For years, a Brit who wanted to live in Copenhagen did what any European did: showed up, registered, started work. Since Brexit, it is a different story, and the Danish immigration pages are blunt about it. This guide to moving to Denmark from the UK explains what changed, what permits exist, and how health, driving, tax and property work for British citizens, including Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish.
One caution first: the position of Britons who settled in Denmark before 2021 depends on the Withdrawal Agreement, and individual cases differ. Check your own file with SIRI.
Why is moving to Denmark from the UK different now?
SIRI, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration, has a page for citizens of the EU, the EEA, Switzerland and the Nordic countries. It says in so many words that UK citizens cannot apply for EU residence. That route, described in the EU residence document guide, is closed to you if you arrive now.
In practice, it means a British arrival is treated like any non-EU citizen: you need a residence and work permit before you start, and your paperwork follows the sequence residence permit, address, CPR number. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are another matter again: see our separate guide.
What work permit do you need?
SIRI's Work pages list several schemes. The best-known is the Pay Limit Scheme. In 2026 it requires a job offer in Denmark with an annual salary of at least DKK 552,000, a figure that SIRI regulates every year on 1 January. Only cash salary, guaranteed fixed supplements, labour-market pension contributions and holiday allowance count. A company car, a canteen or a phone do not.
Other conditions: a job of at least 30 hours a week, pay and terms no worse than the standard in your field, and your salary paid into a Danish bank account in your own name, which you open within 180 days. Some professions need a Danish authorisation first. The fee is DKK 6,810, and the normal processing time is one month, up to three if SIRI needs more information.
Other schemes exist for different profiles, and the thresholds change. Look at SIRI's Work page and choose "the scheme that suits you" before accepting a job offer that depends on a permit. Unpaid work and sideline jobs also need a permit.
If you are weighing a job offer and are unsure whether it fits a scheme, Moovy can help you read the conditions and draft a precise question to SIRI, or to your future employer about the contract. It prepares the message in Danish with an English translation; you review it and send it yourself.
What about healthcare for a British resident?
Once you hold the permit and your CPR number, the yellow health card follows, usually two to three weeks after the registration, and most examinations and treatments are free. See healthcare in Denmark.
If you receive a UK state pension, the S1 route applies. According to GOV.UK, you request an S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services and register it in Denmark with Udbetaling Danmark, which gives you access to the health card. For other British residents, ask Udbetaling Danmark which country pays for your care, because it depends on your situation.
Can you drive on your UK licence?
For a limited time. The usual rule for non-EU licences is that you can drive for 180 days after you settle, then you must exchange the licence at your Borgerservice. Whether you must pass a test depends on the date of issue and the category, and the rules for British licences have changed since Brexit. The fee and the exact conditions change too, so confirm them with your Borgerservice or the Danish Road Traffic Authority before you book.
A British-plated car is another matter. A car from a non-EU country faces 10 per cent customs duty and 25 per cent VAT in addition to Denmark's registration tax. Run a simulation first.
What are the rules for tax, pensions and property?
Denmark taxes residents on their worldwide income. For the interaction with UK tax, check the double taxation agreement on skat.dk, since the rules differ by type of income. Skattestyrelsen's "First steps" page covers the new-resident basics.
On property, the EU exemption no longer applies to you. Civilstyrelsen requires permission to buy a home if you have no Danish domicile and have not lived in Denmark for a total of five years. For a main home the permission is for a specific property, and it requires that you reside legally in Denmark and live in the home. A holiday home is much harder. See buying property in Denmark.
Can you start a business or retire as a British citizen?
Creating a company does not give you the right to live in Denmark. Erhvervsstyrelsen, the business agency, and the immigration rules agree on this: a British founder still needs a residence permit that allows the activity, and the SIRI pages say which permit fits self-employment.
For retirement, the Danish state pension is earned by residence, not by contributions. The rules of coordination between the UK and Denmark mean that British periods count toward the minimum, so that someone with at least three years of qualifying periods in the covered countries, of which at least one year in Denmark, can claim a share of the folkepension. Each country pays its own part. Udbetaling Danmark can tell you how your own periods count, and the S1 route for your UK pension is described under healthcare above.
What about unemployment insurance?
Danish unemployment insurance is voluntary and run through the a-kasse funds. Ask your fund how your British insurance periods count, because the position of a Briton who arrives after Brexit is not spelled out on Lifeindenmark. One rule is clear: since 1 January 2021, looking for a job in the UK while drawing Danish unemployment benefit is only possible if you had a right of residence there on 31 December 2020. The basics are in working in Denmark.
What should you prepare before you leave the UK?
A list of practical documents helps: your birth certificate and marriage certificate where relevant, an official translation if a Danish authority asks for one, a copy of your driving licence with its date of issue, your UK pension statements if you are retired, and the S1 if you qualify. Tell HMRC and the NHS that you are leaving, and keep your UK address until you have a Danish one. Remember that Denmark asks new residents to declare worldwide assets and income once they are fully taxable, so gather your account and pension statements before the first tax assessment.
What is the checklist for moving to Denmark from the UK?
- Secure a job that fits a permit scheme, or another basis for residence.
- Apply to SIRI for the permit before you move.
- Find a home and register for the CPR number once you can legally reside.
- Get the health card, MitID, tax card and bank account. The sequence is in the moving to Denmark guide.
- Plan your driving licence exchange within 180 days.
Moving to Denmark from the UK takes more preparation than it once did, but the system is predictable. Get the permit right and the rest of the system is the same as for everyone else.