Unemployment benefits in Denmark

Unemployment insurance in Denmark is voluntary. You are not covered just because you work. To get unemployment benefit (dagpenge) you must join an unemployment insurance fund (a-kasse), a private association, and pay a membership fee. Some funds are for one profession, others for everyone, and the self-employed can join too. If you have no insurance or your dagpenge run out, you can apply to your municipality for social assistance, which has stricter conditions.

Joining an a-kasse

• You can join if you are at least 18, have more than 2 years left before state pension age, and live in Denmark (or are covered by Danish social security and live in another EU/EEA country).
• You choose full-time or part-time insurance. Full-time costs more and pays more.
• Recent graduates can join within 2 weeks of finishing an eligible education. To qualify for dagpenge as a graduate, they need a pass in Prøve i Dansk 2 or enough paid hours.

Unemployment benefit (dagpenge)

• Conditions: at least 1 year of a-kasse membership. Income in the last 3 years of at least DKK 286,632 if full-time insured, or DKK 191,088 if part-time insured (2026). You must register as a jobseeker on Jobnet from the first day you are out of work, upload an approved CV within 2 weeks and be available for work.
• Amount: up to 90% of your previous pay, based on your best 12 months in the last 24. The maximum is DKK 22,041 a month for full-time insurance and DKK 14,694 for part-time (2026). Graduates get a lower rate.
• Duration: 2 years within a 3-year period, counted as 3,848 hours. Each hour you work while receiving dagpenge adds 2 hours to the period. Graduates get 1 year within 2 years.
• You must log your job search on Jobnet and follow the job search plan agreed with your a-kasse.

Social assistance after that

Municipal social assistance (kontanthjælp) is for people who cannot support themselves or their family. Apply online, and also go to the municipality in person on your first day without work. The rate depends on your age and family situation, and also on residence and work: as a rule you must have lived lawfully in the Kingdom for at least 9 of the last 10 years. If you moved here, you also need 2 years and 6 months of ordinary full-time work in the last 10 years. Receiving social assistance can also affect a later application for permanent residence or citizenship.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Join an a-kasse as soon as you start working. You need 1 year of membership before you can receive dagpenge.
• You cannot get dagpenge for days before you registered on Jobnet, so register on your first day without work.
• Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA can only count insurance periods from other Nordic countries. EU/EEA citizens, refugees and stateless people can also count periods from other EU/EEA countries.
• Only EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, refugees and stateless people can keep dagpenge while looking for work in another EU/EEA country for up to 3 months.

Official guidance: lifeindenmark.dk: unemployment benefits, lifeindenmark.dk: social assistance, Jobnet