Denmark

Denmark is a very LGBTQ+-friendly country located in northern Europe, with some legal protections for trans people.

Why Denmark?

Legal gender recognition: Denmark recognises gender changes, it is a simple application though it does require a confirmation 6 months after it’s been filed, before the changes are applied.
Anti-discrimination laws: There are laws in place that protect trans people against discrimination.
Public healthcare: Healthcare in Denmark is free and available to any that live there.
LGBTQ+ rights and community: The rights of LGBTQ+ people in Denmark are both well-defined and good. LGBTQ+ people have the same rights as others. There is also a thriving LGBTQ+ community in Denmark and the public opinion of LGBTQ+ people is very favourable.
Ease of understanding: Denmark has one of the highest English fluency rates, being the third best in the world. This means communication with Danes, for the purpose of making friends and when in contact with the public service is easy.

Why not Denmark?

Rural cities vs. larger cities: As with most countries the treatment of trans people can differ greatly depending on what part of the country you are in. Generally, the larger cities offer very few problems with trans people, and the more rural parts like southern and northern Jutland (The westernmost peninsula) can be more conservative.
Racism: While Denmark is a progressive country, especially among the elderly population racism runs rampant. Alongside it islamophobia is also very prevalent.

Access to Trans Healthcare

In Denmark once you have attained residency status you gain access to the Danish healthcare system which is free. Through this system you can gain access to all types of gender affirming care. To start the process a consultation with your general practitioner is required.

Immigration Policy

US citizens need a Visa and residency permit to move to Denmark. The process can be done in either English or Danish. The most common residency permit routes are:

Student residency permit: Available to those who study with a Danish higher education programme, high school or PhD programme. (https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/You-want-to-apply/Study).
Danish descent: While it is possible to use Danish ancestry to achieve a residency permit it is hard to qualify for it.
Work residency permit: It is hard to attain a work residency permit without a valid job offer from a Danish company, however if you have a job lined up the process is generally quite easy if the company certified by the agency for international recruitment and integration. (https://ww.w.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/You-want-to-apply/Work)
Family residency permit: You can attain a residency permit if your partner, spouse, parent or another family member has at least residency status in Denmark.

Permanent Residency

If you have lived in Denmark for 8 years or more years it is possible to gain permanent residency. Though you must fulfil a list of basic requirements including having reached Danish 2, a test in danish. You must also have worked for at least 3 years and 6 months in Denmark. Alongside the basic requirements you must also fulfil 2 of 4 supplementary requirements. All of these requirements can be found at: https://nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/You-want-to-apply/Permanent-residence-permit/Permanent-residence

LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities

In general all cities Denmark are LGBTQ+ friendly especially any major city, especially:

Copenhagen: The capitol of Denmark and very friendly to trans people, especially when staying within Storkøbenhavn.
Århus/Aarhus: The second largest city in Denmark and like Copenhagen very open and accepting.
Odense: Has one of the best pride celebrations in Denmark

Community & Support Resources

In most every city there are local groups, these are often found through facebook or instagram.

National Organizations

For moving to Denmark the website nyidanmark is the best source of information it is run by the government and it’s purpose is to inform about being new in Denmark: https://www.nyidanmark.dk/
The group LGBT+ is a national group that offer a wide range of things including counselling. They also arrange public speaking engagements and talks surrounding LGBTQ+. Alongside this they also hold local events. They can be found at: https://lgbt.dk/en/

Cost of Living

As with every country Denmark is currently experiencing a cost of living crisis, however it is still manageable.
Rent is on average for a two bedroom apartment around 6000 kr. (870 usd) a month in the largest cities and closer to 5500 (800 usd) in the smaller cities. Though often when renting water and heating is included in the rent.
Public transport is known as a point of humour but in the major cities it goes smoothly and it is very possible to get around solely using public transport
Healthcare is free.

Housing Access & Cost

It is relatively simple to find rentals though their quality can often vary greatly.

Law Enforcement ("How bad are the cops?")

Compared to the US the Danish law enforcement is very good. However it became clear in 2024 that the police in Denmark have a problem with racial profiling and systemic problems with their whistle-blower system. This means filing a complaint about the police is both difficult and often goes ignored.

Ease of Travel to Other Countries

Denmark is a part of the Schengen Area allowing visa-free travel to 26 European countries.

The ease of public transport, especially trains make it easy to get both to Sweden and Germany.