Studying in Denmark

What a year costs

Tuition applies unless you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen or hold certain residence statuses. Study in Denmark, the official portal, gives the typical range as DKK 45,000-120,000 a year (about €6,000-16,000). Fees are set per programme. The University of Copenhagen, for example, publishes a fee for each master's programme per 60 ECTS, and most master's run to 120 ECTS, so you pay for two years.

Some universities also charge non-EU applicants an application deposit. The University of Copenhagen's is DKK 1,120 (about €150), paid once per application round and deducted from the first tuition payment if you are admitted.

Living costs. Aarhus University's guide, revised June 2026 and based on current students, estimates about €1,000 a month (roughly DKK 7,460): rent around €475, food and utilities around €300, and the rest on transport, phone, books and personal spending. Copenhagen rents are higher than Aarhus, so budget above that in the capital.

The visa

Denmark does not issue a study visa as such. You apply for a residence permit for a higher educational programme from the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), through New to Denmark. The fee is DKK 3,060. Before you submit, you create a case order ID and pay the fee; the application is not processed until the fee is paid.

Biometrics. You must have your photo and fingerprints taken. If you apply online, this must happen within 14 days of submitting, at a Danish mission or service provider abroad or in Denmark.

The money. You must document a disposable amount of DKK 7,426 a month (2026 level). For programmes longer than a year the maximum you need to show is DKK 89,112. Acceptable proof:

• A bank statement in your own name, no more than 30 days old when you apply, showing the date, your full name, the balance and the currency
• A scholarship or student loan confirmation
• Proof that you have already paid the first semester's tuition, which SIRI accepts on its own as documentation of sufficient funds

SIRI does not accept accounts in other people's names, restricted shares, bonds or investment portfolios.

Processing. SIRI's stated normal processing time is two months, up to three months if it needs more documents. Your university must first submit its part of the application, so start as soon as you accept your place.

Working while you study

If your programme is state-approved, your permit lets you work 90 hours a month from September to May and full time in June, July and August. No separate work permit is needed.

The 2 May 2025 change. Students on programmes that are not state-approved, typically some private provider courses, who applied on or after 2 May 2025 have no right to work and cannot bring accompanying family. Turkish nationals covered by the EU-Turkey Association Agreement keep these rights. Before accepting any offer, ask the institution in writing whether your exact programme is state-approved.

Ninety hours a month is roughly 20 hours a week, but it is counted monthly, so a heavy week can be balanced by a light one. Exceeding it is a breach of your permit conditions.

After you graduate

If you complete a state-approved professional bachelor's, bachelor's, master's or PhD, your study permit is granted with a job-seeking period attached: three years in most cases, six months for master's programmes for working professionals and for programmes that are not state-approved but carry an advisory statement from the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA).

If you received only six months, your passport shortened your permit, or you finished late, you can apply separately for the three-year permit, no earlier than four months before your current permit expires. The fee is DKK 3,060 and the stated processing time is three months.

Work during the job-seeking period is at first the same as during study: 90 hours a month and full time in summer. You can apply for an unrestricted work permit for the job-seeking period, and you may start working full time from the day you submit that application, while SIRI processes it. You must support yourself: receiving public benefits breaks a condition of the permit.

Language

Most English-taught provision is at master's level; many bachelor's programmes are taught in Danish. Language requirements are set by each institution, and Study in Denmark directs you to the university for exact scores. Check the programme page for the IELTS, TOEFL or other test it accepts and the minimum per section.

No Danish is needed for the permit. Danes speak very good English, but the part-time job market outside hospitality, warehouses and tech is largely Danish-speaking, and graduate employers outside international firms often expect it. Municipal language centres offer Danish courses to residents; start in your first term if you want to stay.

When to apply

Bachelor's: through the national portal optagelse.dk. Applicants with international qualifications apply by 15 March, 12 noon CET (Quota 2). The 5 July deadline is for Quota 1, which uses Danish or equivalent entrance exam grades and is not the route for most non-EU applicants.

Master's: directly to each university. Aarhus University's deadline for non-EU applicants is 15 January for the summer intake (August or September start), with the round opening 1 November. For its winter intake (January or February start), the non-EU deadline is 15 September. Other universities set similar but not identical dates: check each one.

Work backwards from the permit: admission in spring, tuition paid, university submits its part, you pay SIRI and submit, biometrics within 14 days, then about two months. An offer in late April leaves little margin for an August start.

What to watch out for

State-approved or not decides your work rights. Since 2 May 2025 this is the single most important question about any Danish programme, and private providers do not always volunteer the answer. Get it in writing.

Housing in Copenhagen and Aarhus is tight. Student halls allocate early, private rooms go fast in August, and deposits can run to several months' rent. Scam listings asking for deposits before a viewing are common. Ask your university's international office which housing it offers or can guarantee, and do not transfer money for a room you cannot verify.

The CPR number unlocks everything. After arrival you register your address to get a CPR number, which you need for a bank account, a doctor and a job. You need a real address to register, so the housing problem feeds straight into this one.

Bank statements go stale. A statement older than 30 days is not accepted. If your application is delayed on your side, get a new one before you submit.

Fees are per programme and can rise. The DKK 45,000-120,000 range is a guide. Use the figure on your programme page for your intake year.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it. SIRI updates the monthly amount each year, so applications made in 2027 will use a new figure.