Before Christmas I created these printables for the key dates in the year in Denmark. I wrote about Store Bededag on Monday and it seemed a good time to share these printables again to ensure no one misses a date!
Click on either image to download both posters!
I’m currently working on my next newsletter due out at the end of the week. Click here if you want to be on the mailing list for it
People, rightly, have so many questions about how things work in a new country, even some months after they have moved there. I have published tons of information posts here but as the nature of a blog means they get replaced by newer posts, I made all the resources posts into downloadable pdfs over on my Dejlige Days Welcome website. As I write new posts here that are relevant they will be added.
Pop over and have a look, I bet there is the answer to a question you have there. Also if there is something you would like more information about either send me an email, comment on Facebook or post below in the comments.
Pharmacies in mainland Europe can seem very different to those in the UK and North America. One thing that many people from outside Denmark observe is that there are a lot fewer OTC (over the counter) remedies available. I often recommend to clients to makes sure they bring a few month’s worth of both prescription medication and the OTC meds they regularly take. It is also advisable to have your original packaging and the know the generic name for the medication as this can help both your doctor and the pharmacist in finding you the right stuff here.
I thought I’d do a quick run down of what is available in the pharmacies (apotek in Danish) here.
Behind the counter there are a number of OTC medications but nowhere near as many as in other countries. The pharmacists are very knowledgeable but there are many medications you will need to see your doctor for.
The main groups of OTC medications include:
General rule of thumb, if you can’t see something just ask as they may still have it.
When you arrive at the pharmacy there are usually two buttons to choose from to get a ticket – Recept for prescriptions and Handkøb for other purchases including OTC medications. You wait for your number to come up on the screen (you can read more about queueing in Denmark here)
You won’t get a paper prescription from your doctor but it will be on the system. You present your CPR card and they can see all your current prescriptions. If you have no preference of the pharmaceutical brand you can ask for the cheapest one and this may not be the same one each time but will be the same active ingredients.
You will be charged a subsidised price for your prescription. The more you spend of prescription medications in a 12 month period the greater the subsidy. I take a regular and expensive pain medication and now my all prescriptions are free. You always have to pay a set amount for contraceptive pills.
If you are on the not for profit Danmark Sygeforsikring insurance system (see here for more information) you get greater subsidies if you are a member of the above scheme.
You can find our local pharmacy by putting in your postcode here (the box saying døgnapotek means 24/7 pharmacies).
You can also return any unused medicines to the pharmacy for them to dispose of responsibly (you don’t get any money back).
We all know these days that Twitter is where you see breaking news first but as it has been shown a lot of this is misleading or downright untrue (this is a great podcast about this). The internet is chock full of untruths and well as facts and it is important that we are savvy and critical in how we consume what we see online especially in places such as Twitter and Facebook where there are many fake accounts, bots and trolls out there ready to mess with reality and democracy.
Forums online can be brilliant sources of information and resource sharing but they can also spread fake news or information, either intentionally or accidentally. If you are looking for concrete information going to the source is the best way. This may sound obvious but it is not. Recently there was a thread about the forthcoming strike and lockout here in Denmark. There was information being given willy nilly based on things people had heard rather than what the facts were. When asked for a source of one of the inaccurate comments, the original commenter was silent. If you are planning to share information you have, especially about current affairs etc it is always a good idea to share a link to the original source so readers can decide for themselves. If you find it hard to find that link then perhaps the information is not accurate.
There are organisations all over the world working to combat fake news, raise awareness of how to spot it and push for people to be much more discerning about what they read and share.
Here in Denmark I would say the best sources of news are DR.dk, The Local Denmark (if there is an error in their information by mistake (which rarely happens) it is always acknowledged and amended) and Politiken.dk. Yes, two of these are in Danish but that is what Google Chrome is for. Of course news outlets have editorial policies but this has always been the case, but they also have codes of conduct to adhere to in relation to fact checking
If you are looking for information about any aspect of bureaucracy or public information – go to the source as your question is unlikely to be unique so will be addressed via websites or by telephone or email.
Above I shared a brilliant infographic produced by The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), which the public libraries here have been displaying and it is the perfect guide to dealing with fake news. Here is the link to it in English and Danish in case you fancy printing it out to display.
It is hugely expensive to own a car in Denmark. Over the last few years the idea of delebiler or car shares have become very popular. I expect you have seen the little white electric BMWs all over the place? The schemes are great for many people living in urban areas only need cars for casual or occasional use. There is a variety of subscription services available depending on your needs and location. You need to ensure you have a valid drivers’ licence to drive in Denmark.
This is the one we use and we are very satisfied with it. We tend to get a car if we need to go to a DIY store, Ikea or for a day trip that would take a long time on public transport for example a class party on the other side of town.
Drive Now are in Copenhagen and use electric cars. There is a registration fee (at time of writing this is 89dk) and they have a variety of options – hourly package, pre paid minutes or a monthly package. Insurance and parking fees are included in the hire.
You use the app to see the location of your nearest available car and how much charge it has. You can reserve it for a short time whilst you get to its location. There are some restrictions about where you can park the car during your rental time but the app explains it all. Half the cars also have booster seats in them for children (you can see this on the app or in the window of the car) and they also all have ISO fix so you can bring your own baby seat if you wish.
See their website for more details.
This car sharing scheme has cars in Copenhagen, Århus and Odense and offer both fuel and electric cars. There are various subscriptions from a free one (only pay insurance) up to monthly ones. See their website to see what suits you.
This scheme also offers a variety of packages which all include insurance and parking fees. A plus point for this one is they offer a 24 hour package as well as casual use. They run electric cars. See their website for more information.
This is a portal to connect people with people rather than a car sharing site like the ones above. You can rent a private car or get a lift (or offer them to others)
If you have been travelling around Copenhagen this last week or so you will no doubt have spotted a huge advertising campaign by Arla called Mælk uden mælk or milk without milk. With limited Danish this campaign can seem a little baffling – in fact I was a little confused so headed over to the Arla website to find out more.
The slogans on the campaign is Milk without milk, free from calcium, protein and vitamin B12. Another says Lose the milk beard and the rest of the goodness. They will be running ads in real life on the metro and bus stops (amongst other locations), via social media and their own website.
Arla is Denmark’s largest food business and their research says that 7 out of 10 Danes think it is a good habit to drink milk but they want to open the debate about food myths and pseudo science and how this impacts on what people think is and isn’t healthy and at the same time promoting milk. They say that every third Danes gets their health information from ‘Dr’ Google and 52% of Danes think it is hard to keep track of what is healthy as there are so many health ‘trends’ on line and in social media. They believe (as I do) that the best way is to eat a varied diet and to use your common sense. The company are quoted as saying that ‘facts are under pressure’. We all know that in the time of alternative facts (thanks to Trump) and suspicion of experts (with a nod to Micheal Gove), it is hard to keep track of what is fact or not.
If you are interested in reading more about the campaign pop over to Arla’s website for the campaign and also their press release about it. There are also loads of useful and interesting article about milk. Google Chrome does a decent translation of the information.
I want to say this is not a sponsored post and the campaign does not necessarily reflect my own views but I thought as I was curious about the advert others may be too.
Many expats plan to move to Copenhagen with their beloved dog but there are some things to understand about owning a dog in Denmark.
Firstly many landlords are reluctant to rent to people with dogs so it can narrow an already limited number of places to rent.
Banned breeds
There is also a list of banned breeds in Denmark. Check this link to make sure your dog is not on the list and how the legislation works.
There are basic rules for dogs in public
Here is a map showing dog playgrounds and also areas where your dog can run free. Blue means they can run free and grey they must be on a lead. This site is in Danish but you can use Google Chrome to translate it.
Dog walking/sitters etc
There are a number of dog sitting and dog walking companies/individuals, a quick search found these two but I am sure there are many other private individuals who offer this service too. (www.dogwalker.dk), (www.dogley.dk)
Using public transport
If you plan to travel on public transport you must pay a dog ticket (same as a child ticket) if your dog walks onto the transport, if you carry him in a dog carrying bag (or one he is comfortable in) he travels free. The bag must not be larger than 100 x 60 x 30 cm. The bag is placed under or above your seat, on your lap or in luggage areas. Here are the guidelines for DSB (trains)and general ones for all public transport . Only dogs in bags can go on A and C bus routes.
Chipping etc
There are rules about immunisations and also chipping and insurance. This link is a good one for this information.
This is a useful link about insurance.
Vets and kennels
This link has some useful contacts for vets (dyreklink), kennels and tons of other useful information.
Moving to a new country means the introduction to new traditions. Fastelavn is another Scandinavian tradition that was new to me when we came here and the first year I was very curious about why supermarkets were suddenly selling small wooden barrels. In England we traditionally eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday before Lent begins but here the Danes celebrate Fastelavn. It is a real ‘go big, or go home’ kind of celebration. Fastelavn is celebrated on the Sunday or Monday before Ash Wednesday (seven weeks before Easter Sunday) and is a real carnival for children.
Children dress up in costumes or cat masks, and a big wooden barrel with a black cat on the outside is suspended, which they can bash with impunity until the bottom falls out scattering the sweets inside. Being Denmark everyone is a winner! The child who administers the final bash before the bottom comes out is crowned the cat king or queen but everyone takes a share of the booty.
This is known as slå katten af tønden (hit the cat out of the barrel) and in olden days the barrel actually contained a cat, which would then be chased away signifying the banishment of evil.
Great fun nowadays for everyone, including cats!
But my favourite thing about this celebration is Fastelavn Boller. Imagine a huge choux bun filled with a custard cream with chocolate and more whipped cream for good measure on top? You are? Well that is what is eaten as a Fastelavn bun here in Denmark before Lent begins. There are variations with raspberry cream and icing too.
Generally I don’t like to see seasonal items in the shops too early but I make an exception for something like this and am delighted when they first start appearing in bakeries during the run up to Fastelavn. Now I understand there is a more old fashioned version which is much more moderate but I have never tried one (and why would you when there is a cream bun on offer?). So there is something for children and of course, something for everyone at Fastelavn!
Using a multitude of different apps on your phone opens up many opportunities in Denmark. I thought today and next week I would share some of the apps I use and also ones I think would be useful to new expats. I’ve not listed international ones but more ones that are specific to Denmark. Where I can I have linked to the website of the provider so you can choose the app appropriate for your device. Where that wasn’t possible I have linked to the iPhone app (if you use Android or other you can search in your own app store). (see part one here)
Shopping
Reshopper- you can use this app to buy and sell used children’s items, easily and safely. An excellent way to save money.
COOP member app- You collect a bonus in kroner and use it when you shop in a Coop supermarket. You can choose to pay with your bonus when you are at checkout. You can also choose to save your bonus and instead pay with your payment card.
Nemlig.com Online grocery shopping either via their website or the app.
Your Local (food waste app)– get delicious food offers from your favourite neighbourhood shops. Save money every time they offer food that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Pricerunner– compare prices for many items to make sure you get the best deal.
Food Delivery Service
Apps to order take away food to your door.
Recreation
Dog Parks in DK– the official “Dog Parks in Denmark” app from Hundeskove.dk gives you an overview of Dog Parks and other dog friendly areas in Denmark.
Spotted by Locals-crowd sourced recommendations from a selection of local insiders in Copenhagen.
My City Highlights – another app with insider recommendations and resources.
