Becoming Dane

Not quite as romantic as a Jane Austin novel, but equally enlightening is the experience of becoming a Danish resident. There is tons of bad press associated with the immigration process no matter where you live and the same applies in Denmark, so I was eager to experience it first hand. After the wedding on June 20, we wasted little time. Family left the following Wednesday and we were in the immigration office by Friday. I applied on June 26th and received notice of my residency on September 4th. A two month wait, one of which included us being out of the country, is not too bad compared to the stories we have been told. Six months being the shortest wait in the US.

After the celebratory residency letter was received it was time to get the corresponding sticker including picture in my passport that acknowledges me as a resident of Denmark. Ten minutes after arriving at the immigration office, I was waiting for my information to be processed, and 20 minutes later my passport was back in hand to total 30 minutes to make my documentation official. Next I needed to receive my CPR (central person registry) number, or the Danish version of the Social Security Number. This is the key to the country. With this number I am able to open a bank account, use the health care system, and be treated just like any other Danish citizen. We ended up being the only people in the office needing assistance on that particular day. We forgot our marriage license, but luckily had a very nice Dane who was able to process my application anyway. Less than an hour later I had my number, a doctor picked out, and we were on our way home.

Finally, came my integration meeting with the city to schedule my Danish classes and sign a contract that helps me reach the goal of becoming a permanent resident of Denmark one day. During this very enlightening hour and a half I discovered I had the same rights and benefits as every other Danish citizen, including getting my Masters for free AND getting paid by the government while in school. I could feel Tobias' pride in his country during that moment and felt very grateful to be able to have this opportunity. Going back to school has been something I have been wanting to do for many years, but never thought I'd have the chance because it was simply unaffordable in the US. Or rather, after years of working myself out of it, I didn't want to go back into college debt again.

So overall, the process of becoming a Dane took me two months and three hours. I'm not sure whether it's because I'm an American, or that I look Danish, but the immigration process in Denmark was pretty painless. I dare to say, an unexpected pleasant experience. Now if only learning the language could be that simple!