Next to embedding a chip in your shoulder, registering yourself on Danskerlisten is one of the smartest things you can do to give you family and friends peace of mind in case a natural disaster should hit your location on the planet.
The typhoon disaster in the Philippines last autumn is a good example of how being registered can suddenly be very useful, says Birgit Carlstedt, the Consul at the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok. She is the person in charge of all public services related to Danish citizens in Thailand and would in case of any emergency be directly responsible for organizing the search and location of Danes here and in neighboring Cambodia – and until 1 August 2014 in Myanmar.
“Danskerlisten was established in the wake of the Tsunami, so to speak,” she explains.
“Before that we didn’t have a centralized system and as a result we had people calling in to register their missing uncle for instance, while his company had already registered him as missing as well. It was easy to overlook that it was the same person and we could be wasting resources chasing people whom we had already found once,” she says.
A key feature of Danskerlisten is that the data in the system is owned by the citizen. It is up to you, the citizen, to register and make known the information you want the Embassy to rely on and be able to respond to.
“It is only you, who can register yourself in the system – we cannot do it for you even if we know that you have lived her for years,” Birgit Carlstedt says.
To register yourself, this is where you start
https://danskerlisten.um.dk/
Remember that the system is only as good as the information you file into it.
“Special attention should be paid to your mobile number. You must always use the correct prefix. If your phone has a Danish number, the prefix is +45; if your mobile is bought here in Thailand and has a Thai number, the prefix is +66. Without the right prefix the number is of no use to the Embassy. And of course your own address and e-mail as well as the e-mail and telephone number of your relatives is important.”
Do not despair if you have forgotten your password. If you have, you just push the function ‘forgotten my password’ and having answered the security questions, your password will be annulled and you write a new password. You also have the possibility to log in by using Nem-ID – easy!
In case an emergency strikes at the location, where you are registered to be traveling, the Embassy will first try the fastest way and maybe the only way to contact you.
“We will likely first email all on the list to see how many people we get in touch with this way. The point is first of all to see if we can establish a channel of communication. If we get no response we will try an SMS to the mobile number. In case of a natural disasters, the mobile phone system is often among the first things to break down, but if it works, it is a very convenient way of communicating.”
Birgit Carlstedt adds, that for travelers using their Danish phone numbers with roaming service, the Danish telecom operators can even detect the cell where the mobile phone is located.
If there is an emergency, there will probably be other Danes in that area than the ones listed on Danskerlisten. But being on Danskerlisten ensures you get found first, so be smart and register you and your family, Birgit Carlstedt says.
ScandAsia tried out the system and found it quite easy to operate. But you should be aware that it will most likely take you longer time than you think to fill in all the information. At one point the system informs you that it will take 15 minutes, but we spent 41 minutes doing it.
Another comment is that you should make a note of your user name – you can retrieve your password as mentioned above, but the user name is not retrievable. If you loose it you have to enter all your information again.
We suggest making a note of your user name in your passport, because the next problem is to remember to log in and inform the system every time you go on a trip overseas. If your user name is in your password, it is a convenient reminder when you book a ticket to register the trip on Danskerlisten as well.
