If you have a student loan

Everything you need to know about your student loan: how to start repaying it, repayment options, interests and fees.

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Understanding your student loan repayment schedule

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

Your first payment will be due in January of the calendar year following the year you finish your education. For example, if you complete your education in June 2021, you will begin repaying your loan in January 2025.

Udbetaling Danmark will notify you about your repayment schedule through a series of letters: 

  1. May: Seven months before your first payment is due, you will receive an initial letter providing an early notification about the upcoming repayment.
  2. October: Three months before your first payment, you will receive a second letter that includes a detailed payment plan and the date of your first payment.
  3. December: You will receive a third letter with a payment slip to use for making 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.

The size of your student loan affects both the total amount you need to repay and the length of your repayment period.

Here are the key points to remember:

  • Repayment period: You will typically have between 7 to 15 years to repay your loan.
  • Minimum payment: Each instalment must be at least 200 DKK.

When it’s time to start repaying your loan, you will receive a detailed payment plan in your Digital Post. This letter will outline the exact amount you need to pay and the duration of your repayment period.

To view your student loan details and payment plan at any time, use our self-service solution, "Your student debt." Simply click "Start" at the top of this page to access it.

Choosing your payment schedule

By default, student loan payments are due every other month. However, you can choose to pay every month if that suits you better.

To adjust your payment schedule, log in to the self-service portal "Your student debt" by clicking the "Start" button at the top of this page.

You can begin repaying your student loan even before receiving a payment slip from Udbetaling Danmark. During this time, you have the flexibility to choose how much and how often you want to pay.

To Get Started:

  1. Contact Udbetaling Danmark: Reach out to set up an installment plan.
  2. Choose a payment method: You can make payments using a debit card, MobilePay, or bank transfer.

To Make a one-ime payment:

  1. Click the "Start" button at the top of this page.
  2. Log in to the self-service portal using your MitID.
  3. Go to "Your student debt" and select your payment method and amount.

Paying back student loan while living outside of Denmark

If you're planning to move abroad and have a student loan to manage, there are three essential steps you need to take to ensure everything runs smoothly.

1. Keep you MitID active 

What it involves: Keeping your MitID active allows you to access your personal information in Denmark and manage your student loan online.

Why it is important: Maintaining an active MitID ensures that you can log in to online platforms and self-service solutions related to your loan and access important information and services. If your MitID expires or becomes inactive, you might face difficulties in managing your loan or accessing updates.

2. Update your address

What it involves: When you move abroad, you need to notify the Danish Civil Registration System (CPR) and Udbetaling Danmark of your new address. This is crucial because it ensures that you receive all important documents and communications related to your loan, such as payment reminders, updates, and policy changes.

Why it's important: If your address isn’t updated, you might miss critical information, which could lead to missed payments or misunderstandings about your loan status. Ensuring your address is current helps prevent these issues and keeps you informed about any changes and requirements.

3. Ensure you remain subscribed to Digital Post 

What it involves: Ensuring that you are subscribed to Digital Post means you will receive important notifications and updates related to your student loan electronically.

Why it's important: Staying subscribed to Digital Post ensures that you don’t miss any essential communications, such as changes in loan terms, payment deadlines, or other critical information. It helps you stay on top of your responsibilities even while living abroad.

If you are living abroad and need to repay your student loan, please follow these guidelines to ensure your payment is processed correctly:

1. Currency and payment amount 

  • Currency: You can pay your  loan in any currency. However, the amount you send must cover the equivalent of what you owe in Danish kroner (DKK). 
  • Total costs: Remember to add any bank or transfer fees to your payment, so the total amount received by Udbetaling Danmark is correct.

2. Payment deadline

Due date: Ensure that your payment is received by Udbetaling Danmark no later than the 8th of each month. 

3. Payment methods 

From abroad: If you are paying from a foreign bank, use the following details:

  • IBAN Number: DK88 0216 4069 2110 03 (This IBAN is specifically for SU loan repayments.)
  • BIC/SWIFT Code: DABADKKK
  • Bank: Danske Bank, Holmens Kanal 2-12, 1092 Copenhagen K
  • Reference: Include your CPR number as the reference for your payment. This helps Udbetaling Danmark match the payment to your account.

4. Danish online banking users 

Betalingsservice: If you have a Danish online banking account, you can set up your payments through Betalingservice. Log in to your online banking service to enroll your payment. 

For more details or to manage your payments. log into the self-service solution by clicking 'start' at the top of this page. 

If you have difficulties making payments

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 instalment: You can apply to have your instalment 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.

Interests and fees on student loan

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 November 1, 2024, the discount rate is 2.85 percent.
  • The additional percentage is currently 1 percent.

This means that you are currently paying 3.85 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 interest rate on SU loans fell to 3.85 percent on November 1, 2024.

The interest rate affects the repayment period for your student loan

When the interest rate on your student loan decreases, your monthly payment remains the same, but your repayment period becomes shorter. This means you will pay off your loan faster because a larger portion of your payment goes towards repaying the loan rather than the interest.

Conversely, when the interest rate on your student loan increases, your monthly payment also remains the same, but your repayment period becomes longer. This means it will take longer to pay off your loan because a larger portion of your payment goes towards covering the higher interest costs.

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.

The interest rate on student loan is 4 % when you are in education. When you have completed your education, the interest rate can vary as follows: As of 1/11 2008, the interest rate was 5.5 %. As of 1/12 2008, the interest rate was 5 %. As of 1/1 2009, the interest rate was 4.5 %. As of 1/2 2009, the interest rate was 3.75 %. As of 1/4 2009, the interest rate was 3 %. As of 1/5 2009, the interest rate was 2.75%. As of 1/6 2009, the interest rate was 2.4 %. As of 1/7 2009, the interest rate was 2.2 %. As of 1/9 2009, the interest rate was 2 %. As of 1/2 2010, the interest rate was 1.75 %. As of 1/5 2011, the interest rate was 2 %. As of 1/8 2011, the interest rate was 2.25 %. As of 1/12 2011, the interest rate was 2 %. As of 1/1 2012, the interest rate was 1.75 %. As of 1/7 2012, the interest rate was 1.25 %. From 1/8 2012 to 1/10 2022, the interest rate was 1 %. As of 1/10 2022, the interest rate was 1.65 %. As of 1/11 2022, the interest rate was 2.25 %. As of 1/1 2023, the interest rate was 2.75 %. As of 1/3 2023, the interest rate was 3.1 %. As of 1/4 2024, the interest rate was 3.6 %. As of 1/6 2023, the interest rate was 3.85 %. As of 1/7 2023, the interest rate was 4.1 %. As of 1/8 2023, the interest rate was 4.35 %. As of 1/10 2023, the interest rate was 4.60 %. As of 1/7 2024, the interest rate was 4.35 %. As of 1/10 2024, the interest rate was 4.10 %. As of 1/11 2024, the interest rate was 3.85 %.

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 instalment 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.

Pay with Betalingsservice, Mobilepay or your debit card

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 instalments, pay an optional amount, or settle the entire debt.

Other subjects

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.

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:

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.

Contact Udbetaling Danmark, Student Debt

Last updated: 08 November 2024