VEU allowance for occupation oriented adult and further education

VEU allowance is financial support for which you qualify if you participate in vocational adult and continuing education. You can receive a VEU allowance if you are not paid while taking the course. If you receive a salary, it is your employer that can get the allowance.

In order to get the VEU allowance, there are a number of conditions that must be met.

Subsidies for transport

You can also get subsidies for transport for the distance between your residence and the course location.

You can find more information here:

• Read about subsidies for transport (in Danish)

• Read about VEU allowance and transport subsidies at veug.dk (in Danish )  

You must fulfil seven conditions in order to receive VEU allowance and transport subsidy. If the conditions are met and you are not paid a salary during the course, the VEU allowance will be paid to you.If you are paid a salary during the course, the allowance is paid to your employer.

You can read more about the seven conditions for receiving VEU allowance here.

1. You must participate in the course

You can get a VEU allowance for the hours that the school registers for your participation.

2. You must have a salary loss

The purpose of the VEU allowance is to compensate for the salary loss that you have while taking the course. Whether you qualify for VEU allowance depends on whether the course activities take place during your working hours or in your free time. 

You can get an allowance: If the course activities take place during your working hours and you do not receive pay for those hours. You can only receive the VEU allowance for hours where you would otherwise have been working. 

You can not get an allowance: If all lessons are during your free time, i.e. time where you are normally off work (for example during weekends or in the evenings). This is because you will not lose any pay. In exceptional cases, you may qualify for VEU allowance if your employer grants you time off at a different time where you would have been working, resulting in a loss of pay.

Variable working hours: If your working hours vary and you therefore do not know your working hours for the days you are attending the course, you must calculate your working hours based on an average of the last 3 to 4 months.

3. You must be in employment

You must be in employment. This means that you are employed as a salaried employee or are self-employed in a company with a Danish CVR number.

Your employment must be genuine and real: This means that, in addition to attending the course, you perform regular work in the company. Your employment is not genuine and real if you are only employed by the company to receive VEU allowance. For example, if you are dismissed and subsequently enrol in a course that ends after your last day of work, and your employment is extended in order to receive VEU allowance. 

If you are employed in a flexijob or in a job rotation scheme without wage subsidisation: You qualify for VEU allowance, as you are considered to be in employment. You will receive VEU allowance for the hours you normally work.

If you have a part-time job and get supplemental unemployment benefits on the side: You can only receive VEU allowance for the number of course hours that you would normally work. The VEU allowance may affect your supplementary unemployment benefits.

You are not considered to be in employment if you are:

• in the midst of a guidance and upskilling process
• in a job training scheme (virksomhedspraktik)
• in a wage-subsidised job for those on a disability pension (skånejob)

If you are a foreign citizen or living abroad: You can receive VEU allowance as long as you work for a Danish company in Denmark. Companies in Greenland or the Faroe Islands are not comprised by the rules on VEU allowance and transport subsidies.

4. Employment 14 days before or after the course

To qualify for a VEU allowance, you must have been employed by the same employer for 14 days in connection with the course. This period can be either 14 days before the course, 14 days after the course, or a combination of both - for example, 7 days before and 7 days after.

5. Your study programme cannot be at a higher level than vocational training

If you have a higher education degree, you can only receive VEU allowance if you fulfil two conditions:

• If you have not completed your education within the last 5 years.
• If you have not used your education in the last 5 years.

The 5-year requirement does not apply if you are taking a course in the social and health care field – however, this does not include Træningsskolens Arbejdsmarkedsuddannelser (labour market educational centre) where the requirement still applies.

6. You are not receiving public benefits

You cannot get a VEU allowance at the same time as you are receiving public benefits such as welfare benefits.

7. As a general rule, you must not be enrolled in a vocational training programme

The course is part of your vocational training: You cannot receive VEU allowance for courses that are part of your vocational training. In that case, your employer is obliged to pay your salary during the course.

The course is not part of your vocational training: You can receive VEU allowance if the course is not part of your vocational training. This is because your employer is not obliged to pay your salary during the course. In such cases, to qualify you still need to meet the other conditions for receiving a VEU allowance.

If your employer pays your salary during the course, you do not qualify for VEU allowance. Your employer may be entitled to VEU allowance if you receive a salary that is at least equivalent to the unemployment benefit rate.

You can get a VEU allowance and transport subsidy for a number of courses and study programmes, for example, labour market study programmes (Arbejdsmarkedsuddannelser/AMU programmes).

Find courses with VEU allowance

In Uddannelsesguiden (the study programme guide) you can read more about which study programmes are covered by the VEU scheme.

• View study programmes that qualify for a VEU allowance (in Danish)

The VEU allowance and transport subsidy have fixed rates, as shown in the table:

 VEU allowance corresponds to the unemployment benefit rate. 

Maximum limits

You can at most get a VEU allowance for:

• 37 hours per week, but no more than your normal working hours
• The same course three times in the same calendar year
• A total of 10 weeks (370 hours) of courses in the same calendar year.

You can maximum receive a transport subsidy for either:

• 576 km per day for daily transport or
• a maximum of 400 km per journey to and from a course with accommodation.

If your salary is lower than the allowance

For salary during the course: If your employer pays your salary during the course, the salary must correspond at least to the allowance. This applies even if your normal salary is lower. 

No salary during the course: You can apply for VEU allowance if your employer does not pay your salary during the course. The VEU allowance is paid at the applicable rate, regardless of your normal hourly pay.

If there are disagreements, this is a matter between you and your employer.

VEU allowance is only granted for lessons that fall within your normal working hours, unless your working hours have changed so that you are off work at a different time.

You should be aware of two things regarding allowance:

• Participation: You will only be reimbursed for the hours during which you attend the course. However, this only applies to hours that fall within your normal working hours. The school records both your attendance and absence when you are on a course.

• Cancellation of lessons: You can receive VEU allowance and transport subsidy for the first day on which lessons are cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances at the school, such as illness on the part of the teacher.

You pay tax and ATP contributions on the VEU allowance, but not on the transport subsidy. 

Select tax card when applying for VEU allowance

You or your employer can choose a tax card when applying for VEU allowance. You can choose to use either your primary tax card or secondary tax card when the money is paid out:

• Primary tax card: You will receive a deduction per course day.
• Secondary tax card: You pay tax on the entire VEU allowance.

You can find more information about your tax card and guidance on how to understand your tax card on the Danish tax authorities' website:

• the Danish tax authorities' website

Arbejdsgivernes Uddannelsesbidrag (AUB) calculates your VEU allowance based on 3 factors:

• The information you provide when applying and signing up
• How much you participate in the course
• Information about your income from the Danish Tax Agency. 

You can apply for VEU allowance and, if applicable, a transport subsidy when you sign up for an AMU course. 

VEU allowance is only granted for lessons that fall within your normal working hours, unless your working hours have changed so that you are off work at a different time. 

• Sign up for AMU course and apply for VEU allowance

If you or your employer have stated that you are participating in part of the course in your free time, you must report your working hours to the Employers' Reimbursement System (AUB). You cannot provide us with the information until the school has reported your attendance. AUB cannot process your application for a VEU allowance for the course until you have sent the information.

If you or your employer have stated that you are participating in part of the course in your free time, you must report your working hours to the Employers' Reimbursement System (AUB). You cannot provide us with the information until the school has reported your attendance. AUB cannot process your application for a VEU allowance for the course until you have sent the information. 

If you are a citizen in an EU/EEA country, you can use your national eID. Your national eID has to be connected to your Danish Civil Registration Number (CPR number) before you can log in.

• Connect your non-Danish eID to your Danish Civil Registration Number
• What is a CPR number?

The money will be transferred automatically to your NemKonto

If you have applied and meet the conditions for getting a VEU allowance, then you will automatically get the money paid to your NemKonto as the course progresses. This means that you will normally get the money paid out over multiple rounds.

You will be notified of the amount in Digital Post

You will receive a letter in Digital Post stating the exact amount you will be paid.

Self-employed persons may receive VEU allowance if they fulfil the general conditions. 

Tax and ATP contributions for VEU allowance

You should be aware of two things in connection with VEU allowance:

• Taxes and ATP contributions will be deducted from the VEU allowance if you have a one-man business.
• Your tax card must be active. Otherwise you will pay 55 per cent tax.

You are considered self-employed if you have a CVR number

Generally speaking, you are considered as self-employed when you have a CVR number.

Have you been dismissed or have you resigned?

You can receive VEU allowance after your notice period if the course fulfils two conditions:

• Your employer must have accepted your participation in the course before you were dismissed or resigned from your position.
• The course starts in continuation of your notice period. That is, the day after your notice period ends.

Are you already attending or about to attend a course?

You can receive VEU allowance if you are already attending or about to attend a course while still employed. There are two conditions that must be fulfilled:

• The course extends beyond your notice period.
• You were accepted or enrolled in the course before you were dismissed or resigned from your position.

Are you garden leave?

You can only receive VEU allowance if your salary is reduced as a result of your participation in the course. Therefore, this does not apply if:

• You are on paid garden leave.
• You receive standby pay.

You cannot receive VEU allowance while you are participating in a lawfully notified strike, lockout, or blockade.

If you have been paid too much in VEU allowance and/or transport subsidy, the money must be paid back. This could be, for example:

• If AUB receives new information about your absence or income.
• If the information in your application is incorrect.You will receive a payment order if you need to make a repayment.

If you need to pay back money, you will get a payment order via Betalingsservice/PBS.If you do not pay it back on time, AUB will start a debt collection process via the courts.

You must immediately correct your information if there are any changes or if it is incorrect. If the information you have provided in your application for VEU allowance and transport subsidy proves to be incorrect, or if you do not correct the error, you risk losing your VEU allowance or having to repay it.

How to correct your information

You can make corrections directly in the application on VoksenUddannelse.dk. 

Please feel free to contact AUB if you need guidance.

If you are dissatisfied, please feel free to contact AUB. If you disagree with a decision, you may appeal it. AUB must receive your complaint no later than 4 weeks after you have received the decision.

• If you are unsatisfied or wish to complain - AUB

Here you can read more about the legislation governing VEU allowance:

• Danish Consolidated Act on allowances and subsidies when participating in vocational adult and continuing education (in Danish)
• Executive Order on allowances and subsidies when participating in vocational adult and continuing education (in Danish)
• Executive Order on the administration of allowances and subsidies when participating in vocational adult and continuing education (in Danish)

If you have questions about the payment of your VEU allowance, you can contact The Employers’ Reimbursement System (AUB).

• Contact Arbejdsgivernes Uddannelsesbidrag (AUB)