Social security is the corner stone of the Danish welfare society. In the case of illness, childbirth, childcare, pension and unemployment, coverage is extensive and the level of security is high.
Social security is the corner stone of the Danish welfare society. In the case of illness, childbirth, childcare, pension and unemployment, coverage is extensive and the level of security is high.
For that reason, social security is mainly financed through taxes rather than through private insurance schemes as in many other European countries.
Foreign citizens with residence in Denmark usually enjoy the same social benefits as Danish citizens. However, there are certain fixed waiting periods for various types of services, e.g. health insurance services, health benefit, unemployment benefit, compensation according to the Occupational Injury Act etc.
The specific rules for foreign citizens depend on which country you come from. Check out rules on www.workindenmark.dk.
Health care and insurance
The public health insurance in Denmark covers general practitioners (GP) consultations and hospital aid. Furthermore, the health insurance grants reimbursement to a range of treatments at dentists, and with reference from GP at physiotherapists, psychologists and chiropractors. The public health insurance scheme does not cover costs for treatment at private hospitals.
All residents are covered by the public health insurance and have free and equal access to the services of the health insurance and to hospital aid. You must be aware of a certain waiting period before you are covered by the public health insurance. Nationals of another EU/EEA country will be covered by the Danish public health insurance as soon as they arrive.
When you register at the National Register (Folkeregistret) you will automatically join the National Health Service and receive a health insurance certificate (sygesikringsbevis). You also choose your GP when you receive your health insurance certificate. The card documents that you are covered by the public health insurance. You must bring the card along when you need treatment.
Salary during illness
Salaried employees receive salary during illness. Wage earners who are not entitled to wages during illness receive health benefit from their employer or the local authority. From January 1, 2004, health benefit amounts to a maximum of DKK 3,205 per week.
Childcare
Day care is offered to children from the age of six months to three years in nursery, from the age of three to the age of six in kindergartens, and at preschool from the age of 6 until they start school.
The local municipality lays down the overall aims and framework for care of children. Local municipalities may also offer alternative day care programmes where children are cared for in private homes either by childminders for a small group of children or in private childcare. Many local municipalities offer subsidies for private childcare.
Childcare is not fully paid by the local municipality. Parents contribute with up to 30% of the costs. The fee may vary from DKK 1.300-3.000 per month depending on the age of the child and the municipality concerned.
In Copenhagen, a number of international childcare facilities are offered. At many international schools preschool is also offered.
It is advisable to contact the local municipality for information about the various childcare options. You must also register at the local municipality if you want to enrol your child in a nursery or kindergarten.
Family support
All tax liable parents with children residing in Denmark receive a quarterly tax-exempt family support per child under 18 years of age. As of 2005, the annual support varies from DKK 9,584 to 13,480 according to age.
The support arrives automatically when child and parents have registered at the national register. If the child is resident in another country, you should apply for the support to the local authority.
The support is tax-exempt and independent of the parents’ income and fortune. The amount is usually transferred to the recipient’s bank account, but you may choose to receive it in the form of a cheque instead. Normally, the contribution is paid to the mother of the child.
Unemployment
In order to receive unemployment benefit, employees must register in an approved Danish unemployment fund (a so-called a-kasse) that operates within your professional area of work. There are 36 approved unemployment funds in Denmark, 34 of which are for wage earners and two for manager owners. If you are not sure to which unemployment fund you belong, you can contact the Danish Directorate.
In order to receive unemployment benefit from the unemployment fund, you must have been a member of the unemployment fund for at least a year and worked for minimum 52 weeks full time during the last three years. You must also register as a job seeker at the local job centre on your first day of unemployment.
If you are not registered as a member of an unemployment fund, you will not be entitled to unemployment benefit. There are detailed regulations concerning previous unemployment periods from your country of origin. Furthermore, the rules may vary according to your country of origin.
Maternity leave
Pregnant women can take leave for four weeks before the birth, and they are obliged to be on leave for the first two weeks after the birth. A doctor’s statement can allow the pregnant woman to go on leave earlier if it is necessary for reasons of health. After the birth, the mother is entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave, while the father is entitled to 2 weeks of paternity leave within the first 14 weeks after the birth of the child. When the child is 14 weeks old, the parents are entitled to an additional 32 weeks leave between them. It is a condition, however, that both parents are working in Denmark.
Public employees receive full salary during maternity leave. As a minimum, private employees are entitled to benefit, but they may be able to negotiate a higher pay.
Pension
The government provides an old age pension for everyone in Denmark. All employees pay contributions to the Danish labour market supplementary Pension (the ATP contribution) and the special pension scheme (the SP contribution).
When residing in Denmark, you earn the right to a national pension scheme after some years.
Besides what is provided by or through the government, most employees are either covered by a company pension scheme as part of their contract or by a collective pension scheme, which is agreed by employers and employees associations. Others have a private pension scheme.
More information on www.workindenmark.dk.
More information in English and German
Here, you can read about the Danish health care system in English on the "Ess-Europe.de - European Health Insurance Information for Students"-website:
