Education contribution

If you wish to apply for child support, you must fill in and send an application form to the Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset).

An education contribution is a contribution which is paid between parents who do not live together but who have children aged 18 to 25 in education. The contribution is paid by the parent that the child does not live with.

If the child does not live with either of its parents, it is the parent who provides for the child who can apply for the contribution.

If a child has an income of in excess of DKK 7,000 per month (2024), their parents cannot normally apply for an education contribution. The DKK 7,000 is inclusive of any support from the Danish Students' Grants and Loans Scheme (SU).

The income of both the contributor and the child determines whether an education contribution will be paid. For example, if you have 2 children, you may be required to pay the contribution if you earn more than DKK 500,000 a year (2024). You can read more about the criteria for education contributions on the Agency of Family Law's website.

• Education contributions – the Agency of Family Law (in Danish)

If the Agency of Family Law receives your application by no later than 2 months after the event that triggers the contribution, we will determine the education contribution from the date of this event.

A contribution-triggering event could be:

• start of the child’s education
• the child's 18th birthday, if the course began earlier
• cessation of support, including expiry of children’s savings.

If you apply more than 2 months after the contribution-triggering event, we will determine the contribution from the date on which the Agency of Family Law receives the application.

If the parents are unable to agree on a change to the contribution, you can apply to the Agency of Family Law to resolve the situation.

A fixed contribution can be altered at any time upon application if the relevant conditions are met.

If you apply for a change to an education contribution, you must pay a fee of DKK 3,000 (2024). This fee must be paid at the time you submit your application.

However, in some cases, you will not need to pay the fee to amend an education contribution:

• if you apply for the education contribution to lapse because the child has moved in with you,
• or if you apply for a change to an agreed education contribution, and the Agency of Family Law has not previously considered a case concerning this education contribution.

A fee will only be payable if you apply for a change to a contribution for several children between the same parties. Only one fee must also be paid if you apply for a reduction in a contribution for several children in cases between different parties.

If an education contribution which has been approved by the Agency of Family Law is not paid by the agreed date, you can apply to Udbetaling Danmark to request collection of the contribution.

You must apply for collection of the education contribution yourself.

• Apply to Udbetaling Danmark for payment and collection of the contribution on borger.dk (in Danish) 

The Agency of Family Law determines and adjusts special contributions, while Udbetaling Danmark collects special contributions and, where appropriate, disburses them in advance.

Contact the Agency of Family Law if you have any questions regarding the decision concerning a contribution or the contribution amount.

• Contact the Agency of Family Law

If you have any questions regarding collection of the contribution, contact Udbetaling Danmark on phone +45 70 12 80 62 or via Digital Post. 

• Send digital post to Udbetaling Danmark – 'Family benefits'

If you disagree with the decision made by the Agency of Family Law concerning a contribution, you can appeal against it. Enclosed with the decision, you will receive guidance on how to appeal.

The Agency of Family Law must receive your appeal no more than 4 weeks after you received the decision.

You can read more about the legislation concerning special contributions.

• Child Allowance Act (in Danish)
• The Executive Order on Allowances (in Danish)
• Income summary for the determination of child and spousal support in 2020 (in Danish)

• Get an overview of the financial aspects of divorce and separation (in Danish)