How to work and immigrate to Denmark as a teacher? 

Denmark student visa.

If you study in a foreign country and want to immigrate to Denmark as a teacher, you must apply for recognition. Danish officials must approve your degree and grant a license so you can work as a teacher there.

But you can study for a degree and get an educational degree in Denmark and then apply for a teaching license. The chance is higher to get accepted and the process is easier.

In this case, you must get admission from a Danish university and apply for a Denmark student visa.

Teaching jobs in Denmark for immigrant teachers.

There are various teaching jobs in Denmark for foreign teachers. You might find a job, not in a school or academy. There are different positions that you might not even be familiar with. This section brings you some of the common job titles and positions for teachers in Denmark. You might end up working in one of them.

• GED Teacher
• Education Services Facilitator
• Elementary School Teacher
• Education Administrator
• Director of Learning Technology
• Educational Psychologist
• Kindergarten Teacher
• Education Program Specialist
• Economics Lecturer
• Distance Learning Coordinator
• Child Care Coordinator

Is teaching regulated in Denmark?

Yes, teaching in Denmark is regulated for some positions. It means not everyone is qualified to work in these positions. You need Danish officials’ approval and license to work in them. This is a list of the regulated teaching positions in Denmark. Teaching work in:

municipal primary

• lower secondary school
• general upper secondary education
• municipal primary school (Pedagogue)
• Teaching Danish to adult foreigners

If you have a degree or diploma that is not from Denmark, you need recognition to work in Denmark as a teacher. You will have to apply to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science and send them your documents. They assess your application and decide whether you can work as a teacher in Denmark or not.

How to immigrate to Denmark as a teacher?

If you get your degree from abroad and not in Denmark, you have to apply for recognition to immigrate to Denmark as a teacher. You must gather the supporting dockets and send them to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. They are responsible for the assessment of your documents and deciding whether you can work in Denmark as a teacher or not.

Before you begin the application, you should know a few points. First, you must have completed your education and received your degree or diploma. It must be recognized and valid in the country it was issued. Your education must be equivalent to a formal level in that country’s education system, such as a BA or MA. If you meet the eligibility principles, you can begin the process.

If you are an EU/EEA citizen and got your degree from these countries, and have a valid teaching certificate, you might be exempt from the recognition process. You may use the EY movement rule. You’d better contact the Danish officials or EU rules for further information.

Gathering the supporting documents for teachers.

This is a list of the documents you have to gather and send to the Danish officials:

1. certificate/diploma. It must be in the original language that it was issued. In case you have other educational certificates, like a MA degree, you should submit them as well.
2. Your transcripts are in the original language. If you can not submit your transcripts, you can list the subjects you have studied in a file and explain them.
3. Translation of your certificate and transcripts. If they are not in Norwegian, Swedish, English, German, French, or Spanish, you must have them translated. You must have them translated. If you submit a Diploma Supplement in one of the mentioned languages, you do not need a translation.
4. If you have a degree from an EU/EEA member state and hold a Diploma Supplement, you should attach it to your application.
5. If you want your application to be assessed for a particular teaching position, include the entrance qualification.
6. If you have changed your official name and the name on the documents is different from your current name, submit the name change documents.
7. Submit documents that your degree or documents have been recognized before.

The above list is a sample of the documents. But the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science could ask for further supporting documents. They might ask for the original documents,  and you have to submit them whatever they require.

If you use fake documents, a fraud case will be reported to the police, and it will have heavy repercussions.

Special requirements for teaching in Denmark.

Teachers who want to get their degree recognized and work in Denmakr need to submit these documents as well:

1. passport or ID card (proof of nationality).
2. Teaching work experience in or outside of Denmark.
3. A teaching certificate or Authorization letter to work as a teacher in your home country or a foreign country. If the country you worked in doesn’t need such a certificate to work as a teacher, you do not need to submit it to Danish officials.
4. A teaching certificate in the EU/EEA member state. If you have passed recognition in another EU/EEA country and got the teaching certificate, you should submit the document.

How should you prepare the documents?

You have to scan the documents and send them in PDF format. If Danish officials ask for an original document, you have to send it in the original format.

You have to scan each document separately. You will have to submit the documents in the online application one by one. If the reverse side of the document has information or a stamp, you will have to scan it as well.

Danish officials will accept only PDF files and no other formats. If you can not convert a file to PDF, you can take photos of it and then convert them into PDF files. You should name each file so the officials can recognize it easily. The image of your documents must have good quality, and the details must be recognizable.

Further supporting documents by your nationality.

Teachers from the following countries have to submit further documents:

• Afghanistan
• Cameroon
• China
• DR Congo
• India
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Russia
• Somalia
• Sudan

If you have to submit the original documents, you have to post them or deliver in person to the following address:

Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science

Haraldsgade 53

2100 Copenhagen Ø

Application form.

There are two ways to apply to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science; online and offline application.

For the online application, you need to prepare the scanned PDF files of the documents, complete the online application form and submit them on the website. You must visit the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science website to find the application form and instructions on how to complete it and submit the documents.

The application is provided in English and Danish, and you can complete it in one of these languages.

Paper application from.

There is also the paper application form if you can not complete the digital or online application form. You need to download the PDF application form from the Ministry of Education and Science website and complete it.

You will have to gather the paper from documents and have them translated into one of the approved languages. You can find a list of them and the instructions on how to prepare them in the above section.

You need to complete these parts in the paper application from:

1. Personal information.
2. Purpose of the assessment
3. Basic compulsory school
4. Upper secondary education
5. Vocational education and training
6. Higher education
7. Relevant work experience
8. Additional information
9. A representative submitting the application, (if applicable)
10. Signature of the holder of the qualification

Then, you will have to send them to this address:

Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, Haraldsgade 53, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø.

Processing time and receipt of application.

After you send the documents, you will receive the confirmation in 14 days. The processing time is about 2-3 months. Danish officials will inform you of the results of your assessment and send you the results.

If they require further documents, the process will take longer. So you’d better submit a full and complete list of the documents according to the instructions.

Danish officials might contact or reach the relevant authority that issued your certificate or degree to verify the authenticity of your documents.

The results of the assessment.

Danish officials will inform you of the result of the assessment. They will guide you on the further stages you have to follow. You might need to pass an internship or higher education to qualify to work as a teacher in Denmark. They might grant you the right to work as a teacher as well. It’s up to your qualifications and their decision.

Look for a job offer in Denmark as a teacher.

If you are an EU/EEA national, you can immigrate to Denmark as a teacher and begin your work. But you need to inform the local officials of your presence if you stay for the long term.

After you get your certificate to work as a teacher in Denmark, you need to find a job there. Every non-EU national who wants to work in Denmark needs a work permit to work there. You need an employer who needs your skill and is willing to hire you.

You must sign an employment contract with the Danish employer and submit some documents to the (SIRI) website.

So it’s a must to find a job as a teacher in Denmark. There are different ways to find a job in Denmark, and you can use one or all of them. The first one is to look for a position through the websites that advertise these positions. This is a sample list of them:

• OFiR
• Jobindex
• Jobnet
• Stepstone
• IT Jobs
• Public Sector Jobs
• State Sector Jobs

You need a resume/CV that expresses your work experience as a teacher, plus the teaching certificate received from Danish officials. You can include the license in your resume to show you are qualified to work as a teacher in Denmark. This will improve the possibility of getting a job offer.

You can also reach schools and academics in Denmark to find a job. You can find a list of these websites in the below section. You can visit their website and send your resume or ask them if they have a vacancy for you. Also, they might provide job opportunities on their websites. You can visit them in person and ask about the vacancies or have an interview if get accepted. The choices are yours.

There is another option to find a job in Denmark as a teacher. It’s to get help from the recruitment agencies. These are the companies that connect employees and employers. In your case, they will connect a teacher to schools or academies. If you do not know any of these employment agencies or recruiters, you can find a list of them as follows:

• Hudson
• Global Search
• Nigel Wright Group
• Temp Team
• Adecco Denmark
• JKS
• Human Power
• Next Recruitment
• ISG Denmark

You should visit their website and find more information about their policy and available positions.

Sign a contract with the Danish school or employer.

You have to sign an employment contract with a Danish employer or school. It’s part of the supporting documents to apply for a work permit. As explained, every foreign non-EU person who wants to work in Denmark or the EU needs a work permit.

The contract must be complete and explain every aspect of the employment. This list is some of the sample items that can be included in the contract:

• The duration of employment.
• Starting date of employment.
• Location.
• Salary
• Tasks and responsibilities.
• Perks and benefits.

There are sample employment contracts on the internet, and you can read them. You can also get help from a lawyer to understand the terms and conditions of the contract. You should read every line with care and understand it carefully.

Apply for a work permit and a work visa.

After you are done with the contract, you must visit the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) website. Fill in your personal information and a verified email address to receive an Order ID. You might be living in another EU country and commuting to Denmark; you don’t need an Order ID.

Often, the employer needs to complete and get the Order ID on behalf of the employee.

Teachers must submit some supporting documents for a Denmark work visa. They prove that the employee is eligible to work in the country. Also, the purpose of the visit is working, not anything else.

You can see a list of requirements in the below section. Looking through them, read the details as the supporting documents must be according to the instructions. If not, and the embassy requires further documents, your application will take longer or might get rejected. Also, the embassy could require further documents, and it is up to the applicant.

This is a list of the documents you have to gather:

• Passport
• Insurance
• Photo
• Proof of paid visa fees
• Power of attorney
• Contract
• Educational certificates
• Translation.

The above list is a sample of the documents you might have to submit further documents. The SIRI website informs you of the full list of documents.

The employer needs to complete the online application form on the SIRI website. It requires personal information, a verified email address, and a scanned version of some documents.

The Danish employer and teacher must be in constant contact and exchange documents to proceed with the application.

Teachers can also complete a paper application to the Danish embassy in their home country.

Then, you need to visit a Danish embassy or consulate to submit your biometrics, digital photo, and fingerprints. It is an essential part of the application process. You won’t receive a visa to enter Denmark and work if you don’t.

One can find a list of Danish embassies or visa centers that complete the visa procedures on the Ministry of foreign affairs of Denmark’s website.

In case there is no Danish embassy or visa center in your home country, you can visit a Norway embassy.

After the embassy meetings end, you should wait for processing. The embassy informs you of the results and gets your visa to move to Denmark.

You can find more information about Denmark’s work visa from the Visa Library or watch the video we have prepared on our YouTube channel.

Immigrant teacher’s salaries in Denmark.

Your salary in Denmark as a teacher depends on many factors:

• Work experience
• Education.
• Language fluency.
• The subject you teach.
• The place you work with.
• The city you work in.
• Your position
• Tasks and responsibilities.
• Etc.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a teacher in Denmark is about DKK 34,136 per month.

According to Salary Explorer, the average salary is about 43,100 DKK per month, while the lowest salary is about  20,700 DKK, and the highest payment is up to about 78,600 DKK.

The position and job title you have is a determining factors. Look at these titles to know the difference and salary range:

Top schools in Denmark for immigrant teachers.

It’s obvious that one of the places you might find a job is a school. This section brings you some of the famous schools in Denmark. You can visit their website to find more information and determine if they have vacancies or not. If you know the names of the schools, it can lead you to a connection of people or teachers:

1. Rygaards International School, Copenhagen
2. Bjørn’s International School, Copenhagen
3. Stensballeskolen, Horsen
4. North Zealand International School, Horsholm
5. Herlufsholm Skole, Naestved
6. International School of Billund

As a foreign teacher, one of the teaching opportunities is to work in international schools in Denmark. This is a slit of these schools that you might be able to find a teaching position with them:

• Skt. Josef’s International School Roskilde
• Byens Steiner School
• Birkerød Gymnasium
• Aarhus International School
• Kochs International
• International School of Billund

Best cities to immigrate and work as a teacher in Denmark.

You can find a teaching position in Denmark in every city and area of the country. There is a demand for teachers, and schools advertise job positions. It’s up to your skills, resume, and teaching ability to convince the school to hire you.

This list is the largest city in Denmark. The population is higher than in other areas, and so are the student and schools. So you might have a better chance of getting a job in these cities.

1. Copenhagen
2. Aarhus
3. Odense
4. Aalborg
5. Esbjerg

You can find more information about the above cities or search the schools in them to narrow down the research and find a better teaching position. If one city has a unique feature or benefits that you like a lot, you can find a teaching position in that city.

Living costs in Denmark for immigrant teachers.

You should know that Denmark is an expensive country to live in. It’s among the top %10 of expensive places to live. But the salary is high ad you get paid according to the high cost of living. You might pay a high tax, but the benefits you get are out of imagination. It’s not a coincidence that Denmark is the happiest country in the world, and people enjoy a high standard of living.

The weather conditions might be harsh and cold, but people are warm and friendly.

The average cost of living for a family of 4 in Denmark is about 3,175.7£ (27,138.9kr) without rent. The cost of living for one person without rent is about 891.0£ (7,614.3kr).

You can expect to pay about €1300 for a one-room apartment on the outskirts of a city but about €2000 per month in the central parts of the city. The city and its population are one of the determining factors.

Can teachers with non-Danish qualifications immigrate and work in Denmark?

If you have a degree from a foreign country and not in Denmark, you need to pass the recognition process to work there as a teacher. You will have to send your documents and diploma to the Danish officials and wait for their response. If they approve your application and grant you a license, you can work as a teacher in Denmark.

You need to find a job and apply for a work permit. The process is explained in the above section.

Is it easy to immigrate to Denmark as a teacher?

The answer to the difficulty of moving to Denmark as a teacher is up to the quality of your requirements and qualifications. You need a diploma or degree from a valid university in your home country or a foreign one. You will have to send it and the documents to the Danish officials for Recognition. The approval is up to the quality and quantity of your education. After it is approved, you need to find a job, and it’s a must. This part could be difficult as the competition is tough and you will compete with the best candidates from around the world. Your CV/resume must be outstanding and persuade the employer to hire you. Your language fluency becomes important here, and how hard you have worked.

Then you must get a work permit and work visa. It can be hard to gather the documents and fulfill the requirements, but it’s not impossible.

Let’s sum up…

You learned how to immigrate and work in Denmark as a teacher through this page of the Visa Library. We provided the requirements and the procedure you have to follow to immigrate to Denmark as a teacher.

The recognition process, the requirements, and answers to some of the questions are covered.

If you have questions, write them down in the comment section. The Visa Library team will answer them.

Frequently asked questions about immigration to Denmark as a teacher.