What did we learn this week?
From 2027, select workers from some non-EU countries will have a new work permit option.
Non-EU students face tighter rules, including restrictions affecting work, family, and post-study job-search rights.
Forced labor exists in ordinary Danish workplaces, with cases identified in restaurants, cleaning, construction, and nail salons.
Letter from the editor
Perhaps you saw this week the signs “No Farmers. No Food. No Future” (interestingly, in English) on the tractors that invaded the big cities. If you are wondering what’s happening, to put it simply: farmers are revolting against a new law that will limit how much nitrogen-based fertilizer can be used based on how much nitrogen from the land could reach waterways and fjords.
While nitrogen increases agricultural production, too much of it also kills life in Denmark’s coastal waters. Why? Nitrogen feeds algae, which can overrun the water. When the algae die and decompose, they consume oxygen, creating conditions where fish and other marine life struggle to survive. So there is agreement between, literally, everyone involved in this conflict that less nitrogen needs to reach Denmark’s coastal waters.
Some time ago, the Green Tripartite agreement between farmers, nature organizations, industry, and the political class was hailed as the grand compromise that would govern Denmark’s green transition. Part of the idea was that environmentally sensitive agricultural land would gradually be taken out of intensive production, with farmers receiving compensation. Now the transition is becoming much more concrete, and some farmers are discovering that the new nitrogen limits could significantly reduce what they can produce on their land.
A massive mistake in this process was passing the law before farmers knew exactly what the final limits would mean for their individual farms. Farmers need to plan ahead, and this uncertainty has understandably made many fear for their future. Some could discover that significant parts of the land on which their businesses are built can no longer produce as much as before. That could mean lower production, lower land values, and, in some cases, farms that are no longer economically viable in their current form.
The vegetable growers already exposed one weakness. They have now been given until 2028 before the new rules apply to them, while experts take another look at how the regulation should work for their particular production. If one part of agriculture required an emergency correction just before the law was passed, it is reasonable for other farmers to ask whether everything affecting them has been calculated correctly.
This is where I think the government created its biggest problem. Uncertainty allows fear to creep in. Fear makes us susceptible to propaganda, distortions of truth, and massive exaggerations.
While it is clear that some farms will be hit hard, it does not follow that Danish agriculture is about to disappear. Nobody is proposing a Denmark without farmers or food production. The much less dramatic reality is that Denmark has decided that some agricultural land cannot continue producing at the same intensity if the result is ongoing damage to fjords and coastal waters.
We should absolutely question whether the burden is distributed fairly. We should question whether the models are sufficiently precise when the consequences for an individual farmer can be enormous. Farmers should know what rules they are expected to operate under before being asked to plan another agricultural year. And when society asks somebody to sacrifice part of the value of their business for a benefit enjoyed by all of us, fair compensation should be part of that discussion.
But eventually the nitrogen still has to come down.
The Green Tripartite was supposed to prevent exactly the conflict we are seeing now. Everyone sat around the same table and agreed that Danish agriculture had to change. It was celebrated as another example of the Danish ability to solve difficult problems through dialogue and compromise.
Now we have tractors in the streets.
But compromise also cannot mean supporting the green transition only until it begins to cost something. Farmers were part of the agreement because Denmark needs their cooperation. With that seat at the table also comes a responsibility to acknowledge that some agricultural production will have to change if the environmental targets everyone agreed upon are ever going to become reality.
Perhaps this is the real story behind the tractors this week. Denmark does not have to choose between farmers and fjords. It has to figure out how to distribute the cost of having both.
Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!
Narcis George Matache, Executive Editor, LWID
Our long-form articles this week…
Happy With Denmark, Not Happy In Denmark by Daniel Sfita
Want to dig deeper into the latest news? Check out the Last Week in Denmark podcast. New episodes drop on all podcast apps and YouTube every Wednesday. Follow now so you don’t miss it.
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Image(s) of the Week
📸An unwanted visitor has been spotted on Rømø: a coypu, a large invasive rodent that looks like a cross between a beaver and a giant rat. See here.
Danish Politics HQ
New laws
💼 A new work permit scheme will make it easier for companies to recruit workers from select countries outside the EU. From 1 January 2027, certified companies can hire non-Europeans for full-time jobs paying at least 322,000 DKK annually. Jobs must be covered by a collective agreement. The scheme will only operate while unemployment remains low (under 3.75%). There are 16 eligible countries: UK, USA, Moldova, Ukraine, China, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Malaysia, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania. The new route can also be used by eligible people already living in Denmark; it is not limited to new arrivals.
🎓 New rules will tighten residence and work rights for non-EU students, particularly those attending private higher-education programs that are not approved as Danish degrees. From October 1, new students on these programs will no longer automatically be allowed to work alongside their studies or bring family members, and they will not be eligible for a post-study job-search permit. Separately, non-EU graduates from recognized Danish bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs will see their post-graduation job-search period reduced from three years to one. The changes are intended to prevent study permits from being used primarily as a route into the labor market.
👷 Workers on large construction sites will have to carry an ID card to make undeclared work easier to detect. The requirement will apply to construction and civil-engineering projects worth more than 100 million DKK, rather than every building site. The system will identify who is working there and register how long they are present, giving authorities better information. The aim is particularly to combat social dumping (workers, often internationals, being employed under illegally poor pay or working conditions).
⚖️ Foreign nationals sentenced to at least one year in prison for serious crimes will now, as a starting point, be expelled. The new rules cover offenses such as aggravated violence, although courts can still decide against expulsion in exceptional circumstances, including where Denmark’s international obligations require it. The reform also introduces one year of GPS ankle monitoring for people without legal residence who repeatedly break the control requirements imposed on them while staying at a departure center (udrejsecenter).
💳 Young people aged 15–17 will be able to open their own bank account without permission from a parent or guardian. The change is important for vulnerable teenagers who may be living away from their parents or have little contact with them. Until now, the lack of parental consent could prevent them from having a NemKonto, making it difficult to receive wages from a part-time job or public benefits directly. The account cannot include credit or be used to put the young person into debt.
Political scene
🚜 Venstre’s (Liberals) support for the new nitrogen law has triggered a rebellion in a party historically rooted in Denmark’s farming community. Five of its 18 MPs broke ranks and voted against the law, while some local party figures have resigned or left the party. The dispute goes deeper than one environmental law: rural Denmark and farmers have traditionally been central to Venstre’s identity. Party leader Troels Lund Poulsen argues that Venstre must remain part of the Green Tripartite agreement to influence agriculture’s green transition; some members see that position as abandoning the party’s roots.
🛴 Road-safety experts want e-scooters and other small electric vehicles removed from public roads and cycle paths. These vehicles have technically been legal under an experimental scheme since 2019, and experts now argue that seven years of data is enough to end the experiment. Police-recorded accidents suggest the risk of an accident is 8–9 times higher than on a bicycle. Politicians are divided between a ban and stricter rules. For now, nothing changes: e-scooters remain legal, with a 20 km/h speed limit and mandatory helmets.
🛡️ Sabotage could become a separate crime against national security, as authorities warn that Russia is actively preparing sabotage against Danish defense companies. PET, Denmark’s domestic intelligence and security service, says Russian intelligence has attempted to recruit people in Denmark through social media and gaming platforms for tasks such as photographing companies and infrastructure. The government has now asked legal experts to examine whether Denmark’s criminal law needs strengthening.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
🩴 Flip-flops became the unlikely fashion hit of summer 2026. The humble klipklap was everywhere, particularly during Copenhagen Fashion Week, where even international fashion media noticed the trend. Cheap plastic sandals paired with expensive outfits became the latest expression of Scandi cool: looking fashionable by appearing not to have tried too hard.
🍂 Autumn has officially arrived, and statistically, the next three months bring almost 30% of the year’s rain. October is normally the wettest month, while the first frost typically arrives around early October and the first snow usually appears in November. Autumn is actually warmer than spring on average, but October also marks the beginning of Denmark’s storm season.
⚔️ Denmark’s largest-ever Viking silver treasure has been discovered by someone building a terrace in their garden. The extraordinary find in Rebild weighs 18.5 kg and contains around 700 objects from the 900s, including silver bars, jewelry, coins, and a Thor’s hammer. Coins originating from England and the Islamic world show just how extensive Viking trade networks were. The treasure is almost three times larger than Denmark’s previous record find.
🎻 Fanø’s unique music, dance, and traditional clothing could become UNESCO cultural heritage. The island’s 300-year-old traditions have been selected as Denmark’s candidate for UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2027. The culture includes distinctive folk music passed down by ear rather than sheet music, the Sønderhoning and Fannik dances, and traditional Fanø clothing influenced by the island’s centuries of seafaring.
🛡️ Only around half of the 1,694 public underground shelters currently meet basic requirements. An inspection found that 831 could potentially be brought into use in an emergency, although they would still need preparation. Authorities also expect all 1,694 to require treatment for mold and pests. These public shelters provide around 113,000 spaces; Denmark has roughly 3.4 million shelter spaces in total, mostly in protected rooms inside buildings.
🏠 Homelessness has not fallen despite a major reform designed to reduce it. Denmark registered 6,028 homeless people in 2026, virtually unchanged from 5,989 in 2024. The 2023 reform centers on Housing First (giving people a permanent home first and then providing social support), but municipalities continue to struggle, particularly with finding affordable housing. Importantly, homelessness does not necessarily mean sleeping rough: only 482 of those counted slept on the street, while the rest stayed in shelters or temporarily with friends and family.
🥕 Want your vegetables directly from a field? Some farms let you become a “customer farmer.” Instead of buying a weekly vegetable box, members pay for the season and visit the farm to harvest what they need themselves. At one farm near Aarhus, membership costs 5,200 DKK for a 40-week season, and all 250 places are taken, with a waiting list. The concept is a good example of Denmark’s growing community-supported agriculture scene and an interesting way to get closer to local food and rural life.
Danish Economics HQ
Our money
🏘️ Some of the financially weakest municipalities are getting an extra 1 billion DKK to protect local welfare services. The money is being divided between 22 municipalities facing particularly difficult economic conditions. Lolland receives the largest share at 223 million DKK. Denmark already redistributes around 25 billion DKK annually between richer and poorer municipalities so that schools, elderly care, and other services do not depend entirely on how wealthy your municipality is.
💰 More people are voluntarily putting extra money into their pensions. At PFA alone, around 250,000 customers have made almost 5 billion DKK in additional contributions this year. It is worth checking your payslip: workplace pension is usually automatically deducted as a percentage of salary, but you can often ask your employer to increase your contribution.
🧾 The tax authority has admitted serious mistakes that left innocent people facing tax bills of millions of DKK. The cases involved 126 people linked to international money transfers, including 61 who said they were victims of identity theft. In some cases, tax collection continued despite information supporting their claims. SKAT is now reviewing every case and returning money that was wrongly collected while introducing new measures to better protect taxpayers.
🏙️ Living in Copenhagen will get a little more expensive for car owners in 2027, while families and renters get new support. An annual resident parking permit will rise to 1,905 DKK for electric cars and as much as 6,305 DKK for the least fuel-efficient cars. The city is also introducing cheaper 30-hour childcare places in selected institutions and a 117-million-DKK housing package, including help for tenants who want to collectively buy their building. Copenhagen’s municipal income tax remains unchanged at 23.39%, still the lowest in Denmark.
State of the markets
🏭 One of West Jutland’s most important industrial employers is closing, but its environmental legacy will remain for decades. FMC Rønland, better known as Cheminova, will shut its pesticide factory on Harboøre Tange by the end of 2026, closing 400 jobs at Lemvig’s largest private workplace. The factory has operated in the area since the 1960s and became closely tied to the local economy, but decades of chemical production also left the site polluted. FMC cleans around 200,000 m³ of contaminated groundwater every year to stop pollution from reaching the surrounding waters. The company will continue this for a period after closing, but who will ultimately operate the long-term cleanup remains unresolved.
💊 Should pharmaceutical companies help pay when their medicines seriously harm patients? Denmark may reconsider its current system. Today, compensation for serious and rare medicine side effects is paid by the state, not the manufacturer, totalling more than 500 million DKK over the past decade. The debate has intensified after patients received compensation for permanent vision damage linked to Wegovy, including one award of 5 million DKK. Several parties now want drug companies to share the bill, although no rules have changed yet.
🤝 “Social employment” in manufacturing may be saving society billions while bringing more people into work. Around 39,000 people were employed on special terms in 2025, including people with disabilities or other needs requiring workplace adjustments. An analysis for Dansk Industri estimates these jobs generated at least 9 billion DKK through higher tax revenues and lower spending on benefits. For employers facing labor shortages, the argument is increasingly economic as well as social: adapting jobs can unlock workers who might otherwise remain outside the labor market.
🏷️ A “sale” cannot last forever. Eventually the sale price becomes the normal price. Online retailer Ditur has accepted a 4.25-million-DKK fine for misleading customers in 26 cases. The Consumer Ombudsman found products advertised as discounted for so long that the higher “normal price” had become largely theoretical, making the claimed savings misleading. It is a useful reminder when shopping: a crossed-out price does not automatically mean you are actually getting a bargain.
Entrepreneurship
💰 Looking for investors for your startup? Applications close Tuesday: Nordea is matching Nordic startups directly with investors through its online Investor Speed Dating. The next round is for pre-seed and early-seed startups looking to raise €200,000–€1 million. Instead of pitching to a room, selected startups get pre-booked one-to-one meetings with relevant investors. Apply by September 9; the event takes place September 30.
💡 Got a business idea? You could win 100,000 DKK: Applications are open for Fynske Bank Startup Lab, a free business-development program for entrepreneurs and startups across Denmark. You don’t even need a CVR number to apply. Selected entrepreneurs get workshops, expert guidance, networking, and a three-day bootcamp before networking, competing for DKK 100,000 for first place and DKK 50,000 for second. Applications close September 18.
International Community HQ
💅 A landmark ruling could change how forced labor cases are prosecuted. A nail-salon owner in North Zealand was sentenced to three years in prison for trafficking eight Vietnamese women who had been recruited to work in Denmark but ended up working at least 12 hours a day while their employer controlled their wages and bank accounts. The case matters because authorities have identified forced labor for years without previously securing such a conviction. In 2025 alone, 101 people were officially identified as trafficking victims in Denmark.
Community Noticeboard
Welcome Internationals 📍Kolding | 🗓 Thursday, September 10 | Discover Danish language courses and volunteering opportunities and get practical insights into Danish working life. 🔗 Find out more
Dating Culture in Denmark ❤️ 📍Esbjerg | 🗓 Thursday, September 10 | Get an introduction to Danish dating culture, relationships, and some of the unwritten social rules. 🔗 Find out more
Finally Friday 🍻 📍Aarhus | 🗓 Friday, September 11 | An informal after-work gathering for internationals looking to meet new people and expand their social circle. 🔗 Find out more
International Citizen Day 🌍 📍Herning Library | 🗓 Saturday, September 12, from 10:30 | Meet local associations and communities, with activities including Latin dancing, Kendo, and a Living Library. 🔗 Find out more
Internationals’ Fair North Denmark 🤝 📍Aalborg Main Library | 🗓 Saturday, September 12, 10:00–14:00 | Meet authorities, organizations, and communities that can help you navigate work, education, and everyday life in North Denmark. Free, registration required. 🔗 Sign up
Brazilian Day 🇧🇷 📍Odense | 🗓 Saturday, September 12 | An afternoon of Brazilian culture with live music, samba, capoeira, food, entrepreneurs, and artists. 🔗 Find out more
Global Festival 2026 📍Axeltorv, Nakskov | 🗓 September 18-19 | Global Festival brings two days of music, dance, food, culture, community and intercultural exchange. 🔗 More details here.
Ambition After Babies 📍Copenhagen | 🗓 Sunday, September 20 | A ParentLab Salon, baby-friendly, adult-focused conversations and community. 🔗 Sign up
➕ Hosting something relevant to internationals in Denmark? Send it to us at noticeboard@lwid.dk
Denmark in Global Headlines
🩺 “Forced birth control in Greenland violated women’s rights but didn’t constitute genocide, experts find” – Reuters
🏙️ “Why is Copenhagen the world’s most livable city?” – CNN
🇺🇸 “The shadow of the United States lengthens over southern Greenland: ‘We are going to lose our homes’” – El País
🌱 “Cleaner water push tests Denmark’s pact with farmers” – Euractiv
🪙 “Homeowner stumbles upon Denmark’s largest-ever Viking silver hoard” – Heritage Daily
🪖 “Denmark sends conscripts to Greenland as Arctic tensions grow” – Reuters