Roskilde is the second largest city on Zealand (Sjælland). It is home to around 52,000 people and is part of the greater Copenhagen area. Aarhus University Roskilde is located in Risø and hosts the Department of Ecoscience, the Department of Environmental Science and the Danish Centre for Environment and Energy (DCE).
We have gathered some information about Roskilde and a few of the locations around Roskilde for Aarhus University (AU) employees who are considering living in these areas.
Roskilde offers a unique mix of Viking heritage and youth culture, which means there are many exciting attractions and museums for you to enjoy. The city has its own public university as well as several shopping opportunities and supermarkets.
Roskilde Festival is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe and attracts large crowds of music-lovers every year. If you like nature, you can visit Roskilde Fjord – a conservation area with abundant wildlife and activities.
From the city centre of Roskilde, it takes around 10 minutes by car or 35 minutes on public transport to get to Aarhus University Roskilde.
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and has around 1,300,000 inhabitants, 600,000 of whom live in the city centre. There are several international daycare institutions, schools and communities located in the capital.
Because of wide-ranging public transport links, it is possible to live in Copenhagen and commute to Aarhus University Roskilde. The commuting time is around 1 hour on public transport or 40 minutes if you are driving.
Copenhagen has its own international airport and international train connection. Getting from Roskilde to Copenhagen Airport takes around 30 minutes by car or 1 hour on public transport.
Høje-Taastrup is home to around 57,000 inhabitants and is located between Risø and Copenhagen. There are many shopping opportunities and supermarkets in the city centre of Høje-Taastrup.
You can expect your commuting time from Høje-Taastrup to Aarhus University Roskilde to be around 20 minutes by car or 1 hour on public transport.
There is a direct train from Taastrup Station to Copenhagen, which takes around 1 hour.
There are several small residential areas close to Roskilde, such as Jyllinge, Ølstykke, Stenløse and Gundsømagle. Families often choose to live in these areas, from which they can commute to Aarhus University Roskilde in around 10-20 minutes by car or 20-40 minutes using public transport.
The commuting time to Copenhagen from these residential areas is approximately 35-50 minutes by car or 35 minutes to 1 hour on public transport.
Both Roskilde and Høje-Taastrup are large residential areas that offer a range of housing options. Housing is more affordable in these areas due to their distance from Copenhagen. It is possible to live in Copenhagen and commute to Aarhus University Roskilde but be aware that prices are high. The further away you move from Copenhagen, the more affordable accommodation becomes.
Regardless of where you decide to live, the Relocation Service at the International Staff Office can help you and your accompanying family find a place to call home.
You can also find accommodation via the AU Staff Housing Portal, which provides a platform for private landlords to let or sublet their homes to AU international employees. We recommend that you fill out a 'seeking form' on the website to notify potential landlords that you are looking for housing.
Public transport is popular in Denmark because it is convenient and environmentally friendly. You can read about travelling on buses, trains and metros on Zealand on Your Public Transport.
There is a big difference between the public transport in small and larger cities, and if you need to switch between busses or trains, you can expect the commuting time to be longer.
No matter where you live in Denmark, joining a club or an association is a great way to socialise with like-minded people. There are over 100,000 clubs and associations in Denmark, and there is even an old saying: When two Danes meet, they shake hands, but when three Danes meet, they form an association.
Municipalities often list the clubs and associations you can join on their website. Find the clubs and associations in Roskilde (in Danish).
Moving to another country with your partner can be an exciting yet challenging experience. This is why we recommend that your partner registers for the Aarhus University Expat Partner Programme to make the transition of moving to Denmark as smooth and enjoyable as possible. The Expat Partner advisors can help your partner with everything from career advice to social networks and support resources.
The Expat Partner Programme is available to international partners of Aarhus University’s employed staff from postdoc level and up.
In Denmark, every child is offered a place at a public childcare facility from the age of 6 months. You can enrol your child in a Danish daycare, which are often located close to residential areas. The nearest international daycare institutions to Roskilde are in Copenhagen.
The government pays at least 75 percent of the childcare fee depending on your income, but the exact amount parents pay depends on the municipality.
If you are an Aarhus University staff member, please contact the Relocation Service at the International Staff Office for more information about childcare in Roskilde and Copenhagen.
Selecting a school is a personal choice. For that reason, we recommend that you research each of the schools you are considering before making a final decision.
The closest international primary and lower secondary schools to Aarhus University Roskilde are in Roskilde and Copenhagen. Unlike Danish public schools that are free of charge, international schools require a monthly fee.
Skt. Josef’s International School is Roskilde’s only international primary and lower secondary school. The school is located in the city centre of Roskilde, and it follows the Cambridge international curriculum.
Copenhagen has a wide selection of international primary and lower secondary schools. There is a European School in Copenhagen, and two international schools that teach in French and German. Several international schools follow the Cambridge international curriculum. There are also four International Baccalaureate (IB) schools located in Copenhagen.
You can see a full list of all the international schools in Denmark on the International basic schools in Denmark page (‘basic’ indicates primary and lower secondary education).
Danish public schools are free of charge, and the majority of children in Denmark go to public school. There are many public schools across Denmark, so it is likely that there is one close to where you live. Roskilde has 21 public schools.
If your child does not speak Danish, but you would like them to attend a Danish public school, they need to enrol in reception classes first. Reception classes function as a bridging programme for children who need to develop their Danish skills before they can attend a general public school. Both Roskilde and Copenhagen have reception classes for newly arrived children who do not speak Danish.
If you are an Aarhus University staff member, please contact the Relocation Service at the International Staff Office for more information about schooling options in Roskilde and Copenhagen.
All international residents in Denmark can sign up for the Danish Education Programme. The programme consists of:
The programme is free but requires a deposit of DKK 2,000, which you get back once you have completed a module or the full programme.
Each municipality in Denmark has its own official Danish course provider, but most language schools offer both online and in-person classes. Roskilde Municipality’s official Danish course provider is Clavis, which has online and in-person classes in Roskilde.
Aarhus University staff and PhD students can read more on the Danish lessons for AU international staff and accompanying partners page.
Aarhus University has an overview of living expenses in Denmark for AU staff, PhD students and other students. The overview shows the costs of living in Aarhus, but since expenses (other than for housing) are similar across Denmark, you can use the information as a guide regardless of which city you live in.
When it comes to housing expenses, rent can vary a lot from place to place. The further you move away from Copenhagen, the less expensive your rent becomes.
For budget examples, see the cost of living page.
At Aarhus University Roskilde, there are approximately 135 academic staff members, 30 PhD students, 50 administrative staff members and 60 technical/administrative staff members.
