Work and Education
In Denmark there is a coordinated admission for undergraduate higher education programmes university bachelor programmes, professional bachelor programmes and academy profession programmes.
This means, that you can apply digitally for admission to up to 8 different educational programmes, but you will not get an offer for more than one programme.
It is mandatory to apply via the national application portal www.optagelse.dk.
You can apply for admission to higher education programmes taught in Danish or English.
If you are disabled and you are unable to use the digital application system, you may contact the educational institution to be exempted and get a permit to send an application by mail. In that case the educational institution will provide paper forms.
The application portal will take you through all necessary application steps, and there is a detailed guide, on how to fill out the application available to you in English.
If you want to apply for at graduate programme, you must contact the relevant educational institution, as the application process is established locally at the educational institution.
Applications to undergraduate higher education programmes in Denmark are assessed locally at the institutions, but coordinated centrally from the Coordinated Admission at Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science to ensure that you only receive one study offer.
Entry requirements can be found on optagelse.dk and on the websites of the local educational institutions.
Find information about required documentation on optagelse.dk or on the website of the educational institution.
All documentation has to be uploaded on www.optagelse.dk in PDF format.
No, there are not any application fees on optagelse.dk. Some educational institutions will have application fees for non-EU residence.
You can receive general guidance at 'eVejledning' and 'Studievalg Denmark' on the choice of education programme and application procedure. The guidance counsellors can help you to get an overview and ideas for your education choices.
For specific questions about an education programme, you must contact the educational institution directly. Both Studievalg and eVejledning will refer you to the institution, if they are not able to answer your questions.
Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science
Haraldsgade 53
DK – 2100 Copenhagen
Phone: +45 72 31 78 00
Email: ufs@ufm.dk
Complaints have to be directed to the educational institution that made the decision. Once you have received a reply to your complaint, you will receive a guide on how to appeal the decision with regards to legal deficiencies to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
- Application portal optagelse.dk (in Danish)
- FAQ about filling out the application form on optagelse.dk
- Guide to citizens from EU and EEA countries, who wish to apply for admission to an English taught higher education programme in Denmark
- General information about the rules for admission to higher education in Denmark
- eVejledning offers personal guidance by chat, email, and telephone daytime, evening and weekends (new window)
- Studievalg Denmark consists of 7 regional centres. They offer personal guidance during opening hours and also by email and telephone
Nordic citizens are free to enter, live, study and work in Denmark and do not need a visa or residence permit.
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens can reside and work in Denmark according to EU regulations and should apply for an EU residence document upon taking residence in Denmark.
Non EU/EEA/Swiss citizens must apply for a residence permit to reside in Denmark. Many residence permits include a work permit but it is important that you have the correct permit for the job in which you will be employed. You may also need to apply for a specific work permit, if you are going to do unpaid voluntary work or seek sideline employment.
Workindenmark.dk
Workindenmark.dk is the official website regarding international recruitment and has 2,000 to 3,000 vacancies in English from different Danish websites. The largest majority of jobs listed at the website do not require a command of Danish. Workindenmark that administrates the site is part of the Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment and a member of EURES, a European cooperation network of employment services, designed to facilitate the free movement of workers.
EURES portal
The EURES portal is the European job mobility portal by EURES, a European cooperation network of employment services, designed to facilitate the free movement of workers. This free-of-charge portal has more three million vacancies across Europe. The site has approximately 1,500 vacancies in Danish and English.
Jobnet.dk
The website Jobnet.dk (in Danish only) is the website of the Danish public employment services and has approximately 15,000 nationwide vacancies. The majority of the job adverts are in Danish.
Besides, there are a few private job sites in Denmark.
Workindenmark, part of the Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment, offers a free-of-charge e-learning course and webinars on job search in Denmark.
The e-learning course “Make it Work in Denmark”
The course consists of four modules:
- Job search in Denmark
- Using LinkedIn in your job search and professional network
- Contact companies and succeed in your job interviews
- An introduction to Danish workplace culture
If you already are in Denmark
Your residing municipality may offer services to help you find a job. Follow the link below to find the list of the municipalities that have an International Citizen Service centre (ICS) for newcomers to Denmark.
Launched in 1994, EURES is a European cooperation network of employment services, designed to facilitate the free movement of workers.
In addition to the abovementioned websites, e-learning course and webinar, EURES has a job mobility scheme intended to help citizens EU countries, Norway and Iceland to find a job, traineeship or apprenticeship opportunity in another EU country, Norway or Iceland. EURES-staff in Denmark can provide you with relevant information regarding job search, living and working conditions in Denmark.
There are regulated professions in Denmark, for example, healthcare professionals. If your profession is regulated, you need an authorisation or similar recognition by the competent public authority.
For example, foreign-trained doctors must apply for Danish authorisation as a medical doctor at the Danish Patient Safety Authority.
Sometimes Danish employers find non-Danish qualifications difficult to understand. The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science can offer a written assessment that explains what your qualifications correspond to in the Danish context. The service is free of charge and takes 1 to 2 months from the time you send the application and the required documentation.
Before your spouse or partner begins to work in Denmark, it is important to make sure that he or she is allowed to work.
If you have any doubts or questions, please contact The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) for more information on the right to work for your spouse or partner.
Regarding your partner’s job search, please refer to the information above, in particular information under the sections: “Where to find vacancies?” and “How to improve your chances of getting a job in Denmark?”
Only applicable when you are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen and come to Denmark to look for work and continue to receive your unemployment benefits from the country where you became unemployed.
When you arrive in Denmark, you'll need to:
- register as a jobseeker in the municipality of residence, at either the job centre or the local citizen service, within 7 days from the date stated on the front page of the PDU2 form you have received from either the employment services or the unemployment insurance fund in the country you left.
- submit your PDU2 form (formerly E 303) when you register.
- agree to any checks made on unemployment benefit claimants in Denmark as if you were receiving unemployment benefits there.
It is a legal requirement that employers must provide the employee with an employment contract if their employment lasts for at least a month and the average weekly working time exceeds eight hours per week. If the general terms of the employment are regulated by a collective agreement, the employment contract will typically include a reference to applicable collective agreement.
When you come to Denmark to work, you will need a tax card. In Danish, tax card is called “skattekort”.
In Denmark it is voluntary to be insured against unemployment. This means that you are not automatically insured against unemployment through the payment of taxes, which is the case in many other European countries.
If you want to be insured against unemployment in Denmark, you must actively register with an unemployment insurance fund (in Danish called "a-kasse") and pay a membership fee to the unemployment insurance fund (a-kasse).
In certain situations, you are entitled to aggregate insurance periods from another EU/EEA country, Switzerland or United Kingdom.
A number of conditions must be fulfilled to do so. You can read more about these:
Trade unions represent their members towards their employers.
A trade union can provide you with employment-related legal support and guidance you may need. Unions also negotiate on your behalf to secure you the best possible salary level and working conditions.
The membership of a trade union is not obligated by law. However, if you choose to become a member of a trade union, your choice of trade union depends on your education/position and workplace.
Residence permit/EU residence document:
Tax:
Further information when working in Denmark while living in another country
This page is solely intended to provide you with an overview of EURES services. Please file a complaint to the authority that is responsible for the decision with which you disagree.
If you would like to file a complaint regarding the information on this page, please contact the Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment.
Go to the webpage workindenmark.dk
Working i Denmark
6900 Skjern
2100 København