Last Week in Denmark

𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀?

🔎 Denmark has one of Europe’s highest melanoma rates. This may surprise people as it is not the first country many people associate with dangerous sun. But when sunny days finally arrive, people often spend long hours outside - in parks, by the water, cycling, or sitting in cafés sometimes without much protection.

🔎 More than 20,000 people in Denmark are affected by skin cancer and melanoma each year, and authorities estimate that many cases can be prevented through better sun habits.

🔎 When the sun finally appears, there is a strong urge to be outside: in parks, by the harbour, at the beach, on balconies, or cycling without thinking much about UV exposure. The Danish summer can feel too precious to spend in the shade. But UV radiation does not disappear because the weather feels mild, or because the sun only comes out for a few hours. In warmer countries, sun protection may be part of daily life because the heat itself is a warning. In Denmark, the danger can feel less obvious. A cool breeze, cloudy spells, and long light evenings can make it easy to stay outside longer than planned. Summer habits become less about “it is hot” and more about “the UV index is high enough to matter.”

🔎 The risk is not only about heat. UV radiation can still damage the skin even when the air feels cool, and cloudy weather does not remove the danger completely. This makes sun protection in Denmark less obvious, but still important.

🔎 Living here can change how you think about summer habits. Sunscreen, shade, hats, and checking the UV index are not only for holidays in Southern Europe. They are also relevant on ordinary Danish summer days.

🔎 Enjoying the sun does not have to mean ignoring the risk. In a country where sunshine feels precious, protecting your skin is simply a smarter way to enjoy it.

By Kata Kaplar , LWID Writer

𝗔 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻

🔎 Denmark is planning to ban social media access for under-15s. It is not the first country to tackle the issue. In Australia an under-16 ban has been already enacted, and a few more countries in Europe are considering similar implementations: France, Greece and Italy aim for an under-15 ban; while Spain and Portugal aim for under-16. Separately, the EU is considering the idea of a harmonized EU minimum ban under-13 covering social media, video-sharing, and AI companions.

🔎 The biggest hurdle is enforcement, which will rely on national age-verification apps. According to the eIDAS 2.0 EU framework, such apps are expected to respect user privacy by only sharing with 3rd party services the minimum information necessary and never keeping track of what citizens login where. The European Commission published an age-verification blueprint in 2025, but there is not a single mandatory EU-wide system yet. This blueprint uses the same technical specifications and cryptographic protocols as the future eIDAS 2.0 wallets.

🔎 Restricting access to social media for teenagers is a step in the right direction, but a ban doesn’t teach a teenager what to do when they do eventually get online. Parents must still teach their kids how to use social media responsibly, and show them the risks and consequences of spending too much time interacting online at the expense of in-person relationships.

By Juan Álvarez, LWID Writer

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌?

👉 A new government comprising Socialdemokratiet, SF, Radikale Venstre, and Moderaterne has been formed with Mette Frederiksen at the helm.

👉 A key promise is to eventually offer free dental care.

👉 They also aim to remove the 25% VAT on fruits and vegetables and halve the VAT on all other food.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁?

🔎 Do you speak to your child in your native language or in the language you think will be most practical for them in life? I’ve grappled with this question myself, because I speak five languages, and as soon as I use one of them more or less frequently, it shows.

🔎 People who speak multiple languages often have a different tone of voice in each language, a different accent than native speakers, and, of course, unless they are bilingual, their other foreign languages are imperfect.
In Denmark, children outside the family come into contact with Danish in kindergarden, school, among peers, in the media, and in society in general, so you don’t need to worry that they won’t learn Danish if their parents don’t speak Danish to them. On the contrary, if you were to replace your native language with imperfect Danish, you would likely do more harm than good.

🔎 Experts are quite unanimous on this point: you should use the language you speak best. It’s not just about a rich vocabulary, but also about an emotionally rich linguistic model with natural communication. If you stop using your strongest language, your child may lose the opportunity to fully develop the family language and communicate with relatives. Yes, it’s very likely that your child will speak Danish better than you do—at the very least, their accent will be perfect. Then it’s entirely up to you whether you decide to work on your Danish or not.

By LWID Writer, Lucie Dobešová

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱?

🔎 For a couple wanting to get married, Copenhagen may be a great place to get married. For many international couples, doing destination weddings can be costly and complicated. When it comes to visas and marriage requirements, Denmark is not as strict as other locations, which may make it a more favorable location. Getting married in this location also offers easier access to other countries such as Sweden and Germany with only a few hours of driving.

🔎 At the same time, Copenhagen, and in turn Denmark, has a fast, comprehensible process that allows for couples to seamlessly get married. With old architecture and many historical places to get married, Denmark has been a favored location for those who do not have access to such things in their home country. There are many ways to make your special day unique without breaking the bank. With the whole process usually taking a maximum of two weeks, coming to Denmark and enjoying the sights while you wait could be a good reason for anyone to come get married.

By Makoda Gascon , LWID Writer

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆?

🔎 The language that feels like home can be a tricky topic to cover. If you are part of a multi-cultural family, the language that feels most like home may differ depending on you and your family’s relationship to that language. As an example, when growing up in Canada, I was placed into French Immersion school. This meant that for most of my school subjects, I was listening, talking, reading, and writing in French. When I got home however, my immediate family didn’t speak any French, which stopped my learning once my feet entered the house.

🔎 For other people however, may have it very differently, especially if they moved countries or are learning multiple languages at home or outside of the home. The process of figuring out what language feels most like home is an individual answer, as everyone’s story with language is unique to them.

🔎 The best way to think about what language feels like home is to think about what makes you feel the safest, perhaps a language that expresses a sense of hygge. If you are unsure, it may be beneficial to think about what language you feel the most comfortable in, what language you think in, and what language you talk to yourself in. Perhaps it’s not even a language you are fluent in, or one that the rest of your family doesn’t know.

By Makoda Gascon , LWID Writer

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗼 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀?

🔎 Denmark is often praised for its well-functioning welfare state and public institutions. Large systems help ensure that healthcare, education, childcare, and social support are available across the country, creating a high level of stability and trust, creating only the “framework” for the system.

🔎 Yet many people - both Danes and internationals - experience that small local communities can sometimes feel more effective when it comes to solving everyday problems.

🔎 Part of the reason is that local knowledge often exists outside official guidelines and legislation. In small communities, sports clubs, volunteer organisations, neighbourhood groups, and local networks often know who to contact, how a process actually works, and which informal solutions are available. Denmark has a long tradition of volunteering and civic engagement, with strong participation in associations and local organisations.

🔎 Getting access to these communities can take time. Trust is important in Danish society, and many local networks are built through long-term relationships. Once accepted, however, these connections often provide practical help and guidance that can be difficult to find through official channels alone.
Another factor is that Denmark's municipalities (kommuner) have significant responsibility for delivering welfare services. While national laws set the framework, implementation can vary between municipalities and regions depending on local priorities and conditions.

🔎 As a result, local communities often help people navigate systems that may look uniform from the outside but operate differently in practice. The large public systems keep society functioning overall, while local communities provide something harder to standardise: personal support, local insight, and a sense of belonging.

By Kata Kaplar , LWID Writer

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀?

🔎 Of course, everyone in the industry will answer with a resounding YES. AI forecasts tend to like extremes: AI will save humanity, AI will be catastrophic, AI is in the middle of the biggest tech bubble, etc. When you hear any of those takes, chances are that someone wants to push a narrative.

🔎 AI has the potential to be transformative, but in the end it will be a technology like any other and we will, for better or worse, just live with it. It’s worth learning it just like we learned to use the internet and mobile phones.

🔎 But if you pursue to educate yourself on it, make sure it is so that you understand its strengths, risks and shortcomings. List of AI apps to “supercharge” your life, business or whatever are pointless, tools come and go and good use cases will become more obvious to you once you understand how AI works, what can do, and what can’t. Here’s a good example: feed it all your insurance contracts in Danish and ask in English which one (if any) covers the latest mess at your home.

If you don’t know where to start, deeplearning.ai has good free courses for all levels.

By Juan Álvarez, LWID Writer

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌?

👉 Your children can get “mother tongue education” from the municipality.

👉 Look out for the health bus checking for type 2 diabetes. 100,000 live with this disease unknowingly. Early detection is gold.

👉 Denmark wants you to be able to swim at least 200 meters without stopping. Check the first-ever national recommendations on drowning prevention.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 “𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻”?

🔎 For many internationals, Denmark begins as an idea. A country known for work-life balance, trust, equality, and headlines about labour shortages and the need for international talent. “Denmark welcomes internationals” sounds convincing - until you arrive and discover how difficult it can feel to truly belong.

🔎 The first encounter is often bureaucracy. Residence permits, CPR registration, MitID, changing immigration rules, and strict documentation requirements quickly become part of daily life. Denmark’s immigration system has repeatedly been criticised for being complex and restrictive, even for highly educated workers and graduates. In case one manages to secure a full-time position, attending these meetings could make them perceived as a “complicated” employee.

🔎 Then comes the language barrier. Most internationals sign up for Danish lessons immediately, believing language is the key to acceptance. Yet many describe the same experience: after months or years of study, conversations still switch to English within seconds. Danish pronunciation is notoriously difficult, and studies have shown that language remains one of the largest barriers to integration and employment.

🔎 Work is where the feeling of being “foreign” often becomes strongest. Denmark has one of the highest employment gaps between natives and immigrants in Europe. Networking plays a major role in hiring, and many internationals struggle without local connections or an understanding of unwritten workplace culture.

🔎 For many internationals, the hardest part is not open hostility. It is the constant reminder that no matter how long you stay, how much tax you pay, or how well you speak Danish, you are still seen as someone from somewhere else. The unwritten rules of work and office politics, the conversations you are not part of most of the time due to the language barrier can make one’s life isolated even when they have a job.

🔎 The experience can also differ significantly depending on where you live: Copenhagen and the surrounding areas tend to be more international and English-speaking, while smaller towns and other parts of the country (Jylland, Fyn) can feel more socially closed and harder to integrate into as a foreigner.

By Kata Kaplar , LWID Writer