Healthcare for UK nationals living in Denmark
How to get state healthcare if you live, work or study in Denmark.
Stay up to date
This guidance will be updated if anything changes to how you get state healthcare in Denmark.
This information is about living in Denmark. There are different rules if you’re visiting Denmark - find out how to get healthcare cover abroad with a UK-issued Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) on the NHS website.
Most state healthcare is free in Denmark if you’re a resident and have a state health insurance card (‘yellow health card’).
UK nationals usually access the Danish healthcare system in one of these ways:
- registering as a resident and getting a yellow health card
- using a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying, or as a ‘posted’ (detached) worker
- registering a UK-issued S1 form with the Danish state healthcare system and getting a yellow health card (see ‘UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Denmark’ below)
Healthcare if you live and work in Denmark
If you are planning on moving to Denmark, see the guidance on Living in Denmark for more information about visa and residency requirements.
You must show proof of healthcare cover:
- before you can register as a resident
- when you apply for a visa
For details about the healthcare cover required for residency applications, contact local authorities in Denmark or the appropriate Denmark embassy or consulate in the UK.
Everyone who’s a resident can also register for Danish state healthcare.
This is the same if you’re employed, self-employed or not working.
Your dependants need to register independently for healthcare. Children do not need to register independently until they’re 15 years old if a parent is registered, but they do need to have their own yellow health card.
Once you’re a resident, you may be entitled to a Danish EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.
You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension (see ‘UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Denmark’ below).
How to register for healthcare
First, apply for a Residence Document.
When you have your Residence Document you need to register at the Civil Registry of Denmark (CPR).
You’ll need proof of your address in Denmark and proof that you are staying for at least 3 months.
You choose your GP during your application to the CPR. When your CPR application is accepted, you’ll be sent a yellow health card.
The card will show the name and address of your doctor.
Always carry your yellow health card with you. Show it when you have a GP appointment.
How to access healthcare services
Find your nearest hospital or clinic on the Danish Patient Safety Authority website.
How much you’ll pay
Most medical care is free, including GP appointments, hospital stays, mental health and long-term care.
You’ll still have to pay for some medical services. For example, dental check-ups cost around 200 Danish kroner.
Prescriptions are not free, but you’ll pay a maximum limit each year. Find out how much you’ll pay towards prescribed medicines.
If your UK employer has sent you to Denmark temporarily (‘posted workers’)
A posted worker, also known as a ‘detached worker’, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.
UK posted workers can access healthcare in Denmark using a GHIC, EHIC or S1 form.
HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents.They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.
UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Denmark
There’s different guidance if you have an S1 as a ‘posted worker’ (see ‘If your UK employer has sent you to Denmark temporarily (‘posted workers’)’ above).
You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you’re a resident in Denmark and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable benefit. See Planning your healthcare abroad on the NHS website for more information about eligibility.
You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you’re a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you’re eligible.
Not all UK benefits that can be claimed while abroad entitle you to UK-funded healthcare. Read more about claiming benefits if you move abroad or contact Jobcentre Plus to ask about a benefit.
Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Danish system.
This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in Denmark on the same basis as a Danish citizen.
You’ll also get:
- a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel
- planned treatments in other EU countries
You can find out more about using your GHIC or EHIC abroad and the rules on planned treatments in other EU countries on the NHS website.
Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Denmark than the UK.
Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.
If you’re entitled to an S1 form as a dependant of a State Pensioner, your health cover will be cancelled once you begin claiming your UK State Pension.
You will be sent a new S1 form to your registered address from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You must register this form to ensure continuation of healthcare cover.
You are responsible for informing NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if you change your address or your circumstances change.
NHS Overseas Healthcare Services
Telephone: +44 (0)191 218 1999
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 3pm
How to get an S1 form
If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).
How to use an S1 form in Denmark
Once you’re registered as a resident in Denmark, you’ll be issued with your yellow health card. This will mean you’re entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Danish citizen.
You also need to register your S1 form with Udbetaling Danmark (website in Danish).
If you are experiencing delays registering your S1 with local authorities and require emergency or urgent treatment, contact the Overseas Healthcare Services on 0044 191 218 1999.
Studying in Denmark
You should apply for a Student GHIC to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in Denmark, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you’ll get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as a Danish citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.
If you already hold a valid Student EHIC you can use this until the card expires.
Read more about eligibility and how to apply on the NHS website.
If you’re going to study in Denmark for 3 months or more, you’ll need to register for residence as a student.
When you have your Residence Document, you need to register at the CPR to get a yellow health insurance card.
Getting treatment in the UK
Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.
If you are a UK national and move to the EU, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live, or another exemption applies.
Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:
- UK war pensioners
- UK government employees
- UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1
Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see ‘UK nationals who no longer live in the UK’ in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).
If you return to live in the UK you’ll be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.
Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.
Updates to this page
Published 23 September 2019Last updated 19 October 2021 + show all updates
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Updated 'Healthcare if you live and work in Denmark' to include information about how to find your nearest hospital or clinic. Updated 'UK-funded healthcare' to include information for S1 dependants who begin claiming a UK State Pension, and guidance for S1 holders who are experiencing delays in registering their S1. Updated 'Studying in Denmark' to include more information on Student GHIC and Student EHIC cards. Updated 'Getting treatment in the UK' to provide additional detail about NHS access when visiting the UK.
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Updated 'posted worker' section as Denmark has confirmed posted workers can continue working and accessing state healthcare in Denmark, and added detail to ‘getting treatment in the UK’ section about healthcare when you no longer live in the UK.
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Updated sections on living and working in Denmark, using an S1 form in Denmark, posted workers and studying in Denmark. Changes reflect healthcare arrangements for people moving to Denmark under the new rules of the UK’s deal with the EU.
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Updated 2 sections: ‘Healthcare if you’re using an S1 form in Denmark' and ‘Healthcare if you’re studying in Denmark’. Students and people with a registered S1 in Denmark can now apply for a new UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that will remain valid from 1 January 2021.
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First published.