Conditions for EU graduates
I’ve been self-employed in Denmark since January 2017. I left the country in January 2018 to pursue an MBA in Spain. I’ve had a salary from my Danish company during the whole period. I have not been a member of an a-kasse during that period. I’m now planing to go back to Denmark after graduation in January 2019 and look for employment there. I’m also considering to discontinue the operations of my company. My question is: what are the conditions for EU students (residents in Denmark) to apply for unemployment benefits, how soon can these be received and when should I sign up for an a-kasse? Also, am I allowed to look for employment in other countries during that period?
Tusind tak på forhånd!
Mvh,
Boryana
1 Answer
Hi,
I dont know if you have read our article concerning graduates. I think the article in details explains what are the requirements for EU-citizens (and non EU-citizens also).
To use the special graduate rule you must have:
-had a permanent address in Denmark the day before/or few days - depending on circumstances - before the start of your MBA. This means you will not meet this requirement if you have moved to Spain of other reasons than study.
-live in Denmark no later than 14 days (including weekends) after you end your MBA, i.e. you must apply for membership within two weeks (14 days) of completing your MBA.
I can't decide from what your write, if you were staying/living in Denmark up until day/few days before you started MBA in Spain.
However if we assume so, it is also very important that you live in Denmark again no later than 14 days after finishing MBA.
Then the next question is if the MBA education you follow, will meet the requirements for giving right to receive Unemplouyment benefits. The education must have a duration of at least 18 months. And secondly the education must be public recognized. A private MBA will normally not qualify you to Unemployment benefits.
It is the A-kasse who decide if you need to have an assessment of your education by the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education.
This means that the Agency has assessed your qualifications to be comparable to a particular Danish level of education.
However if you have got this assesment, the A-kasse are obliged to accept the level of education. In other words they must accept that you can use the graduate rule.
We recommend that you ask the A-kasse if they require such an assessment in order to admit you.
Because of this, I would recommend you to contact an A-kasse already now.
If you are only student and don't have income over DKK 223,596 per year, you can have free membership in A-kasse, until you graduate.
Even if you join A-kasse now, you will not be able to have been member for at least 1 year when you graduate. Therefore you must accept 1 monts quarantine with benefits. This means you will not receive benefits the first month after graduation.
So, because there are now less than 1 year until graduation, the latest you must sign up with A-kasse, is 14 days after you graduate from MBA.
Regarding seeking job while receiving benefits:
it is only allowed for maximum 3 months. You can read more here:
https://www.a-kasser.dk/transferring-unemployment-benefits/
Please make your comments in this forum, if you have any or need further information.
Best regards,
Anders Weber, www.a-kasser.dk
the duration of 18 months is for a full-time study. So I think I unfortunately can say already now, that you will not be able to become member in an A-kasse as an graduate, i.e you can't use the graduate rule.
Its dosent matter if the school is in Top-10 or not.
The 18 months requirement is very strict, and there can be made no exception.
And furthermore if your MBA is private, is is also a problem. I can't decide from what you write if this MBA is an public recognized education, or will be assessed to be by the danish Agency for Education.
Off course you could try to contact an A-kasse and ask them also, but I am afraid you will have no luck, regarding becoming member as graduate.
But with MBA, this is not normally an option, because an MBA is an individuel education.