Greenland (GL)

Greenland is the world's largest island and an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, known for its vast ice sheet, dramatic fjords, and indigenous Greenlandic (Kalaallit) culture.

Capital: Nuuk

Region: Americas

Language: Greenlandic

Currency: DKK (kr)

Cost of living: Very expensive (index 95)

Emergency: 112

Education & Schools

Schools, universities, and language courses in Greenland.

👶 Childcare & Kindergarten

Municipal daycare (vuggestue / børnehave) Income- and municipality-dependent; Nuuk rates vary by household income

Age: Approx. 0–6

Subsidy available

Municipal subsidies reduce parent fees on an income-related scale. The administering body is the local municipality (kommunia). Employers relocating staff to Greenland often assist with daycare registration as part of the relocation package.

Apply through the municipality (kommunia) office or online via Sullissivik (sullissivik.gl) — the Greenlandic public-services portal. Required: child birth certificate, CPR numbers for child and parents, and proof of Greenland residence.

⏱️ Apply immediately after your housing municipality and CPR number are confirmed. Nuuk has the most capacity but waits still exist for infant slots. Ask your employer HR to initiate enquiries before arrival where possible.

Kindergarten / preschool Municipality-dependent; income-scaled

Age: 3–6

Subsidy available

Same municipal subsidy scheme as daycare. Fees are scaled to household income. Greenlandic and Danish are the languages of care.

Municipal application and placement through kommunia or Sullissivik. Bring child's CPR and family residence documents.

⏱️ Ask employer HR to help initiate the application before arrival if relocating with children. In smaller settlements, the only option may be a single community childcare room.

🏫 Schools

Public comprehensive school Free

Folkeskole / atuarfik (Greenlandic: school)

Ages: Approx. 6–15 (grades 1–10) · Language: Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) as primary language in many schools; Danish taught from grade 1; English introduced from grade 4. Language balance varies significantly by town and school.

Register the child with the municipality after establishing housing and CPR numbers. The school placement follows from the home address catchment. Foreign families should contact the school directly and the Greenland Self-Government education department (Atuarfitsialak, nunagooq.gl) for transfer documentation.

Settlement size, language support provision, and special-needs capacity vary dramatically between Nuuk and smaller communities. Weather and geography shape the school year and extracurricular access in ways not seen in mainland systems.

Upper secondary (academic) and vocational Free

GUX (Gymnasial Uddannelse i Grønland) / vocational (erhvervsuddannelse)

Ages: 16+ (after completing grade 10) · Language: Greenlandic and Danish, programme-dependent

Apply through the school or programme. GUX is available in Nuuk, Sisimiut, Aasiaat, and Qaqortoq; students in other settlements may need to relocate. Vocational programmes are offered in Sisimiut and Nuuk primarily.

GUX takes 2–4 years and is the main pathway to Greenlandic or Danish higher education. Some specialist vocational pathways require relocation to another Greenlandic town or to Denmark. A GUX diploma is accepted at Greenlandic, Danish, and other Nordic universities.

International Schools

There is no international school market in Greenland comparable to Copenhagen or other European capitals. Expat families should verify language-of-instruction support, curriculum continuity (especially for children mid-way through an international curriculum), and special-needs provision well before accepting a posting. Home-schooling and online international programmes (e.g., Cambridge Home School, Wolsey Hall Oxford) are used by some families in remote settlements.

University

Tuition fee

Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland), based in Nuuk and founded in 1983, is the primary higher education institution. It offers bachelor's and master's degrees in humanities, social sciences, and health sciences (approx. 600 students). Tuition for Greenlandic and Danish-resident students is low-cost or free on Danish-model SU-grant terms. International students should confirm fee and grant eligibility directly with Ilisimatusarfik (uni.gl), as fee structures vary by programme and residency status.

Semester fee

Programme-dependent. No semester transport-ticket system. Ilisimatusarfik may charge registration and activity fees; confirm directly with the institution.

Student visa

Nordic citizens and Danish-resident students move freely. Non-Nordic foreign students need a Greenland-specific residence permission — a Danish Schengen visa or Danish residence permit does not automatically cover Greenland, as Greenland is outside the EU and Schengen area. Apply via the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), specifying Greenland as the destination.

Health insurance

Confirm public healthcare coverage after registering with the municipality and obtaining CPR status. Greenland's public health system (Mittarfeqarfiit and Dronning Ingrids Hospital in Nuuk) covers residents, but evacuation and specialist care outside Greenland are frequent for serious conditions. Keep private evacuation/repatriation insurance for gaps.

Application process

Apply directly to Ilisimatusarfik via uni.gl with translated transcripts, language proficiency documentation, and required forms. For Danish or Nordic universities (a common path for Greenlanders after GUX), use the relevant national application system (e.g., optagelse.dk for Denmark). Language requirements are programme-specific; most courses are taught in Greenlandic or Danish.

🗣️ Language Courses

Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) language courses

Provider: Municipality adult education (voksenundervisning), employer-arranged courses, private tutors · Duration: Ongoing; term-based or flexible · Levels: Beginner to workplace-specific

Free to DKK 250+/hour depending on provider and format

Greenlandic is the most valued language for integration, public-facing work, and daily life outside Nuuk's international sector. Even basic phrases go a long way in smaller communities. No mandatory language integration programme for immigrants exists.

Danish language courses

Provider: Private tutors, online courses (e.g., duolingo.com, sproget.dk), adult education centres · Duration: Ongoing · Levels: Beginner to professional

Varies; online free to DKK 400+/hour private tutoring

Danish is important for administration, formal contracts, many workplaces, and accessing Danish university or vocational programmes. Most professional and administrative documents in Greenland are bilingual Greenlandic/Danish.

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