The smallest, flattest and most continental country in Scandinavia is Denmark. Together with Sweden and Norway it is located exactly in the north of Europe. It is a kingdom just like the Netherlands and together with Greenland and the Faroe Islands it forms the Kingdom of Denmark. Of all the Nordic countries, Denmark is the southernmost and is connected to Sweden by a bridge. The country is actually one large peninsula with many smaller islands.
In recent years, more and more Dutch people have been emigrating to Denmark, and of course this is not without reason. Dutch people in Denmark are looking for the happiness that the Danes are so famous for. Safety in the country is also an important factor. Have you also decided to live in Denmark? Emigrate to Denmark is not a new invention so reading this article might be worth your while.
Why are more and more people choosing Denmark?
There are many reasons why the Dutch are now choosing en masse to exchange their Dutch nationality for the Danish one. The high standard of living in combination with safety, space and peace make the country very attractive to the Dutch. Because it is a country in the European Union (EU), the step to move is of course also easier to take.
European Union
Denmark is one of the most prosperous European countries. The Scandinavian countries can be placed on the same level as Denmark, but most European countries certainly do not come close to the well-regulated system of Denmark. What is good to know is that Denmark as a European country does not use the Euro as currency, but the Danish Krone.
The locals of Denmark are the happiest people on earth
Denmark has been declared the happiest country in the world by the UN. In recent years, the country has been overtaken by Finland, but the country remains in second place. Why are the people who live in Denmark so happy? There are several reasons for this of course. First of all, it is due to their culture, but the economy also helps here of course. Think for example of the perfectly arranged social safety net in the country.
Danish culture – Hygge
According to the Danes themselves, 'hygge' is very difficult to explain to foreigners. However, it is an extremely important aspect of Danish society. How we can explain it is that it stands for coziness, but actually it is much more than that. It also stands for warmth, togetherness and having a good time. A good example of hygge is that you get together with friends or family, light candles and play games. The feeling that all this creates is therefore hygge.
Furthermore, the people are mostly open and very tolerant. Danes know few taboos and that makes life in the country quite pleasant.
Law of Jante
Also, the law of Jante is very important in the country. It is a kind of code of conduct that consists of 10 rules. It was written by the Danish-Norwegian writer Aksel Sandemose. In this book he described the narrow-mindedness of the Scandinavian mentality. Jante believed that you should not stick your head above the parapet. Never. It is therefore a truly classic concept in Scandinavia.
The point here is that you are not better than anyone else and you should be happy with yourself. There is also almost no hierarchy in the country. Of course, we cannot tar all Danes with the same brush, but 'act normal and you're already crazy enough' does apply to most Danes. And many people think that this mentality is the reason why Danes have often been voted the happiest people in the world.
Denmark is very safe
In the Global Peace Index As of 2021, Denmark is ranked 3rd in the world's safest countries. So it is quite a safe country. For years, the country has been ranked second in the safest countries, but has now been overtaken by New Zealand. Iceland has been ranked 1st for years now. When you visit the big cities in the country, such as the capital Copenhagen or Århus, you also feel safe. The cities in the country are very relaxed and in Copenhagen you will also notice that everyone adheres to the rules and you will not quickly see people arguing. In other cities in Europe, this is often not the case.
The perfect work-life balance
Out research it has been shown that Denmark offers the most free time and the least working hours to working people. In all of Denmark, the maximum of an official working week is 37 hours per week. But often the Danes work a bit less and that is around 33 hours. Their working day starts between 08:00 and 09:00 and ends between 15:00 and 17:00. This also allows the children to be picked up from school so that families can eat together. Family is very important to the Danes and they therefore attach great value to spending time together. When you go to work in Denmark you will see that the Danes leave the workplace punctually. Because there is no hierarchy within the Danish culture, it does not matter whether you are the director of the company or an employee. Everyone is equal and therefore also leaves the workplace together. This equality is very important in Denmark. Working overtime in the country is also really 'not done'. If you as a Dutch person would choose to work overtime at your new job, they will not appreciate it. Overtime is more likely to be seen as overwork or even poor time management.
Also the average salary in Denmark is well balanced with the cost of living in the country and the vacation days and vacation allowances are very well arranged. When you combine all the aforementioned aspects you immediately understand why Denmark scores so well worldwide.
The Danish language
In Denmark, Danish is spoken. In Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Danish is also part of the compulsory curriculum, because these countries are of course part of the Danish kingdom. A fun fact is that Iceland was also part of the Danish kingdom until 1944 and Danish was also compulsory in Icelandic primary schools until 1999. Anyway, let's continue about Danish. The language belongs to the Scandinavian branch of Germanic languages. When you hear the Danish language, you will notice that it sounds quite similar to the Dutch language. This is of course not so strange, because Dutch is also a Germanic language. In general, Danish is therefore quite easy for us Dutch people to learn.
The funny thing about Denmark is that the Danes themselves still can't fully understand each other. The country has a huge number of dialects, because in the past the Danes lived very isolated in their own communities. This is mainly the pronunciation of course, because grammatically it is a fairly simple and consistent language. The Danish alphabet does have 29 letters instead of the 26 letters that we are used to in the Netherlands.
The English
In Denmark, people generally speak very good English. This allows you to make yourself understood in Denmark and to participate in daily life. Of course, you will eventually want to speak Danish when you are going to live there for the rest of your life. You can perhaps be well prepared for Denmark by taking a Danish course.
Furthermore, in Europe, the Danes speak the most foreign languages. The majority of the population finds speaking a foreign language necessary and important in the globalizing world we live in today.
Nature in Denmark
Denmark is also popular for emigrating people because of the peace and space. The country is a lot bigger than the Netherlands, but it only has 5.8 million inhabitants. So you can imagine how much space you have in the country and how much nature you can encounter. The country consists of about 405 islands! However, only about a quarter of these islands are inhabited. The country therefore has a huge number of nature reserves with forests, endless coastlines and beautiful chalk cliffs. The dunes, fjords and lakes also make the country beautiful.
Beautiful natural areas
Well-known and very beautiful areas are Jylland (Jutland), Fyn (Funen) and Sjælland (Zealand). Jylland is a peninsula that is half Danish and half German. Here you can find many beautiful beaches, dunes and peatlands. Fyn is the second largest island and forms the Fyn with all the small islands. You can find many beautiful gardens there and the most visited castle Egeskov can also be found on this island. We also have the well-known Sjælland. Here you can find many beaches and this part of Denmark is very popular, because Copenhagen is also located on this island. Many city people like to visit these pieces of nature, because it is only about a half hour drive. The beaches are also easily accessible by public transport, because the public transport network in Denmark is very well organised.
The climate
On average, the Danish climate is very similar to that of the Netherlands. The country has a warm Gulf Stream, which gives it a somewhat milder climate than neighboring countries Sweden and Norway. Like the Netherlands, Denmark has 4 seasons. The spring months are very mild and the warmest month in the summer is August. In the fall, it is very rainy and cloudy. The winter months are very cold with a lot of frost and often snow.
The food in Denmark
Denmark has a lot of agriculture and is also a fishing nation. Because of this, the Danish cuisine consists mainly of fish, meat and potatoes. Throughout history, Denmark still eats a lot of salted, smoked and dried fish, meat and vegetables. What is also nice to know is that since 2011, Denmark has levied an extra tax on saturated fats. This has made pizzas, but also butter and milk more expensive. The government has done this to combat the problem of obesity.
The breakfast – morgenmad
The Danish breakfast is not very different from the Dutch breakfast. It also mainly consists of rolls that are topped with cheese and ham, for example. Danes also love sweets, so sweets such as jam are often on the table. Furthermore, a lot of muesli and porridge is eaten with yoghurt or milk. Furthermore, just like in the Netherlands, coffee, tea and milk are also very important.
The lunch – frokost
In Denmark, lunch is usually eaten around 12:00. Many Danes have lunch outside and not only go to a restaurant, but also often to a 'kro'. This is a cafeteria where mainly Danish dishes are served. For lunch, a 'platte' is often eaten. This is a plate with snacks of herring and other types of fish. Furthermore, in Denmark they have the world-famous 'smørrebrød'. This is actually a simple dish. It is Danish rye bread with a lot of butter and is topped with meat, fish or vegetables.
Denmark also has its own 'pølsemand'. These are stalls that you can find everywhere where they are sold. It is actually a kind of hot dog stand.
The dinner – aftersmad
Just like in the Netherlands, Danes usually eat their dinner around 18:00. This often consists of potatoes, rice or pasta with meat or fish. In Denmark, pork is also very popular. They also like to eat sausage and meatballs. In fact, we can say that in general, meat is just a very important part of dinner. They also love their desserts in Denmark and often have a dessert like pudding or ice cream after dinner.
Eating out in Denmark
Danes love life and of course this includes enjoying eating out. Restaurants are usually open until 22:00 and in larger cities often even longer. When you eat out you can expect a lot of veal and pork. Flæskesteg, leverpostej and fiskefrikadeller are some examples of typical Danish dishes.
Cost of living
Denmark is known to be very expensive for a holiday abroad. For living and working this is of course less, because your salary is also a lot higher. This makes it perfectly doable. The high costs can then easily be paid. When you go on holiday with euros, Denmark can indeed be very expensive. A handy way to save on the costs of your groceries is to buy vegetables and fruit per season.
To give you some examples:
- For bread you pay about 34% more than in the Netherlands.
- For rice you pay about 1.5% more than in the Netherlands.
- For tomatoes you pay about 65% more than in the Netherlands.
- Bananas will cost you about twice as much in Denmark.
- For wine you will also pay about 35% more than in the Netherlands.
A nice thing that is a bonus is that you pay around 1.3% less for cheese than in the Netherlands. Isn't that nice?
Buying a house in Denmark
It is very difficult to buy a new home in Denmark. Especially a second home is almost impossible for foreigners. The Netherlands is not at all like Denmark in this respect. Denmark has set the bar very high for foreigners to be able to buy a house there. You have to meet certain conditions. For example, you can only buy a house in Denmark if you have an income in the country. You have to be permanently employed or have your own company. You also have to live in Denmark for more than five years, otherwise you cannot get a mortgage. Now you understand better why we said earlier that buying a second home in the country is almost impossible. The average costs for buying a house are not much higher than in the Netherlands. Houses in Denmark are only about 5% more expensive than in the Netherlands. When you have found a house and the house has been bought, you will also have to adhere to the rules. For example, houses are often not allowed to be rented out.
The reason for the strict regulations for buying a house is that the Danish government mainly consists of right-wing parties that want to prevent immigration.
Finally..
As you have read, it is not very incomprehensible why Denmark is a popular emigration country. If you really want to emigrate, but are not sure yet, it might be a good idea to first stay in Denmark for three months to see if life in the country suits you. Then, after your experience, you can make the right choices.
If you have any questions after reading this article or need more information about Denmark, you can always read the other articles on our website.
