For a young employee who moves to Denmark without family or a partner, it’s important to build a social life outside of the office. No matter how interesting the job, it can get lonely and rough when the clock strikes four and Danes typically go home. In Denmark, socialising with colleagues after work is less common than in other countries.

A new survey from global expat network InterNations underlines the severity of the problem. A total of 18,000 expats have ranked Denmark as 35th out of 68 countries in the global Expat Insider survey. And Denmark drops all the way to 64th place in the “ease of settling in” category, which includes opportunities for finding friends.

Simplifying the process

At DI, we work to ensure that international employees get off to a good start in Denmark. The Expat in Denmark programme helps expats network via social media, and together with local partners around the country, DI helps international employees learn the ins and outs of the real estate market, tax system and Danish work culture. On top of that, we advocate for easing bureaucracy, because a positive first encounter with Denmark helps make expats feel welcome and want to stay.

The process of moving to Denmark must be simplified, and registration upon arrival needs to be smoother and more efficient – among other things, through one-stop shops where all paperwork can be taken care of so expats don’t need to go to several different places. That is why International Citizen Service (ICS), which is intended to provide precisely that, should be given higher priority after several years of cutbacks to the service.

It’s important that expats visit these centres, because in addition to handling practical matters, the centres also provide other information that can help foreign employees and their accompanying family better settle in – outside the office, too.

See also: Danes: Foreigners are a boon for our workplaces