Graduates in Denmark coming from non-EEA countries

If you are a Graduate of a Danish educational institution, and comes from a country outside the EEA area, you will only being eligible for getting unemployment benefits as graduates if:

• you have a residence- and workpermit, which gives right to work FULL-time (37 hours/week), and
• your residence- and workpermit must not be conditional on you not receiving public benefits, e.g. benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, state study grants, housing benefits or unemployment benefits.

Furthermore the international graduate must be able (like all others seeking unemployment benefits) to take over working with 1 day's notice.

Job seeking permit

As an international (non-EEA) student here in Denmark your study-permit also gives you right (working-permit) to work 20 hours per week.
Together with the study-permit you will in most cases get a 3 years jobseek-permit, which allows you to stay up to 3 years in Denmark after completion of study to seach for job.
Som educations only gives right to a 6 months jobseek-permit.

This jobseek-permit also give right to work 20 hours per week. However you can apply for a work permit without limitations, which gives you right to work anywhere you want and for full-time.

Be aware that the Job seeking permit is conditional on you not receiving public benefits, e.g. benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, state study grants, housing benefits or unemployment benefits.
Therfore you can not get unemployment benefits ("dagpenge").

If you have other kind of work permit

If you have a residence- and work permit that meets the requirements, the following scenarios will apply regarding Unemployment benefits after graduation:

Getting unemployment benefits from day 1 after study

Remember to be member of an A-kasse at least one year before finish study. It is free as long as you study.

Getting unemployment benefits from 1 month after study

If you have less than one year left - and have not been member of an A-kasse at least one year, then you can still get benefits as a graduate but the you will get one month waiting period before can start receive benefits. And you must apply for membership at least 14 days/2 weeks after ending study.
Nomally you can apply for membership as an graduate up to 6 months before ending study. Tell the A-kasse (when you send application online) that you want to apply for member with graduate status. See our guide for graduates here.

This page was last modified on 2024-11-01T08:06:45+01:00.