Relocation Special: Living in these corona times

What does it mean to move to Denmark in the wake of the pandemic? The corona policy landscape is rapidly shifting but these bytes of information will guide you through.

Hej, Relocator!

It’s tough moving to a new country. Hell, it’s tough moving to a new table in a restaurant when you’ve already got your starters. What do you bring? What do you leave behind?

You 2.0
At its most extreme, relocating is a factory reset of your life. You’re purged of all routines – the useful as well as the superfluous. The parts of your identity that are tied to your routines are culled too. It’s liberating and scary.

Stepping off the plane you’re reborn like a phoenix – you’re an enigma, a blank slate. No more cigarettes, no more hitting snooze. Maybe you’ll start listening to jazz, drinking natural wine or blogging.

The boundless prospect is thrilling … but also exhausting. When you relocate it doesn’t take long to realise that you are in fact not a completely new person. Modal jazz is just not that catchy and, well, blogging is lame.

Familiar feelings
As you begin to embed yourself in a new city, remnants of your old life resurface. You look for the familiar: you play your favourite radio show on your new commute and find a café that does poached eggs just like your old local.

Relocating isn’t about being reborn. It’s about fitting the old in with the new. That’s why this issue of Relocation is packed with practical tips on getting set up in Denmark, along with guides on culture, hobbies and places to visit to satisfy both your sense of adventure and of belonging.

Plenty to chew on!
Feeling lost on your first day at the office? On page 8 we delve into the unwritten rules of the ‘fællesskab’ – the nebulous feeling of solidarity that acts as social glue in Danish society.

If you’re ungainly on two wheels and view Danish bike lanes as narrow, high-speed corridors of death, then turn to page 16 for a roundup of cycling rules and contacts for adult bike classes. For those considering buying a car, there’s handy information on tax and licensing in the same guide.

One of the greatest and simplest joys of travel is discovering new cuisines. Denmark is no France when it comes to plating up – in fact, the oddities of Danish gastronomy could fill an entire supplement. Read up on Denmark’s food culture – the good, the bad and the ugly – on page 18.
Perhaps you really will be reborn in Denmark as a rugged Nordic hunter-gatherer: in that case you’ll need some pointers on spearfishing, hunting, hiking and sailing in the Danish wilderness. Turn to page 20 to get in touch with your primal self.

There’s plenty more to get your teeth into – tips on schooling, the job market, health system and making friends – so arm yourself with some basic knowledge and then go out there and get stuck in. Who knows, maybe you’ll write a blog about it.

Check out our summer edition of Relocation here.


What’s up, corona?
Many governments have talked about it, but Denmark – bureaucracy capital of the EU – is the first country in Europe to have successfully rolled out a corona-passport strategy.

The ‘passport’ is an app called Min Sundhed. All Danish residents with a CPR number and a yellow health card can access the platform, which holds a record of recent corona tests and their outcomes, vaccinations, and immunity. 

How does it work?
When you go for a test, the result is automatically uploaded. The queue for a quick-test takes around 20 minutes, a result will follow in half an hour and a negative Coronapas is valid for 72 hours.

Your passport grants you access to indoor dining and drinking, cinemas, galleries, museums, haircuts, massages and the like.

What’s open?
Many workplaces are still operating remotely, but schools are back and adult education is operating at a 50 percent capacity. Bars, restaurants, cultural institutions, gyms and small businesses are open – but nightclubs and large capacity festivals are still on hold.

A handful of European countries are cautiously opening for travel, with varying degrees of quarantine-stringency on arrival. Visits abroad look to be possible in the summer, and with Ryanair re-establishing a flight base in Billund, opportunities for low-cost air travel from Denmark to EU destinations will expand in the coming season.

Getting the jab in Denmark
The Danish vaccination scheme garnered early praise for its rapid rollout but is falling behind its EU neighbours’ as Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca have been slashed from the program.

Some policy flip-flopping ensued, putting the vaccination calendar into a state of flux. However, the latest Danish Health Authority estimates are that all eligible residents will have been offered the full vaccine by the end of August.

If everything goes to plan, June and July should see the first of the age groups 20-34 and 35-49 vaccinated – the final groups in the program.

A good time to move
Denmark has kept a lid on its infection rate for many months, executing one of the swiftest lockdown strategies in Europe, and it is enjoying a gradual reopening. It’s a good time to relocate to Denmark.

The winter will undoubtedly see a surge in infection everywhere, but Danish health policy has adapted and innovated admirably so far. Newcomers to Denmark can rest assured that the Danish system errs on the side of caution when it comes to corona rules, and that living here – even under lockdown – is relatively easy.




  • Are you ready to join Denmark’s new national baseball team?

    Are you ready to join Denmark’s new national baseball team?

    Baseball isn’t the first sport that comes to mind when you think of Denmark, but a dedicated group of players and volunteers is changing that. Under the leadership of Jay Cannon, a former professional baseball player from the United States, the Danish national baseball team has recently taken home the Nordic Cup, marking a turning point in the development of the sport in this country. 

  • Danes can live with Trump – but we root for Kamala

    Danes can live with Trump – but we root for Kamala

    You won’t find many Danes who hope Donald Trump wins the presidential election on Tuesday. After all, last time he wanted to buy Greenland from us. But the US is probably Denmark’s best friend in the world, even if the admiration is declining

  • These are expressions Danes resent

    These are expressions Danes resent

    You want to do well at work but find it difficult to understand the terms. Danes often say something that doesn’t quite express what they mean. Here are expressions you need to be aware of – not to use!

  • Government wants to increase pharma and medical exports to 350 billion DKK

    Government wants to increase pharma and medical exports to 350 billion DKK

    In a press conference, Business Minister Morten Bødskov, Interior and Health Minister Sophie Løhde, and Development and Research Minister Christina Egelund presented a strategy for doubling the export of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment from the life science sector

  • Controversy arises over citizenship criteria based on ‘right values’

    Controversy arises over citizenship criteria based on ‘right values’

    Zenia Stampe (Radikale Venstre): “Rarely have I seen something as totalitarian and amateurish”. Birk Olesen (Liberal Alliance) backs his colleague: “Unlimited tolerance will lead to tolerance disappearing”.


  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.