Child benefits in Denmark

Child benefits in Denmark? What to expect as parents?

Moving with children to another country brings up new questions to be answered.

In this article, you will learn about who is eligible for child and youth benefits in Denmark. Also called „børne- og ungeydelsen”. We will tell you how much you can be paid, and how to apply for them.

In what situation can I claim child benefits?

Families in Denmark are automatically entitled to child and youth benefits (børne- og ungeydelsen), which is also known as a family allowance (børnecheck). You can apply for child and youth benefits even if you do not reside in Denmark but are an EU/EEA citizen and work in Denmark.

What conditions do I need to meet?

If you meet the following criteria, you will get child and youth benefits automatically:

You live in Denmark;
You are completely tax responsible in Denmark;
Your kid is under the age of 18;
Your child is a resident of Denmark (in the case of extended residency abroad, contact Udbetaling Danmark);
Your kid does not have public assistance and is not married.

Please be aware that if you permanently leave Denmark, you will not be eligible for child and youth benefits unless you continue to work in Denmark.

Also, keep in mind that if your kid resides outside of Denmark in an EU/EEA nation but you work in Denmark, you can also file for child benefit to have the process started.

The following requirements must be met if you are a foreign national in Denmark and want to apply for child benefit:

You have joint custody of the child;
You can prove the family relationship document
You are a Danish citizen or a citizen of an EU nation, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, or Liechtenstein;
You must have lived or worked in the Danish Realm, i.e. Denmark, the Faroe Islands, or Greenland, within a period of time of the last ten years.

The following qualifying principle applies if you are a foreign citizen who has worked or has a permanent address in the Danish Realm:

Qualification period (residence or employment in Denmark, Greenland or the Faroes)	Level of benefit
6 months	8.3%
1 year	16.7%
1½ years	25%
2 years	33.3%
2½ years	41.7%
3 years	50%
3½ years	58.3%
4 years	66.7%
4½ years	75%
5 years	83.3%
5½ years	91.7%
6 years	100%

It can take you up to 6 years to earn 100% of the child benefit.

It is possible to earn child benefits from your home country, if you are living in a EU or EØS nation or Schweiz. The time you have earned in your home country can be added to the calculations to achieve a higher benefit faster.

If you have any issues concerning the concept of earning entitlement or combining, please contact Udbetaling Danmark.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Fill out the application and information form for child and youth benefit payment to apply for child and youth benefits.

Remember to include a copy of your Danish employer’s work contract and your children’s birth certificate/ID card with your application. You must additionally fill out the permission and declaration form if you do not have Nem-ID/Mit-ID (the danish personal “key-card” to access all personal data platforms (bank, healthcare systems, mail from government etc.) You will get this key-card shortly after arriving to Denmark.

How much can I receive in child and youth benefits?

The amount of child and youth benefit you may get is mostly determined by your kid’s age:

Your child’s age	Child benefit (tax-free)
0-2 years	DKK 4,629 per quarter (in 2021)
3-6 years	DKK 3,666 per quarter (in 2021)
7-14 years	DKK 2,883 per quarter (in 2021)
15-17 years	DKK 961 per month (in 2021)

The benefit, however, is contingent on your and your spouse’s income. This implies that your and your spouse’s child and youth benefit will be decreased by 2% of your combined income beyond DKK 818,300 (in 2021). In other words, if you and your spouse both make less than DKK 818,300, you get the whole benefit.

When will child and youth benefits be paid to me?

From the first quarter after becoming a parent, you will get child and youth benefits. Please keep in mind that the benefit is paid ahead of time. Meaning, you get paid in January for the months of January, February, and March. The following table shows the payment dates and the first quarter in which you will get the benefit:

Your child is born in the period	Child and youth benefit is paid:
1 January to 31 March	20 April
1 April to 30 June	20 July
1 July to 30 September	20 October
1 October to 31 December	20 January

If your kid is under the age of 15, you will get child and youth benefit every quarter. Benefits are distributed monthly to children aged 15 to 17.

Who pays my child and youth benefit?

Udbetaling Danmark deposits child and youth benefits into the recipient’s NemKonto account automatically. The reward is normally given to the mother. If the father has exclusive custody and does not reside with the mother, it is the father.

If the kid does not reside with either of their parents, they may be eligible for the benefit:

If the kid is in private foster care, foster parents;
Those who are fostering a child for adoption;
And the child himself, if Udbetaling Danmark believes it is in the child’s best interests.

Child benefits in Denmark

Child benefits in Denmark? What to expect as parents?

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