Child and youth benefits

You have the right to child and youth benefits if:

• your child is under 18
• your child lives in Denmark
• you live in Denmark
• the person who has custody of the child is fully liable for tax in Denmark
• your child has not been placed in a foster home or is otherwise a ward of the state
• you have lived or worked in Denmark, the Faroe Islands or Greenland for at least six of the last 10 years or earned the right to family benefits in other EU/EEA countries or Switzerland.

Read the rules for when you qualify for receiving child and youth benefits as a foreigner under 'What are the rules for foreigners for receiving child benefits?'.

Can I receive other benefits as a parent?

As a parent you may be entitled to other benefits. This depends on whether you belong to a particular group or you are in a particular situation. These benefits can be:

• Child allowance (børnetilskud)
• Child allowance for single parents
• Child allowance for single parents and have adopted a child
• Child allowance for pensioners
• Child allowance for parents in education
• Child allowance in the event of paternity cases or an unknown father
• Child allowance when one or both parents are deceased.

Read the rules for when you qualify for receiving these different allowance on the page about child allowance:

• Child allowance

If you are a foreigner and work in Denmark, you may apply for child benefits if you:

• share custody of the child
• can document that you are related to the child
• are a citizen in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, if your child does not live in Denmark.

In addition, you must have worked or lived in Denmark for a certain period within the past 10 years.

Below, you can see an overview of how much you are entitled to receive, depending on how long you have lived or worked in Denmark, in Greenland or on the Faroe Islands.

You can also include periods during which you have accrued family benefit rights by living in or working in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland. You can do so if you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. However, Udbetaling Danmark first need to verify your information with the authorities in the country in which you have lived or worked before the periods can be included.

If you are a citizen in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland or Lichtenstein and want to know more about your rights when living or working in Denmark, you must contact the authorities in your home country.

Were you entitled to receive child benefits before 1 January 2018?

If you received child benefits before 1 January 2018 and if you are still entitled to receive child benefits, you are subject to a 2-year qualification requirement. This means that you must have lived or worked in Denmark for at least 2 years within the past 10 years.

Below, you can see the percentage you are entitled to receive, depending on how long you have lived or worked in Denmark, in Greenland or on the Faroe Islands within the past 10 years.

• 6 months in order to have earned 25 per cent of the total benefit
• 1 year in order to have earned 50 per cent of the total benefit
• 1.5 years in order to have earned 75 per cent of the total benefit
• 2 years in order to have earned the total benefit.

In some cases, you can be paid benefits from both countries if you are entitled to both family benefits from Denmark and another EU/EEA country or Switzerland. However, you can only receive the full family benefit from one country. 

The following prioritisation rules apply if there is to be paid out family benefits pursuant to the legislation of one or more member states in the same period and for the same family members:

1. paid work or self-employment
2. pension
3. place of residence 

These prioritisation rules apply if the entitlement to family benefits from 2 or more member states are based on different conditions.

You can read mere about the prioritisation rules in Polish here:

Specjalne zasadydot. obywateli UE/EOG oraz Szwajcarii

Explanation of conditions

Your entitlement to family benefits from working thus take precedence over family benefits due to pensions and residency, and your entitlement to family benefits due to pension take precedence over family benefits due to residence. 

When you are entitled to family benefits from 2 member states due to the same conditions, the family benefits from the children’s country of residence take precedence. When you are entitled to family benefits from 2 member countries due to the same conditions and the children are residents of a 3rd member state, the country with the highest family benefits takes precedence. 

People without paid work or self-employment such as, for example, welfare claimants or students without a student job are covered by the legislation in their country of residence.

Supplement depending on differences in size of payment

You are entitled to a supplement depending on differences in the size of payment from Denmark in the periods where the family benefits from other country take precedence. 

This means that the family benefits from the other country are deducted in the supplementary family benefit from Denmark even though you are not paid the amount of the family benefit. You can thus only be paid the difference between the family benefit from the other country and the supplementary family benefit from Denmark. 

This is because pursuant to the other country’s legislation, you would be entitled to a family benefit if you applied for it.

When working in Denmark, families with children are eligible for receiving child benefits. If your child does not live in Denmark, you have to apply for the benefit yourself.

If you are a citizen in an EU/EEA country

When you apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen, you must use various documentation. Below, you can see which documents you need in order to apply.

If you log in using MitID, you only have to attach the relevant documentation. You can save your application along the way, if you like.

• Apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen (with MitID)

If you do not have MitID

If you do not have MitID, you must use a form for declaration and consent. You can find the form you need to use here:

• Form for declaration and consent

You must print the form, sign it and scan it to your computer. When you apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen without MitID, you must attach:

• Form for declaration and consent
• Employment contract
• Birth certificate for children.

You can apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen without MitID here:

• Apply for child benefits as an EU/EEA citizen (without MitID)

If you need help or have questions you can contact Udbetaling Danmark by phone +45 70 12 80 62.

If you are not a citizen in an EU/EEA country

If you are not a citizen in an EU/EEA country, you can apply for the benefit by contacting Udbetaling Danmark by phone +45 70 12 80 62.

Please be aware not to send sensitive personal information such as your civil registration (CPR) number to Udbetaling Danmark via email because email is not a secure communication channel. If you need to send sensitive personal information, you must send a letter to Udbetaling Danmark, Kongens Vænge 8, DK-3400 Hillerød.

When am I a citizen in an EU/EEA country?

You are EU/EEA citizen if you are a citizen of one of the following countries:

• Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Austria.

When you have children in Denmark, you may qualify for various grants for your children. These grants are called family benefits. Family benefits are administered by Udbetaling Danmark – Public Benefits Administration.

Here you can read a brief description of the various types of family benefits.

Child and youth benefits

Child and youth benefits, also known as the ‘child cheque’ (or family allowance) is a tax-free payment that you receive for each of your children until they reach the age of 18. The amount you receive depends on the age of your child, how long you have been earning the right to Danish family benefits, your income and the income of any spouse.

Child benefits are paid quarterly in advance. When your child reaches the age of 15, you will receive a youth benefit instead of a child benefit. Youth benefits are paid every month in arrears.

If the parents have joint custody, the Child and youth benefits are generally paid to both parents NemKonto with one half each.

Child allowance

Child allowance is a payment paid in special circumstances if:

• you are single
• you have twins – or triples, quadruplets, etc.
• you are a pensioner
• you are taking an education
• the father of your child is unknown
• one or both parents are dead
• you have adopted a child.

The size of the child allowance depends on your situation.

You can watch a short video here about when you are seen as single or cohabiting in relation to child allowance for single parents.

Read more about child allowance:

• Child allowance

Child support

Child support is an amount that you can receive if you live together with your child but not together with your child’s other parent. The other parent is the one who must pay that amount to you.

Read more about child support:

• Child support

There are different rules for when you can receive family benefits.

Among other things, it depends on whether you are cohabiting with your child’s other parent, your income and how long you have lived or worked in Denmark.

If you live in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland with your family and work in Denmark

If you live in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland and work exclusively in Denmark, you will in general be covered by the Danish social security system. This means that you will have the right to family benefits from Denmark if you meet the other conditions listed above.

If the child's other parent works in the country where you live, you should receive family benefits in that country. If Danish family benefits are higher than the benefits in the country where you live, Denmark will pay the difference. If the Danish benefit is lower than in the country where you are living, you will not receive family benefits from Denmark.

If you live in Denmark and work in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland

If you live in Denmark and work exclusively in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you will in general be covered by the social security system in the country where you work. As a rule, this means that you have the right to family benefits from the country where you work. You should contact the authorities in the country where you work to ask them to advise you about the rules.

If the child's other parent works in Denmark, you should receive Danish family benefits. If family benefits from the country where you work are higher than the benefits in Denmark, the other country will pay the difference. If the benefit from the other country is lower than in Denmark, you will not receive family benefits form the other country.

If you live in Denmark and receive a pension from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland

If you live in Denmark and receive a pension from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, and the child's other parent is not working in Denmark, you may be entitled to family benefits from Denmark on the basis of your residence. You must contact the authorities in the country you receive your pension as you should receive family benefits in that country. If Danish family benefits are higher than the benefits in the country where you receive your pension, Denmark will pay the difference. If the Danish benefit is lower than the country where you are receiving pension, you will not receive family benefits from Denmark.

If you move abroad

If you move abroad, you will no longer have the right to Danish child and youth benefit.

Read more about family benefits in EU countries:

• European Commission on Family Benefits

When you receive family benefits, you have a duty to let us know about any changes. This means that you must immediately notify Udbetaling Danmark - Family Benefits, if there are changes to the information you have submitted.

You must do this because it can have an impact on what you can receive in benefits. For example, you must notify us if: 

• you or your child’s other parents are employees and not working/receiving work-related unemployment/sickness/maternity benefits to a sufficient extent each month in Denmark
• you or your child’s other parents are self-employed and not working/receiving work-related unemployment/sickness/maternity benefits to a sufficient extent each month in Denmark
• you or your child’s other parents are working on a ship and do not have enough days at sea each month
• you or your child’s other parents are no longer covered by Danish social security
• you or your child’s other parents stop working or become employed in another country than Denmark
• you or your child’s other parents are no longer entitled to a Danish social pension
• you or your child move to another country
• your child gets married
• you or your child’s other parent is no longer a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland
• your child is placed in foster care or is otherwise being maintained by means of public benefits
• your child will be staying in a country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland for a period, e.g. because of his or her schooling
• you or your child’s other parents become entitled to receiving family benefits in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland
• in case of changes to custody arrangements for your child
• if the foreign benefit rate changes.

If you do not notify Udbetaling Danmark, you may have to pay back the benefits you have received. This also applies if you provide incorrect or incomplete information.

• Inform Udbetaling Danmark of changes to your family benefits
• Inform Udbetaling Danmark about moving if you recieve family benefits (non-Danish eID)
• Inform Udbetaling Danmark that you no longer work ind Denmark (non-Danish eID)

Udbetaling Danmark sends its letters in Danish

When you receive family benefits, you will receive letters from Udbetaling Danmark, for example, about the amount you are being paid.

As a general rule, all letters from Udbetaling Danmark are sent in Danish. Therefore, it may be a good idea to have a friend or acquaintance translate the letters if you have trouble understanding Danish. You are also always welcome to call Udbetaling Danmark if you have any questions.

If someone else is going to contact Udbetaling Danmark on your behalf, you first need to provide that person with a power of attorney. This also applies even if you are cohabiting and the other person just needs to speak to Udbetaling Danmark about the case.

If you are contacting Udbetaling Danmark on behalf of someone else, you first need to have a power of attorney.

For those of you who receive family benefits

Here you can digitally provide another person with a power of attorney to act on your behalf when contacting Udbetaling Danmark. For example, this might be to discuss your case, receive information about your case or to assume full responsibility for the case. You can provide a power of attorney for family benefits or for several other areas that Udbetaling Danmark deals with. The power of attorney does not provide access to digital self-service functions.

• Give or send power of attorney to Udbetaling Danmark

For those of you who will be helping someone else

If the person who wants to provide you with a power of attorney does not have MitID, you can use a written power of attorney. The form can be filled out on the screen or by hand, and it needs to be signed by the person giving you the power of attorney.

• Retrieve a power of attorney for family benefits (pdf – new window)

If you have a written letter of attorney from someone receiving family benefits, you can send the signed letter of attorney digitally. If you are using a mobile phone, you can take a picture of the letter of attorney and attach it. The power of attorney does not provide access to digital self-service functions.

• Give or send power of attorney to Udbetaling Danmark

You can also send the letter of attorney by post to Udbetaling Danmark, Kongens Vænge 8, 3400 Hillerød. Please note that it may take up to a week before Udbetaling Danmark receives the letter of attorney by post.

If you want to know more about powers of attorney for family benefits, you can read more on the Danish page on borger.dk:

• Power of attorney for family benefits (in Danish – new window)

If you have received more in family benefits than you are entitled to, for example because your situation has changed, you should first return this money to Udbetaling Danmark.

If you have to pay money back to Udbetaling Danmark, Family benefits, this may be for one of the following reasons:

• your and/or your spouse’s income has changed
• you have become single, got married or started cohabiting
• you are no longer entitled to receive family benefits from Denmark.

How to pay back money to Udbetaling Danmark

If you have received too much in family benefits, you will receive a letter from Udbetaling Danmark explaining what you have to pay back and why. If you have received this letter, you can pay the entire amount in one lump sum by transferring the money to Udbetaling Danmark’s bank account:

How to pay back child and youth benefits (child and youth benefits):

• Bank: Danske Bank
• SWIFT: DABADKKK
• IBAN no.: DK850216406171966
• Remember to state your civil registration number.

How to pay back your child allowance (child allowance):

• Bank: Danske Bank
• SWIFT: DABADKKK
• IBAN no.: DK2902164069171907
• Remember to state your civil registration number.

How to pay back child and youth benefits (child and youth benefits) if you are an EU/EEC citizen:

• Bank: Danske Bank
• SWIFT: DABADKKK
• IBAN no.: DK6502164069175236
• Remember to state your civil registration number.

The case processing time limit for child and youth benefits is 30 weeks.

The case processing time limit period begins the same day Udbetaling Danmark receives your application. 

You can help ensure that your application is processed as soon as possible by:

• Attaching the required documentation
• Ensuring that your information in the National Register of Persons (CPR) is correct.

If you are not satisfied with how Udbetaling Danmark has dealt with your case, you are welcome to contact Udbetaling Danmark, Family benefits. Sometimes misunderstandings can occur and can easily be resolved with a verbal explanation.

If you disagree with a decision

You may file a complaint about a decision from Udbetaling Danmark if you disagree with it. A decision can for example be classified as the amount you receive in Family benefits – or any other decision that Udbetaling Denmark makes in your case. You will always receive a letter from Udbetaling Denmark, in which the decision will be stated along with a complaint guide.

Udbetaling Danmark must receive your complaint no later than four weeks after your receipt of the decision. They will then assess the matter again.

If Udbetaling Danmark reject your complaint, they will forward it to the National Social Appeals Board. The National Social Appeals Board is an independent state institution and the highest complaint board for Udbetaling Danmark amongst others.

Complaints about other matters

Udbetaling Danmark will also consider complaints received about other matters in your case and investigate whether there is anything that should have been done differently. You will always receive an answer to your complaint.

How to file a complaint

You can file a complaint by calling Udbetaling Danmark or fill in the form below.

• For complaints (in Danish)
• Make a complaint about family benefits (non-Danish eID)

• Lov om en børne- og ungeydelse (in Danish – new window)
• Lov om børnetilskud og forskudsvis udbetaling af børnebidrag (in Danish – new window)
• Lov om opkrævning af underholdsbidrag (in Danish – new window)
• Databeskyttelsesforordningen (in Danish – new window)
• Databeskyttelsesloven (in Danish – new window)