Once you have obtained your residence permit you can embark on your new life and get to know Danish society. You can begin meeting your new fellow citizens where you live, in associations, at the library and not least at work when you begin working.
You will be given a civil registration number
Once you have obtained your residence permit you will be registered in the Danish national register. This will be done in the municipal authority where you live. If you have obtained a residence permit as a refugee, the municipal authority or Immigration Service will ensure that you are registered. Once you have been registered, you will automatically be assigned a civil registration number. This consists of your date and year of birth together with four numbers that are unique to each person. A civil registration number can look something like this: 23 (day) 04 (month) 54 (year) - 3476. For women, the last number is always an even number (in this case 6) and for men, an uneven number. You will need your civil registration number in your contact with civil authorities and institutions.
You will be given a healthcare card
Once you are registered with your municipal authority you will receive a healthcare card. This is a yellow plastic card which you will need to take with you if you visit the doctor or go to the hopsital.
Health and sickness
If you can not yet speak Danish, you may be able to obtain the services of an interpreter in many situations that involve contact with your municipal authority or other civil authority. It is the public authorities that assess whether there is a need for an interpreter. They are also responsible for procuring the services of the interpreter.
The interpreter is neutral
You will be given an interpreter, who will help you. The interpreter is responsible for translating everything that is said as accurately as possible, and the interpreter must not omit anything deliberately. The interpreter has a duty of confi dentiality and must be neutral and unbiased. The interpreter may only become involved in the discussion in order to clarify a misunderstanding.
Good advice - about using an interpreter:
- Do not speak to the interpreter but to the person whom you are actually addressing.
- Speak slowly and clearly.
- Only say what you want the interpreter to communicate.
Credits: The Danish Immigration Service
