Prior to arrival

Employment

After you have been offered employment at the University of Copenhagen, the personnel administrator of your future department will send you a form that you must fill in carefully and return to the sender. When filling in this form, it is important that you provide us with the names of the school or university where you obtained your BA Degree, MA Degree and PhD Degree, if applicable, as well as your graduation dates. Please also list the names of previous employers and the exact periods of employment as well as average working hours per week. HR-LIFE will calculate your salary level based on this information in accordance with the collective agreement of The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

HR-LIFE will issue your letter of employment prior to your employment with the University of Copenhagen. This letter will state your period of employment, working hours, salary level and information on your pension scheme, the Danish Holiday Act and Employer’s and Salaried Employee’s Act. It might also include special conditions that apply to your position.

Salary

Scientific staff members are generally appointed in accordance with the collective agreement (AC) for academics employed by the state, with the special provisions laid down in the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.

Your total salary consists of a basic pay rate based on your seniority. One year’s seniority equals one year of full-time academic employment (or a minimum of 15 hours per week) counted after you have obtained a Masters degree. When employed as a scientific staff member in accordance with the provisions of the Job Structure (i.e. Research Assistant, PhD, Postdoc, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor), you will receive by default a centrally-agreed supplement attached to the specific job category. In addition to the basic payment and job category supplements, the collective agreement and the university wage policy allow for further supplements. It is the responsibility of your department to decide on further supplements. In such cases, a negotiation between you, your trade union representative and your department will take place.

Your salary is paid in arrears and will be transferred to your Danish bank account by the end of each month.

Residence and work permits/visas

If your stay at the University of Copenhagen is less than three months from the day of your entry to Denmark, and you are here for research or teaching purposes, you do not need to obtain a residence and work permit. However, if you are a citizen of a country where a visa to Denmark is required, this must be obtained prior to your entry to Denmark. For more information on countries with visa requirements, go to www.nyidanmark.dk. This is a website of The Danish Immigration Services containing all kinds of relevant information about living and working in Denmark.

 

Please note that any changes in the basis on which your residence and work permit has been granted must be communicated to the authorities and to your department.

 

Third-country nationals

If you are a citizen of a third-country (i.e. if you are from outside the Nordic countries or outside the EU/EEA), and your stay in Denmark is longer than three months, you must obtain a residence and work permit for Denmark prior to your employment.

The application form is called ST2, and is filled in partly by your department and partly by you. The personnel administrator of your department will send you a form that has been partly filled in (part 2), and you will need to fill in the remaining information (part 1). You must submit your application by visiting the Danish diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate general) in your current country of residence or the country where you have legally stayed for the last three months and take the completed form with you.

You will need to take the following:
1. Your valid passport
2. Two passport photos
3. Your application form (both parts 1 and 2).

If you are already residing legally in Denmark, you should submit your application to the Service Centre of The Danish Immigration Services in Copenhagen or by visiting the International Citizen Service East in Copenhagen. If you are living outside Copenhagen, you can submit your application to the local police station.

 

You will find that you must pay a fee to the Danish Immigration Service when submitting your application.

Accompanying spouses, registered partners or cohabiting partners and accompanying children over the age of 18 living at home must apply individually for a residence and work permit. ISM advises you to submit your own application and the applications of your family members at the same time. The applications must be submitted to the local Danish diplomatic mission prior to departure from your current country of residence. You can download the relevant form at www.nyidanmark.dk.

 

EU/EEA citizens
As an EU/EEA citizen, you can reside in Denmark under the EU regulations on free movement of persons and services. However, if you are staying for a period of three months or longer, an EU registration certificate is required.

As obtaining an EU registration certificate is the first step towards settling in Denmark, you are advised to apply for the EU registration certificate within five days of arriving in Denmark. The process of obtaining a CPR number (which is a Danish personal ID number)and opening a bank account will otherwise be delayed, and payment of your salary could also be delayed. You must apply for your registration certificate with your regional State Administration (in Danish: Statsforvaltningen).

Before visiting the regional State Administration, please ask the personnel administrator of your department to print out and fill in the registration certificate application form. The same form can also be used by members of your family applying for registration certificates at the same time as you.

You will need to take the following:
1. Your valid passport or national ID card
2. Two passport photos
3. A letter from the University of Copenhagen (your department will provide you with this document)
4. Your application form.

The University of Copenhagen has entered into an agreement with the regional State Administration in Copenhagen. This means that all applications must be handled within two weeks of the date on which you submit your registration certificate application.

 

If you are living in Copenhagen, you can use the municipality’s service called International Citizen Service East instead of visiting the State Administration. You can read more about the International Citizen Service East in Copenhagen in the chapter “Upon arrival”.

EU citizens are nationals of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus (only the Greco-Cypriot territory), the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

EEA nationals are nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Nationals of Switzerland are covered by the same rules as EU/EEA citizens.

 

Nordic citizens

Citizens of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are free to enter, reside, study and work in Denmark. They do not need a visa, residence or work permit. However, as a citizen of one of the Nordic countries, you must still register with the local civil registration office.

 

Fees

From 1 January 2011 you will normally have to pay a fee for submitting an application for a residence permit, an appeal or a request to reopen a case in the areas of family reunification, studies and work. You can read more here.

 

Housing

LIFE assists all international guests - students and staff - in finding accommodation while in Copenhagen. Visit the Housing Department's homepage.

 

Bringing your pet

If you wish to bring your pet with you to Denmark, you must contact your local veterinarian in your country of residence prior to your departure to ensure that all requirements are met. If you are departing from an EU country, you can enter Denmark with a dog, cat or ferret without any pre-arrangements as long as your pet has a microchip or tattoo, holds a valid EU pet passport and has a valid rabies vaccination.

Other rules apply to pets arriving from third-countries.

More information on bringing pets into Denmark is available at the Danish Food and Veterinary Administration's homepage.