Cross-Border Career: How Lara Built a Life in Denmark While Working in Sweden
What is it really like to live in Denmark and work in Sweden as a non-EU citizen? Lara shares her experiences of commuting across Øresund, navigating Swedish bureaucracy, and building a cross-border life that works for both her career and family — with support and guidance from Øresunddirekt along the way.
For the past three years, Lara has commuted from Denmark to her job in Sweden, balancing the benefits and challenges of life across borders. Her journey began when she came across a job posting on LinkedIn.
“The profile matched my skills so well that I thought I'd toss the dice and apply… it’s like this job was made for me.”
Navigating the Cross-Border Maze
Lara’s transition to working in Sweden wasn’t without complications. Getting a work permit was the first hurdle.
“I was ready to apply three full months before my contract start date,” she says, “but the relocation agency was in no rush. Then Ukraine was invaded, and suddenly Migrationsverket was flooded with applications. I ended up starting one month later and was left without a job for a month.”
Fortunately, she had support from several sources. IKEA’s relocation agency helped guide her through the first steps, but Øresunddirekt proved essential in helping her understand other complex aspects of cross-border life, especially tax and social security matters.
“I discussed tax and social security matters with Øresunddirekt,” she says. “I received excellent support.”
Her previous experience living in Sweden during her master’s studies in Lund unexpectedly gave her a major advantage: a Swedish personal identity number, personnummer.
“It may sound insignificant,” she says, “but having a personnummer gives you access to BankID, the digital ID verification app needed for virtually everything in Sweden.”
Most people commuting from Denmark receive only a Swedish tax number, which limits access to many essential services in Sweden.
Bureaucratic Hurdles and Cultural Lessons
Despite her careful planning, Lara faced several unexpected challenges: confusion around social security registration, delays at Försäkringskassan, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, and difficulties updating her name in the Swedish system after getting married in Denmark.
Even crossing the border was not always straightforward.
“I have to carry my passport every time I travel to work because I’m a ‘third-country national’,” she says. “Once, I was detained at the border for two hours. After that, I decided always to bring my passport, despite the small risk of it being lost or stolen.”
Still, Lara sees great value in working across the Øresund Bridge.
“It’s stimulating to be exposed to two cultures on a regular basis,” she says. “It has taught me much more about consensus, collaboration, and flatter hierarchies than I experienced even in Denmark.”
Advice for Others - and Why It’s Not Always “the Other Way Around”
Lara believes more people should consider working in Sweden while living in Denmark, even if it goes against the usual trend.
People are surprised to hear that I commute to Sweden. They say, ‘Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?’ But the SINK scheme makes a huge difference with its flat tax rate. Sweden also offers strong job security and fairly consistent salary increases each year.
Living in Denmark, Working in Sweden
Even after three years of cross-border commuting, Lara remains grateful for aspects of life in both countries. She can still use Denmark’s healthcare system and appreciates being able to keep her family doctor.
“I don’t have to pay fees when something happens,” she notes.
Lara’s story is one of persistence, adaptability, and the often-overlooked support systems, such as Øresunddirekt, that help make international commuting possible.
“It’s confounding and scary at times,” she admits, especially when dealing with changing rules for third-country nationals. The rules can feel unclear, which creates uncertainty. "But this life suits us. And for now, it works.”
