You will start paying back your student loan after you have completed your education.

Your first payment begins in January of the calendar year, one year after you have completed your education. For example, if you complete your education in June 2020, you will start repaying in January 2022.

Udbetaling Danmark will contact you

Udbetaling Danmark will send you 3 letters when it's time for you to start paying back your student loan:

1. In May, 7 months before your first payment is due, you will receive the first letter. This letter serves as an early notification that you'll soon start paying your student loan back.
2. In October, 3 months before your first payment is due, you will receive the second letter. This letter will include a payment plan and the date of your first payment.
3. In December, you will receive the third letter. This letter will contain a payment slip that you'll use to make your first payment.

Enroll for payment through Betalingsservice

It's a good idea to enroll your payment through Betalingsservice.

By using Betalingsservice, you won't have to pay manually each time and you'll always pay on time and avoid reminder fees.

• Read more about Betalingservice

The size of your student loan matters for both the amount you need to pay back and the duration of your payment. However, there are two key factors to keep in mind:

• Typically, you are required to pay back your loan within a period ranging from 7 to 15 years.
• You must make a minimum payment of 200 DKK per installment.

When it's time for you to initiate the repayment of your student loan, you will receive a letter with a payment plan in your Digital Post. This letter will detail the specific amount you are required to pay and the duration of your repayment period.

You can always see an overview of your student loan and your payment plan using our self-service solution "Your student debt". To do so, simply click "Start" at the top of this page.

You can always start your payments before you receive a payment slip from Udbetaling Danmark. During this period, you have the freedom to decide how much and how often you wish to pay.

To do so, you need to:

• Contact Udbetaling Danmark
• Set up an installment plan with Udbetaling Danmark
• Make payments using a debit card, MobilePay, or bank transfer.

You can also make a one-time payment by:

• Clicking the "Start" button at the top of this page
• Loging into the self-service portal using your MitID
• Access "Your student debt" and choose the method and the amount for your payment.

By default, you are expected to make student loan payments every other month. However, you can choose to pay every month if you prefer.

You can adjust your payment in the self-service portal "Your student debt", which you can access by clicking the "Start" button at the top of this page.

You have 3 options if you have difficulties making payments during a given period:

• Postpone your payment: You can postpone your payment for up to 2 years. You can do this in the self-service solution "Your student debt" by clicking the "Start" button at the top of this page.
• Reduce your installment: You can apply to have your installment reduced for a period. You can do this by contacting Udbetaling Danmark.
• Extend payment period: You can apply to extend the payment period. However, there are certain conditions that need to be met.

What you need to know if you want to apply to have your payment period extended

There are conditions that you must meet to apply for an extension of your payment. You must either:

• Have a reduced work capacity
• Receive early retirement pension
• Have a flexi-job (fleksjob in Danish)
• Be enrolled in a resource clarification (ressourceforløb in Danish)

You do not have the option to extend your payment period if, for example, you have a low income, are repaying multiple loans simultaneously, or are affected by inflation or rising interest rates.

If you fail to make timely payments, Udbetaling Danmark will send you 2 reminders. For each reminder, you will be charged an additional fee. If payment is still not received, your loan will be terminated, and both your payments and the interest will be higher. After that, Udbetaling Danmark will transfer your debt to the Gældsstyrelsen (Danish Debt Collection Agency) for further collection.

Interest starts to accrue (grow) from the day your loan is disbursed until the day you have paid it back.

Student loan has a fixed interest rate of 4 percent while you are studying. Once you have completed your education, it switches to a variable interest rate for the remainder of your payment period.

The variable interest rate consists of the bank rate and an additional percentage:

• The bank rate is an interest rate that is regularly set by Danmarks Nationalbank (The National Bank). As of August 1, 2023, the discount rate is 3.60 percent.
• The additional percentage is currently 1 percent.

This means that you are currently paying 4.60 percent interest on your student loan once you have completed your education.

You can always check the interest rate on your student loan in the self-service solution "Your student debt" by clicking the "Start" button at the top of this page.

The government has decided that the interest rate on student loan follows the interest rate set by Danmarks Nationalbank, the bank rate, plus 1 percent.

For years, Danmarks Nationalbank's interest rate has remained at 0 percent and has at some point even been negative. This has meant that the interest rate on student loans has been at 1 percent.

After many years of low and stable inflation, prices increased significantly in late 2021 and throughout most of 2022. As a result, banks have raised interest rates on multiple occasions in an attempt to curb consumption and the rising prices. And in line with the general increase in interest rates, the interest rate on SU loans has also risen.

The interest rate on student loan over time

The student loan, as we know it today, was introduced in 1988. Since then, the interest rate has fluctuated significantly.

Here, you can find an overview of both current and historical interest rates on SU loans.

Your payment plan changes in accordance with the interest rate. If the interest rate rises, your payment period becomes longer, whereas it becomes shorter if the interest rate falls.

Therefore, the interest rate does not affect your installment payments.

You automatically get deduction for the interest on your student loan when you start paying your loan back.

You can see the deduction on your tax assessment notice on the Danish Tax Agency's website.

• Danish Tax Agency

In certain situations, you are required to pay fees to Udbetaling Danmark:

• Fee for using Betalingsservice or another payment method, per regular invoice: 14 DKK.
• Reminder fee for late payment: 91 DKK.
• Termination of the repayment agreement: 236 DKK.

You can sign up for automatic payments through Betalingsservice. When you pay through Betalingsservice, you ensure that you pay on time and avoid reminder fees.

You need to follow 3 steps if you wish to pay with Betalingssevice:

1. Go to: Sign up for automatic payment through Betalingsservice
2. Enter your CPR-number, registration number, account number, and customer number.
3. Confirm with MitID.

Once the registration is approved, you can view it under your payment agreements in your online banking.

You can repay your student debt with a credit card or MobilePay by logging into the self-service solution, which you can access by clicking "Start" at the top of this page.

You can choose to make individual installments, pay an optional amount, or settle the entire debt.

If you reside abroad and need to repay your student loan, the payments must be transferred in Danish kroner. You are responsible for ensuring that the installments are paid on time, meaning the amount must be received by Udbetaling Danmark no later than the 8th of the month.

The costs associated with the transfer from abroad, incurred by your bank, postal services, and Danske Bank, are your responsibility. Therefore, the total costs should be added to the installment you are paying.

Payment with payment slips

If you live abroad, you will not receive payment slips. If you have a Danish online banking account, you can enroll your payment through Betalingsservice. You will find the information your bank needs by logging into the self-service solution, which you can access by clicking "Start" at the top of this page.

Do you have a Danish online banking account?

If you have a Danish online banking account, you can enroll your payment through Betalingsservice.

• Enroll your payment through Betalingservice.

Payment of SU loans via a transfer from a foreign financial institution

BIC/SWIFT address: DABADKKK

IBAN number: DK88 0216 4069 2110 03 - This IBAN can only be used for the repayment of SU loans. See IBAN number for too much recieved SU.

Danske Bank, Holmens Kanal 2-12, 1092 Copenhagen K

The transfer must be made in Danish kroner.

Your CPR number should be provided as a reference for all payments; otherwise, Udbetaling Danmark won't be able to identify that the payment is from you. You are responsible for covering the costs associated with the transfer.

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 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.

If you have a written letter of attorney from someone with student loan, 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.

• Power of attorney

You can send the form 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.

Calling on someone else’s behalf

If you need to call Udbetaling Danmark on behalf of someone who has a student loan, the person can give you power of attorney over the phone. This also applies if you live apart.  

If you are together

The person on whose behalf you are calling can give you the power of attorney at the beginning of your call, if the two of you are together.

• Call Udbetaling Danmark, Student Debt
• Type the CPR number (Civil Registration Number) of the person on whose behalf you are calling
• Tell the employee why you are calling, and that the person is with you
• The employee will then ask to talk to the person.

If the two of you are not together

If you do not have the opportunity to be together during the phone conversation, the person you need to help can first call Udbetaling Danmark and give you the power of attorney. Then you can call and discuss the matter.   

• The person on whose behalf you are calling on, must call Udbetaling Danmark before you call
• He or she must tell the employee that you must have a power of attorney
• The employee will send a written confirmation
• You can then call Udbetaling Danmark and discuss the matter  

Remember to enter the CPR number of the person on whose behalf you are calling on.

If you have student loan, remember to inform Udbetaling Danmark, Student Debt if you:

• start a new education program where you do not receive
• stop an education program where you do not receive SU
• extend your current education program where you do not receive SU
• move abroad and do not have Digital Post (digital mail service)

If you start a new education program where you receive SU, Udbetaling Danmark, Student Debt will automatically be notified, and you do not need to take any action.

If you are dissatisfied or wish to file a complaint regarding the calculation of your student loan

If you believe that the allocation and calculation of your student loan are not correct, you can submit a complaint to:

• Contact the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science

If you are dissatisfied or would like to file a complaint about the repayment plan

If you are unhappy with the amount you must pay, the duration of the repayment, fees, or similar issues, please feel free to contact Udbetaling Danmark.

If you disagree with a decision regarding your repayment plan, you have the option to file a complaint. Udbetaling Danmark must receive your complaint no later than 4 weeks after you have received the decision.

• The SU law (in Danish)