Public benefits when you have been granted a permit by SIRI
What are you allowed to receive and what are you not allowed to receive in public benefits when you have been granted a residence permit based on one of SIRI's schemes?
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, self-sufficiency and return benefit as well as transition benefit, 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 in order to obtain a Danish authorisation, you are not allowed to receive:
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Cash benefits
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Self-sufficiency and return benefit as well as transition benefit
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Sickness benefits
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Maternal or paternal benefits
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Unemployment benefits, including graduate allowances (in Danish "dimittend-dagpenge")
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Housing benefits
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Child support
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State study grants, including subsidies for the public transportation pass "Ungdomskort"
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Danskbonus
The list is not exhaustive.
If you are an employed PhD student receiving a salary, you are not allowed to receive cash benefits, self-sufficiency and return benefit as well as transition benefit, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act.
If you have a residence permit under the educational attachment scheme you are allowed to receive public benefits.
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, self-sufficiency and return benefit as well as transition benefit, 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, self-sufficiency and return benefit as well as transition benefit, 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, self-sufficiency and return benefit as well as transition benefit, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act. You are also not allowed to receive graduate allowances (in Danish "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, self-sufficiency and return benefit as well as transition benefit, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act. You are also not allowed to receive graduate allowances (in Danish "dimittend-dagpenge").
You are an au pair.
You are not allowed to receive any public benefits.
You are not allowed to receive cash benefits, self-sufficiency and return benefit as well as transition benefit, rehabilitation benefits or any other benefits under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act. As a family member you are not considered to receive financial support from the state if you receive benefits that are not paid under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act, e.g. unemployment benefits (a-kasse).
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.