For Ukrainian jobseekers
How to get a job in Denmark
As a person displaced from Ukraine, you do not have to wait for your residence permit before finding and starting a job. Find out how to get started with your job search.
Step 1: Before your job search
Before you start searching for a job, a few things must be in place in order for you to get your salary and pay taxes.
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You have the right to work in Denmark as soon as you have applied for residence permit (opholdstilladelse) under the Special Act, and you have had your fingerprints and facial image (biometric features) recorded at the Danish Immigration Service’ (Udlændingestyrelsen) Citizen Center. You do however not have the right to work in Denmark if you obviously cannot get a residence permit under the Special Act section 1 or 2.
You can read more about the rules and application process at nyidanmark.dk.
If you have questions, you can call the Danish Immigration Service on +45 35 36 66 00.
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You need a CPR-number (civil registration number). It is unique to you and is used for everything from making doctor’s appointments to creating a bank account, getting paid and pay taxes. You should have a CPR number before you start working.
If you have a residence permit:
The municipality where you are going to stay has to register you in the Central Person Register (CPR) as having moved to Denmark. You will be registered in the CPR under the personal number you were given when you made your residence permit application. If you need help, you can contact your municipality (i.e. municipality of residence).
If you have not yet received a residence permit:
You can contact the Danish Tax Agency to get an administrative CPR-number and tax card.
Find more information on this webpage:
When you are from Ukraine and get a job in Denmark (skat.dk)
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When you need to communicate digitally with the public sector, you need to be able to identify yourself digitally. You do this with NemID/MitID, which is your personal eID for login and digital signature. Denmark is in the process of transitioning from NemID to MitID, so you may need both. Much of the communication with the private sector is also done via NemID/MitID. For example, you need NemID/MitID to access your online banking. You can apply for a NemID/MitID by contacting your local citizen service, which will help you decide what is best for you to start with.
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In order to receive your salary, you must have a bank account. It is your choice which bank you use. If your bank account is with a Danish bank, your bank can help you designate your account as your NemKonto. You need a NemKonto if you want to receive money from the public sector. Alternatively, you can assign it yourself at nemkonto.dk if you have a MitID or NemID.
Step 2: Finding a job
This involves sending an application to a potential employer or looking up companies to offer your services.
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There are a number of online job sites in Denmark that collect and list vacant positions in the country. You can find a list of online job sites below, but this list contains only some of the job sites in Denmark, and some are not under the supervision of public authorities.
Use the hashtag #jobsforukraine
Danish job market for highly educated
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You should include a CV when applying for a job. A CV is a brief document with your contact details and an overview of your skills, spoken languages, job experience and educational background. Most employers accept CVs written in English. Your local municipality can help you create a CV or you can use this template:
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Your application should include a short personal statement (max. 1 page) about your motivations for applying for this specific job. Applications are submitted digitally. Or you can print it out and hand in a physical copy to the employer
Step 3: Getting a job
Once you have applied for a job, the company will usually either offer you an interview for the position or inform you that it has been taken by someone else.
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You must have a contract when you get employed; it is a document that sets out your rights and obligations regarding your future workplace.
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It is important that you get yourself acquainted with what the normal pay and conditions are for the job you have been offered. You can always contact a union about your employment. Unions can offer you advice about pay and conditions that are not legal requirements in Denmark, but which have been agreed between social partners.
You can read more about pay and working conditions in Denmark here:
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You need a tax card when you work in Denmark. If you do not have a tax card, you will pay a temporary 55% tax of your salary, until a tax card has been issued to you.
You can read more about how to get a tax card here:
When you are from Ukraine and get a job in Denmark (skat.dk)
If you need help, you can call the Danish Tax Agency on +45 72 37 99 09
Download - Your path to a job in Denmark
Video: How to get a job in Denmark
Video: Do I need a CPR-number to work in Denmark?
Video: How to search and apply for a job in Denmark
About the Danish labour market
In Denmark, pay and working conditions are primarily regulated through collective agreements (i.e. agreements between trade unions and employers) or individual employment contracts between you and your employer. However, Danish law also regulates things such as the working environment, maximum weekly working hours and rest periods.
It is therefore important that you are aware of the following:
- Contract: When you are hired by an employer, both you and the employer must sign a contract, which is a document that sets out your rights and obligations in relation to your future workplace.
- Working hours: Are the working hours reasonable in relation to your pay? As a general rule, working hours are established in a collective agreement, and in full-time jobs, a normal working week is 37 hours in the vast majority of sectors in Denmark.
- Pay: There is no statutory minimum wage in Denmark. Wages/salaries are agreed between employees and employers based (mainly) on the collective agreement covering that sector. Collective agreements are agreements reached between employer organisations and trade unions. If you join a trade union, you can discuss your wage/salary with them.
- Other considerations: Employees in the Danish labour market are entitled to a number of other benefits besides pay, such as sick pay, paid leave and holiday allowance.
You can always contact a union about your employment. The union can provide advice and information on your pay and working conditions. Employers are not allowed to try to prevent you from joining a trade union.
Top photo: Alvarez via Getty Images