Daily life
CPR-nummer
say-pay-AIR NOOM-uh
Your ten-digit civil registration number. Register within five days of arriving if you are staying over three months — nothing else works without it.
MitID
MIT-ee-DEE
The national electronic ID. Banking, tax, health records, post from the authorities and much of the private sector all run through it.
Sundhedskort
SOON-hehs-kort
The yellow health card that arrives after CPR registration. It names the GP you have been assigned and is your entry to all public healthcare.
e-Boks / Digital Post
EE-boks
The digital letterbox where every official communication arrives. Ignoring it does not stop deadlines running — this is where tax and permit letters land.
Andelsbolig
AN-ehls-bo-lee
A cooperative flat: you buy a share in the building's association, not the flat itself. Prices are capped by the association's valuation and the board must approve you.
Cykelsti
SOO-kel-stee
Cycle track. Physically separated from cars, and the fastest way across Copenhagen. Ring your bell before overtaking and never walk in one.
Pant
pant
The deposit on bottles and cans, refunded at supermarket machines. It is why bottles left beside a bin are collected rather than abandoned.
Work
AM-bidrag
AH-EM bee-drow
The 8% labour market contribution, deducted before income tax and before any allowance. It is why the headline tax rate always understates the deduction.
Tak for i dag
tak for ee DAY
'Thanks for today' — said when leaving work. Danish offices empty around four and this is the phrase that marks it.
Culture
Hygge
HOO-guh
Cosiness with intent — candles, close company, low light, no rush. Genuinely central here rather than a tourist-board invention, and a survival strategy for February.
Emergency
112 / 1813
—
112 for any emergency. 1813 is the Capital Region's medical helpline — call it before going to any emergency department here, because you will be turned away otherwise.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.