Answer 1

1

No, for being eligible for unemployment benefits ("dagpenge") you only have to have been member for 1 year with an A-kasse, you do not need to have paid contribution to A-kasse for 7 years. 

The new requirement from January 2019, states that you must have stayed in Denmark or another EU/EEA for 7 out of last 12 years to be able to collect Unemployment benefits. The requirement is not about that you must have paid to A-kasse for some years, it is about that you must have stayed in DK or another EU/EEA country for some years. 

However the new rule will, according to the law-suggestion, be phased in over a 3-year period, so the requirement will be:  

• in 2019 the requirement is five out of the last twelve years
• in 2020 the requirement is six out of the last twelve years
• in 2021 the requirement is seven out of the last twelve years

The requirement must be meet at the time you apply for Unemployment benefits ("Dagpenge").

So, if you come to Denmark after have been living in a non-EU/EEA country for some years, it propably gives no meaning to join A-kasse before about 1 year before you can fulfill the requirement of stay (5/6/7 years out of the last 12 years).

Best regards,

Anders Weber, www.a-kasser.dk

Comments

ok. And if I start to pay now I will not benefit for the payment because the rule will change, right?

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Yes thats right. The new rule will affect all, regardsless of nationality, and regardless of when you become a member of an A-kasse. The requirement must be fulfilled at the time you apply for Unemployment benefits.

However you must be aware that another requirement for being eligible (after 5/6/7 years..) is that you have had an income for at least about DKK 228.000 (in total) during last 3 years before you apply for benefits. AND only income earned during membership periods vill be counted/included. So depending on how much you earn you should consider A-kasse up to 3 years before you think it can be relevant to apply for benefits.

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thanks... one more question.
This new rule is already in force? (has it been approved?)

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No, but there is a majority in the Parlament (they have made this agreement)...so its only a matter of short time before it is approved. In the agreement it says that the new rules will have effect from 1. of january 2019. Be aware however that there has been som critic of the proposal in the press and from other parties in the Parliament etc., so maybe it can be changed before it is approved.

We will update our page about this new rule when there is a new status:
https://a-kasser.dk/requirement-of-7-years-of-stay-in-Denmark-or-eea/index.html