Prices in Swedish kronor and Danish kroner tend to be more or less the same in each country, so a coffee that sets you back about 30 Danish kroner in Denmark, would, for example tend to be about 30 Swedish kronor in Sweden.
As of November 2024, 100 Danish kroner were worth 156 Swedish kronor. This means someone earning 30,000 Danish kroner in Denmark is earning considerably more in real terms than they would earning the same salary in Swedish kronor.
Indeed, this is a major draw for many in southern Sweden, who hope to be able to access the labour market in both countries.
As a rule someone living in Sweden and earning a salary in Denmark can get around 50 percent extra in take-home pay.
However, Denmark's work permit rules mean that this option isn't available to everyone, so make sure you understand the rules if you're planning to relocate.
Nordic citizens
Citizens of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland are able to enter, live and work in Denmark freely, meaning that they are able to live in Sweden and work in Denmark with no need for visas, permits or proof of income or studies.
Family members of Nordic citizens living in Denmark are able to work in the country, but this does not extend to family members of Nordic citizens living in Sweden who wish to work on the Danish side of the border.
EU/EEA citizens
EU/EEA citizens do not need a work permit to work in Denmark, meaning that they are also able to live in Sweden and work in Denmark. However, you may need to show some extra paperwork at the Tax Agency when registering your residency in Sweden.
There are a number of different criteria EU/EEA citizens can fulfil in order to be registered in the Swedish population register and receive a personal number. These include studying, working, seeking work, having sufficient means to support yourself and moving to be with a family member who already has uppehållsrätt - the right to reside in Sweden under EU law.
If you are not yet registered as resident in Sweden, but are planning on living in Sweden and working in Denmark, note that having a job in another country does not give you the right to reside in Sweden as a worker under EU law (uppehållsrätt).
But that doesn't mean it's not impossible to work in Denmark and qualify for uppehållsrätt in Sweden. Instead for qualifying as a worker, you may need to prove that you have sufficient means to support yourself in Sweden when you register your residency with the Swedish Tax Agency.
The Tax Agency does not state an exact amount for how much money you must have in order to prove that you can support yourself, but do state on their website that you need to have "enough money so you can live and support yourself in Sweden for at least a year".
You can prove this by showing copies of your bank statements, and may also be able to show a foreign job contract lasting at least a year which would fulfil the Tax Agency's requirements, but check with the agency directly to find out what applies in your situation.
British citizens with uppehållsstatus in Sweden
British citizens with post-Brexit residence status or uppehållsstatus in Sweden are not able to live in Sweden and work in Denmark without applying for a work permit, unless they were already working as a cross-border worker before December 31st, 2021.
Those who were working as cross-border workers before this date should have applied for a grænsearbejderdokument or 'border worker document' from Danish authorities before the December 31st deadline, which protects their right to work in Denmark and live in Sweden.
Brits who do not hold uppehållstatus or a grænsearbejderdokument are not able to work in Denmark and live in Sweden, unless they fulfil the requirements for a 'third country' Danish work permit and Swedish residence permit, below.
'Third country' citizens
If you're a so-called 'third country' citizen – a non-EU, non Nordic citizen – planning on working in Denmark, you will need a work permit for Denmark, regardless of whether you are planning on living in Denmark or Sweden.
If you already hold a Swedish non-EU residence permit or uppehållstillstånd, this does not give you the right to work in Denmark.
As a rule, non-EU citizens wanting to apply for work permits in Denmark will usually need to have an offer of a full-time job with a yearly salary of at least 393,000 Danish kroner (figures for 2024), which is roughly 615,600 Swedish kronor, or a job listed on Denmark's Positive List, a list of professions suffering from a shortage of qualified professionals in order to qualify.
You can apply for a commuter work permit, which doesn't include a residence permit, but you'll still need to meet this salary requirement.
There are exceptions for some professions, such as researchers, PhD students and farm workers - check nyidanmark.dk for full details.
However, you will also need a residence permit for Sweden, if you wish to work as a cross-border worker. Third country citizens can apply for residence permits in Sweden for work, studies, or to move to Sweden to live with someone who already has the right to live in Sweden.
Swedish residence permits for work or studies cannot be granted on the basis of a job in another country, but if you have a residence permit on family reunification grounds, and also qualify for a work permit in Denmark, then you can work in Denmark and live in Sweden.
If you hold a Swedish work permit, you may lose the right to live in Sweden if you stop working in Sweden and start working in Denmark, as you no longer fulfil the requirements of your Swedish residence permit. Be sure to check with the Swedish Migration Agency before you start working on the other side of the border to make sure you will still be able to live in Sweden legally.
The above information was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. Please be aware that we are not a government authority and cannot issue any guarantees about whether or not you will be able to live in Sweden and work in Denmark as a cross-border worker.
We advise readers to also consult the official information on websites such as nyidanmark.dk - the Danish portal for foreign nationals wishing to work in Denmark - as well as the Swedish Tax Agency and Swedish Migration Agency before planning to work as a cross-border worker, or if you are unsure of what applies in your situation.
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