Benefits

Child Benefit

Bornetilskud & Bornepenge

Denmark pays an automatic quarterly child benefit (bornecheck) to all residents with children under 18. The amount depends on the child's age and decreases as they get older. No application is needed — it is triggered automatically by CPR registration of the child.

Ages 0–2 (quarterly)

DKK 4,746/quarter

Ages 3–6 (quarterly)

DKK 3,762/quarter

Ages 7–14 (quarterly)

DKK 2,961/quarter

Ages 15–17 (monthly)

DKK 987/month

Payment schedule

January, April, July, October

Income cap (reduced benefit)

DKK 844,800/year (per parent)

Parental Leave

Paid Parental Leave Rights

Denmark offers 52 weeks of parental leave with barselsdagpenge (maternity/paternity pay) at DKK 4,695/week from the state. Many employers top up to full salary. Since August 2022, each parent gets 11 weeks that cannot be transferred to the other parent (use-it-or-lose-it).

Total parental leave

52 weeks (24 earmarked per parent)

State barselsdagpenge rate

DKK 4,695/week (2026)

Non-transferable per parent

11 weeks each (use-it-or-lose-it)

Mother's pre-birth leave

4 weeks before due date

Father/co-parent at birth

2 weeks immediately after birth

1. Notify your employer 3 months before expected due date
2. Apply for barselsdagpenge via borger.dk within 8 weeks of birth
3. Coordinate the 26 shared weeks with your partner before the deadline
4. Use your 11 non-transferable weeks before the child turns 1 year
5. Check if your employer tops up via collective agreement or company policy

Unemployment

Dagpenge & A-kasse

Unemployment insurance (dagpenge) requires 12 months of membership in an a-kasse (unemployment fund) and at least 1,924 hours of work in the past 3 years. The maximum payout is DKK 20,359/month for 2 years. Joining an a-kasse on day one in Denmark is strongly recommended.

Maximum dagpenge (2026)

DKK 20,359/month

Membership required before claim

12 months minimum

Work hours required

1,924 hours in past 3 years

Maximum payout duration

2 years (within 3-year period)

Typical a-kasse monthly fee

DKK 350–550/month

1. Join an a-kasse within 2 weeks of starting your first Danish job
2. Maintain membership for 12 consecutive months (no gaps)
3. Log 1,924 work hours in 3 years (roughly 16 months full-time)
4. Register as jobseeker at jobnet.dk on your first day of unemployment
5. Apply for dagpenge through your a-kasse within 14 days of job loss