Unemployment benefits for recent graduates
As a recent graduate, you may be entitled to unemployment benefits as a graduate, even if you have not yet had full-time employment. This is known as graduate entitlement to unemployment benefits.
You may be entitled to unemployment benefits based on your education if you:
- Have completed a state-supported education programme (SU-eligible) lasting at least 18 months.
- Were resident and staying in Denmark immediately before starting your education and no later than 14 days after completing it.
- Meet the language requirement.
- Notify us that you have completed your education no later than 14 days after graduation.
You can find the form here.
When am I entitled to unemployment benefits?
You may be eligible for unemployment benefits from the day after you complete your education if you have been a continuous member of CA for at least one year before graduating.
If you have not been a member for at least one year, you will become eligible for unemployment benefits as a recent graduate one month after completing your education.
Important: You can only receive unemployment benefits from the date you register as unemployed on Jobnet.dk and make yourself available for full-time work as an employee.
How long can I receive unemployment benefits?
You are entitled to receive unemployment benefits for 1,924 hours within a two-year period.
A total of 1,924 hours corresponds to one year of unemployment benefits at the full benefit rate.
How much can I receive in unemployment benefits as a recent graduate?
The amount of unemployment benefits you can receive as a recent graduate depends on your age and whether you have dependent children.
| Your situation | Rate per month - first 3 months | Rate per month - after the first 3 months |
| With dependent children (child under 18) | 18,074,- kr. | 18,074,- kr. |
| Without dependent children, age 30 or above. | 15,759,- kr. | 13,690,- kr. |
| Without dependent children, under 30 | 15,759,- kr. | 10,838,- kr. |
All amounts are shown before tax and are based on full-time unemployment insurance membership and entitlement through education alone.
We automatically retrieve your tax information from the Danish Tax Agency (Skattestyrelsen), so make sure your tax card is up to date.
- If you turn 30 during your benefit period, your rate will increase to 13,690 from the first day of the month following your birthday.
- If you become a parent, your rate will increase to 18,074 from the first day of the month following your child's birth.
Get your benefit rate recalculated
Whether you have dependent children or not, you may be eligible for an individual—and potentially higher—benefit rate if:
- You have received salary payments for at least 3 months after completing your education, and
- at least 6 months have passed since you completed your education.
Student job, part-time jobs and unemployment benefits
Be careful about resigning from your student job yourself. As a general rule, this will result in a 3-week waiting period (111 hours) before you can receive unemployment benefits.
If you are able to keep your student job, you may be eligible for supplementary unemployment benefits if you work fewer than 145 hours per month.
Please note that you must meet the requirements for supplementary unemployment benefits.
FAQ – Questions other recent graduates ask
What is my exact graduation date?
You are considered to have completed your education on the date you receive your final grade. If your programme includes a bachelor's thesis or master's thesis, it is the date on which your supervisor and/or examiner signs off on the assessment.
The 14-day deadline is calculated from this date.
What happens if I miss the 14-day deadline?
If you miss the deadline by even one day, you will lose your entitlement to unemployment benefits based on your education.
To qualify for unemployment benefits instead, you must meet the general requirements. This means that you must:
have been a member of an unemployment insurance fund for at least one year, and
have earned at least DKK 286,632 before tax within the past three years.
You can count a maximum of DKK 23,886 before tax per month towards this income requirement, and only income earned during periods when you were a member of an unemployment insurance fund can be included.
Student grants (SU) do not count as income towards the requirement.
Can I take holiday while receiving unemployment benefits as a recent graduate?
You cannot receive unemployment benefits while you are on holiday.
However, you become entitled to holiday benefits from your first payment of unemployment benefits from CA.
You may also choose to take unpaid holiday, but you must notify both Jobnet and CA no later than 14 days before your holiday begins.