Moving to Denmark

What do I need to know before moving to Denmark?

When we asked people what advice they would give someone preparing to move to Denmark, they said:

"Plan first where you need to be -- work and schools -- and chose someplace that is very close to that area. Expect to live in an apartment and not a home unless you have a very large budget for housing expenses. CIS and Rygaards are the only international schools I would recommend in any way. When setting a budget, double or triple it. And, lastly, rent through a rent manager and NOT directly with a home owner. You will have major problems when moving out. I've heard many nightmare stories and ours was bad but not as bad as others," said another expat in Copenhagen.

"Check out this web-site about moving to Denmark ... especially if you are a member of a "visible minority" (I hate the terminology but you know what I mean). http://somethingmanky.blogspot.com/," added another expat who made the move to Copenhagen.

"I have to agree with the advice given by someone else in that you really want to learn the language. They will say it a million times "oh everyone in Copenhagen speaks English" but they dont. They say well everyone under 50 speaks it. Again wrong. The other matter is Danes are very touchy about foreigners not speaking Danish because of all the refugees/immigrants who live here and who dont know Danish after several years of being here. So it is best to try to learn what you can at least some of the basic phrases. Berlitz has a great phrase book that is really helpful (and i only say that cause even my Danish teacher here thought it was great for english speakers when i showed it to her), but also try getting a self-learner tape or two (which is hard to find cause Danish is not a widely spoken language). But most of all get a phrasebook, sign up for some danish classes here in Copenhagen (can get some cheap classes if you look around) but mainly use the language. It's the hardest part to do because when you try to say things in Danish the Danes won't understand you (because they slur their pronouciations so that even they dont speak correct Danish) and they might not make an effort to understand but for your own good in the long run, keep at it," explained one expat living in Copenhagen , Denmark.

"No matter how much people told us that we didn't need to know Danish, we did. Everyone speaks English, but without knowing the native language, we have felt on the outside of many social occasions," said another in Copenhagen.

How do I find a place to live in Denmark?