A-kasse - Unemployment insurance
As opposed to all other forms of social security in Denmark, unemployment insurance is voluntary. Thus, you are not automatically insured against unemployment.
What is an "a-kasse"?
The Danish word "a-kasse" is an abbreviation for "arbejdsløshedskasse" and means unemployment insurance fund.
Some of the A-kasser will only accept new members from one or certain professions while others are interdisciplinary (=open for anyone). In danish the word for interdisciplinary is "tværfaglig".
So no matter what your work is, or if you are student, what your study is, you can always become member of one of the 10 "tværfaglige" A-kasser in Denmark. We have a list here of the 10 "tværfaglige" A-kasser.
When you join (become a member of) the a-kasse, you are guaranteed an amount of regular income if you become unemployed.
So the a-kasse can give you time to look for the right job, pay your bills - and in fact help you to find a job.
If you only want to secure your income (and don't want membership of a Union, se below) you could with no risk just choose the cheapest A-kasse, because your unemployment benefits is secured and paid by the Danish State no matter what A-kasse you choose.
An "A-kasse" is a private association, but the most of the money you pay for membership, is transfered by the A-kasse to The Danish State.
If you become unemployed, your unemployment benefits ("dagpenge") will be paid by your A-kasse, but the A-kasse will get the amount refunded by the Danish state.
Many Danes are in addition to membership of an A-kasse also member of an Trade Union.
Also Trade union membership is (like membership of an A-kasse) voluntary in Denmark, but in 2026 about 65% of danish workers at all levels of employment are members of a Union.
As a member of a Union you get access to some services (especially legal help with issues relating to being an employee i.e sickness, being laid off, pregnancy etc.)
Traditionally many danes have choosen to be member of an Union that covers their professional field.
In Denmark we have the traditional Trade Unions like 3F, Dansk Metal and HK, but the last 10-15 years the so called "Yellow" Unions have experienced a rise in number of members.
Both A-kasse membership and membership of a Union provides a great opportunity to establish personal and professional networks, as they both offer several social and professional activities.
Unions and unemployment funds are two independent instances. So you can easily be a member of an unemployment fund without being a member of a union.
Read more about difference between A-kasse and Union:
A-kasser.dk,
Work in Denmark.
- A-kasse overview (frontpage) →
Unemployment Insurance in Denmark
You might also be interested in:
⇒Switch to another A-kasse
⇒Cheap Trade union with A-kasse
⇒Find an interdisciplinary A-kasse
Optional supplement to A-kasse membership
You can often get a discount if, in addition to unemployment insurance (A-kasse), you also buy wage insurance, trade union, or both as a package deal.
Here are some of the best deals right now (checked 20/03/2026):
Det Faglige Hus
In "Det Faglige Hus" you get free union membership for 12 months if you become a member of A-kasse and choose wage insurance with coverage of at least DKK 2,000 per month in addition to unemployment benefits for up to 3 months. It costs DKK 590/month for the first 12 months. Then DKK 659/month.
You can get up to DKK 6,000 in wage insurance coverage and still get 12 months of free union membership. The price increases by approx. DKK 30 per DKK 1,000 extra in wage insurance. So the price for A-kasse + union membership + DKK 3,000 in wage insurance is DKK 620/month for the first 12 months. Then DKK 689/month.
A&Til A-kasse
In A&Til you can get a package consisting of A-kasse and wage insurance with payments for up to 6 months. If you have been a member for 9 months, you can get up to DKK 3,000 in addition to unemployment benefits for 6 months. If you have been a member for more than 15 months, the coverage from wage insurance increases to DKK 4,000 per month. If you have been a member for at least 22 months, the coverage from wage insurance increases to DKK 5,000 per month. After 28 months of membership, the coverage from wage insurance increases to DKK 7,500 per month.
You pay DKK 150 per month for wage insurance. The total cost of the package is therefore DKK 671 per month.
ASE A-kasse
In ASE you can get a package consisting of A-kasse, trade union and wage insurance with payment for up to 6 months. If you have been a member for 6 months, you can get up to DKK 3,000 in addition to unemployment benefits for 6 months. When you have been a member for 12 months, you can get up to DKK 6,000 in addition to unemployment benefits for 6 months. The 6,000 from wage insurance assumes that you earn at least DKK 33,865 per month. The entire package costs DKK 699/month.