Denmark is not the most popular destination among foreign economic migrants. What a pity! The country has a lot to offer both in terms of income and social benefits. However, if you are planning a trip, be sure to check when are the days off and public holidays in Denmark in 2023.
Entry and stay
When crossing the Danish border, foreign citizens should have one of the following documents:
- ID card
- passport
- temporary passport
It is worth knowing that the legal stay in Denmark for job seekers in this country is 6 months. On the other hand, a stay for tourist purposes may last up to 3 months. After this period, you must immediately register your stay at the nearest ICS office (International Citizen Service) or SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration).
Detailed information on submitting applications for extending your stay in Denmark, can be found at the following addresses:
We also encourage you to read the article: How to go to Denmark? – everything that you need to know
Days off and Holidays in Denmark 2023
Most days off in Denmark are related to religious holidays. Despite this, the country is considered as one of the most secularized in Europe. Less than 5% of the country’s inhabitants regularly attend the church. Only 28% of citizens believe in the existence of God, and over 70% either believe in the existence of something higher or reject all religious beliefs altogether.
Days off and public holidays in Denmark 2023:
| Date | Holiday |
| 1.01.2023 (Sunday) | New Year’s Day (Nytårsdag) |
| 6.04.2023 (Thursday) | Holy Thursday (Skærtorsdag) |
| 7.04.2023 (Friday) | Good Friday (Langfredag) |
| 9.04.2023 (Sunday) | Easter (Påskedag) |
| 10.04.2023 (Monday) | Easter Monday (Anden påskedag) |
| 5.05.2023 (Friday) | General Prayer Day (Store bededag) |
| 18.05.2023 (Thursday) | Ascension Day (Kristi himmelfartsdag) |
| 28.05.2023 (Sunday) | Pentecost (Pinsedag) |
| 29.05.2023 (Monday) | Monday after Pentecost (Anden pinsedag) |
| 25.12.2023 (Monday) | 1st Christmas Day (Juledag) |
| 26.12.2023 (Tuesday) | 2nd Christmas Day / Boxing Day (Anden juledag) |
Don’t waste your day off! Start learning Danish – check the offer of the Mester language school.
Non-typical traditions in Denmark – celebration of Fastelavn carnival
As we can already see, despite the secularization, most holidays in Denmark come from the Catholic calendar. It is also worth noting that Labor Day or All Saints’ Day are celebrated in Denmark, but these are not statutory non-working days.
From non-typical holidays, it is worth mentioning the Fastelavn carnival, which is celebrated seven weeks before Easter. This day is considered the last chance to have fun before the Lenten fasting season. By then, various carnivals and festivals are organized.
The most popular game at this time is the so-called cat in a barrel. The fun is to break a hanging barrel with a stick, sometimes blindfolded. In pagan times, it was believed that in the barrel there were cats which needed to be released. Whoever frees the cat will bring good luck to the whole town. In a modern interpretation, children break bags of sweets.
Are you planning a trip to Denmark? We recommend starting with learning the Danish language.
Days off and Holidays in Denmark – when to go on vacation?
When planning a vacation in Denmark, use as many statutory non-working days as possible:
- Easter (5-10.04.2023, Wednesday – Monday)
- Ascension Day (18-22.05.2023, Thursday – Monday)
- Pentecost (26-29.05.2023, Friday – Monday)
- Christmas (22-26.12.2023, Friday – Tuesday)
