Family

You have the right to child and youth benefits if:

• your child is under 18
• your child lives in Denmark
• you live in Denmark
• the person who has custody of the child is fully liable for tax in Denmark
• your child has not been placed in a foster home or is otherwise a ward of the state
• you have lived or worked in Denmark, the Faroe Islands or Greenland for at least six of the last 10 years or earned the right to family benefits in other EU/EEA countries or Switzerland
• you are residing in Denmark under the Greencard scheme.

Read the rules for when you qualify for receiving child and youth benefits as a foreigner under 'What are the rules for foreigners for receiving child benefits?'.

Can I receive other benefits as a parent?

As a parent you may be entitled to other benefits. This depends on whether you belong to a particular group or you are in a particular situation. These benefits can be:

• Child allowance (børnetilskud)
• Child allowance for single parents
• Child allowance for single parents and have adopted a child
• Child allowance for pensioners
• Child allowance for parents in education
• Child allowance in the event of paternity cases or an unknown father
• Child allowance when one or both parents are deceased.

Read the rules for when you qualify for receiving these different allowance on the page about child allowance:

• Child allowance

If you are a foreigner and work in Denmark, you may apply for child benefits if you:

• share custody of the child
• can document that you are related to the child
• are a citizen in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, if your child does not live in Denmark.

In addition, you must have worked or lived in Denmark for a certain period within the past 10 years.

Below, you can see an overview of how much you are entitled to receive, depending on how long you have lived or worked in Denmark, in Greenland or on the Faroe Islands.

You can also include periods during which you have accrued family benefit rights by living in or working in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland. You can do so if you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. However, Udbetaling Danmark first need to verify your information with the authorities in the country in which you have lived or worked before the periods can be included.

If you are a citizen in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland or Lichtenstein and want to know more about your rights when living or working in Denmark, you must contact the authorities in your home country.

Were you entitled to receive child benefits before 1 January 2018?

If you received child benefits before 1 January 2018 and if you are still entitled to receive child benefits, you are subject to a 2-year qualification requirement. This means that you must have lived or worked in Denmark for at least 2 years within the past 10 years.

Below, you can see the percentage you are entitled to receive, depending on how long you have lived or worked in Denmark, in Greenland or on the Faroe Islands within the past 10 years.

• 6 months in order to have earned 25 per cent of the total benefit
• 1 year in order to have earned 50 per cent of the total benefit
• 1.5 years in order to have earned 75 per cent of the total benefit
• 2 years in order to have earned the total benefit.

In some cases, you can be paid benefits from both countries if you are entitled to both family benefits from Denmark and another EU/EEA country or Switzerland. However, you can only receive the full family benefit from one country. 

The following prioritisation rules apply if there is to be paid out family benefits pursuant to the legislation of one or more member states in the same period and for the same family members:

1. paid work or self-employment
2. pension
3. place of residence 

These prioritisation rules apply if the entitlement to family benefits from 2 or more member states are based on different conditions.

You can read mere about the prioritisation rules in Polish here:

Specjalne zasadydot. obywateli UE/EOG oraz Szwajcarii

Explanation of conditions

Your entitlement to family benefits from working thus take precedence over family benefits due to pensions and residency, and your entitlement to family benefits due to pension take precedence over family benefits due to residence. 

When you are entitled to family benefits from 2 member states due to the same conditions, the family benefits from the children’s country of residence take precedence. When you are entitled to family benefits from 2 member countries due to the same conditions and the children are residents of a 3rd member state, the country with the highest family benefits takes precedence. 

People without paid work or self-employment such as, for example, welfare claimants or students without a student job are covered by the legislation in their country of residence.

Supplement depending on differences in size of payment

You are entitled to a supplement depending on differences in the size of payment from Denmark in the periods where the family benefits from other country take precedence. 

This means that the family benefits from the other country are deducted in the supplementary family benefit from Denmark even though you are not paid the amount of the family benefit. You can thus only be paid the difference between the family benefit from the other country and the supplementary family benefit from Denmark. 

This is because pursuant to the other country’s legislation, you would be entitled to a family benefit if you applied for it.

When working in Denmark, families with children are eligible for receiving child benefits. If your child does not live in Denmark, you have to apply for the benefit yourself.

If you are a citizen in an EU/EEA country

When you apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen, you must use various documentation. Below, you can see which documents you need in order to apply.

If you log in using MitID, you only have to attach the relevant documentation. You can save your application along the way, if you like.

• Apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen (with MitID)

If you do not have MitID

If you do not have MitID, you must use a form for declaration and consent. You can find the form you need to use here:

• Form for declaration and consent

You must print the form, sign it and scan it to your computer. When you apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen without MitID, you must attach:

• Form for declaration and consent
• Employment contract
• Birth certificate for children.

You can apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen without MitID here:

• Apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen (without MitID)

If you need help or have questions you can contact Udbetaling Danmark by phone +45 70 12 80 62.

If you are not a citizen in an EU/EEA country

If you are not a citizen in an EU/EEA country, you can apply for the benefit by contacting Udbetaling Danmark by phone +45 70 12 80 62.

Please be aware not to send sensitive personal information such as your civil registration (CPR) number to Udbetaling Danmark via email because email is not a secure communication channel. If you need to send sensitive personal information, you must send a letter to Udbetaling Danmark, Kongens Vænge 8, DK-3400 Hillerød.

When am I a citizen in an EU/EEA country?

You are EU/EEA citizen if you are a citizen of one of the following countries:

• Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Austria.

When you have children in Denmark, you may qualify for various grants for your children. These grants are called family benefits. Family benefits are administered by Udbetaling Danmark – Public Benefits Administration.

Here you can read a brief description of the various types of family benefits.

Child and youth benefits

Child and youth benefits, also known as the ‘child cheque’ (or family allowance) is a tax-free payment that you receive for each of your children until they reach the age of 18. The amount you receive depends on the age of your child, how long you have been earning the right to Danish family benefits, your income and the income of any spouse.

Child benefits are paid quarterly in advance. When your child reaches the age of 15, you will receive a youth benefit instead of a child benefit. Youth benefits are paid every month in arrears.

If the parents have joint custody, the Child and youth benefits are generally paid to both parents NemKonto with one half each.

Child allowance

Child allowance is a payment paid in special circumstances if:

• you are single
• you have twins – or triples, quadruplets, etc.
• you are a pensioner
• you are taking an education
• the father of your child is unknown
• one or both parents are dead
• you have adopted a child.

The size of the child allowance depends on your situation.

You can watch a short video here about when you are seen as single or cohabiting in relation to child allowance for single parents.

Read more about child allowance:

• Child allowance

Child support

Child support is an amount that you can receive if you live together with your child but not together with your child’s other parent. The other parent is the one who must pay that amount to you.

Read more about child support:

• Child support

There are different rules for when you can receive family benefits.

Among other things, it depends on whether you are cohabiting with your child’s other parent, your income and how long you have lived or worked in Denmark.

If you live in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland with your family and work in Denmark

If you live in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland and work exclusively in Denmark, you will in general be covered by the Danish social security system. This means that you will have the right to family benefits from Denmark if you meet the other conditions listed above.

If the child's other parent works in the country where you live, you should receive family benefits in that country. If Danish family benefits are higher than the benefits in the country where you live, Denmark will pay the difference. If the Danish benefit is lower than in the country where you are living, you will not receive family benefits from Denmark.

If you live in Denmark and work in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland

If you live in Denmark and work exclusively in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you will in general be covered by the social security system in the country where you work. As a rule, this means that you have the right to family benefits from the country where you work. You should contact the authorities in the country where you work to ask them to advise you about the rules.

If the child's other parent works in Denmark, you should receive Danish family benefits. If family benefits from the country where you work are higher than the benefits in Denmark, the other country will pay the difference. If the benefit from the other country is lower than in Denmark, you will not receive family benefits form the other country.

If you live in Denmark and receive a pension from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland

If you live in Denmark and receive a pension from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, and the child's other parent is not working in Denmark, you may be entitled to family benefits from Denmark on the basis of your residence. You must contact the authorities in the country you receive your pension as you should receive family benefits in that country. If Danish family benefits are higher than the benefits in the country where you receive your pension, Denmark will pay the difference. If the Danish benefit is lower than the country where you are receiving pension, you will not receive family benefits from Denmark.

If you move abroad

If you move abroad, you will no longer have the right to Danish child and youth benefit.

Read more about family benefits in EU countries:

• European Commission on Family Benefits

When you receive family benefits, you have a duty to let us know about any changes. This means that you must immediately notify Udbetaling Danmark - Family Benefits, if there are changes to the information you have submitted.

You must do this because it can have an impact on what you can receive in benefits. For example, you must notify us if: 

• you or your child’s other parents are employees and not working/receiving work-related unemployment/sickness/maternity benefits to a sufficient extent each month in Denmark
• you or your child’s other parents are self-employed and not working/receiving work-related unemployment/sickness/maternity benefits to a sufficient extent each month in Denmark
• you or your child’s other parents are working on a ship and do not have enough days at sea each month
• you or your child’s other parents are no longer covered by Danish social security
• you or your child’s other parents stop working or become employed in another country than Denmark
• you or your child’s other parents are no longer entitled to a Danish social pension
• you or your child move to another country
• your child gets married
• you or your child’s other parent is no longer a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland
• your child is placed in foster care or is otherwise being maintained by means of public benefits
• your child will be staying in a country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland for a period, e.g. because of his or her schooling
• you or your child’s other parents become entitled to receiving family benefits in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland
• in case of changes to custody arrangements for your child
• if the foreign benefit rate changes.

If you do not notify Udbetaling Danmark, you may have to pay back the benefits you have received. This also applies if you provide incorrect or incomplete information, or if you no longer meet the conditions for receiving the benefits.

• Inform Udbetaling Danmark of changes to your family benefits
• Inform Udbetaling Danmark about moving if you receive family benefits (non-Danish eID)
• Inform Udbetaling Danmark that you no longer work ind Denmark (non-Danish eID)

Udbetaling Danmark sends its letters in Danish

When you receive family benefits, you will receive letters from Udbetaling Danmark, for example, about the amount you are being paid.

As a general rule, all letters from Udbetaling Danmark are sent in Danish. Therefore, it may be a good idea to have a friend or acquaintance translate the letters if you have trouble understanding Danish. You are also always welcome to call Udbetaling Danmark if you have any questions.

If someone else is going to contact Udbetaling Danmark on your behalf, you first need to provide that person with a power of attorney. This also applies even if you are cohabiting and the other person just needs to speak to Udbetaling Danmark about the case.

If you are contacting Udbetaling Danmark on behalf of someone else, you first need to have a power of attorney.

For those of you who receive family benefits

Here you can digitally provide another person with a power of attorney to act on your behalf when contacting Udbetaling Danmark. For example, this might be to discuss your case, receive information about your case or to assume full responsibility for the case. You can provide a power of attorney for family benefits or for several other areas that Udbetaling Danmark deals with. The power of attorney does not provide access to digital self-service functions.

• Give or send power of attorney regarding family benefits

For those of you who will be helping someone else

If the person who wants to provide you with a power of attorney does not have MitID, you can use a written power of attorney. The form can be filled out on the screen or by hand, and it needs to be signed by the person giving you the power of attorney.

• Retrieve a power of attorney for family benefits (pdf – new window)

If you have a written letter of attorney from someone receiving family benefits, you can send the signed letter of attorney digitally. If you are using a mobile phone, you can take a picture of the letter of attorney and attach it. The power of attorney does not provide access to digital self-service functions.

• Give or send power of attorney regarding family benefits

You can also send the letter of attorney by post to Udbetaling Danmark, Kongens Vænge 8, 3400 Hillerød. Please note that it may take up to a week before Udbetaling Danmark receives the letter of attorney by post.

If you want to know more about powers of attorney for family benefits, you can read more on the Danish page on borger.dk:

• Power of attorney for family benefits (in Danish – new window)

If you have received more in family benefits than you are entitled to, for example because your situation has changed, you should first return this money to Udbetaling Danmark.

If you have to pay money back to Udbetaling Danmark, Family benefits, this may be for one of the following reasons:

• your and/or your spouse’s income has changed
• you have become single, got married or started cohabiting
• you are no longer entitled to receive family benefits from Denmark.

How to pay back money to Udbetaling Danmark

If you have received too much in family benefits, you will receive a letter from Udbetaling Danmark explaining what you have to pay back and why. If you have received this letter, you can pay the entire amount in one lump sum by transferring the money to Udbetaling Danmark’s bank account:

How to pay back child and youth benefits (child and youth benefits):

• Bank: Danske Bank
• SWIFT: DABADKKK
• IBAN no.: DK850216406171966
• Remember to state your civil registration number.

How to pay back your child allowance (child allowance):

• Bank: Danske Bank
• SWIFT: DABADKKK
• IBAN no.: DK2902164069171907
• Remember to state your civil registration number.

How to pay back child and youth benefits (child and youth benefits) if you are an EU/EEC citizen:

• Bank: Danske Bank
• SWIFT: DABADKKK
• IBAN no.: DK6502164069175236
• Remember to state your civil registration number.

Udbetaling Danmark will process your application as quickly as possible when you apply for child and youth benefits as an EU/EEA citizen.

It takes an average of 9 weeks to process an application for child and youth benefits. However, it can take longer in some cases as we need to obtain information from foreign authorities to process the application. The case processing time limit for child and youth benefits is 30 weeks.

You can help shorten the case processing time by

• attaching the required documentation in your application
• ensuring the information provided in your application and your information in the Civil Registration System (CPR) is correct.

If you are not satisfied with how Udbetaling Danmark has dealt with your case, you are welcome to contact Udbetaling Danmark, Family benefits. Sometimes misunderstandings can occur and can easily be resolved with a verbal explanation.

If you disagree with a decision

You may file a complaint about a decision from Udbetaling Danmark if you disagree with it. A decision can for example be classified as the amount you receive in Family benefits – or any other decision that Udbetaling Denmark makes in your case. You will always receive a letter from Udbetaling Denmark, in which the decision will be stated along with a complaint guide.

Udbetaling Danmark must receive your complaint no later than four weeks after your receipt of the decision. They will then assess the matter again.

If Udbetaling Danmark reject your complaint, they will forward it to the National Social Appeals Board. The National Social Appeals Board is an independent state institution and the highest complaint board for Udbetaling Danmark amongst others.

Complaints about other matters

Udbetaling Danmark will also consider complaints received about other matters in your case and investigate whether there is anything that should have been done differently. You will always receive an answer to your complaint.

How to file a complaint

You can file a complaint by calling Udbetaling Danmark or fill in the form below.

• For complaints (in Danish)
• Make a complaint about family benefits (non-Danish eID)

• Lov om en børne- og ungeydelse (in Danish – new window)
• Lov om børnetilskud og forskudsvis udbetaling af børnebidrag (in Danish – new window)
• Lov om opkrævning af underholdsbidrag (in Danish – new window)
• Databeskyttelsesforordningen (in Danish – new window)
• Databeskyttelsesloven (in Danish – new window)

If you wish to apply for child support, you must fill in and send an application form to the Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset).

In some situations, the Agency of Family Law will forward your application to the family court, who will make the decision.

If the Agency of Family Law or the family court decide that you are entitled to support from the other parent, you will receive a support decision. The support decision is your proof that you are entitled to the support or that you must pay it.

You can receive child support if you live with your child, but not with the other parent. You can also receive support if you provide for the child in some other way. It is the other parent who must pay the support to you. The general rule is that, as parents, you enter into an agreement concerning the support.

Get a quick overview of child support in the following guidance:

• Essential information concerning child support (PDF – in Danish)
• Draw up your own agreement concerning the amount of child support – find the agreement form (in Danish)
• Calculate your child support (in Danish)

If you establish a private agreement

If you, as parents, establish your own child support agreement, you should draw up the agreement in writing. On the Agency of Family Law's website, you will find a form which you can use to prepare your own support agreement. Your written agreement will be just as binding as a support agreement from the Agency of Family Law.

• Create your own agreement concerning child support

If you agree that the support should be determined

If you agree on the date of determination of the child support and the amount of support payable, you can apply to the Agency of Family Law to have the support fixed in accordance with your agreement.

The Agency of Family Law will not consider the case. Instead, we recommend that you read about what information is decisive when the Agency of Family Law determines child support.

If you share expenses

Child support will not normally be determined if you have a sharing arrangement and also share expenses relating to provision for the child between the 2 of you.

If you are unable to agree on the support, you can ask the Agency of Family Law to reach a decision concerning the support. 

• Contact the Agency of Family Law

Please note that child support is not the same as child benefit or family allowance, which are benefits distributed by the government.

If you draw up an agreement concerning child support, you must also reach an agreement on the amount of support that will be payable. You should always establish the agreement in writing.

When establishing the agreement, you should also decide the circumstances under which the support could be amended. See familieretshuset.dk for more information (please note that the website is in Danish). 

On the Agency of Family Law’s website, you will find a form which you can use to prepare your own support agreement. You will also find a support wizard which will enable you to calculate how much child support you can expect to have to pay or receive.

Regardless of whether it is the Agency of Family Law or the family court who determines the support, the support will be based on the following rates: The support will always consist of a basic amount and a fixed supplement, which are collectively referred to as ‘normal support’.

Normal support amounts to DKK 1,603 per month (2025). Normal support is adjusted annually on 1 January.

If the parent who pays the support to the other parent has a high income, an additional supplement may be payable – known as a ‘percentage supplement’. The Agency of Family Law or family court will calculate the percentage supplement based on the gross income of the parent paying the support and the number of children that parent is required to support.

• Calculate your child support (in Danish)
• The Agency of Family Law on the determination of child support (in Danish)

We will calculate the support from the date on which the event which triggers the support occurs. This could for example be:

• cessation of the parents’ cohabitation
• cessation of provision for the child
• cessation of an access arrangement where the child spends approximately the same amount of time with each parent
• the child moving from one parent to the other.

If the Agency of Family Law receives your application for the determination of child support within no more than 2 months after the event which triggered the support, the child support will be determined from that date.

If you apply more than 2 months after the support-triggering event, we will determine the support from the date on which the Agency of Family Law receives the application.

If you are unable to agree on the amount of child support that should be paid, you can ask the Agency of Family Law to reach a decision on the matter.

You apply for child support by completing and submitting the digital form. 

• Contact the Agency of Family Law
• Draw up your own agreement concerning the amount of child support – find the agreement form (in Danish)
• Calculate your child support (in Danish)

If you have established a child support agreement yourself, you must also agree between you when and how the support will be paid. The normal situation is for the parent who pays the support to pay a fixed amount to the other on the first day of each month. It can be a good idea for the parent that pays the support to set up a fixed monthly bank transfer with a reference which indicates that the payment concerns child support for the child in question. The reference for the monthly transfer could for example be ‘Child support for Peter’. This will also provide documentation that the payment has actually been made.

If the Agency of Family Law or the family court has reached a decision concerning the support, the Agency of Family Law will set a date for payment of the support. The Agency of Family Law will always set the payment date to the first day of each month. If the parent paying the support fails to pay punctually, the recipient can apply for Udbetaling Danmark to collect the support.

If you receive a payment demand from Udbetaling Danmark, you can set up a Betalingsservice agreement so you are sure that the support will be paid on time.

If you do not pay the support on time, Udbetaling Danmark will refer the outstanding amount to the Danish Debt Collection Agency for collection.

You and the child’s other parent can amend a previous agreement or a decision concerning child support at any time. Agreements and decisions concerning support should always be amended in writing.

On the Agency of Family Law’s website, you will find a form which you can use to draw up your own support agreement. If you draw up a new agreement yourself, you do not need to notify or contact the Agency of Family Law.

If the parents are unable to agree on a change to the support, you can apply to the Agency of Family Law to resolve the situation.

Fixed support can be amended at any time upon application provided the relevant conditions are met. The same applies to agreed support where the agreement states that it can be amended in accordance with the general guidelines, that is pursuant to Section 16 of the Act on provision for children (lov om børns forsørgelse).

If you have established an agreement concerning the amount of support payable and it is not agreed that the support can be amended under Section 16 of the Act on provision for children, different rules will apply to amendments to the support. Such an agreement can only be amended if the agreement is unreasonable, if the circumstances have changed materially or if the agreement is contrary to the best interests of the child. However, if you have agreed a level of support which is lower than the rates, the Agency of Family Law will normally increase the support if it receives an application for such an increase.

If you apply to amend child support, you must pay a fee of DKK 3,100 (2025). This fee must be paid when you submit your application. However, in some cases, you will not need to pay the fee to amend child support.

These cases are:

• if you apply for the child support to lapse because the child is now living with you,
• or if you apply for a change to agreed child support, and the Agency of Family Law has not previously considered a case concerning this child support.

A fee must only be paid if you apply for a change to support for several children between the same parties. Only one fee must also be paid if you apply for a reduction in support for several children in cases between different parties.

Read more about the calculation, how you can draw up an agreement yourself and the determination of child support.

• Calculate your child support (in Danish)
• Draw up your own agreement concerning the amount of child support – find the agreement form (in Danish)
• The Agency of Family Law on the determination of child support (in Danish)

If support approved by the Agency of Family Law is not paid by the agreed date, you can apply to Udbetaling Danmark and ask them to pay an advance on the support. This arrangement is referred to as ‘advance child support’.

Advance child support means that Udbetaling Danmark will pay your child support to you in advance. Udbetaling Danmark will then collect the support from the other parent.

However, you must first attempt to collect the support from the child’s other parent.

The child support comprises normal support and, in some cases, a percentage supplement. Udbetaling Danmark will only pay the normal support in advance. The percentage supplement will not be paid by Udbetaling Danmark until it has been paid by the other parent.

If you have established an agreement concerning child support yourself, you will not be able to apply for advance child support. However, you can apply to Udbetaling Danmark and ask them to collect the support from the other parent.

You can only have your child support paid in advance if both you and your child live in Denmark.

If your support decision was not reached in Denmark or another Nordic country, you must contact the Danish Debt Collection Agency on +45 70 15 73 04. The Danish Debt Collection Agency will investigate whether you can receive support payments in advance.

If you are a foreign citizen, you must have lived in Denmark for at least 3 years in order to have the support paid in advance. If you have lived in Denmark for less than 3 years, but have a Danish support decision, you can apply to Udbetaling Danmark and ask them to collect the support. For refugees, the same rules apply as for Danish citizens.

• Rules for child support if you move abroad on borger.dk (in Danish)

You can deduct the child support that you pay from your tax bill if:

• You have drawn up a written agreement concerning the child support
• You have a decision concerning child support from the Agency of Family Law

The basic amount for normal support is DKK 1,419 (2025). This is equivalent to DKK 17,028 per year (2025). You cannot deduct the supplement, which amounts to DKK 184 per month (2025). If you pay a higher amount in support, the percentage supplement can normally also be deducted.

• Read more about deductions for child support from the Danish Tax Agency (in Danish)
• Contact the Agency of Family Law

The Agency of Family Law determines and adjusts child support amounts, while Udbetaling Danmark collects child support and, where appropriate, pays advances. 

When to contact The Agency of Family Law: 

Contact the Agency of Family Law if you have any questions regarding a decision concerning support or the amount of support payable.

• Contact the Agency of Family Law

When to contact Udbetaling Danmark

If you have any questions regarding collection of the support, contact Udbetaling Danmark on phone +45 70 12 80 62 or via Digital Post to ‘Familieydelser’ (Family benefits).

• Send Digital Post to Udbetaling Danmark, Family benefits, bidrag

If you disagree with the decision made by the Agency of Family Law concerning support, you can appeal against it.Enclosed with the decision, you will receive guidance on how to appeal. 

The Agency of Family Law must receive your appeal no more than 4 weeks after you received the decision.

You can read more about the legislation concerning child support. 

• Child Allowance Act (in Danish)
• The Executive Order on Allowances (in Danish)
• Income summary for the determination of child and spousal support in 2014 (in Danish)
• Income summary for the determination of child and spousal support in 2015 (in Danish)
• Income summary for the determination of child and spousal support in 2016 (in Danish)
• Income summary for the determination of child and spousal support in 2017 (in Danish)
• Income summary for the determination of child and spousal support in 2018 (in Danish)
• Income summary for the determination of child and spousal support in 2019 (in Danish)
• Income summary for the determination of child and spousal support in 2020 (in Danish)

• Guide: When you split up (in Danish)

The purpose of the primary school is – in cooperation with the parents – to give the pupils skills that:

• prepare them for further education and make them enthusiastic to learn more
• familiarise them with Danish culture and history
• give them an understanding of other countries and cultures
• contribute to their understanding of human interaction with nature and promote the overall development of the individual pupils.

The primary school is to develop working methods and create frameworks for experience, exploration and enterprise, so the pupils develop recognition and imagination and gain confidence in their possibilities and the basis to judge and to act.

The primary school is to prepare the pupils for participation, shared responsibility, rights and duties in a society with freedom and democratic government. The work of the school must therefore be characterised by freedom of thought, equal worth and democracy.

The mandatory subjects in the primary school are divided into 3 subject areas: The humanities, the practical/musical subjects and science. The subjects, divided by year stages, are:

Humanities

• Danish in all years
• English in years 2 to 10 (classes 1 to 9)
• 2nd foreign language from year 6 (class 5) and the possibility of a 3rd foreign language as an optional subject from year 8 (class 7)
• Christian studies at all years apart from the year when confirmation is prepared
• History in years 4 to 10 (classes 3 to 9)
• Social studies in years 9 and 10 (classes 8 and 9).

Practical/creative

• Physical education in all years
• Music in years 2 to 7 (classes 1 to 6)
• Visual arts in years 2 to 6 (classes 1 to 5)
• Design, wood and metalwork (previously sewing and handicrafts) and food science (previously domestic science) in one or more years within the range of years 6 to 7 (classes 5 to 6).

Science

• Mathematics in all years
• Natural sciences/technology (previously science/techniques) in years 2 to 7 (classes 1 to 6)
• Geography in years 8 to 10 (classes 7 to 9)
• Biology in years 8 to 10 (classes 7 to 9)
• Physics/chemistry in years 8 to 10 (classes 7 to 9).

The schools must offer either German or French as alternative subjects from years 8 to 10 (classes 7 to 9).

In addition, there are a number of optional subjects that the schools can offer the pupils from years 8 to 11 (classes 7 to 10). These are, for example, drama, music, film and media.

The pupils in years 8, 9 and 10 (classes 7, 8 and 9) must choose at least 1 optional or alternative subject. 

Supportive education can be provided by both teachers and childcare workers. The idea is that the pupils get the opportunity to try out what they have learned in the subject lessons in practice. Supportive education is provided at the end of the school day. 

• Ministry of Children and Education on supportive education (in Danish)

See the planned teaching for your child’s school through the link 'planned educational material' (planlagt undervisningsmateriale). The report shows at the level of municipality and school to what extent the schools plan in accordance with the minimum number of hours.

• Planned teaching times – educational statistics (in Danish)

The average length of a school week is:

• 27.8 hours for the youngest children from kindergarten to year 4 (class 3)
• 33 hours for the middle children in years 5 to 7 (classes 4 to 6)
  
• 35 hours for the oldest children in years 8 to 10 (classes 7 to 9).

Assistance in studies

All children must exercise an average of 45 minutes a day as part of the school day. The exercise can be both part of sports lessons and as part of the supplementary education. Sport is also a test subject for year 9. 

• Ministry of Children and Education on exercise in schools (in Danish)

The number of pupils in each class at the start of the school year may normally not exceed 26 in kindergarten to year 3 (class 2) and 28 in year 4 to 10 (classes 3 to 9. In special cases, the municipality can allow a larger number of pupils, though not more than 28 in kindergarten to year 3 (class 2) and 30 in year 4 to 10 (classes 3 to 9).

Several pupils with special needs shall be included in the general primary school. The objective is that the share of pupils in general education is increased from 94.4 per cent to 96 per cent of the total number of pupils in primary school in 2015.

Support for included pupils

In the Act on inclusion of pupils with special needs, it is stated that support for pupils who need support without the need for special educational assistance can for example be given in the form of differential education and setting.

Children needing support who cannot be solely supported by differentiation and setting must be offered supplementary teaching or other educational assistance. 2-teacher arrangements and teaching assistants can also be used to support both the individual child and the class as a whole.

• Ministry of Children and Education on inclusion (in Danish)

There are 202 school days in the school year and 163 vacation days and public holidays, and a school year lasts from summer holiday to summer holiday.

An example of vacations and public holidays in a primary school could therefore be:

• Summer vacation: 30 June – 14 August
• Autumn vacation: 13 October –  21 October
• Christmas vacation: 22 December – 1 January
• Winter vacation: 9 February – 17 February
• Easter vacation: 15 March – 24 March
• St. Bededag (Great Prayer Day): 18 April
• Ascension Day: 1 May
• Public holiday: May 2
• Whitsun vacation: 10 May – 12 May
• Constitution Day: 5 June
• Summer vacation: 28 June – Sunday 10 August.

If you wish to complain about conditions in the primary school, you should normally approach the school Head. They have the overall educational and administrative responsibility for the school. This includes, for example, teaching and grades.

• Act on primary and lower-secondary schools (in Danish)
• Act amending the primary school act (in Danish) 

You can also find information on the framework of primary schools by approaching your local school, or read more on the web page of the Danish Ministry of Children and Education.

• Ministry of Children and Education
• School statistics (in Danish)

In general, your child shall start school during the year in which they turn 6.

Your municipality will notify you when it is time to enrol your child in school. This is done via either a letter through the post or announcements in the daily press, such as local newspapers.

If you are in doubt as to whether your child is mature enough and ready to start school, you can apply for a school postponement, after which the municipal council will make an assessment.

You can find more information about your options and the different municipal primary and lower secondary schools by contacting your municipality.

The schools in a municipality each belong to their own school district. Your residential address determines which school district you belong to, and thus the school at which your child will be offered a spot.

More information on the school applicable to your child is available on the website of your municipality.

However, you have a free choice of school, which means that if you do not want your child to go to the municipal primary and lower secondary school in your district, you are free to enrol your child in one outside your school district or in a completely different municipality, providing there is space.

There is transparency on a number of key figures about the schools. If you are interested in finding out about satisfaction, grade point averages, absence rates, etc. at your child’s school, go to uddannelsesstatistik.dk. Enter the school name in the search field.

• School statistics (in Danish)

You must digitally enrol your child as a student at a municipal primary and lower secondary school.

At private schools

If your child will attend a private school, you should contact the school. Each school has its own rules for registration and enrolment, but in most cases it is a good idea to enrol your child well in advance.

If your child is offered a place at a private school, you can choose to contact the municipal district school that the child would otherwise have attended and tell them that your child is not going to enrol there.

In some municipalities, you should notify the district school at which the child has been registered. By doing so, the municipality can keep track of whether it is meeting its responsibility to ensure that every child of a compulsory school age in the municipality is enrolled in a municipal primary and lower secondary school or otherwise receiving an education.

Early start

If the school, day-care and parents all agree that a child is mature enough and will be able to keep up with a school education, the Head of the school, in consultation with the child’s parents, may decide that the child can start school earlier than normal. The child can start school, at the earliest, in the calendar year in which they turn 5 before 1 October.

If parents desire an early start to school, they should contact the municipality’s school administration for information on how to proceed. They can also contact the local municipal primary and lower secondary school.

Late start

If you, as parents – in consultation with the school and, for example, the child’s day-care centre – agree that your child is not mature enough to start school at the age of 6, you can request a one-year schooling postponement. Approval for this must be given by the municipal council. The decision to postpone compulsory education must be made in the calendar year in which the child turns 6 and no later than the start of the school year on 1 August.

It is mandatory for all children to attend kindergarten class. Kindergarten classes are generally taught by kindergarten class leaders who have received teacher training, but teachers can also be responsible for some of the education. Some of the teaching in kindergarten classes can be done together with the 1st and 2nd grade classes, such that they have joint lessons. In smaller schools, all of the teaching for the 3 groups may be composite.

With the latest amendment to the Act on municipal primary and lower secondary schools, the total minimum teaching hours in kindergarten has been changed to 1,110 hours. It is now also possible for municipal councils to deviate from the rules on minimum teaching hours.

Educational content

Kindergarten is a transitional year in which children can get used to going to school and learn some basic things. For example, the children shall:

• get familiar with numbers and letters
• learn to listen to and retell a story
• begin to learn to write

In addition, the children work with creativity and music, movement and nature. Another one of the teaching goals is to teach the children some social skills, such as working in groups and becoming familiar with the rules of a class.

If you are the parents of a child with a disability or impairment, it would benefit you to start planning your school start well in advance, preferably 1 to 2 years ahead of time.

It is a good idea to get the name of and involve the person who is going to coordinate the transition between kindergarten and school. It is usually your case worker or a person from pedagogical-psychological counselling ('PPR') who handles the coordination.

If you wish to appeal something relating to your child’s school start, you can first contact the Head of the school, who has overall administrative and pedagogical responsibility for the school.

If you are not satisfied with the decision from the Head of the school, you can file an appeal with the municipality within 4 weeks. Appeals against decisions of the municipality cannot be filed with other authorities. 

• Act on primary and lower-secondary schools (in Danish)
• Order on kindergarten education (in Danish)

• School statistics (in Danish)

A child born on or after 1 July 2014 will automatically acquire Danish citizenship at the time of birth if the father, mother or co-mother is Danish. For children born before that date, it will depend on the law in force when the child was born.

A child can generally only become a Danish citizen through inclusion in a bill of naturalisation as a minor. In other words with one of their parents.

However, a child can become a Danish citizen on the basis of a bill of naturalisation as the main person (that is alone) if the child is unable to be included in a bill as a minor with one of their parents.

Special rules also apply to certain groups of children who may become Danish citizens as the main person. This applies to adopted children, amongst others.

It is a general condition for a child to become a Danish citizen as the main person, and thus be subject to the special conditions applicable to children, that the child is under 18 years of age at the time of adoption of the bill. However, there is an exception for people born outside marriage to a foreign mother and a Danish father.

Special rules apply to stateless children born in Denmark.

A child can generally only become a Danish citizen through inclusion in a bill of naturalisation as a minor. In other words with one of their parents.

A child may acquire Danish citizenship as a minor (with a parent), if they fulfil the following conditions:

• the child is unmarried
• the child is under the age of 18
• the child lives in Denmark and is legally resident, that is to say has an independent residence permit (for third-country nationals) or a valid residence certificate (EU citizens)
• the child has not been charged with or committed a crime that precludes citizenship or triggers a qualifying period
• the parent with whom the child is included in a bill has joint custody of the child
• the other parent (if they have joint custody) has given their consent.

In the case of adopted children, it is also a condition that the adoption is valid under Danish law.

If you have any questions concerning your child’s residence permit or grounds for residence, you can contact the Danish Immigration Service or the Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (EU citizens).

The conditions applicable to minors must be met at the time the parent becomes a Danish citizen. If the parent's acquisition of Danish citizenship assumes attendance of a constitutional ceremony, the parent (applicant) will not become a Danish citizen until they attend such a ceremony.

A child who wishes to be included as a minor must be stated in the relevant parent's application for Danish citizenship through law (naturalisation). No fee is payable for minors.

Declaration concerning minors

If you decide you wish to have your child or children covered by your application for citizenship after you have submitted the application to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration, you must complete the declaration concerning minors.

This also applies if you have already been informed by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration that you expect to be included in a bill of naturalisation, and

• you subsequently have one or more children
• you have one or more children who have subsequently become resident in Denmark
• you have subsequently gained joint custody of one or more children and now wish the child/children to be covered by your application for Danish citizenship.

Children aged 12 or over must give their consent to becoming Danish.

• Declaration concerning minors (PDF – in Danish)

The following children can become Danish citizens by law as the main person (as the main applicant):

• Children who are unable to become Danish citizens with a parent
• Certain adopted children
• Children born outside marriage to a foreign mother and a Danish father from 11 October 1993 to 30 June 2014 inclusive
• Children who have not become Danish citizens on the basis of separation
• Children born stateless in Denmark.

Submitting the application

Applications for Danish citizenship by naturalisation must be submitted by sending the paper-based application form to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration:

Udlændinge- og Integrationsministeriet (Ministry of Immigration and Integration), Indfødsret, Slotsholmsgade 10,1216 København K.

If the applicant lives abroad, the application may be submitted to the local Danish local representation office. In the case of adopted children, applications for Danish citizenship can be submitted together with the application for adoption. The application will be sent by the adoption authority directly to the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. 

• Application for Danish citizenship by naturalisation – for children (PDF – in Danish)

What shall I bring when I hand in the application 

The following must be enclosed with the application:

• Applicant’s birth certificate
• Copy of adoption order and any recognition by the National Social Appeals Board or the Agency of Family Law (adopted children only)
• Documentation of any sole custody
• Copy of any Danish residence permit for the applicant
• Any marriage certificate for the parents (not adopted children)
• Copy of the applicant’s passport (excluding blank pages)
• Copy of the Danish parent’s Danish passport (excluding blank pages)
• Copy of the Danish parent's birth certificate
• Copy of certificate of competence in Danish (final examinations of primary school and part I of secondary school) (not applicants born to a Danish father and a foreign mother)
• Copy of certificate confirming passing of the 2021 naturalisation test (citizenship test) (not applicants born to a Danish father and foreign mother)
• Receipt for payment of any fee (applicants over 18 years of age).

Special guidelines apply regarding the documentation requirements for foreign documents.

Application fee

No fee is payable for applications for Danish citizenship for applicants under 18 years of age. For applicants aged 18 or over, a fee of DKK 4,000 (2025) is payable for applications for Danish citizenship. The fee is payable once only. The fee must be paid to the authority to which the application is submitted. 

Children who are unable to become a Danish citizen with a parent can apply for Danish citizenship as the main person.

Children can normally only be included in a bill of naturalisation as the main person if they are unable to be included in a bill as a minor of one of the parents.

This applies even if the parent does not fulfil the conditions for becoming a Danish citizen (for instance the requirement for competence in Danish) and even if the parent does not wish to acquire Danish citizenship.

A child can be included in a bill of naturalisation as a minor when one of the parents who is a not a Danish citizen has joint custody of the child and is resident in Denmark.

Conditions

A child who is unable to become a Danish citizen with a parent as a minor must normally fulfil all the general conditions for inclusion in a bill of naturalisation as the main person. The child must therefore fulfil the following conditions:

• Minor: It is a condition that the child is under 18 years of age until adoption of the bill that the child is included in. This applies even if the application is submitted before the child’s 18th birthday.
• Residence in Denmark: The child must normally live in Denmark.
• Residence: The child must normally have resided in Denmark for a continuous period of 9 years.
• Criminal record: In the case of children aged 15 and over, it is a condition that the child has not committed certain types of crime. If the child has been found guilty of other crimes or has been sentenced, the child can only become a Danish citizen after a certain qualifying period.
• Debt to the public sector: The child must normally not have any overdue debts to the public sector.
• Self-sufficiency: The child must normally fulfil the general self-sufficiency requirement. This means that the child must not have received support under the Act on social policy or the Integration Act during the past 2 years, and that the child must not have received support under the Act on social policy or the Integration Act for a combined total of more than 4 months during the past 5 years.
• Competence in Danish and the citizenship test of 2021: In the case of children under the age of 12, there is no requirement for documentation of the child’s competence in Danish or documentation of the child’s knowledge of Danish social affairs, Danish culture and history.

In the case of children over the age of 12 who have not yet passed the final examinations of primary school and part I of secondary school (9th or 10th grade) and who are not expected to pass these examinations by the time of adoption of the bill in which they are included, a statement from the applicant's school that the applicant’s competence in Danish and knowledge of Danish social affairs, Danish culture and history is at a level which corresponds to what can be expected of a child in the grade concerned will be accepted as sufficient documentation of the child's competence in Danish and knowledge of Danish social affairs, Danish culture and history.

Children over the age of 12 who have passed the final examinations of primary school and part I of secondary school (9th or 10th grade) or who are expected to do so by the date of adoption of the bill in which the child is included must pass the final examinations in the Danish disciplines with the exception of general conduct with an average grade of at least 6 (according to the 13-point scale) or 2 (according to the 7-point scale). The child must also document that they have passed the 2021 citizenship test.

Certain adopted children automatically become Danish citizens upon adoption.

An adopted child who is adopted by Danish citizens and who has not automatically become a Danish citizen upon adoption can become a Danish citizen through inclusion in a bill of naturalisation as the main person. This also applies in the case of second-parent adoption.

It is sufficient for one of the adopters to be a Danish citizen. It is a condition that the adoption is valid under Danish law.

If the adoption was carried out under foreign law, the Agency of Family Law's statement must be enclosed with the application for Danish citizenship.

Conditions

The adopted child must normally fulfil the following conditions:

• Minor: The child must be under the age of 18 until adoption of the bill in which the child is included. This applies even if the application is submitted before the child’s 18th birthday.
• Periods of stay and residence in Denmark: Children who are adopted by a Danish citizen before the age of 12 do not need to fulfil the residence requirement or the requirement concerning a residence in Denmark.
• Children who are adopted by a Danish citizen between the ages of 12 and 18 are subject to requirements regarding residence in Denmark and a minimum of 2 years’ continuous residence.
• Criminal record: In the case of children aged 15 and over, it is a condition that the child has not committed certain types of crime. If the child has been found guilty of other crimes or has been sentenced, the child can only become a Danish citizen after a certain qualifying period.
• Debt to the public sector: The child must normally not have any overdue debts to the public sector.
• Self-sufficiency: The child must normally fulfil the general self-sufficiency requirement. This means that the child must not have accepted support under the Act on social policy or the Integration Act during the past 2 years, and that the child must not have received support under the Act on social policy or the Integration Act for a combined total of more than 4 months during the past 5 years.
• Competence in Danish and the citizenship test of 2021: For children under the age of 12, there is no requirement for documentation of the child's competence in Danish or documentation of the child's knowledge of Danish social affairs, Danish culture and history.

For children over the age of 12 who have not yet passed the final examinations of primary school and part I of secondary school (9th or 10th grade) and who are not expected to pass these examinations by the time of adoption of the bill in which the child is included, a statement from the applicant’s school that the applicant's competence in Danish and knowledge of Danish society, culture and history Danish social affairs, Danish culture and history are at a level which corresponds to what can be expected of children in the grade concerned will be accepted as sufficient documentation of the child’s competence in Danish and knowledge of Danish social affairs and Danish culture and history.

Children over the age of 12 who have passed the final examinations of primary school and part I of secondary school (9th or 10th grade) or who are expected to do so by the date of adoption of the bill in which the child is included must pass the final examinations in the Danish disciplines with the exception of general conduct with an average grade of at least 6 (according to the 13-point scale) or 2 (according to the 7-point scale). The child must also document that he or she has passed the Naturalisation test of 2021 citizenship test. 

In certain cases, children born outside marriage to a foreign mother and a Danish father can become a Danish citizen subject to certain special conditions.

A child born outside marriage to a foreign mother and a Danish father between 11 October 1993 and 30 June 2014 inclusive can become a Danish citizen through inclusion in a bill of naturalisation as the main person without fulfilling the general conditions.

If the child was born abroad and becomes a Danish citizen before he or she reaches the age of 22, they will be covered by the rules regarding retention of Danish citizenship.

A child born outside marriage to a foreign mother and a Danish father during the period from 11 October 1993 to 30 June 2014 inclusive will automatically have acquired Danish citizenship in the following situations:

• If the child's parents were married at the time the child was born
• If the child’s parents have subsequently married
• If the child was born in the Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands) on or after 1 January 1999.

A child born on or after 1 July 2014 will automatically acquire Danish citizenship at the time of birth if the father, mother or co-mother is Danish.

Processing of the application

It is a requirement that the applicant was born outside marriage to a foreign mother and Danish father during the period 11 October 1993 to 30 June 2014 inclusive. The application must include the following:

• Documentation of the father's citizenship: It is a condition that the father had Danish citizenship at the time the child was born. A copy of the father’s valid Danish passport and birth certificate or citizenship certificate must therefore be enclosed with the application.
• Documentation of the relationship between the child and the Danish father: It is vital that the relationship between the child and the Danish father is confirmed. The child's birth certificate must therefore be enclosed with the application. If the birth certificate is foreign, special guidelines may apply to verification of the document. The relationship can also be verified through the applicant and the Danish father having a DNA test.
• Documentation of custody: If the applicant is under 18 and both parents have joint custody, both parents must sign the application form. If one parent has sole custody, documentation of this must be submitted to the Ministry of Immigration. If this documentation is foreign, special guidelines may apply concerning verification of the document. 

If a child's parents have been separated and this has prevented the child from acquiring Danish citizenship as a minor and the parents become reunited, the child can apply for Danish citizenship as the main person.

Children who have not become a Danish citizen as a minor upon naturalisation of one of their parents entirely as a result of the parents’ separation can be included in a bill of naturalisation if it is demonstrated that the parents have resumed cohabitation and the effects of the separation have ceased.

This solely applies to applicants who were under 18 years of age at the time of adoption of the bill and who did not acquire the citizenship as a minor of one of their parents because, at the time, the parents had ceased cohabiting and the naturalised parent did not have joint custody.

• Circular letter on naturalisation (in Danish)
• The Nationality Act (in Danish)