Starting as an international PhD student can be an overwhelming and exciting experience. This page is a portal to the most important information you will need in the transition towards getting settled in Denmark.
Below are descriptions of the process for obtaining a work and residence permit/registration certificate and relevant links.
If you are a non-Danish citizen, according to Danish legislation you are required to have either a registration certificate or a residence and work permit when studying in Denmark. Your study at Aarhus University is conditional on a valid residence and work/study permit corresponding to the terms and work place of your study.
The GSNS will contact you and assist you in the application process if you need a permit as an EU/EEA citizen or a permit as a non-EU/EEA citizen.
Application process
When you have been offered and accepted admission as a PhD student, the GSNS will complete your enrolment and employment documents, and thereafter start the application process for your work and residence permit.
Please note that the application for a work and residence permit can be initiated only by the GSNS. It is important that you upload a scan of your passport when you accept the PhD offer, so we have all the information we need in order to start the permit application process. Please note that there may be a long response time, so please have patience, we will contact you in due time.
After we have filled in our part of the application for your work and residence permit, we will send you an e-mail with application instructions and additional information on applications for accompanying family members, insurance, tax registration, etc.
When you receive the permit confirmation letter, it is very important that you read the terms and conditions for the residence and work permit very carefully and let us know if you have any questions. The GSNS is happy to guide and advise, but please note that it is solely your responsibility to read and follow all instructions given by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).
If an extension of your permit becomes necessary, the GSNS will also assist you with the application for extension.
On the AU International Staff Office's website you can find info on all the practicalities you should be aware of before and after arriving to Denmark.
Furthermore, the International staff Office arranges “Getting started in Denmark” events. The event provides you with important on-arrival information as well as the opportunity to get registered with the public authorities for your EU residence certificate, CPR number and NemID - all in one visit. The goal of the event is to aid you in making a smoother transition to Denmark. For more information about the events, please read here.
You can find the International Staff Office's contact info and opening hours here.
At International Citizen Service/ICS (one-stop-shop) located in Copenhagen, Odense, Aalborg and Aarhus, you can get most official paperwork done in just one visit. You can find the nearest ICS here. They offer various services for both PhD students and accompanying family members. The services include: registration for CPR/ Health Insurance, Tax and Danish classes, job counselling for spouses etc.
Please find contact info and opening hours on their website.
