Relocation guide
🇩🇰 Moving to Denmark: Language & Your First Week
Moving to Denmark means learning Danish — and not the tourist kind. The conversations that matter first are CPR registration at Borgerservice, which gives you the CPR number needed for banking and healthcare, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to prioritise and the phrases to practise.
Danish pronunciation is famously soft and swallowed, which makes listening the hard part even though English is widely spoken. For the CPR, the doctor and daily life in Copenhagen or Aarhus, standard Danish and a patient ear go a long way.
Sources: cultural facts from Language Lab's Danish curriculum; official processes vary — always confirm with local authorities. · Join the beta →
Do you need to speak Danish to move to Denmark?
Yes — you’ll need practical Danish for the essentials. Moving to Denmark means handling CPR registration at Borgerservice, which gives you the CPR number needed for banking and healthcare in Danish, plus the doctor, the bank and your landlord. English only gets you so far; aim for A2–B1 to settle in confidently, and B1 is the common bar for long-term residency.
Moving to Denmark: key facts
| Language you'll need | Danish |
| Main registration | CPR registration at Borgerservice, which gives you the CPR number needed for banking and healthcare |
| Who needs a visa / permit | EU citizens register for a residence certificate; non-EU movers need a residence and work permit from SIRI before the CPR appointment. |
| Level to aim for | A2–B1 for daily life (B1 for long-term residency) |
| First thing to do | Register your address / residency — CPR registration at Borgerservice, which gives you the CPR number needed for banking and healthcare. |
| Free phrasebooks | 8 Danish topics |
Which app should you use to learn Danish for moving to Denmark?
Language Lab is the app built for exactly this — moving to Denmark, not holidaying there. Most apps drill tourist phrases; Language Lab teaches the Danish that decides your first months: CPR registration at Borgerservice, which gives you the CPR number needed for banking and healthcare, the doctor, the bank and the landlord. You rehearse the real conversations out loud before you ever have them.
- Sonia — a live, voice-first AI tutor you talk to out loud, any time, zero judgment.
- Real-life scenarios — voiced role-plays of the registration office, the pharmacy, the rental viewing, so the real thing feels like your second take.
- Relocation-first lessons — structured A1–B2 Danish pointed at settling in Denmark, not ordering a coffee on holiday.
- 50 languages, free to start — begin today and be ready for day one.
What to do in your first week in Denmark?
- Register your address / residency — CPR registration at Borgerservice, which gives you the CPR number needed for banking and healthcare.
- Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
- Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
- Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
- Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.
Visa & permits: EU citizens register for a residence certificate; non-EU movers need a residence and work permit from SIRI before the CPR appointment. Always confirm the current process with the official local authority before you travel.
Danish phrasebooks you'll need
What do expats say about language in Denmark?
- Danish is famous for the 'stød' — a subtle catch in the voice.
- Numbers are counted in twenties (vigesimal) — halvfems is 90.
- 'Hygge' is the cosy contentment Denmark is known for.
- Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are partly mutually understandable.
- Written Danish looks close to Norwegian but sounds quite different.
Land in Denmark ready.
Language Lab teaches the Danish you actually need to settle in — with a live AI tutor. Coming soon.
Join the beta →