The Danish government has tightened the rules for entry into Denmark. This means that mainly people with a job in Denmark, Danish domicile, Danish citizenship or a Danish residence permit, may enter Denmark with the current restrictions in effect up until and including April 20, 2021. You can check the specific requirements on the authorities' website. 

We advice you always call the hotline if you have any questions as the regulations change regularly. 

Please be aware that you must have a valid employment contract from the University of Copenhagen in order to be allowed entry to Denmark based on the job requirement. A job offer does not suffice. 

If you are stopped by the border police and you need the university to verify your right to cross the border as an affiliate with the University of Copenhagen, please contact Vivian Tos Lindgaard, Head of International Staff Mobility, phone + 45 30589809.

Effective from 7 February 2021, persons entering Denmark after a stay abroad are required to undergo testing for COVID-19 in connection with entry and to isolate for 10 days. Please read more about testing and isolation and the few exceptions on the authorities' website. 

Please refer to these rules on testing for employees. You will also receive an e-mail from ISM stating all the requirements for coming to Denmark. You can also read about the requirements and the current entry restrictions on the authorities' website.

You MUST adhere to the following four steps (3 mandatory tests and 1 optional)

1^st test: Entry requirement

• You must be able to present a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 24 hours before entering Denmark
• Please note that persons traveling to Denmark by air must present a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 24 hours before boarding the plane. 

2^nd test: Mandatory test when arriving in Denmark

• If you arrive at the airport: You must take a rapid test (quick test) before leaving the airport. Upon arrival in Denmark, all entrants will be guided directly to a testing facility at the airport. Upon request, the entrant must provide the necessary information to the test staff (such as your name, CPR number or other identification information, and telephone number). Persons arriving from abroad in airports or airfields where it is not possible to obtain an rapid test must obtain a rapid test or PCR test no later than 24 hours after the time of entry. 
• If you arrive via sea or land borders: All entrants must obtain a rapid test (quick test) or a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival

3^rd test: Mandatory PCR testing after entering Denmark for all employees

IMPORTANT: This test is in addition to the one you have to take when you arrive at the airport or when you cross the sea or land border.

Effective as of February 7, 2021, employees travelling to Denmark are required to take a COVID-19 PCR test after entry into Denmark. The PCR test must be performed no earlier than 48 hours, and no later than 96 hours after the entry-required COVID-19 test was taken. (The test you have/had to show the border police in order to cross the border into Denmark)

The University of Copenhagen is obligated by law to register the personal data related to the COVID-19 testing and to provide documentation to the Danish Work Environment Authorities upon request.

IMPORTANT: You must send the required information and documentation to ISM accordingly at interstaff@adm.ku.dk (please refer to the e-mail you will have received/will receive from ISM for more information).

Please be aware that the test requirement also applies to Danish nationals, residents of Denmark as well as persons with a valid residence and work permit to Denmark

4^th test: Isolation (optional if you want to break isolation earlier)

There is a mandatory requirement of 10 days of isolation, which applies to all persons entering Denmark, effective as of February 7, 2021, and extending provisionally until and including April 5, 2021.

Breaking isolation after a negative test, taken on the fourth day after entry

The isolation may be broken after a negative PCR test taken no earlier than on the fourth day after entry. If you enter Denmark on Monday, you may take a PCR test no earlier than Friday and break the isolation if the test result is negative. If you do not obtain a negative PCR test taken on the fourth day after entry or later, you must remain in isolation for 10 days.

Certain groups of persons are exempt from the mandatory isolation requirement. The exemptions can be found at the end of this publication and at www.coronasmitte.dk.

Special rules apply for persons domiciled in the United Kingdom or South Africa. Please read more on the authorities' website.

If you have a valid residence and work permit you will still be allowed entry to Denmark. 

Please note: The stricter rules on entry for foreigners habitually resident in the United Kingdom will be repealed from midnight 28 February and 1 March 2021. 

The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) announced on February 3 that due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, they will not approve nor issue residence and work permits to Denmark for students, including all Phd students as well as interns. The mandatory rejections will be in place from February 3, 2021 until April 15, 2021. This means that for all current cases, where a permit has not yet been issued, SIRI might reject the application. Until you receive a letter from SIRI with a rejection, your case is still in progress.

If your application is rejected due to the mandatory rejection mandate by SIRI, you will receive a full refund of your application fee (not the VFS fee/embassy fee).

If your application is rejected due to incorrect documentation or other grounds, you will not receive a refund.

If you have already received your residence and work permit, you are still able to enter Denmark.

When/if your permit is rejected, it is important that you discuss a potential new start date with your supervisor and HR contact person as soon as possible.

ISM is not able to start up any new applications until the ban is lifted.

When you arrive in Denmark, you must apply for a CPR number in order to be covered by the public health insurance. Most people, who are going to live in municipalities in and around Copenhagen, get a CPR number at the International Citizen Center. Under the current restrictions, the Citizen Center in International House has limitied available appointments for CPR number and EU registration. Available appointments will be posted several times a week. If you have any questions, please contact ISM or read more on the International House website. In most municipalities outside of Copenhagen, it is only possible to book appointments for CPR by calling the local citizen service.

As part of the Danish government’s aim to increase testing of the general population for the coronavirus, all adults can book a COVID-19 test using their Nem-ID logins at www.coronaprover.dk.

You can read more about getting a test for COVID-19 on the website for the Capital Region of Denmark, as well as information about how to proceed without a CPR number/NemID.

Documentation: if you need to document a negative test in Denmark, please refer to this guide for people without CPR number/NemID or this guide for people with NemID (from the Danish Working Environment Authority). 

There are various ways you can do shopping and get help during an isolation period:

• nemlig.com is an online store for grocery shopping. The website is in Danish only, but you can pay with various foreign cards (with a fee).  
• You can order ready-made through various apps, for example Wolt and Just-Eat.
• Red Cross Denmark has a network of volunteers, who can help do grocery shopping for you. Please call +45 3529 9660 on weekdays between 10 am - 2 pm.

From February 17, 2021, persons residing in the border regions Schleswig-Holstein, southern Sweden (Blekinge and Scania) and West Sweden (Halland og West Gothia) who have a worthy purpose with traveling to Denmark, must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before entry. Please read more on the authorities' website.

If an employee who commutes from Sweden is responsible for critical functions and who for operational reasons has to be present in person at the University, UCPH can pay for a COVID-19 test. Please refer to your manager about payment of tests. At the German border there are test centres where commuters can take a rapid test for free.