Greenland (GL)

Report your address — and every later move — within 5 days

If you stay in Greenland longer than six months you must notify your municipality of residence no later than 5 days after arrival, and the same 5-day rule applies to later moves, including a move from Denmark with an existing CPR number. With MitID you can submit the relocation notification online through Sullissivik, the shared portal of Greenland's public authorities; otherwise the local citizen service centre handles it (see the CPR task for first registration).

Register with the local health centre

Healthcare in Greenland is free for residents and funded by the Greenlandic government (Naalakkersuisut). Register with your local health centre (sundhedscenter) as soon as you have your CPR number. This gives you access to GP services, referrals, and emergency care. Queen Ingrid's Hospital in Nuuk is the main referral hospital.

Register for a CPR number (Civil Registration)

All residents of Greenland must register with the Civil Registration System (CPR) through the Danish State Administration. Your CPR number is essential for accessing healthcare, banking, and public services. Contact the municipality (kommunen) in the town where you will live.

Open a bank account at Grønlandsbanken

Grønlandsbanken (Bank of Greenland) is the primary bank with branches across Greenland. You will need a local account to receive your salary and pay local bills. Opening requires your CPR number, so complete CPR registration first.

Get MitID — the key to all public digital services

MitID is the Danish-realm digital identity and the key to every public self-service on Sullissivik (the old NemID was fully retired in 2023). You can set it up from age 13 via the MitID app if you hold a passport and smartphone, or at a citizen service or village office without a passport. Around 87% of Greenlanders over 15 already use it — without MitID you are locked out of online tax, relocation notifications and most public services in a country where the nearest office can be a boat ride away.

Enrol children in school

Public schools in Greenland teach in Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) with Danish as a second language. The Nuuk International School (NIS) offers instruction in Danish and English for expat children. Enrolment requires your CPR number and proof of address.

Secure housing — act before arrival

Housing is extremely scarce in Greenland, especially in Nuuk. Most expats are housed by their employer. If arranging housing independently, contact INI A/S (the main public housing provider) or the private rental market well in advance — waiting lists for public housing can be years long. Nuuk has the widest choice; remote towns have almost no private rental market.

Set up electricity and heating with Nukissiorfiit

Nukissiorfiit is Greenland's state-owned national utility, supplying electricity, water and heating across the country's 17 towns and 54 settlements — there is no competing provider to choose between. In most towns, district heating is generated from residual (waste) heat off the local electric power station; towns supplied by hydropower instead use electric heating in some residential areas. Set up your account through Nukissiorfiit as soon as you have housing confirmed, since heating supply is not optional in the Arctic climate.

Obtain a residence and work permit

Non-EU/EEA citizens require a Danish residence and work permit to live and work in Greenland. Because Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark (but outside the EU), Danish immigration rules apply but Greenland has some specific provisions. Apply via the Danish Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen) before arriving.

Verify employer-provided insurance and medevac coverage

While healthcare is free for residents, serious medical cases may require medical evacuation (medevac) to Copenhagen or Denmark. This is expensive and typically covered by employer insurance. Confirm your employment contract includes comprehensive health and medevac insurance before arriving.

Register for tax with Skattestyrelsen (SKAT)

Greenland has its own tax system separate from Denmark, administered by the Greenlandic Tax Authority (Skattestyrelsen in Greenland / Sullissivik). Once you have your CPR number and start working, you will be issued a tax card (skattekort). Your employer deducts income tax directly from your salary. Register via the Greenlandic tax portal or your employer will assist.

Get a Greenlandic SIM card

Tusass (formerly TELE Greenland) is the sole telecommunications provider in Greenland and the only option for mobile service. Purchase a SIM card from a Tusass shop in Nuuk or other towns. Roaming costs from abroad are high. Coverage is limited to towns and some inter-town routes.

Set up home internet through Tusass

Tusass (formerly TELE Greenland) is the sole telecommunications provider in Greenland, for home internet as much as mobile SIMs — there is no alternative ISP to shop around with. 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband is available in Nuuk, Sisimiut, Maniitsoq, Ilulissat, Aasiaat, Nanortalik, Paamiut, Qaqortoq, Narsaq and Qasigiannguit, with unlimited-data plans running roughly DKK 499/month (5 Mbps) up to DKK 1,099/month (80 Mbps). Communities without 5G coverage rely on satellite internet or 4G mobile data instead, which is slower and more expensive.

Set up emergency contacts and survival essentials

Living in the Arctic requires preparation beyond a typical relocation. Register your contact details with your nearest Danish consulate (Royal Danish Embassy handles Greenland affairs from Copenhagen). Keep a list of emergency numbers. Ensure you understand weather warnings and evacuation procedures for your area.

Check your pay against the SIK collective agreement

Greenland has no statutory minimum wage — pay and working conditions are set by collective agreements, above all those negotiated by SIK (Greenland's largest trade union) with public employers, publicly owned companies and private firms large and small. Before accepting a job, find out which collective agreement covers the role and check your offered wage and conditions against it; the SIK agreement rates function as the island's de facto wage floor.

Understand Greenland's automatic, income-based child benefit

Greenland's child benefit works differently from most countries: you cannot apply for it — it is paid automatically based on your annual income, mainly to low-income families, and the amount adjusts with income. The only conditions you control are living in Greenland with a registered address and having your tax affairs in order, since the assessment runs off your income data.

Designate a NemKonto for public payments

A NemKonto is the bank account public authorities pay into — tax refunds, benefits, holiday pay and other public disbursements. For residents of Greenland it is voluntary (unlike in Denmark where it is mandatory), but designating one is the practical way to receive money from the authorities without paper-based detours. Any ordinary account, including your Grønlandsbanken account, can be designated as your NemKonto through the bank.

Get home contents insurance

Greenland's insurance market is far smaller than Denmark's, but Tryg operates in Greenland with dedicated staff familiar with local conditions, offering home contents and house insurance alongside boat and business cover. Given how remote and weather-exposed much of Greenland is — the January 2026 Nuuk storm that knocked out power and heating together is a reminder — home contents cover is worth arranging rather than assuming standard employer benefits cover your personal belongings.

Start learning Kalaallisut (Greenlandic)

Kalaallisut (West Greenlandic) is the official national language, spoken in Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat and across the country; Danish is widespread but Greenlandic opens the society. LearnGreenlandic — based in Nuuk — runs structured courses for people living and working in Greenland: four basic modules building language, culture and society knowledge plus a fifth oral-conversation module, with online options for remote learners, alongside the long-running Learn Greenlandic materials by Per Langgård.

Know how Greenland's courts and legal aid work

Greenland has its own court structure: four district courts (kredsretter — Kujalleq, Sermersooq, Qeqqa and Qaasuitsoq), Retten i Grønland as the specialist first-instance court, and Grønlands Landsret (High Court) — the latter two both in Nuuk. Practical reality: there are only around 17 lawyers in the whole country, all in Nuuk, and access to legal help is a recognised problem. Retten i Grønland maintains an official list of legal aid lawyers (retshjælpsadvokater) — know where it is before you need it.

Register and comply with pet import rules

Bringing pets to Greenland involves strict rules due to rabies prevention and the protection of the local sled dog population. Dogs require microchipping, rabies vaccination, and health certificates. Some dog breeds face restrictions due to the regulation of sled dog breeding areas. Contact the Danish Food and Veterinary Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) for current requirements.

Exchange or register your driving licence

Greenland follows Danish driving licence rules. EU/EEA licences are valid. Non-EU/EEA licences may need to be exchanged for a Danish licence after a period. Note: roads exist mainly within and around Nuuk — there are no roads between Greenlandic towns. A vehicle is mainly useful in Nuuk.

Plan for Air Greenland — your only way between towns

Greenland has no road network connecting its towns — Air Greenland's domestic network of Dash 8 aircraft and helicopters is the only way to travel between settlements outside a handful of local road systems like Nuuk's. As of June 2026 the airline serves 3 domestic hub destinations directly plus a wider network of smaller towns and settlements via connecting flights and helicopter, with routes like Nuuk–Narsarsuaq–Paamiut–Maniitsoq–Sisimiut–Ilulissat–Kulusuk operating same-day out-and-back, and 'Fly 'n sleep' options for 10 additional destinations. Book directly through Air Greenland — there is no alternative carrier for domestic routes.

Know your public assistance rights as a legal resident

If you have legal residence in Greenland and no other income, you can apply for public assistance on the same terms as Greenlandic citizens — meeting the same conditions. Two forms exist: emergency public assistance covering very basic needs like food and shelter in urgent situations, and longer-term public assistance towards fixed expenses such as heating, electricity and water. Applications go through your municipality.