Copenhagen Exchange Report KRISTA STEWART COPENHAGEN BUSINESS SCHOOL FALL 2016 [email protected] Table of Contents Visa Requirements ................................................................................................................. 3 Student/Residence Permit .............................................................................................................. 3 CPR Number ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Insurance ............................................................................................................................... 3 Arrival .................................................................................................................................... 4 Services .................................................................................................................................. 4 Finances ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Cell Phone ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Gym Membership ............................................................................................................................. 5 Academics .............................................................................................................................. 5 ReGisterinG for Courses ..................................................................................................................... 5 Evaluation and Exams ...................................................................................................................... 5 Classroom and TeachinG ................................................................................................................... 6 Online Systems ................................................................................................................................. 7 Campus Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 7 Language ................................................................................................................................ 7 LanGuaGe Course .............................................................................................................................. 7 Outside the Classroom ..................................................................................................................... 8 CBS and International Office ................................................................................................... 8 Food ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Accommodation ..................................................................................................................... 9 Transportation ....................................................................................................................... 9 Public Transit ................................................................................................................................... 9 Buying a Bike .................................................................................................................................. 10 Costs and Expenses ............................................................................................................... 10 Must See and Do ................................................................................................................... 10 Departure .............................................................................................................................. 10 PackinG List ........................................................................................................................... 11 Culture Shock ........................................................................................................................ 11 Overall Impressions ............................................................................................................... 11 Things to Do, See and Eat ...................................................................................................... 12 To See ............................................................................................................................................ 12 To Eat ............................................................................................................................................. 12 To Drink ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Visa Requirements Student/Residence Permit As a Canadian, I was required to apply for a residence permit to study in Denmark. This is essentially a Visa and is applied for through VFS Global SerVices- can no longer be applied for through the consulate directly. CBS is Very good at telling you all the steps of the process and automatically proViding you with the information you need. They will send you a copy of your acceptance letter and their portion of the ST1 form completed that you will need to submit with your application. The process is straightforward and the total fee should be around $550 Canadian- so don't be shocked like I was! This is significantly higher than other countries but you become a temporary resident of Denmark and have full access to healthcare while you're there once you apply for your CPR number (see below). You will have to go to the VFS Offices to have your biometrics taken. They will hold your passport for a week and you will have to go back and pick to pick it up or pay $45 for courier serVice. Within 45 days you will receiVe an email from the Danish consulate with the information you need to register for your CPR number once you land in Denmark. Although application process was easy, dealing with VFS Global was an infuriating experience. At the end they also changed the hours of pick up for my passport once I got there by an hour so had to wait. Any North American I spoke to had a less than pleasant experience with VFS. NOTE: You need a colour photocopy of your passport despite it not being specified on the Danish Consulate’s website. Don’t get stuck like I did. Fortunately, there is a photocopy shop in the basement but it cost me $19 to photocopy it. CPR Number Once you land in Denmark you have fiVe days to register with your municipality for your CPR number. You will need the letter send from the consulate, a copy of the main page of your passport and a copy of your lease. When I was at the office they told me the information from CBS about where you can go to register is incarcerate. They told me that as a student you must go to International House (GyldenløVesgade 11, 1600 København V) to register. They will have extended hours only for students at the end of August. Be sure to have photocopies of your documents or else you will be waiting in line for about an hour and a half. If you have all your documents, there should be no wait. Your CPR card should arriVe in 2 to 3 weeks after you submit eVerything. You need to make sure your name is on the mailbox in order to receiVe it. Mine took just oVer a month to arriVe as they had oVer 12,000 applicants this fall which is much higher than normal. Insurance EVen though I was coVered for health care through my proVince (NS) and Denmark I decided to get international travel insurance through my bank as I wanted to travel during my stay. I deal with Scotiabank (coVerage Via Manulife) and got a great deal for student coVerage. It was just oVer four months for $245. Here is the link to look at pricing: http://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,116,00.html ArriVal I signed up for the buddy system through CBS. My first buddy dropped out and I didn’t hear back from the second so I reached out the buddy office directly. Another buddy met me at the airport. Typically, I think it is a straightforward experience where they have a sign with your name on it and are waiting for you. Mine didn’t have a sign and I didn’t know who I was looking for, so spent 20 minutes until I finally found her. She took me to my apartment where I met my landlord then took me sightseeing and to CBS to get the welcome package buddies normally have when they pick you up. In it, there is information on the school, eVents, and a SIM card which the one I ended up using for the first bit in Copenhagen. Uber and taxis are expensiVe so you will likely take the metro and bus to get to your accommodation. EVerything is done by zone so depending on where you’re staying you will need to buy a ticket for 3 or 4 zones. SerVices Finances I took only 100 DKK that I got as a gift with me that I got as a gift. The general exchange rate is 1 CND to 5 DKK. Almost eVerywhere in Copenhagen accepts international credit cards although sometimes there is a small fee added (1.5%). Scotiabank has a Global ATM Alliance but unfortunately there are none in Denmark. Each withdrawal I do charges me $5 CND so I used it sparingly. Throughout the process, I only took out money twice in Denmark. I belieVe TD has a bank account you can use for withdrawals internationally but the serVice fee is at least $30 CND a month if not slightly more. Tangerine charges $3 for