Thinking of moving to denmark in a few years....advice?

Question

I'm thinking of moving to denmark in a few years...i'm a senior in high school, and trying to save up enough to move over there and be somewhat stable financially. i'm not going to worry about shipping a car over or anything, and i probably wont get a car when i move. do you think it'd be better to not get a lot of stuff w/in the next couple of years...live simply and save up and then just start fresh and buy what i need when i get there? or should i go ahead and build myself up w/ what i'll need for living on my own now? and does anyone who's done this before have any idea what amount of money i should set as a goal for saving up before i move over? (estimates for a single person?)

thanks so much for anyone who can help me :]

Answer 1

I think there are 2 separate issues here.

1. Keeping your life devoid of junk/c**p that you really don't need, and instead staying out of debt and building savings is a better recipe for enjoying life, rather than being a slave to debt.  Bravo that you're on to that at such a young age!

2. Actually getting to Denmark legally, and staying legally.  The first answer gave you the best info on that.  You can't just show up in another country and expect the right to work and stay beyond the tourist allowed days (90 in/ 90 out for USA passport holders).  If you overstay, you risk fine, deportation, and ban from re-entry.  Other issues: getting a job in DK, very high taxes in DK, winter, the recent "World Happiness Survey" taken with a dose of reality, language, the high cost of living.

The rest is moot until you sort out a good plan for getting a job and work permit.

Answer 2

The rules for moving to Denmark are actually very strict.  It's not as simple as flying over and settling down, Denmark has one of the toughest immigration laws in Europe.  

You can find more information at the link below.

Answer 3

reiterating what the other poster said, the car situation there is outrageous (in fact 3x the prices in the USA -- even the bus is frikin expensive there, live 4 dollars for a short ride). I lived in dk for 2 years as I went to school. Really, the only way I have determined for an American citizen to go there is either 1) go to uni there or 2) get offered a job there in anticipation of moving there 3) marry a danish person.

I find the economy there in general to not be so brutal (I was just there visiting friends and spoke with a 20 year old girl who was making 21$/hour in a laundry) and the prices of food aren't so out of control. But, you have to realize that the EU and the USA are in a financial competition with each other and do not share workforces freely.

My guess it finding a job there without any credentials will be super hard. Enroll in your state university. Complete some of the courses and get a 3.0 gpa or better. Then, arrange to go to denmark for school...they will give you a work permit while you are there and you can finish with at least some sort of diploma -- then, get romantically involved with some one, extend your stay academically, find a full time job and complete the nationalization process in country. Even 20 something danes find themselves migrating because the job situation there is so vicious.

BTW, while I lived there my monthly budget was 1000$. Now, with the slump, I would only live there with 1400$ a month. Your expectations, as you have described them, are unrealistic -- baring the possibility that you are handsome, charming, and can find a bride/husband while on holiday there.

You could buddy up with the turks there and make pizzas and earn some black money....but then all the benefits of living there are erased because you won't be in the tax system.

Also, remember -- the danes are the happiest people in the world only because their expectations are realistic (that is, not so high)

Answer 4

first you have to apply while in the states through the danish immigration in new york. after that its very hard to move to denmark unless you are offered a job and they pay for the visa and all which still can take up to a year. Or a student which takes 6 months if you are accepted or marry a dane which is the same process plus a bunch of other red tape. If u just want to move more then likely they won't let yóu. U have to have  a job offer before they will even look at it and to get a job in denmark you have to either work for a company who speaks english, needs research, engineering, or medical. Second way is to learn danish which is one of the most difficult languages to learn and still when u live here u don't learn it quick...i know people who have been here for 5 years and cant speak. They don't offer you a job unless you can speak it fluently plus have immigration papers legally. They also only offer jobs to danes first, then members of the EU , and everybody else last unless you are specialized in a field.  the only other way is to come for 3 months and check it out...but you have to go back home. and even if you find a job while here...u still have to go home and do the paperwork in new york.

the cost of living is way higher. car tax for example is 180 %...so you pay twice for your car...you get 40 % taken out of your paycheck each month. Gas is higher then the states, and food and other things in general are higher. For exampl a bottle of coke is about 4 dollars give or take a few. You also cannot set up a bank account, they don't do checking here, in denmark without a social security number in denmark...danish cpr number. You also won't get that if you aren't here legally ...they have to see a visa. They use that for everything and all pay goes into that account each month. You also have to have a cpr for and doctors visits or you will pay dearly for it.