Costa del Sol's Danish community gets answers on rights and pensions

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Secretary general of Danes Worldwide, Michael Bach Petersen, was on the Costa del Sol this week to meet with the Danish community

Jennie Rhodes

Wednesday, 4 March 2026, 10:46

The Danish community on the Costa del Sol had the opportunity to ask questions concerning legal, pension and other rights to the secretary general of Danes Worldwide this week. Michael Bach Petersen also came with one of the association’s lawyers, Caroline Ulrick.

The representatives were invited to the two Danish clubs - Den Danske Klub in Torre del Mar on Tuesday and Club Danés - Dansk Spansk samvirke in Mijas-Fuengirola on Wednesday. The invitation came from Maddie Hjort, president of the Torre del Mar club and Andalucía and Gibraltar ambassador for Danes Worldwide. SUR in English spoke to Michael, Caroline and Maddie ahead of the Torre del Mar meeting.

The sessions provided information about citizenship and rules on dual citizenship, pension, taxes and social rights, returning home or partial return to Denmark, school, language and connection to Denmark for children growing up abroad.

According to United Nations statistics, an estimated 250,000 Danish people live outside Denmark and the countries hosting the largest numbers of Danish expatriates are Sweden, Norway, Germany, the USA, and the UK.

10,000 Danes in Spain

According to Spain’s INE (national statistics institute) data from 2022, there were 9,136 Danes in Spain of whom just under 4,000 were resident in Malaga province alone (the figures are estimated at over 10,000 and 4,000 respectively as of 2025).

However, Hjort pointed out that it is difficult to calculate the exact number as some people live here all year, while others spend part of the year here. The Danish clubs are well-established and the one in Torre del Mar celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024.

Danes Worldwide, which was founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit organisation which provides a link for members between Denmark and Danes around the world. Petersen explained that the “association is a voice” for Danes abroad to politicians and other decision-makers.

As well as the advisory role, the association also campaigns on issues such as dual citizenship and voting rights, as he pointed out that Danes living outside the country are unable to vote in parliamentary elections. “Expat Danes are forgotten in legislation and decisions are made that affect those Danes for which they have not been able to vote,” Petersen pointed out.

Danes Worldwide also works closely with Danish embassies and consulates. The secretary general pointed out that while the Danish embassies can help with emergencies and visa matters, there are “a lot of issues that are related to other ministries, like the interior ministry or migration / taxation for which the embassy cannot give information on”, as they lie outside the embassy’s remit. In these cases, the embassies or consulates will refer people to Danes Worldwide.

Summer schools

As well as the political and legal aspect, the association provides a strong cultural connection to the country, particularly for the children of Danes living abroad. While British and American schools are not uncommon in areas with large numbers of foreigners, Danish schools are harder to find.

As such, the association offers summer schools and online courses, giving not only children the opportunity to connect with their Danish roots, but also other members to “to learn Danish and keep Danish language and culture alive”. HM Queen Margrethe II was patron of the association until her abdication in January 2024.

In November 2024 the Danish ambassador to Spain, Michael Braad, joined the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre and Danish consul Marisa Moreno to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Danish consulate for Malaga, Seville, Cadiz and Huelva.

The Danish consulate, which is the oldest documented in Spain, symbolises the beginning of commercial and cultural relations that started in the seventeenth century. Today it looks to the future in which Andalucía plays a fundamental role for Danish companies.