25/07/2024
How Denmark’s international students fall into the trap of CPR address fraud especially Bangali and Nepalese
Illustration photo. International students in Denmark are taking potentially illegal measures to get address registrations need to work legally in Denmark. Photo: Søren Bidstrup/Ritzau Scanpix
An increasing number of foreign students in Copenhagen have resorted to the so-called ‘sale’ of fraudulent address schemes in order to get a Danish personal registration (CPR) number
When Lavanya* returned to the room that she rented in her landlord's apartment in Brønshøj on the outskirts of Copenhagen, something felt odd.
Her personal belongings were not organised in the way she had left them.
It was not the first time Lavanya’s landlord had apparently been in her room – or otherwise made unusual demands – since she arrived from Bangladesh to study at the University of Southern Denmark in 2021.
In addition to the intrusions in her room, Lavanya was also instructed to stay in the room or pretend to be “a friend” when, for example, a midwife visited after the landlord’s wife gave birth.
That's because her landlord could or would not formally register Lavanya as a tenant -- meaning she had to create false pretences for being in the apartment.
What could the international student do? Who could she complain to? As an undeclared tenant, whose landlord did not want to register her with Danish authorities, her options were slim.
Lavanya was however registered with Copenhagen authorities, just at a different address.
Whilst her undeclared rented room was located in Brønshøj, she was officially registered at an address in Østerbro. The reason? The need to obtain an Danish personal registration (CPR) number.
A CPR number – the Danish equivalent of a social security number – is needed to access the Danish healthcare system, open a bank account, get a mobile phone plan, attend Danish language classes, and use the MobilePay payment app.
Crucially, it is also needed for tax registration and to receive a salary, so international students in Denmark need it so they have a right to work.
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But the lack of available housing in Copenhagen makes getting one difficult for many.
The CPR number is tied to the address you legally live at. Without securing a place to stay, you can’t apply for a CPR number. Without it, you are not allowed to work legally in Denmark, which is crucial for many incoming South Asian students looking to finance their stay to complete their university degrees.
“Many new arrivals don’t understand the importance of a CPR number because we don't have this concept in our country,” said Saiful Azim, a Bangladeshi national working as a researcher at the University of Copenhagen.
“Selling CPR addresses is unfortunately common among South Asians, especially Bangladeshis and Nepalese,” Azim said, adding that many providing and buying the service are not aware it’s illegal.
As a non-EU national, Lavanya was liable for tuition fees of some 32,600 kroner per semester. As the housing crisis marched on, apartments requiring a deposit of three months’ rent in advance were not an option for her without a job.
