mountains, however, they have beautiful landscapes and forests and it’s almost impossible not to see the sea, that makes it a great country for cycling and it’s a popular practice there.

Danish in general have a mindset about equity that means no one is better than the other, this rules many aspects of their life, especially jobs, this means you won’t find a cocky boss in Denmark or a haughty attitude towards others. Not only that, but also, Danish have an excellent English level, even the older ones, this is why it’s easier for expats to find a place here and since danish is such a difficult language it doesn’t become an impediment to have a great experience and spend a happy time living in Denmark, in fact, Denmark is one of the firsts countries ranked in the Working Abroad Index and has been more than 4 years continuously in the first position of relatives index. All of these are because of their culture of work and life balance that attracts so many people around the world but also their treatment which is more human-focused.

La oss nevne noen grunner til at vi synes du bør flytte til dette fantastiske og relativt lille landet:

• HYGGE LIVSSTIL
  “Hygge” -konseptet er kjent for de fleste, men hvis du ikke visste det, er det kunsten å bli komfortabel og koselig. Danskene bryr seg virkelig om hjemmene og innredningen, så alt må være i samsvar med hygge-reglene - pent, koselig og hyggelig. Dette inkluderer mange stearinlys, fine møbler, bøker og sosiale aktiviteter som å henge sammen mens du ser på TV, spiller brettspill eller bare drikker vin og spiser (og synger, de elsker å synge, mye). 
• KJÆRLIGHET FOR Sykling
  Danskene elsker å sykle under alle værforhold. Det holder dem i form, sunne og ser bra ut, og sparer dem også penger på unødvendig transport. Så hvis du elsker en god strekk før jobb og har lyst på frisk luft, er Danmark det rette stedet for deg!

The Danish Cuisine

Danish food is varied and has a wide range of fresh products, cereals and meats but almost always have a lot of porkmeat and boiled potatoes. But younger generations opt for a healthier diet. Even though Danes still consume a lot of meat it has become more and more normal for danish families to have “meat-free-meals” every week for climate concerns. Danish lunch is a traditional open-face sandwich called smorrebrod. Cereals such as wheat, barley and rye have been grown in Denmark for at least 1,000 years. Porridge were eaten as staples in most of Denmark, with bread as a luxury. Barley grits were a common evening meal and eaten with brown sugar or butter. Breakfast is an important meal for most danes. Most eat ryebread or oatmeal – and of course drink coffee.

There are two traditions of open-faced sandwiches in Denmark, smørrebrød and koldt bord. The German word “smorrebrot” is Danish for “buttered bread”—the bread is actually toasted or grilled. Slices of rye bread are covered with cured fish, meat or cheese, or a combination of all three, along with raw onion and pickles. 

Danish also love potatoes on their plates, so if you’re looking for tasty balanced food then Denmark may be the best suit for you.

Work in Denmark

Denmark is a highly looked place to work because of their world famous work-life balance, since it’s part of their culture to have a meaningful working time in order to enjoy life, this means that they take into consideration the human side and actually it is proven that happier workers and flexible job normatives result into higher productivity, so here we have some reasons why Denmark is the perfect place to work abroad.

• ARBEIDSFORDELER
  Ja, lønnene her er høyere her enn i resten av EU-landene, men det er ikke bare det. I følge dansk lov får du også minimum 25 dager ferie, og i noen selskaper kan det være opptil 30 dager pluss en nasjonal høytid. Det er ikke uvanlig at de fleste selskaper spiser lunsj eller kantiner, og de får deg dekket. For ikke å glemme den berømte fredagsbaren - noe som danskene bokstavelig talt tilber. Fredagsbaren er muligheten til å få kontakt med kollegene dine og slappe av etter den "lange" arbeidsuken og gli inn i helgen. 
• ARBEIDSLIVSBALANSE
  Familie er veldig viktig for danskene, og det er derfor ikke så komplisert å balansere arbeid og hjemmeliv. En vanlig arbeidsuke er fra mandag til fredag, og kontortid er vanligvis mellom klokken 8 og 17. Kvinner jobber i gjennomsnitt 35 timer i uken sammenlignet med 41 timer i uken for menn, men generelt er det 37 timer per uke. Ettersom familiens liv til ansatte generelt blir respektert av danske arbeidsgivere, er det ikke uvanlig at mange danske arbeidsplasser gir deg muligheten til å justere arbeidstiden din ut fra familiens behov. Det er ganske vanlig at danskene bor relativt nær arbeidsplassen, noe som betyr at mindre tid blir brukt på pendling.
• GRATIS STUDIER OG HELSEHJELP
  Det er ikke et mysterium at eksklasser elsker Danmark på grunn av dets gratis studieprogrammer og gratis helsetjenester. Danmark har et statlig helsevesen. Finansiering, planlegging og ledelse er myndighetene. Tjenestene finansieres gjennom inntektsskatt, og det er bare en lovlig statlig helseforsikring. Hvis du har bosted i Danmark og betaler skatt, vil du også være forsikret i Danmark. Ingen separate helseforsikringsgebyrer må betales. Folkehelseforsikringen dekker sykehusinnleggelse og medisinsk konsultasjon og subsidierer også medisiner og en rekke behandlinger. 

Denmark is one of the most popular international study locations in Europe thanks to its low study costs, high-quality English-taught degree courses and innovative teaching methods. Higher education in Denmark is free for all Bachelor’s and Master’s students coming from the EU/EEA area and for students participating in an exchange programme in Denmark.

Taxes in Denmark 

Once you get a job in Denmark, it’s important to get your danish tax card and personal tax number, you can visit this site for further information about what document you will need and the correct time to do it. The taxes in Denmark are considerably higher than the rest of europe, but also it’s the country with the highest acceptance rate to tax increases since their people consider they see the results of their contributions in they day-to-day. 

The percentage of income taxes in Denmark go up to 52.06% (55.89% including AM tax, which is also income tax for DTT purposes) in 2021. However, you won’t end up paying this much since a number of deductions are applicable; therefore the rate is lower.

Renting in Denmark

Finding accommodation in Denmark is quite difficult if you’re thinking in the big cities like Copenhagen or Arhaus. So you may find different options between furnished and unfurnished apartments but we recommend you to be open to share flats since it’s more possible to happen. In Denmark, it is common that the tenant pays a security deposit of 1-2 months rent. This deposit is refunded at the end of the lease. It is common practice to put the deposit in the form of a bank guarantee, which is the easiest way to ensure the security deposit is returned. However, it is not necessary to put the deposit in the form of a bank guarantee.

Tips to find accommodation in Denmark:

1. Get all your documents ready: Your Passport and work contract are a must.
2. Network: Try to tell your coworkers about your searching in case they know about some opportunity
3. Explore in Facebook groups: we recommend you consider flatsharing if you choose to live in Copenhagen, and in Facebook you can find several groups of renting and sharing apartments.
4. Visit the website lejebolig: This website is the best one to find accommodation in Denmark in case you weren’t lucky with facebook groups.
5. Register your CPR number: Make sure your landlord allows you to register your CPR number in order to be able to get healthcare insurance

However, the Danish government is very interested in securing a smooth stay in their country, that’s why they launched this website to help all those expats to get used to the lifestyle there.

Living cost in Denmark.

Many expats choose Denmark because of their work-life balance and benefits, and you can see this yourself by just studying their cost of living and compare them to their wages. In denmark there is not a minimum wage, however depending on the city you’re working the minimum payment rounds around DKK 17.000 (EUR 2.280) and DKK 21.280 (EUR 2.861), then you can subtract the costs of accommodation, leisure, transportation, phone expenses, services, socializing and food which rounds around DKK 13.400 (EUR 1.800) and you can see there is a general profit even considering the minimum wage. If you want to know more about the livingcost in Copenhagen you can visit our article to have a better understanding of the general expenses in one of the busiest cities in Denmark.

Expats in Denmark

Live in Denmark is a great experience considering so many beneficial aspects that are part of their life style, and it’s even proven by many worldwide studies like an study conducted by Expat Insider and published in the Expat Insider 2016 Annual Report, that shows that expats in Denmark are generally satisfied with their lives here, with 9 out of 10 expats saying they are happy or very happy with their life in Denmark. So you can see that living in Denmark as an expat is most of all comforting.

However, if you want to be part of this, you can look in social media for expats living in Denmark and join groups and meetings, that way you can hear all the tips and recommendations people have and also you expand your network, which will be useful to find better opportunities.

Language in Denmark

Learning danish will allow you to have a better understanding of the country and it’s useful for reunions and social events, but also it brings extra points during your work search. However, it is not necessary if you don’t expect to live in Denmark for too long. In the other hand if you plan to stay in Denmark, there are several ways to learn danish for free, with public and private organizations to offer this service around the country, but also there’s a way to learning online like Danish Online studies at IA Sprog, Learn Danish online with the Copenhagen Language Center, and Vestegnens Sprog & Kompetencecenter that all offer courses as online long distance learning.

Why Here

As you can see, Denmark is a dream destination for those who seek balance, comfort, and organization but also having the opportunity to explore different cultures and landscapes in just one region. Working abroad will give you the opportunity to gain experience, learning a new language and new customs that will surely forge your personality in a different way than just following the standar life-path of your community, and doing it in Denmark will give that open mindset necessary to face all the challenges in your life and to think out of the box. If you want some help finding job opportunities in Denmark just look at our offers in Aalborg, København og Arhaus

Hva venter du på?

Kontakt oss så prøver vi å få deg ombord for en perfekt start i dette drømmelandet som heter Danmark: ljs@jobsqd.com