You must document that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members accompanying you during your stay in Denmark if you apply for or already have a residence permit

  • as a student

  • based on the Start-up Denmark Scheme

  • as a guest researcher

  • in order to obtain an authorisation as a medical doctor, a dentist or a nurse

  • as a PhD student doing either a complete programme or part of a programme in Denmark

  • as an unpaid intern

  • based on the Working Holiday Scheme

  • based on the Establishment card Scheme

  • based on the Greencard Scheme.

Read more about the rules for a residence and work permit as accompanying family members

The documentation can for example be a bank statement in your name or a scholarship covering your living expenses while studying or while doing an unpaid internship in Denmark.

Crypto currency (virtual currency) – e.g. bitcoin or stablecoin – are not accepted as documentation for sufficient funds and must therefore be exchanged for Danish kroner (DKK) or the currency of another country.

When you have been granted a permit, you must support yourself and your accompanying family members by using your own funds. You must not receive public benefits.

See the list of benefits that you are not allowed to receive

If you apply for a residence permit as a student in Denmark, you must in certain cases document that you are able to support yourself and any family members accompanying you during your stay in Denmark:

If you are studying at a higher educational programme and will be staying in Denmark to do a part of your education as a guest or exchange student:

  • You have sufficient funds to support yourself if you are able to document that you have been granted a scholarship covering your living expenses or that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per month you will be studying in Denmark.

If you are a student at a higher education programme, and you will be doing a complete education in Denmark:

  • If you have paid tuition in Denmark, you are not required to document that you are able to support yourself during your stay.

  • If you are not to pay for your education, e.g. if you have been granted a tuition waiver, you must document that you have been granted a scholarship covering your living expenses or that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per month you will be studying in Denmark (for a maximum, however, of 12 months).

If you will be studying at a basic or youth study programme:

  • You have sufficient funds to support yourself if you are able to document that you have been granted a scholarship covering your living expenses or that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per month you will be studying in Denmark.

If you will be following a course at a folk high school:

  • If you have paid the course fee and it covers room and board, you are not required to document that you can support yourself during your stay in Denmark. If you have not paid for room and board, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per month.

The documentation can for example be a bank statement in your name, a scholarship or similar.

If your family applies for a residence permit, you must document that you have sufficient funds to support them during their stay in Denmark as well.

  • You have sufficient funds if you can document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per family member for each month they will be staying in Denmark (for a maximum, however, of 12 months).

The documentation can for example be a bank statement in your name.

If you apply for a Danish residence permit as a PhD student in Denmark, you must document that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members accompanying you during your stay in Denmark.

You must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per month (for a maximum, however, of 12 months) if 

  • you only do a part of your education in Denmark (guest PhD) and you are not paying tuition, or 

  • you do a complete PhD in Denmark and you are not salaried by a university or a company connected to your PhD programme.

The documentation can for example be a bank statement. 

If you receive salary from a university or a company connected to your PhD programme, the salary covers your support. In this case you must attach your employment contract as documentation. 

If you pay tuition yourself, you must attach documentation showing that you have paid tuition for at least the first semester in order to document that you are able to support yourself during your stay.

If your family applies for a residence permit, you must document that you have sufficient funds to support them during their stay in Denmark as well.

  • You have sufficient funds if you are able to document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per family member for each month they are going to stay in Denmark, but for no longer than 12 months.

The documentation can for example be a bank statement in your name.

If you apply for a residence permit as an intern, and the internship is without pay, you must document that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in Denmark.

You must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 6,820 (2024 level) per month during the entire period you will be staying in Denmark as an intern.  

The documentation can for example be a bank statement or a scholarship.

Room and board from your internship host is not considered as documentation that you support yourself.

Your name must be stated on the bank statement and the bank statement must not be more than 30 days old. The currency must be stated clearly on the bank statement. If you receive a scholarship, the grant letter must state your name as well as information about the amount that you will be receiving and in which currency.

If you apply for a Danish residence permit under the Start-up Denmark Scheme, you must document that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members accompanying you during your stay in Denmark.

The documentation can for example be a bank statement in your name.

  • If you apply without any family, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 147,912 (2024 level).

  • If you apply together with your spouse, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 295,824 (2024 level).

  • If you apply together with your spouse and one or more children, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 344,496 (2024 level).

  • If you apply together with one or more children, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 196,584 (2024 level).

  • If your spouse applies after you have been granted a permit, the amount is DKK 147,912 (2024 level).

  • If your spouse and one or more children apply after you have been granted a permit, the amount is DKK 196,584 (2024 level).

  • If one or more of your children apply after you have been granted a permit, the amount is DKK 48,672 (2024 level).

If you apply for a Danish residence permit in order to obtain an authorisation as a doctor, a dentist or a nurse, you must document that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members accompanying you during your stay in Denmark.

The disposable funds you are required to document depend on whether you have to support any accompanying family members during your stay.

The documentation can for example be a bank statement.

You must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to the following amounts:

  • DKK 39,318 (2024 level) if you do not have any family accompanying you to Denmark
  • DKK 78,636 (2024 level) if you bring your spouse with you to Denmark
  • DKK 94,338 (2024 level) if you bring your spouse and one or several children with you to Denmark 
  • DKK 78,630 (2024 level) if you bring one or several children with you to Denmark (but no spouse)

If you apply for a Danish residence permit as a guest researcher, you must document that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members accompanying you during your stay in Denmark.

The documentation can for example be a bank statement or salary from a research institution or company in your home country.

  • If you apply without any family, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 147,912 (2024 level).

  • If you apply together with your spouse, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 295,824 (2024 level).

  • If you apply together with your spouse and one or more children, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 344,496 (2024 level).

  • If you apply together with one or more children, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 196,584 (2024 level).

  • If your spouse applies after you have been granted a permit, you must document that you have disposable funds corresponding to DKK 147,912 (2024 level).

  • If your spouse and one or more children apply after you have been granted a permit, the amount is DKK 196,584 (2024 level).

  • If one or more of your children apply after you have been granted a permit, the amount is DKK 48,672 (2024 level).

If you apply for a Working Holiday in Denmark, you must document that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in Denmark.

  • If you are a citizen of Argentina, Canada, Chile, Japan or South Korea, you must have sufficient funds to pay for room and board during the first part of your stay, corresponding to DKK 15,000, and a return ticket or an additional DKK 5,000.

  • If you are a citizen of Australia, you must have sufficient funds to pay for room and board during the first 2 months of your stay, corresponding to DKK 18,000, and a return ticket or an additional DKK 5,000.

  • If you are a citizen of New Zealand, you must have sufficient funds to pay for room and board during your stay, corresponding to DKK 24,000, and a return ticket or an additional DKK 5,000.

The documentation can for example be a bank statement.

If your sponsor has a residence permit with an establishment card and you apply to come to Denmark as accompanying family, you must document that your sponsor can support you during your stay in Denmark as accompanying family (for a maximum, however, of 12 months).

The amount differs according to whether you are an accompanying spouse, accompanying children or both.

  • If you are a spouse/cohabiting partner/registered partner and apply for a residence permit as accompanying family, the amount is DKK 7,945 (2024 level) per month. If, for instance, you are going to live together in Denmark for a year or longer, you must document that your sponsor has DKK 95,340 (2024 level) to support you.

  • If you are a spouse/cohabiting partner/registered partner and apply for a residence permit along with one or more children, the amount is DKK 15,658 (2024 level) per month. If, for instance, you are going to live together in Denmark for a year or longer, you must document that your sponsor has DKK 187,896 (2024 level) to support you.

  • If you are one or more children and apply for a residence permit as accompanying family, the amount is DKK 7,713 (2024 level) per month. If, for instance, you are going to live together in Denmark for a year or longer, you must document that your sponsor has DKK 92,556 (2024 level) to support you.

The documentation can be a bank statement or an employment contract that documents that the sponsor has sufficient funds to support you. A bank statement and an employment contract cannot be combined.

If your sponsor is staying in Denmark on a greencard and you apply to come to Denmark as accompanying family, your sponsor must be able to support you based on their employment. You must be able to document:

  • your sponsor’s employment contract which must last for a minimum of 1 year from the time that you apply

  • a payslip that proves that your sponsor has received a minimum of 1 monthly wage based on their employment

  • documentation that shows that the sponsor has a guaranteed income of at least:
    – DKK 12,326 (2024 level) per month if you are a spouse/cohabiting partner/registered partner or
    – DKK 16,382 (2024 level) per month if you are one or more children under 18 or a spouse/cohabiting partner/registered partner together with one or more children under 18.

Please note that your sponsor must fulfill the requirements by being employed in a single job. The requirements cannot be fulfilled by combining several different jobs.