You need a CPR number before any Danish bank will open an account for you. Once you have it, opening the account is mostly a matter of walking into a branch with two pieces of plastic. Then you register that account as your Nemkonto so public authorities have somewhere to send money.
That is the whole sequence: CPR first, bank account second, Nemkonto third. Everything below fills in the details, and flags the parts where you should ask your own bank or the authorities rather than trust a guide.
Why you want a Danish account at all
All international students are advised to open a Danish bank account. It is advice rather than a legal requirement, but Danish daily life leans on it: paying rent, getting a phone contract, receiving money from an employer or from the public sector.
The Nemkonto matters because that is how Danish public authorities pay you. Wages, tax rebates and maintenance payments arrive through it. Without one registered, money owed to you has nowhere obvious to go.
The CPR number comes first
No CPR, no account. Banks check your CPR card, so if you have not registered with your local municipality yet, that is your first task, not the bank visit.
If you are from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, your residence permit normally has to be sorted before you come at all. Applications go through the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) and the details live on nyidanmark.dk. SIRI decides on permits; the institution decides on admission. Neither of those is something this page can settle for you.
While you wait for the pieces to fall into place, budget for the gap. Our guide to the cost of living helps you plan the first weeks, and the page on sufficient means explains the money you may need to show.
Opening the account: what to bring
The process is simple once you are eligible. Bring your passport or ID card and your CPR card to a branch and ask to open an account.
Choosing a bank is the part nobody tells you about. Ask fellow students for recommendations. They will know which branches are used to international students, how quickly cards arrive, and what the online banking is like in English.
A few practical points:
- Bring enough cash or a credit card to cover the first few weeks. Your Danish card will not exist yet.
- Check your cash withdrawal limit before you travel, both on your card and at the ATM once you arrive.
- Transfers from your home account take a few days and will probably cost a fee. Ask your bank what it charges before you rely on a transfer to pay a deposit.
- The currency is the krone (DKK). Study in Denmark rounds EUR 1 to about 7.5 kroner and USD 1 to about 6.5, which is fine for rough mental arithmetic and useless for exact budgeting.
If you are still picking where to study, our list of all universities in Denmark is a good place to start, and the catalogue carries 24 institutions and 422 programmes imported from the Study in Denmark register.
Setting up your Nemkonto
Once the account exists, register it as your Nemkonto. This is the account public authorities use to pay you wages, tax rebates or maintenance payments.
You usually do this through your bank or through the public digital services you will be given access to after registration. The exact steps depend on your bank, so ask at the branch when you open the account. It is a short conversation and saves a lot of confusion later.
Do not treat the Nemkonto as a savings account you check occasionally. It should be an account you actually use, because that is where official money will land.
Money, fees and applications in the background
Higher education is free of charge for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and for students entitled to the same status as Danish citizens under EU law. Other full-degree students pay tuition fees set by each institution. Fees and deadlines on this site are shown as listed in the Study in Denmark register, so confirm them with the institution directly.
Undergraduate applications are coordinated centrally through optagelse.dk but assessed by the institutions. The deadlines are 15 March and 5 July, both at 12 noon (CET). All Danish higher education institutions use ECTS credits and follow national rules on teacher qualifications, degree structures and examinations.
For anything about permits, check nyidanmark.dk. For grants and student income, su.dk is the place to look. This page will not guess at numbers that belong to those sites.
Sources
- Study in Denmark, banking and budgeting for students
- Study in Denmark, how to apply
- Study in Denmark, tuition fees and scholarships
- Study in Denmark, residence permits for non-EU/EEA citizens
- Study in Denmark, education in Denmark and the quality guarantee
- This site's catalogue, imported from the Study in Denmark register
Frequently asked questions
Can I open a Danish bank account before I get my CPR number?
No. All international students are advised to open a Danish bank account, but you must first obtain a CPR number. Register with your municipality first, then take your passport or ID card and CPR card to a branch.
What is a Nemkonto and do I need one?
A Nemkonto is the Danish account you register so public authorities can pay you wages, tax rebates or maintenance payments. You set it up after opening your bank account, usually with help from your bank.
How much money should I bring before my Danish account is ready?
Enough cash or credit card cover for the first few weeks, since your Danish card will not exist yet. Check your cash withdrawal limit before you travel, and remember transfers from home take a few days and will probably cost a fee.
Which bank should I choose?
Ask fellow students for recommendations. They know which branches handle international students smoothly and how the online banking works in practice. The account opening itself is simple once you have your CPR card.