International Admission

The Jonas Thomsen Sekyere Scholarship

International students can apply through the Jonas Thomsen Sekyere Scholarship. The scholarship was created in 2012 and is dedicated to the memory of an inspirational member of the college whose time among us was cut tragically short: Jonas Thomsen Sekyere.

Living at Regensen will introduce you to many joys and benefits. Besides living in central Copenhagen (‘Indre By’), you will also live in one of the oldest colleges in Denmark and become part of a community full of traditions and events. Questions concerning the application procedure should also be directed to Regensen's Klokkers at klokker@regensen.dk.

Jonas Thomsen Sekyere in Copenhagen

Expenses

The scholarship covers the monthly rental costs of a room at Regensen for the full term of residence. Students are asked to contribute toward the cost of utilities, at a rate of DKK 1688 per month as well as DKK 140 per month for membership of the college residents’ society. The contribution towards utilities is periodically adjusted in accordance with the rate of inflation. All rooms are unfurnished.

Admission Requirements

International candidates must fulfill all of the following requirements to be eligible to apply to Regensen:

  • cannot have Danish citizenship, including dual citizenship. Danish citizens must apply through the Danish admission process
  • be enrolled fulltime at the Univeristy of Copenhagen (KU/UCPH) or Denmark's Technical University (DTU)
  • have at least two consecutive semesters of study remaining (students having less than one year (two semesters) left of their studies are not eligible).
Admission Procedure

We admit two international citizens once a year. The deadline for the next round of applications for international citizens is 1. juni 2024.

To apply, applicants are required to send the following by e-mail to Regensen's Klokkers at klokker@regensen.dk:

  • an application and signature form (Download form)
  • a one-page motivated application (see application form for guidelines)
  • their official academic transcript
  • their letter of admission from either KU/UCPH or DTU

Candidates who do not complete the admission requirements and submit all the required application materials will not be considered. A commitee consisting of the College Provost's wife ('Provstinden') and elected student representatives will select the two successful candidates in June of each year. The chosen candidates can expect to move into Regensen in July of the same year.

Please consider

Candidates should be aware that Regensen provides each resident an unfurnished, private room and access to a storage room. Kitchen, toilet, and shower facilities are shared and some shower facilities are communal.

Since the majority of Regensens residents ('regensianere') are Danish, living here as an international is both rewarding and challenging at times. The more you engage, the more you will to learn about Danish traditions and language. Everyone are off course able and willing to speak english, and all official information will be provided in both languages.

Furthermore, all new residents are expected to take part in arranging three traditional dinner parties/balls as well as a few other tasks during their first semester at Regensen. The parties are part of a longstanding tradition in the college for which all of the college is invited. You will arrange the party together with other new residents at Regensen. This is often a nice way to get to know other residents. As a new resident, you can also expect to be invited to dinners by different societies (‘foreninger’) within the college, which will also help you get to know your new neighbours. You will also have the possibility to visit the Provost and his family, who live at Regensen. You can read more about life and traditions at Regensen in the 'Year' tab of this website.

Insights from international residents of Regensen

Lucie from South Korea, moved in August 2021

What is Regensen to you?

Opening the big green gate to Regensen, I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. There, right at the heart of Copenhagen, was a world of its own. Everyday lives of residents in Regensen ('Regensianere') shape what this 400-year-old institution is: making new themes for parties, dining with different associations, renting a fencing basement to watch election or football matches, and participating Regensen meetings until midnight discussing how to better this place are just a few to name. That's what I like about Regensen. It's a place where the spaces and traditions are lived through us.

Coming into a tight-knit community and interacting with many Danes and events might sound a little overwhelming for international students. Let me be honest, living in and learning about Regensen wasn't always easy despite my fascination for it. But once I got used to it (comes with practice), I could enjoy and appreciate the process of configuring my life in Regensen. Thankfully, Regensen is welcoming and Regensianere help you figure yourself out at your own pace. I was nervous when applying to Regensen because I didn't know what to expect. How big is the room? How can I find furniture to fill the unfurnished room? Would my lack of Danish language skills be enough to enjoy living here? The list goes on. But soon I found these unexpectedness and fluidity natural - you might apply for room swap, find the furniture to grab in the middle of the day, or learn random (but useful) Danish phrases while cooking with your friend. You never know until you are here. But, rest assured, it's always part of the fun when you're surrounded by a nice, fun, and genuine community of Regensen.

Maude from Belgium, moved in August 2020

How has Regensen changed you?

Regensen has been a transformative experience. To highlight just a few ways I've grown, Regensen has helped me learn Danish, become a more balanced person, and learn to share more with others.

Learning Danish was certainly not on my bucket list when I moved in, but I soon became motivated to learn because most traditions and social life is carried out in Danish at Regensen. I am grateful that the students living at Regensen are extremely encouraging and patient, which enables me to learn quickly. Regensen also financially supports its international members in learning Danish at a local language school by paying the deposit.

I've also come to see that Danes are experts at work-life-balance. Living here has helped me un-learned my workaholism and embrace spontaneity. You'll always find someone to go for a dip in the canals, make a BBQ in the yard, or watch reality TV with.

At first, it was challenging to spend so much time surrounded by others. I had never shared so many spaces and material things with so many people before, either. But becoming part of the close-knit community here has helped me come out of my shell. We take pride in taking care of Regensen, together, for instance by gathering altogether to clean up the buildings and yard twice a year at ‘Gårddag’, or by holding a yard-sale.

Colbyn from Scotland, moved in August 2019

What do you wish you had known when you moved in?

As I arrived fresh off the plane with just two suitcases in tow, I wish I had known just how much help I could ask for from my new friendly neighbours. They were more than happy to help and served as invaluable sources of information for a Scottish lad who was way out of his element. For example, there are many pieces of furniture that are up for grabs at Regensen and I swear they seem to move around more than the people do. It is just knowing where to find them and all you need to do is ask.

I also wish I had understood how time consuming the first couple months at Regensen would be. As a new arrival, there are various expectations involved. You have to help organise and host three parties over the span of the semester and host a travelling fridge and treasure chest full of sweets in your room for a total of ten nights. However, although these social expectations are time consuming, they are ultimately to your benefit. You will even be treated to free dinners with the many different student houses at Regensen and your other social obligations will serve as opportunities to get to know and become friends with the people living here. Many international students arriving in Copenhagen complain that it can be difficult to meet and get to know the local Danes. This is anything but the case for a student living at Regensen.

What is your favourite place at Regensen?

I am slightly cheating with this answer as this is not strictly a single place but the hallways of Regensen are easily my favourite. The hallways do not simply connect the many different halls and kitchens, each with their own bizarre name and personality, shaped by their ever-rotating inhabitants. They are destinations in and of themselves, hosting society dinners and parties, being transformed into slip and slides, or serving as the pitch for a friendly game of beer bowling when the weather outside does not permit.

They are also a place where time does not seem to function properly. You may have just stepped out of your room to head out for the day, but suddenly you find yourself hijacked by one of the many other marauding denizens of Regensen’s corridors. The next thing you know you are helping someone move a piece of furniture in their room, sharing an impromptu meal, getting advice for a job application, brewing beer, or filling in as the last player needed for a board game. You only stepped out to go get some groceries and suddenly you have plans for the rest of the day. That is always the risk you take when you enter the time vacuum of Regensen’s hallways.

Krishna from India, moved in September 2017
How would you describe your experience at Regensen?

As an international student looking for housing in Copenhagen from abroad, a piece of advice I heard from everyone was ‘beware of scammers’. When I stumbled upon the old Regensen website, it sounded too good to be true – living in the city centre and very low rent. I thought it was a scam, but I took my chances with the application. Within a week after applying, I received a mail saying I was selected to live in the dorm. During the dorm tour, the dorm building and hearing about different associations reminded me of Hogwarts. I had no idea how popular Regensen is when I moved here. Whenever I mentioned that I live at Regensen, I was told that I am lucky to live in such a historic place next to the round tower.

Being an international student, it is a wonderful experience to live in a dorm where the majority are Danes. It might sound overwhelming, but I hardly notice any difference because everyone is nice and helpful. Aside from having amazing parties, sharing the kitchen and being a part of an association and having dinner together once or twice a week, helped me integrate and made me feel at home. Everyone respects your privacy if you feel overwhelmed by too many social activities or when you are busy with your studies and exams. With our general elections and different ‘office posts’, Regensen feels like an independent country in Copenhagen – like the Vatican in Rome except that Regensen has liberal and democratic views, even though we have our own Pope - the Provost :)

Because of Regensen, I got introduced to the Danish way of living – communal showers, weekends at a summer house, madklub at a kolonihave, tasting øllebrod, celebrating Christmas Eve with a friend’s family and I even learned to tolerate the use of week number. The list goes on! If it weren’t for living at Regensen, I might not have experienced all these things. As the longest-living international student at Regensen, I only have good experience of living here.

TL;DR : Yes, it’s a real place with low rent and it’s fun to live at Regensen :)