Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving to Denmark is a dream for many: high quality of life, safety, human-scale cities, bike lanes everywhere, efficient public services, not to mention the famous hygge. Yet, behind this postcard image, many expatriates, students, and even highly skilled professionals run up against a more intimate reality: homesickness.
Between 50% and 75% of people experience at least one episode of homesickness in their lifetime.
This article provides a very concrete overview of what triggers homesickness in Denmark, how it manifests, and, most importantly, effective strategies for managing it, drawing on the specifics of Danish life: hygge, clubs and associations, the healthcare system, expat groups, learning Danish, the Nordic winter, and the pressure to integrate.
Understanding Homesickness in the Danish Context
Arriving in Denmark often means experiencing several shocks simultaneously: climate, cultural, social, and administrative. This combination largely explains why nostalgia can be so intense, sometimes from the very first weeks.
The temperate but very humid climate, the windy and dark winters, the meager light—some Novembers in Copenhagen have had only about forty hours of sunshine—strongly influence mood. In this setting, even a simple trip to the supermarket can turn into a powerful emotional trigger, as a Polish student studying in Copenhagen recounted, overwhelmed by missing home in the aisle of unfamiliar products.
At the same time, Danish society is built on very specific codes: reserve, the value placed on modesty (the famous Janteloven), extreme importance of private life, omnipresent but low-key clubs and associations, Danish humor and innuendo… All these elements can reinforce the feeling of not belonging to the group, at least at the beginning.
Common Causes of Homesickness in Denmark
Several factors often combine:
Expatriation in Denmark can generate significant culture shock and nostalgia, largely due to the abrupt break from routines back home, the painful distance from family and friends (especially during holidays like Christmas, celebrated early and intensely here), and a cultural distance requiring significant adaptation effort. Add to this a loss of control related to complex administrative procedures (CPR, Nemkonto, etc.), a tight housing market, and a high cost of living, along with the fear of missing out (FOMO) on events and the daily lives of loved ones back home.
Symptoms: When Homesickness Is More Than a Little Blues
Homesickness is more than just a little nostalgia while looking at photos. It can affect all aspects of life.
On an emotional level, homesickness often manifests as diffuse sadness, a sense of emptiness, a mix of anxiety and irritability, a need to isolate oneself, or the feeling of being “on the sidelines” of others. Many expats also describe the sensation of constantly being an observer of their new life, unable to fully engage with it.
Cognitively, thoughts constantly revolve around the home country, family, friends, life “before”—often idealized. Concentrating at work or in class becomes more difficult, and simple tasks require more energy.
The body also reacts: chronic fatigue, sleep disorders (frequent waking, or conversely, a constant need to sleep), disturbed appetite, headaches, digestive pains, general lack of energy. These manifestations are all the stronger in winter, when short days and cold weather foster lethargy.
Behavior changes: social withdrawal, decreased motivation to explore the country, loss of interest in outings, hobbies, or learning Danish. Over time, work can suffer: mistakes, delays, lower productivity, friction with colleagues. Several human resources studies have shown that the performance of struggling expatriates plummets, impacting the whole team.
The Danish Winter, Light, and the Role of Climate in Homesickness
In Denmark, it’s hard to escape the climate question when talking about homesickness. While some expats arrive in spring and are charmed by Nyhavn in the sun, the beaches of western Jutland, or Copenhagen’s parks, winter can feel like a cold shower—literally and figuratively.
Reduced light affects several biological mechanisms: disruption of the internal clock, a drop in serotonin (the neurotransmitter that regulates mood), excess melatonin (the sleep hormone), and a vitamin D deficiency. This makes it easier to understand how a simple gray November month can become an amplifying factor for homesickness.
Nordic studies indicate that a significant portion of the population suffers from marked seasonal symptoms, which can range up to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Denmark is identified as a high-risk region for “winter blues.” For an expat, already vulnerable due to distance, this impact can be considerably amplified.
However, research conducted in Norway, particularly in Tromsø—a city above the Arctic Circle that spends two months in total darkness—shows that mental attitude counts enormously. Residents who approach winter as a season to celebrate—cozy, focused on nature and indoor activities—show surprisingly high levels of well-being despite the polar night. Transposed to Denmark, this argues for an active approach to the climate rather than just passive endurance.
Danish Social and Cultural Specifics: Fertile Ground for Loneliness
Denmark scores highly in happiness rankings, but that doesn’t mean social life is easy for newcomers. Numerous surveys point to the country as one of the hardest in the world for expatriates to make friends.
Danes are often reserved, not prone to small talk, and protective of their private lives, which can be perceived as coldness. However, their friendships, once established, are deep, loyal, and lasting. To access them, you need patience and to prioritize regular, shared interactions over the long term, like playing a sport, engaging in associations, or developing relationships with colleagues or neighbors over the years.
The widespread use of Danish in groups, even when everyone speaks excellent English, can reinforce the feeling of being on the margins. Add to this the fact that many friendship circles have been formed since childhood and there’s no urgency to expand them. The expat then naturally turns to other foreigners, with whom bonds form faster—but who sometimes leave after a few years, recreating a cycle of loss.
Leveraging Hygge Culture to Soothe Homesickness
If you had to choose one cultural concept to help manage homesickness in Denmark, it would undoubtedly be hygge. This hard-to-translate term encompasses the art of creating a warm, comfortable, intimate atmosphere, conducive to connection and well-being.
In practice, this translates to evenings with friends by candlelight, blankets on the sofa, homemade soup, a good book under a soft lamp, a shared coffee after a walk in the cold, or a “julefrokost” (Christmas lunch) where you take the time to eat and talk without rushing. For an expat, adopting this ritual can be a gentle but very effective weapon against nostalgia.
Creating hygge at home also allows you to introduce touches of your home culture: photos, familiar objects, typical recipes. The goal isn’t to stay mentally “back home,” but to build a space where both worlds coexist, offering both emotional security and openness to the host country.
Transforming Nostalgia into a Driver for Integration
Homesickness becomes truly toxic when it isolates. Conversely, it can also serve as a signal to initiate concrete actions for integration. The goal is not to forget your country, but to build a second “home” in Denmark.
Tips for maintaining a healthy balance between your ties abroad and your new local life during expatriation.
Limit constant video calls with family so they don’t prevent you from anchoring yourself in local life.
Avoid cutting ties with your home country, as this is rarely a beneficial long-term solution.
Create regular appointments, like a weekly call, to structure contact without letting it dictate your entire rhythm.
Playing with Routines: Mixing the Old and the New
Routines structure the mind. When you change countries, you suddenly lose time references, familiar places and faces, even the way you organize meals. Recreating a minimum of routine in Denmark is a powerful lever for creating a sense of stability.
This could mean a morning coffee at the same place, a fixed time slot for sports at a club, a weekly walk in a park, or an evening journaling ritual. Many also find it useful to keep a few habits from their home country—an online show, a Sunday recipe, a weekly family call—but to fit them into a schedule that also includes purely Danish elements.
Learning Danish: A Powerful Antidote to Feelings of Exclusion
Even though most Danes speak English very well, the language of daily life remains Danish, at work as in social life. The language barrier is one of the major sources of loneliness and homesickness. Not understanding jokes, conversations between colleagues, transport announcements, or administrative documents fosters the feeling of being “just passing through,” or even invisible.
The Danish system offers substantial resources for newcomers. Municipalities offer subsidized “Danskuddannelse” programs, often free or for a refundable deposit, during the first years of residence. Schools like Lær Dansk, Clavis, Sprogcenter Midt, or A2B offer courses tailored to students, employees, or expatriate spouses.
Apps like Duolingo, Babbel, or Memrise allow you to supplement these courses with light daily practice. Language exchange groups, in-person or online, provide opportunities to speak with real Danes in a supportive setting.
Why the Language Effort Also Reduces Homesickness
The benefits are not just practical. Learning Danish boosts self-esteem and gives a tangible sense of progress in a new environment. Research shows that acquiring a new language stimulates memory, concentration, and mental flexibility—assets useful for coping with the stress of uprooting.
On a social level, even approximate Danish opens doors: easier orders at the local café, small talk at the gym, more active participation in work meetings, understanding jokes. Many foreigners recount how Danes change their attitude as soon as they hear a few phrases in their language, becoming more open and warm.
Experience of Foreigners in Denmark
A simple way to start is to adopt a key phrase like « Mit dansk er ikke så godt, men vi kan godt prøve at snakke » (my Danish isn’t very good, but we can try to speak). This phrase disarms the fear of looking silly and is often met with a smile.
Building a Network: Clubs, Associations, and Expat Communities
In Denmark, nearly 90% of residents are members of a club or association. It’s a central element of social life and a fantastic tool for combating loneliness.
Rather than waiting for spontaneous invitations, it’s often more effective to directly enter this associative fabric. Options are extremely varied: sports clubs (soccer, swimming, badminton, climbing, running, handball, CrossFit), choirs, amateur theater workshops in English, photography clubs, board game groups, neighborhood associations, evening classes in “aftenskoler” (evening schools).
Discover platforms and groups to meet people and participate in varied activities in major cities.
Sites like Meetup.com or InterNations centralize a multitude of social, cultural, and professional events in major cities.
You can find groups for young internationals, cocktail enthusiasts, photographers, French speakers, German speakers, or Danish learners.
Activities are varied: hikes, board game nights, conversation workshops, and many more.
Structured expatriate communities are numerous, with associations by nationality, professional clubs, international women’s groups, parents’ networks, LGBTQ+ groups, English-language theater circles, international business networks. They are a lifeline: you find people going through the same difficulties, who understand homesickness and share tips.
Examples of Useful Communities and Initiatives
The following table illustrates some types of structures you can find, particularly in Copenhagen but also in other cities:
| Type of Structure | Example Groups or Services | Primary Usefulness |
|---|---|---|
| International Platforms | InterNations Copenhagen, Expat Hero, Expatability Club | Networking, social events, psychological support tailored for expats |
| Meetup Groups in Copenhagen | Young Internationals, Live Love Laugh, Danish Language Meetup | Making friends, practicing Danish, fun activities |
| Associations by Nationality | All Canuck, Danish Irish Society, Southern Cross Club | Preserving your culture, meeting compatriots |
| International Women’s Networks | LINK (Ladies’ International Network København), Women Meeting Women | Support among expat women, sharing experiences |
| Cultural Clubs & Associations | Copenhagen Theatre Circle, Serate-Italiane, Copenhague Accueil | Cultural activities, theater, French-speaking/Italian-speaking meetups, etc. |
| Municipal Services for Expats | International House Copenhagen, International Community Aarhus/Odense | Administrative help, integration, welcome events |
These structures don’t erase homesickness, but they create a feeling of a « village within the city » that makes daily life easier.
Volunteering, Work, and Studies: Anchoring Yourself in Danish Society
Volunteering plays a central role in Danish society. It is both a way to engage locally and an excellent antidote to nostalgia. Participating in a festival as a volunteer, getting involved in a sports club, helping a neighborhood organization, joining an environmental group: all are opportunities to meet Danes, practice the language, and feel useful.
Several platforms and structures facilitate volunteer engagement. Sites like Frivilligjob.dk list assignments, some accessible in English. In Copenhagen, the organization Copenhagen Volunteers coordinates volunteers for major cultural events. Parents can also get involved through schools and daycare centers, for trips, parties, or by joining parent committees.
Work and studies are also pillars for anchoring yourself. The Danish job market is dynamic, particularly in IT, engineering, life sciences, or renewable energy. The world of work values cooperation, work-life balance, and trust. Understanding these codes and integrating into them gradually helps build a social role that goes beyond the identity of a “temporary foreigner.”
Universities, for their part, offer many clubs, student associations, integration events, and mentoring programs for international students. Getting involved significantly reduces the risk of remaining in an isolated bubble.
Managing Money and Daily Life to Reduce Background Stress
The cost of living in Denmark is among the highest in Europe. Rents, especially in Copenhagen, can be a shock to the wallet. Financial insecurity acts as an amplifier of homesickness: when every meal out turns into budgetary anxiety, you tend to stay locked up at home, which reinforces loneliness.
To better combat nostalgia, it’s essential to incorporate rigorous financial management. This involves understanding and anticipating the main costs like housing, food, transport, and health from the start. This planning helps avoid a permanent sense of financial insecurity.
Here are some indicative figures based on available data:
| Expense Item | Indicative Range for a Single Person (excluding rent) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Food (groceries) | 1,500 to 2,500 DKK / month | Prioritizing discount supermarkets |
| Public Transport (subscription) | Approx. 600 DKK / month | Less in central Copenhagen with certain cards |
| Utilities (electricity, heating…) | Approx. 1,500 DKK / month for 85 m² | To be shared in co-housing |
| Internet | Approx. 250 DKK / month | Varies by bundled offers |
| Personal Expenses/Leisure | 1,000 to 2,000 DKK / month | Depending on lifestyle |
With a clear view of these amounts, it’s easier to define a budget that’s compassionate to your mental health: allow yourself a few coffees, a club membership, or a gym subscription without guilt. These small expenses are sometimes direct investments against isolation.
Taking Care of Your Mental Health: Danish and International Resources
Denmark has a universal healthcare system, funded by taxes, which includes a psychiatric and psychological component. But access isn’t always simple for a foreigner, and it’s important to know the basics.
Any registered resident (CPR and yellow health card) has an assigned general practitioner (GP). This is usually the first step in case of emotional distress: they can make an initial diagnosis, assess the severity, prescribe treatment, or refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
For specific reasons (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress), a GP can prescribe partially subsidized sessions. However, these sessions are limited in number, subject to long waiting lists, and many psychologists in the public sector only practice in Danish, which can be an obstacle for expats.
In parallel, the private psychology sector is very developed. It allows for quicker consultation, often in English, but at higher rates. Some company coverage or private insurance—like “Danmark” health insurance (sygeforsikringen) or major company policies—cover part of these consultations, sometimes without people knowing. Checking your rights in your work or insurance contracts can therefore open up unexpected support options.
Example of a Psychological Support Pathway
The table below illustrates the main ways to access psychological support in Denmark for an expat struggling with homesickness:
| Option | Access | Common Language | Approximate Cost | Typical Delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subsidized Public Psychologist | Via GP | Danish (often) | Reduced co-payment | Often 3–6 months wait |
| Private Psychologist | Direct contact | Danish / English | 700–1,500 DKK / session | Few days to few weeks |
| Psychiatrist (public) | Via GP / psychiatric emergency | Danish (often) | Covered | Variable, emergencies prioritized |
| International Online Therapy | Global platforms (e.g., BetterHelp) | English / other languages | Monthly subscription or per-session cost | Quick online start |
Additionally, many helplines, organizations, or student services offer free or very affordable spaces to talk, sometimes in English. Some associations and practices specifically geared towards expats—like Expat Hero or certain international psychologists based in Copenhagen or Odense—are familiar with issues of homesickness, integration, and culture shock. Talking to a professional who understands these particular challenges can be invaluable.
Concrete Strategies for Managing Homesickness in Denmark
In practice, several approaches reinforce each other. The goal isn’t to apply all techniques to the letter, but to pick, test, and adjust according to your personality and context.
Homesickness is not a failure, but a normal attachment mechanism. Suppressing it can reinforce it. It’s recommended to express it, for example by talking to a close person or keeping a journal, to better put it into perspective.
Maintaining the link with loved ones is also essential, as long as it’s not your only lifeline. For example, setting a regular video call once a week, rather than multiplying reactive micro-contacts, gives a stable appointment without preventing local investment.
It’s also useful to identify “refuges” in the city: a favorite café, a bench by a lake, a park to walk in, a pleasant library. These places become emotional anchors, spots where you can recharge when nostalgia rises.
Planning varied activities in advance (Danish classes, sports, MeetUp events, dinners with other expats, joining a club) helps prevent evenings and weekends from becoming a void conducive to missing your home country. It’s crucial to establish a sustained but realistic pace, without overloading yourself.
Finally, creating mini-goals—for example, successfully ordering in Danish, making a new friend, discovering a new Danish town each month, participating in a local event (Fastelavn, Sankt Hans, Christmas market)—gives a sense of progression that counterbalances the gloom.
When Homesickness Masks Depression: Warning Signs
If sadness persists intensely, accompanied by a marked loss of pleasure, dark thoughts, massive social withdrawal, sleep and eating disturbances for several weeks, it’s important not to simply explain this away as “just” homesickness or winter. Studies show that prolonged homesickness can evolve into a more structured anxiety or depressive disorder, with an impact on overall health.
In case of significant psychological distress or suicidal thoughts, it is a priority to consult a GP and a psychologist, just as for a physical problem. Contacting emergency services or a helpline is not a failure, but a way to protect yourself by using the resources available in your host country.
Making Denmark a Second “Home” Without Denying the First
In the medium term, the goal is not to stop loving your home country, nor to fit 100% into the Danish mold, but to compose a richer identity, capable of inhabiting two worlds. Research on integration shows that many descendants of refugees and immigrants in Denmark achieve this balance, despite ambivalent discourses on dual belonging.
To succeed in your integration in Denmark, it’s essential to understand and adopt local cultural codes (like hygge, discreet humor, teamwork, respect for privacy, and punctuality) while continuing to cultivate your own roots, especially through your mother tongue, cuisine, and traditions.
You can organize evenings at home where you cook dishes from your home country for Danish friends, celebrate your own national holidays while participating in local celebrations, share your music, films, books. These exchanges don’t make nostalgia disappear, but transform it into a resource: your difference becomes a contribution, not a burden.
In Summary: Manage, Not Eradicate
Homesickness in Denmark is less an enemy to defeat than an emotional compass. It signals what matters to you, reminds you of your attachments, while highlighting what is still missing in your new life: routines, relationships, an understanding of the language, cultural landmarks, a sense of competence and control.
To adapt and feel well in Denmark, it is advisable to adopt several approaches: practice ‘hygge‘ (comfort and conviviality), learn the Danish language, get involved in clubs and associations, participate in neighborhood life, use expatriate networks in moderation, take care of your mental health, manage your budget calmly, and adapt to the winter climate. These actions help reduce nostalgia and reinforce the feeling of being in your place.
Denmark, with its quality of life, robust social system, the richness of its international communities, and its taste for discreet conviviality, offers fertile ground for this process. Time, initiative, and self-compassion remain the three ingredients that make the difference.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
