Living and working conditions
Denmark
Living conditions
Healthcare system
Everyone who comes to Denmark and obtains a habitual residence is enrolled in the resident register and has the right to Danish health insurance.
After registering in the resident register in the municipality of residence, you will automatically be included in the general health insurance. You are sent a health card – a yellow card – and receive full access to the healthcare system to the extent that insurance covers.
You must bring your health card when you see a doctor, specialist, dentist, dental hygienist, physiotherapist, foot therapist, chiropractor, psychologist, pharmacist, hospital and the municipality.
When registering in the resident register you are expected to choose a practising doctor. The practising doctor is your primary entry point into the healthcare system in Denmark, which provides prevention, treatment and subscription, and any appointments with specialist doctors or hospitals.
In case of sickness you should attempt to contact your practising doctor first, whenever possible.
If you become ill beyond the doctor’s opening hours, you can call the on-call medical service. Find non-emergency medical service here (in Danish only).
If you witness an accident in which one or more persons have been seriously injured, or if a person suddenly becomes very ill or is unconscious, call an ambulance on the phone by dialling 1-1-2.
An emergency admission is an alternative to the emergency unit in case of minor injuries that you cannot handle yourself.
Note that in several regions, you should call by phone to make an appointment with the emergency unit/emergency admission. You can read more about how to get in touch under Accident & Emergency Department at this website.
Treatment at your practising doctor, medical on-call service, emergency room and hospitals is covered by the public health insurance and you should therefore not pay anything yourself.
You pay for prescription medicine yourself, but health insurance can cover various percentages of the price, depending on your annual expenses for medicine.
Treatment at dentists, physiotherapists and chiropractors is partially covered by universal health coverage. That is, you have to pay for a portion of the treatment, and universal health care covers a subsidy, which varies depending on the type of treatment concerned.
It is possible to obtain private health insurance, e.g. Sygeforsikring Danmark, which provides further opportunities for subsidies for treatments at the dentist, physiotherapist and similar medical professionals. Read more about Sygeforsikringen Danmark here (only in Danish).
Text last edited on: 05/2020