If you are staying in Denmark as an employee or student you must be able to support yourself and your accompanying family members during your stay. As an employee you are not allowed to receive benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act and as a student you are not allowed to receive any support from an authority.

If you have a residence permit in Denmark as an accompanying family member to an employee or a student, the sponsor must support you during your stay in Denmark. Thus you are not allowed to receive benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, e.g. cash benefits. 

If you and your accompanying family members are granted a permit, you will be informed of the self-support requirement in the decision letter.

If an authority, e.g. a municipality, disburses benefits to foreign nationals, SIRI will be notified.

If you or a family member receive such benefits during your stay in Denmark, your permit can be revoked – and you and your accompanying family member will lose the right to stay in Denmark.

The general regulations are:

You have been granted a residence permit based on the Positive List, Pay Limit Scheme, Fast-track Scheme, special individual qualifications, as a herdsman or farm manager or other work schemes. Your permit is only valid for work with one specific employer.

Or you have been granted a residence permit as an accompanying family member to one of the above.

You and your family are not allowed to receive cash benefits, start help benefits, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act.

You are not allowed to receive any public benefits.

If you have a residence permit as a student or with the purpose of receiving Danish medical authorization you are not allowed to receive:

  • Cash benefits
  • Start help
  • Sickness benefits
  • Maternal or paternal benefits
  • Unemployment benefits
  • Housing benefits
  • Child support
  • State study grants
  • Danskbonus

The list is not exhaustive.

If you are an employed PhD student receiving a salary, you are not allowed to receive cash benefits, start help, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act.

You are a researcher, guest researcher or an accompanying family member to one of these.

You and your family are not allowed to receive cash benefits, start help benefits, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act.

You have been granted a residence permit because you run your own business.

You and your family are not allowed to receive cash benefits, start help benefits, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act.

 

You have been granted an Establishment Card or are an accompanying family member to a person holding an Establishment Card

You and your family are not allowed to receive cash benefits, start help benefits, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act. You are also not allowed to receive graduate allowances (dimittend-dagpenge).

You have been granted a Greencard or are an accompanying family member to a person holding a Greencard.

You and your family are not allowed to receive cash benefits, start help benefits, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act. You are also not allowed to receive graduate allowances (dimittend-dagpenge).

You are an au pair.

You are not allowed to receive any public benefits.

You are not allowed to receive cash benefits, start help benefits, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act. 

Read more about benefits paid under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act (opens in new window).

If you have received benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act in some cases you not only risk losing your own residence permit but in case you are an accompanying family member to an employee, a student or a person holding a permit with the purpose of obtaining a Danish medical authorisation, the sponsor risks losing his/her residence permit as well.