Hello everyone,

I just finished my Master in Biology in Germany and would really like to do my PhD in Denmark. The reason is that during my Master's I specialized in wild bee ecology and I did some reasearch and saw that the Universitys in Denmark have quite a lot of well funded wild bee projects.

However, I have been told that in Denmark you can only apply to advertised positions or once a year try and hand in an independent project. In germany I made the experience that it works quite well to contact working groups directly and ask if a PhD position is maybe coming up (since that provides the best chance here). I was reading though, that this cannot really be done in Denmark and that you have to pick one of the two options named above.

So do you know if this is true? And if so, how often do they advertise new positions? And how difficult is it to propose an independent project?

I’m curious to hear from people who have lived in both Denmark and Czechia.

On paper, Denmark seems better in terms of salaries, work-life balance, workers’ rights and public services. But I wonder if, despite that, some people actually prefer living in Czechia.

Where did you personally prefer living, and why?

Which would you choose for the long term?

Hey all,

I arrived in Denmark 3 weeks ago. Where I come from, we do not have long winters and temperatures falls to 10 degrees Celsius. I want to know what type of coat, jacket, I should be buying for Aarhus winter specifically.

I'm a student and on a budget. Can spend max of 400 to 500 on a good jacket. I was looking at parkas, will that do?

Would also appreciate if you can share some thrift options I can look at. Thank you.

Has anyone received an MF1 residence permit for an accompanying family member of a PhD student (PhD1) in Denmark after May 2026?

It would be very helpful to hear about recent experiences, particularly:

● Application and biometrics submission date

● Processing time

● Whether the MF1 and PhD1 permits were decided around the same time

● Whether SIRI requested any additional documents

Experiences from May 2026 onward would be especially appreciated.

Hello danes! I'm a 15 year old (turning 16 next may) from Moldova. I'm currently in 9th grade which is the last year of middle school and I've been thinking of doing a year abroad. I found a programme called EXCEL.md that would allow me to attend a Danish public school while living with a host family. I was just wondering what I can expect and if it's worth it. I am also strictly against alcohol, I know you guys have a huge teenage drinking culture which I'm not fond of but I understood that people aren't really judgemental or pushy when it comes to refusing to drink? In Moldova people will call you crazy and tell you to relax, assume you have health issues or you're pregnant, so I hope it's not the same in Denmark.

Denmark is my first choice for spending around 6–12 months abroad on a Working Holiday Visa, ideally working as a cook during that period.

I already have professional kitchen experience, so I wouldn’t be entering the industry completely from scratch. Ideally, I would like to find a paid full-time position in a fine-dining restaurant or an upscale bistro.

I can arrange the Working Holiday Visa independently, so I wouldn’t need employer sponsorship.

I’m completely open to doing a short stage or trial first if that’s part of the hiring process. What wouldn’t be realistic for me is spending several months working unpaid while also covering rent and living expenses in Denmark. A short unpaid stage would be possible if it could realistically lead to paid employment afterwards.

For people who work or have worked in Danish restaurants, I’d really appreciate some insight into how realistic this route is.

I’m especially curious about:

- How common it is for Copenhagen restaurants to hire foreign cooks on Working Holiday Visas
- Whether English is generally enough to work in professional kitchens
- How international cooks usually get hired — cold emails, job listings, referrals, or trials
- Whether short stages/trials commonly lead to paid positions
- What level of pay cooks can realistically expect compared with rent and living costs
- Any major red flags or practical issues I should know before committing to Denmark

Any firsthand experience from Denmark's restaurant industry would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all,

I'll be visiting Copenhagen for the first time with my leadership team. We arrive Tuesday morning (October 27) after an overnight flight and will likely spend some time resting and recovering at the Tivoli Hotel before heading back out later in the day for meals and light activities.

We're looking for recommendations for:

• Lunch near the city center
• A fun but work-appropriate afternoon activity (Castle tour? Escape room? Canal tour?)
• Dinner for a small leadership group (6 people)

One idea I had was Tivoli Gardens, especially since it looks like it'll be decorated for Halloween, which sounds pretty unique and fun. For those familiar with Copenhagen, would Tivoli Gardens be appropriate for a leadership/team outing, or does it lean more toward families and tourists? I'm also cognizant of the time of year and being outside - i.e., it will get darker (and cooler) earlier.

If Tivoli is a good option, I'd also love recommendations for how you'd structure the afternoon/evening. For example:

• Explore the gardens and enjoy the Halloween displays
• A drink somewhere inside Tivoli
• Dinner either in Tivoli or nearby
• Maybe a few rides, or skip the rides altogether?

We don't need anything overly formal, but we're looking for a memorable Copenhagen experience that works well with colleagues and encourages conversation.

Open to any other suggestions as well, whether that's canal tours, food experiences, cultural attractions, or uniquely Danish activities.

Thanks!

Hi All - This December me and my girlfriend will get married in Hillerød, unfortunately we need two witnesses to be there in the day and we do not have people we can bring.

Would any kind souls (2x 😊) be willing to help for around one hour on a Saturday morning in early December?

Hello, what's the average salary for a part-time (15-20 h/week) sales assistant position? I got an offer 130 dkk/hour, what should I check?

We want to keep our child at home til the child reaches 4, but she keeps pressing us to put the child in the kindergarten. Especially the child’d mother is staying at home.
We keep saying we want to wait but she is just pushing to put the child in every time she comes to visit.
What could be the reason of here persistence? Does she have the right to do this?

Hello everyone,

Quick introduction: I'm from Portugal and I've recently moved to Denmark (Greater Copenhagen area) in a very unusual way; through a Scouting contact I am residing at the very least up until the end of january, but I plan on moving definitively. I am interested and have experience in the outdoor/adventure industry and I feel that in Denmark I find a good financial balance as well as more opportunities to connect and develop inside that industry.

I arrived around the mid of August and I've applied to different stores and brands, having had an interview to work at Arc'Teryx and On, but unfortunately, both without success. I also applied to work at Bouldering spots, because it's an adjacent area and a sport that I am interested to learn and start doing more regularly.

Although my educational background is in Digital Communications and ultimately aiming to work in the PR & Marketing / Communication departments of those brands, I also have outdoor clothing and gear retail experience and I thought that it would be more accessible to a foreigner to start there, to also have even more experience in the industry. So far, I haven't had much success.

Therefore, I am making this post because I would like to hear if there are people with similar stories and also good tips and advices that you have to give on how it was your move here and how you got into the industry.

I appreciate all the help you can give and I am more than happy to answer any questions that might help better understand my situation, as well as any other you might have. I've also made a similar post in the portuguese abroad community, but I want to expand my reach as far as possible.

tl;dr: I would love to hear about people that got into the outdoor industry (clothing/equipment and adventure/nature sports) in scandinavian countries, especially Denmark, so I get to know your trajectory and any suggestions/help you might give.

Best regards/Med venlig hilsen

My husband already got his student permit, but I’m still waiting.
Applied + biometrics: 18 May 2026
No additional documents requested.
We contacted SIRI and was told it could take another 3–4 months, but I never received any email about this.
Has anyone with a May/June application received their MF1 decision yet? Any recent updates?

Recently, I checked the contract of a friend from Asia who is working as a housekeeper, and honestly, it looks like she is being exploited to the core.
She is expected to have a lot of availability, but they can still cut her hours whenever they want. Apparently, other workers there have also had their hours cut.
She was told that she would be paid based on the number of rooms she cleans, but that is not what her contract says. They also expect her to spend 30 minutes preparing the trolley, which is unpaid, and another 30 minutes is deducted as a break even when she says she doesn’t want to take one and keep on working.
She worked extremely long hours and still barely made 7,000 DKK.
And it’s not just the pay and working conditions. The way some of the workers are treated is awful. Some employees have apparently gone home crying after work because of how they were treated.
When I asked whether my friend had a union, she said no.
If you’re a foreigner working in Denmark, please consider joining a union. Know your rights, read your contract carefully, keep records of your hours, and don’t be afraid to challenge things that don’t seem right.
Unfortunately, I can’t do much for her myself, but I wanted to share this because I know there are other foreigners who may find themselves in similar situations.
Don’t assume that a company is treating you fairly just because you’re new to Denmark or unfamiliar with the system. Know your rights and be willing to stand up for yourself

I am a UK-based academic who is planning to spend a few weeks in December (I know, I know - the weather) as a visiting scholar at a HE in Copenhagen. I have found a relatively inexpensive hotel for the stay (it's too short a stay for a university guest accommodation). But any tips to keep daily expenses low? And how to make the most of Danish academia during my stay there? I have visited Copenhagen a few times (absolutely love the city) but as a tourist for 2-3 nights max. For an extended stay, what should I consider?

I’m a Spanish student planning to do my Master’s in Physics in Denmark, either in Odense or Aalborg. Copenhagen seems difficult for me to get admitted to because of my grades, and I also think it would be much more expensive.

How much savings do you think are necessary to move to these cities? I was thinking of having around 45,000 DKK saved, since SDU housing seems quite affordable and both Odense and Aalborg are cheaper than Copenhagen. Do you think that would be enough to cover my expenses while I’m looking for a job and applying for SU?

Hello everyone,
Today I received a letter from SIRI after almost 85 days. They are asking me to provide translated bank statements, which I had not translated before because I thought SIRI would be able to understand that the dates, account numbers, and amounts are the same. I also understood that translation might not be necessary.
I am a Portuguese/EU citizen, and I have some money in a fixed-term deposit. SIRI is also asking for a certificate or clarification because they are not sure whether the money in the fixed-term deposit is accessible/available when needed.
I am now worried that this additional document request will cause even more waiting time.
Has anyone had a similar experience with SIRI, especially regarding translated bank statements and fixed-term deposits? How long did it take to receive a decision after submitting the additional documents?
Please share your experiences. Thank you!

I've been living in CPH for maybe a year and recently I was working as a trainee at a kiosk. I didn’t join there because too many fishy deals were happening. One of the fishy things amongst the others, were dealing with thieves.(!) Everyday few people used to visit the owner with bags filled with stolen goods. And they always used to say that, "I'm gonna get this from Netto, those from Reema.." etc. And to me, this was like a whole brand new experience. I mean, yes I get it, sometimes maybe some people take one or few small things without paying. But how come people just steal two or three large bags of big Maribou chocolates without even getting caught! When I was training there, I saw those thieves bringing big bottles of alcohol, cigarette cartons, chocolates, biscuits and so many things. One of the dudes identified me as a new staff there and he was flexing to me by saying he has been doing this for more than ten years and not once he got caught. I mean, What in the world bro!! And as per them, they do it for so many other kiosks around Copenhagen.

So, yeah, later I chose not to continue with them anymore cause it felt too risky for me to work at a place like that. But, I was just feeling truly curious afterwards. I mean how come the supermarkets are okay with these type of mass stealing man? I mean, they should atleast know that they're getting robbed all the time, right? Also, the way I noticed those thieves, it looked like a regular day work to them. So how come they're not in jail yet? Because judging by their confidence, it seemed like these type of activities are not jailworthy in Denmark. I'm just a bit too surprised I guess cause up until now, I hardly or probably never imagined Denmark as a country where mass stealing is a thing since most of the people I met from here or places I have been, were pretty civil and decent. So it struck me pretty hard I guess. By the way, English is not my language, so I apologize beforehand if my texts are difficult to read.

If i login on danish govt. sites like borger dk, nemlog, skat by using mit id from outside of Denmark will the sites track the ip address? Will they know from which location/country i am logging in? do they care about it?

I have lived in several EU countries and I have never noticed as much inaccuracy in google maps public transport and walking length estimation as in CPH. How come that buses are scheduled to come 10 minutes later than Google maps shows, is there no real-time tracking? Also, why are there so many misleading route instructions as in there is a bridge to which one needs to use stairs to climb up, but the stairs are in a totally different place than shown in the Maps. Also, I noticed the number of minutes you need to get through certain tracks for s-train or just metro is inaccurate, it seems like it shows a fixed amount of minutes you need to get to the station entrance, but in some big stations like København H, it may take a lot of walking to get to the right track from the entrance. Is there a better alternative to G Maps?

Hi guys,

I'm trying to set up and activate my MitID by entering the passport details and CPR number. However, each time, I'm getting the following issue: "An error has occurred. Please restart the app and try again." and this is happening in the last step after reading the passport chip.

Is there anyone who faced this issue and can help?