Study in Denmark

Overview

Denmark is one of the more welcoming places in Europe to study – and one of the few where, if you hold the right passport, your degree costs nothing in tuition. Every year thousands of internationals come to study in Denmark for the strong English-taught programmes, the play-it-forward graduate route, and a quality of life that is hard to beat once you are settled.

But there is no single path. What you need to do depends almost entirely on where you are a citizen, and the bureaucracy starts before you have packed a bag. This guide walks the whole journey: whether you need a permit, how the student residence permit works, what tuition and living really cost, whether you can get Danish study support, how much you can work, and what happens after you graduate. Every figure here is a 2026 level that can change – the official links in the Sources box are the ones to confirm against before you apply.

Do you need a permit to study in Denmark?

This is the first fork in the road, and it decides almost everything else. There are three routes, sorted by where you hold citizenship.

The rest of this guide is mainly for that third row – the non-EU route, which is where the real paperwork lives.

The student residence permit (non-EU)

The permit is issued by SIRI, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration. You can only apply once a Danish institution has admitted you, because proof of admission is part of the application. Your university completes its half of the form; you complete yours. It is the single document that lets you legally study in Denmark, so do not book flights until it is approved.

The funds requirement is where most applications wobble. You must show a disposable amount of about DKK 7,426 per month (2026 level), multiplied by your months of study, capped at a maximum of DKK 89,112 for a programme of over a year. A scholarship or student loan counts if it is already granted to you and meets the same monthly figure.

What it costs to study in Denmark: tuition and scholarships

Here is the genuinely good news, and it again comes down to your passport.

• EU / EEA / Swiss students and exchange students: tuition is free at public universities. You only cover your living costs.
• Non-EU students: you pay tuition, which varies by programme and institution – typically tens of thousands of kroner a year, and more for some master’s and specialist courses.

Scholarships exist but are limited. The Danish government funds a small number of scholarships for non-EU students enrolled in a full degree programme, and Erasmus+ and individual university schemes help others. They are competitive, so apply early and treat a scholarship as a bonus rather than a plan.

Can you get SU, the Danish study support?

SU (Statens Uddannelsesstøtte) is Denmark’s state grant for students – actual monthly money, not a loan you must repay in full. Danish citizens get it. If you have come to study in Denmark from abroad, the honest answer is usually no, but there are two doors in:

• EU / EEA citizens with “worker status”: if you work alongside your studies – generally around 10-12 hours a week in a genuine job – you may qualify for SU on the same footing as Danes. This is the most common route for EU students.
• Long residence: if you have lived in Denmark continuously for at least five years (or two years with substantial work immediately before starting), you may also be eligible.

Working while you study in Denmark

Most people who study in Denmark want to earn alongside their course, and the limits depend – once again – on where you are from.

For non-EU students the right to work is tied to your study permit, so keep within the hours. Whatever your hours, you will need a tax card before your first payslip makes sense – our calculator shows what a student wage actually lands in your account after Danish tax.

Cost of living and housing

Tuition might be free, but the real cost to study in Denmark is rarely the fees – it is living here, Copenhagen especially. Budget realistically for rent, transport, food and insurance before you commit, and remember that the proof-of-funds figure above is a floor, not a comfortable monthly budget.

After you graduate: staying on

This is one of Denmark’s quiet advantages. Non-EU graduates who study in Denmark can apply for an establishment card, which lets you live and work here for up to three years with no job offer required. It is a genuinely strong runway to find a job and convert to a longer-term work permit, and there is a shorter job-seeking route for some graduates too. EU citizens, of course, can simply stay and work with no restrictions.

Bringing your family

If you are moving for a full programme, your spouse or partner and children can usually apply to join you as accompanying family members. You will need to show you can support them – roughly DKK 6,243 per month on top of your own funds – and prove the relationship with a marriage or birth certificate. Accompanying family can often arrive about a month before your studies begin.

Your first weeks: the admin

Once you land, a short sprint of bureaucracy turns you into a functioning resident. Do these early – almost everything else (a bank account, a phone contract, your pay) depends on them.

Your step-by-step

1. Get admitted. Apply to a Danish programme – via the KOT coordinated system for bachelor’s, or directly for most master’s. Watch the deadlines (often January to April for a September start).
2. Sort your route. EU/EEA and Nordic citizens have nothing to do yet. Non-EU applicants gather their funds and documents for the SIRI study permit.
3. Apply for the permit (non-EU). Submit through SIRI once admitted, pay the fee, and book your biometrics appointment within the 14-day window.
4. Line up housing now. Apply for a kollegium or start your apartment search immediately – this is the real bottleneck.
5. Arrive and register. Get your CPR number, set up MitID, open a bank account and a NemKonto, and request a tax card.
6. Settle in. Sign up for free Danish classes, find a part-time job if you want one, and start planning the establishment card for after you graduate.

Questions and answers

Can I apply before I arrive in Denmark?

For the non-EU study permit, yes – you apply from your home country once you have your letter of admission, and you should, since it must be approved before you travel. EU and Nordic citizens handle everything (the EU residence document or CPR number) after they arrive.

Do I need to speak Danish to study here?

Not for an English-taught programme, and there are many at every level. Danish helps enormously with part-time work, friendships and staying on afterwards, though – and your municipal classes are free, so start early via our guide to learning Danish.

Can I work full-time as a student?

If you are non-EU, you can work up to 20 hours a week from September to May and full-time across June, July and August. EU/EEA students have no limit. The right to work is tied to your study permit, so keep within the hours.

What happens to my permit if I change course or drop out?

A study permit is tied to the programme you were admitted to, so a change of institution or a withdrawal can affect it. Tell SIRI and check your position before you make the change – do not assume the permit simply carries over.