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Rules about accommodation

The most important rules about accommodation in Denmark while working in construction

No matter whether your accommodation is organised by your employer, the main contractor or yourself, there are rules about how you should live while you are working in Denmark. The rules on accommodation apply no matter whether you are staying on a camp site near the construction site, at a hotel, or with a private landlord. Hvor må du bo i Danmark? 

Where you can stay in Denmark

Accommodation must be approved as suitable for residence by the municipality.
Otherwise it is illegal to stay there. Therefore, for example, it is illegal to stay in
an abandoned building, or in a tent on a random field or in a forest. Neither is it permitted to stay on the construction site, for example in a site hut.

This requires that the contractor has had permission from the municipality.

How you can stay in private accommodation in Denmark

You can check yourself whether your accommodation is legal. If a house
or a flat does not meet the requirements on the following page, the accommodation cannot be approved for residence and therefore you cannot stay in it.

The accomodation must meet certain requirements

  1. There must be an escape route from every room so that you can get out
    quickly in the event of a fire.
  2. There must be at least one window to the outside in each room through
    which daylight can come in.
  3. There must be at least 2.3 m from ceiling to floor in every room in a
    house. In flats there must be at least 2.5 m from ceiling to floor.
  4. The floor of each room must not be lower than the outside ground level.
    However, it is permitted to stay in a room where although the floor is below
    ground level at one wall, the floor is above ground level along at least one
    window wall (e.g. on a slope)

If you are in doubt about whether your accommodation is legal, contact borgerservice (the municipal service centre) in the municipality in which the accommodation is located. In Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg you can also contact the International Citizen Service.

Any questions?

Contact Arbejdstilsynet
The Danish Working Environment Authority (WEA)

Phone hours
Monday - Wednesday: 8 - 15
Thursday: 8 - 18
Friday: 8 - 14

+45 70 12 12 88
Press 9 for English
at@at.dk

Last updated: 01-09-2023