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.
Leaving Greenland
How to properly exit — protecting your finances, rights and records.
📅 General Timeline
90 days before: Notify employer of departure date; confirm pension company procedure for leaving the obligatory scheme (55% transfer tax warning if cashing out); review school transfer certificates; begin shipping/storage quotes. 60 days before: Serve written rental notice (1–3 months per contract); contact Greenland Tax Agency (aka.gl) about final tax obligations; request pension statement; notify Tusass of cancellation date. 30 days before: Notify Nukissiorfiit and arrange final readings for electricity, water and heating; collect medical records from Sundhedsvæsenet and any Danish specialist follow-up letters; update bank address. 14 days before: Deregister from CPR at municipality via sullissivik.gl (if moving to a non-Nordic country) or align with Nordic CPR transfer; update NemKonto. Final week: Apartment handover, photographing all rooms; return keys; retain MitID access and Danish bank SIM for post-departure tax and banking access.
Deregistration
When leaving Greenland permanently, you must notify your municipality of residence so you can be deregistered from the CPR (Central Person Register). Do this via sullissivik.gl (Greenland's citizen services portal) or in person at your municipal citizen service centre (Borgerservice). Your CPR number is retained for life after deregistration — it is not deleted. If moving to another Nordic country, note that CPR deregistration in Greenland only happens once the destination country confirms your registration there. Notify your employer, school, bank, Tusass (telecom), Nukissiorfiit (energy), insurer and any subscription services of your departure address. Foreigners on the special expat tax regime are exempt from filing a Greenlandic income tax return but must still deregister from the CPR and update their address with the Tax Agency (aka.gl).
Tax clearance
Greenland has its own independent tax system administered by the Tax Agency (Skattestyrelsen, aka.gl) — separate from the Danish tax system. Final Greenlandic income tax return: file via the Tax Agency covering income from 1 January to your departure date. Expats who were taxed under the special expat regime are generally exempt from filing a full return — confirm with the Tax Agency. No exit tax applies on departure. Greenland-source income (property, business, pension) may remain taxable in Greenland after departure — check your individual position. Collect your annual tax statement (årsopgørelse) and keep MitID and NemID/tax portal access active after leaving. Contact: Greenland Tax Agency (aka.gl), telephone and office locations at int.aka.gl.
Pension portability
Greenland's obligatory pension scheme is administered through the Tax Agency (aka.gl) and private pension providers. When you leave Greenland and cease to be fully taxable there, you are no longer required to contribute to the obligatory pension scheme. Your accumulated pension balance has two options: (1) Leave it in the Greenlandic scheme until you reach retirement age — you can draw it from abroad. (2) Transfer it to a pension provider outside Greenland — this triggers a 55% Greenlandic transfer tax on the transferred amount (2025/2026 rate — confirm with your pension company before acting). Contact your pension company and the Tax Agency (aka.gl) well in advance; transfers take time to arrange. If you also contributed to ATP (Supplementary Labour Market Pension, which has separate Greenlandic rules for some employers), request an ATP statement from atp.dk. The Nordic countries have a social security coordination agreement — relevant if you are moving to a Nordic country. For non-Nordic countries, pension portability depends on any applicable bilateral tax treaty.
Health insurance
Public healthcare through Greenland's Healthcare Service (Sundhedsvæsenet, peqqissaanermik.gl) is linked to CPR registration. Coverage ends when you deregister from the CPR and cease ordinary residence. Arrange private international health insurance before CPR deregistration or ensure your destination country's coverage activates before you leave. Keep private or travel/evacuation insurance active for the transition period — medevac from Greenland is costly. Collect all medical records, specialist referral letters and prescriptions before departure; Greenlandic records may not be accessible remotely. For follow-up on ongoing referrals (often sent to Denmark for specialist treatment), notify the referring physician of your departure and obtain copies.
Bank account
Most Greenlandic residents bank with GrønlandsBANKEN or through Danish banks (Nordea, Jyske Bank). Banks require MitID for online banking — keep your MitID credentials active after leaving. Non-resident accounts are available but require updated address and tax residency documentation; contact your bank before leaving to prevent the account from being locked due to missing KYC. Keep the account open until: your final salary, tax refund (tilbagebetaling), rent deposit, and any pension or utility credit balances have been received. NemKonto must be updated with a valid account when you leave Greenland to receive any Greenlandic government transfers. Wise (wise.com) is effective for transferring DKK to other currencies.
Utilities
Nukissiorfiit: the state-owned energy company providing electricity, water and heating across most of Greenland — notify your local Nukissiorfiit district office, arrange final meter readings and settle all outstanding bills. Tusass: Greenland's telecom and internet provider (tusass.gl) — give written notice of cancellation (typically 1 month) for broadband and TV packages; keep mobile SIM active if needed for MitID/OTP. Return any rented equipment (router, decoder). Building heating and water are often included in rent in larger apartment blocks — confirm with your landlord whether these are your responsibility or the landlord's. Photograph meters on handover day. Retain payment confirmation documents for deposit-dispute protection.
Rental contract
Much of the rental housing stock in Greenland is employer-provided (particularly in mining, government and fishing sectors). For employer-tied housing, departure is typically coordinated with your employment end date — confirm the handover process with HR. For private rentals, standard Greenlandic tenancy practice follows a notice period of 1–3 months depending on your lease terms (verify your specific contract). Serve notice in writing, conduct a documented walk-through with the landlord or housing authority, and obtain a written deposit settlement. Return all keys, passes and equipment promptly. If your tenancy was through the municipal housing authority (INI A/S), follow their specific departure checklist.
Leaving the Country
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