Study in Denmark from India

Studying in Denmark from India: 10 things to know

Denmark suits Indian students who want English-taught master’s and full-time summer work, but new rules apply from 1 Oct 2026: tuition is about EUR 6,000–16,000 a year, no family can come, and the job-seeking permit is 1 year.

1. New rules from 1 October 2026. If the student applies for the residence permit on or after 1 Oct 2026 (bachelor's, professional bachelor's, academy profession or master's), no spouse, partner or children can come as accompanying family. The job-seeking permit after graduating is 1 year (it was 3 years). PhD students are not affected.
2. The non-EU master's deadline is usually 15 January, not 1 March. It is 15 January at KU, AU, AAU, CBS, DTU and RUC, 1 February at SDU (programme checked) and 1 March at ITU. 1 March is the EU deadline. Bachelor's: apply on optagelse.dk by 15 March, 12 noon CET.
3. Tuition: about EUR 6,000–16,000 a year (Study in Denmark). Master's examples: KU DKK 100,000 or 130,000; AU EUR 13,000 or 17,300; DTU EUR 15,000 (a revision is announced); AAU about EUR 15,490; CBS EUR 16,000; ITU EUR 16,500; SDU EUR 15,000; RUC EUR 8,700–18,000 (2025/26). Application fees are EUR 100–165 per university. Danish Government Scholarships (tuition waivers and/or living grants) are few and awarded by each university.
4. 3-year degrees (information only). Denmark's Agency for Higher Education and Science assesses a 3-year BA/BSc/BCom (Pass) as "2 years of a Bachelor's degree". It assesses a 3-year Honours degree and a 4-year BE as a bachelor's. AU and AAU require a bachelor's equal to a Danish one (180 ECTS); each university decides. Confirm with the university before applying with a 3-year Pass degree.
5. Funds: DKK 7,426 a month (2026), at most DKK 89,112 for 12 months. Show it in a bank statement in the student's own name, no more than 30 days old; a parent's statement is refused. A granted scholarship or student loan also counts. Paid first-semester tuition counts as proof of funds on its own.
6. Residence permit (ST1): DKK 3,060, normally 2 months (up to 3). The university fills in part 1 and the student fills in part 2 online. Biometrics are taken at a VFS Global centre in India within 14 days. A D visa lets the student travel once the permit is granted.
7. Work: 90 hours a month from September to May and full-time in June, July and August. Since 1 July 2024 this replaces the old 20-hours-a-week rule.
8. After graduating: during the job-seeking permit the student keeps the same 90 hours. A work permit without limitations (DKK 840) allows full-time work after a bachelor's or master's. The Establishment Card was abolished on 1 April 2023. Work routes:

• Pay Limit Scheme: DKK 552,000 a year.
• Supplementary Pay Limit Scheme: DKK 446,000 a year; the job must be advertised on Jobnet and EURES for 2 weeks.
• Positive List for People with a Higher Education: a salary at Danish standards.

How do Danish universities and master’s degrees work?

A Danish master’s (candidatus) takes 2 years (120 ECTS), and September is the main intake. Part-time, private, non-state-approved and working-professionals programmes do not give the full post-study route.

• Types: universities (research-based bachelor's, master's and PhDs), university colleges and business academies (academy profession and professional bachelor's degrees), artistic institutions and maritime schools.
• Degrees: academy profession (AP) 2–2½ years; professional bachelor's 3–4½ years; university bachelor's 3 years (180 ECTS); master's (candidatus) 2 years (120 ECTS); PhD 3 years. From 2028, universities add one-year master's (75 ECTS) and part-time master's for working professionals.
• Courses that do not lead to a study permit or a post-study route:
• part-time study (no permit);
• private institutions and private programmes;
• non-state-approved programmes (applied from 2 May 2025): no work permit, no family, no job-seeking permit;
• master's for working professionals (erhvervskandidat, work-integrated): only a 6-month job-seeking permit;
• masteruddannelse, Executive MBA and Executive Masters, certificates;
• RUC programmes "open for admission for students with a legal right of admission only".

An academy profession degree gives only a 6-month job-seeking permit and no work permit without limitations.

• Language: "more than 500" English-taught programmes. English-taught degree places have been cut at business academies and university colleges since 2021. KU's bachelor's are all taught in Danish. Most jobs are easier to get with Danish; Danish lessons are free (DKK 2,000 deposit).
• Admission: master's places are limited (AU, AAU). A university's own bachelor's graduates have a legal right of admission. Bachelor's places with too many applicants are filled in quota 1 (grade average) and quota 2 (the institution's own criteria). Indian school certificates go through quota 2.
• Grading: a 7-point scale from -3 to 12; the pass grade is 02.
• Intakes: September is the main intake; a few programmes start in February.

Can I apply with an Indian degree, and is a 3-year bachelor’s accepted?

Not always: Denmark assesses a 3-year Pass degree as only 2 years of a Danish bachelor’s, while a 3-year Honours degree or a 4-year BE counts as a bachelor’s. KU and AU want IELTS 6.5 (6 in each part).

• Master's: a recognised bachelor's equal to a Danish bachelor's (180 ECTS) at AU and AAU, plus the programme's subject requirements. DTU wants a BSc Eng, BEng or BSc that is less than 10 years old. A 3-year Pass degree is assessed below a Danish bachelor's (key fact 4).
• Marks: no minimum percentage or conversion for Indian degrees is published; each programme judges grades in the awarding university's system. No rule on backlogs is published.
• Final-year students: AU and AAU assess the transcript so far. DTU wants the final degree documents by 15 July.
• Documents (AU):
• the official diploma and transcript;
• the grading scale;
• descriptions of every course;
• language proof;
• the fee receipt.

Documents not in English or a Scandinavian language must be translated by the university or an authorised translator. A Danish level assessment is not needed to apply (it is free and takes up to 2 months).

• English: IELTS Academic 6.5 with 6 in each part (KU, AU). TOEFL iBT 83 (20 each) on the old scale; on the new scale, 4.5 with 4.5 in each part at KU and 4.0 in each part at AU. No waiver for an English-medium Indian degree at KU or AU. AU does not accept PTE or Duolingo. Language proof is due by the application deadline.
• Bachelor's from Class XII: CBSE, ISC and state-board certificates meet the minimum for academy profession and professional bachelor's programmes. University bachelor's normally need supplementary courses.

How do I apply to a Danish university?

You apply on each university’s own portal, and the non-EU master’s deadline is usually 15 January (1 February at SDU, 1 March at ITU). Application fees are EUR 100–165 per university.

• Master's: apply on each university's portal. Portals open between 1 November (AU) and mid-December (AAU, CBS).
• Application fees (non-EU):
• KU DKK 1,120 (about EUR 150), deducted from tuition;
• AU EUR 150, refunded if you enrol;
• AAU EUR 150, non-refundable;
• CBS EUR 150;
• DTU EUR 100 (2 programmes);
• ITU EUR 150;
• RUC EUR 165.
• Results: KU by 13 March; AAU 10 April (accept by 20 April); offers often carry short acceptance deadlines (ITU 3–5 working days).
• Scholarships: KU and AU consider every eligible applicant automatically (AU: only those who apply by 15 January). CBS needs a personal statement by 15 January.
• Bachelor's: optagelse.dk, up to 8 priorities, a signed signature page per programme, answer on 28 July.

How much does it cost, and how much money must I show?

Tuition is about EUR 6,000–16,000 a year, and you must show DKK 7,426 a month (at most DKK 89,112) in your own name; paid first-semester tuition counts as proof of funds on its own.

• Tuition payment:
• KU charges per semester; the first is due 15 April;
• AAU charges the first two semesters together by 20 April;
• DTU's payment deadline is 1 May;
• SDU charges a full year ahead.

Fees are "subject to change, also for enrolled students" (AU).

• Refunds: KU gives a full refund to new students until 31 July, and later if the permit is refused. KU refunds go to the original payer only. The payer bears bank fees.
• Funds: DKK 7,426 a month, at most DKK 89,112, in your own name; paid first-semester tuition counts (key fact 5). Whether an Indian education-loan sanction letter is accepted is not stated: confirm with SIRI before applying.
• Living costs: rent DKK 3,000–6,500 and food DKK 2,000–3,500 a month (national guide). Copenhagen costs EUR 1,280–1,800 a month, with rents DKK 4,000–10,000.
• No Danish student grant (SU) for third-country students; permit holders may not take housing benefit or social benefits.
• Tax: under the "student rule" a student taxed at home becomes fully tax-liable in Denmark after 365 days; a tax card and CPR number are needed to work.

How do I get a Danish student visa from India?

You need a residence permit for studies (ST1), decided by SIRI: DKK 3,060, normally 2 months (up to 3), with biometrics at a VFS Global centre in India, then a D visa to travel.

• Residence permit for studies (ST1), decided by SIRI. You must be admitted first. Fee DKK 3,060; pay the embassy fee online before VFS. Fees are not refunded on refusal.
• Where: the VFS Global Denmark centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Cochin, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad. Fees are paid in cash at the centre; outside Delhi a courier charge of EUR 4 applies. Everyone attends in person.
• Documents:
• the fee receipt;
• copies of every passport page, including blank pages and covers;
• proof of funds;
• for applicants under 18, both parents' consent.

The language condition is being able to follow teaching. No health insurance or medical certificate is on SIRI's list.

• Processing: 2 months, up to 3. CBS warns that the permit may not arrive before study start. With a D visa you travel and receive the residence card by post at your CPR address.
• Refusal: appeal to the Immigration Appeals Board within 8 weeks, or apply again.
• Family: none for permit applications from 1 Oct 2026, except PhD students. Transition: if the student applied before 1 Oct 2026, the spouse or partner must also have applied before that date; children can still apply. Where family is allowed, it needs DKK 7,426 per person a month and DKK 3,080 per application, and family members may work.

When should I start preparing?

Start about 12 months before a September intake: portals open from 1 November, most master’s deadlines are 15 January, and the ST1 permit takes 2–3 months.

Can I work while studying, and what happens on arrival?

You can work 90 hours a month from September to May and full-time in June to August. Register for a CPR number within 5 days of having an address, and do not travel without a room.

• Registration: CPR registration at an International Citizen Service centre (Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense) within 5 days of having an address, with your residence permit. The CPR number is needed for a bank account, the health card and salary.
• Health: free public care after CPR registration (not dental care or physiotherapy). The yellow health insurance card arrives 2–3 weeks after registration. Before registration only emergency care is free. Liability, accident and contents insurance are recommended.
• Housing: universities have little on-campus housing, and finding a room is "rather difficult" in the big cities in August and September. Do not travel without a room. KU's Housing Foundation helps; SDU guarantees housing in three of its four campus cities. Landlords may ask for 3 months' deposit plus 3 months' prepaid rent.
• Housing scams: never pay in cash or by Western Union; view the place first; check the owner at boligejer.dk.
• Work: 90 hours a month (September–May), full-time in June–August. A mandatory internship gets a full-time permit. Breaking the limit brings a warning, a fine or revocation, and blocks permanent residence for years. No statutory minimum wage was found.
• Keep the permit:
• take an active part in your studies;
• the permit can be extended by at most 1 year;
• a new programme needs a new permit (you may start while SIRI decides);
• the permit lapses if you stay abroad more than 6 months in a row.
• Travel: within Schengen up to 90 days in any 180; no work in other Schengen countries.
• Emergency: 112; police 114.

Can I stay and work in Denmark after graduating?

Yes, for a limited time: a 1-year job-seeking permit if your study permit was applied for from 1 Oct 2026 (3 years if before), then a work route such as the Pay Limit Scheme (DKK 552,000).

• Job-seeking permit:
• 1 year if the study permit was applied for from 1 Oct 2026; 3 years if before;
• PhD: 3 years; AP degree: 6 months;
• the same 90-hour limit applies, or full-time with a work permit without limitations (DKK 840);
• it cannot be extended;
• it gives no right to unemployment benefits.
• With a job:
• Pay Limit DKK 552,000;
• Supplementary Pay Limit DKK 446,000 (the job advertised on Jobnet and EURES);
• Positive List for People with a Higher Education (e.g. IT roles that need 3 years of IT education at bachelor level);
• fee DKK 6,810 for each.
• Collective Agreement Scheme from 1 Jan 2027: DKK 322,000 a year, for citizens of 16 countries that have not been named. Confirm with SIRI whether India is included.
• Establishment Card: abolished on 1 April 2023.
• Permanent residence: after 8 years (4 if all supplementary conditions are met). It also needs Danish test 2 and 3 years 6 months of full-time work in the last 4 years. Fee DKK 7,570.
• Citizenship: normally 9 years' residence. Denmark allows multiple citizenship, but Indian citizenship ends on taking another citizenship.
• Professions: regulated professions need authorisation. The quota for doctors and nurses is 0 until 31 Dec 2026.
• Back in India: AIU equivalence (online).

Common mistakes Indian students make

The costliest mistakes: applying by the EU deadline (1 March) instead of 15 January, planning to bring a spouse or children, and showing a parent’s bank statement or one older than 30 days.

1. Applying by the EU deadline (1 March) instead of 15 January.
2. Planning to bring a spouse or children: not possible for permit applications from 1 Oct 2026 (except PhD).
3. Expecting a 3-year post-study stay: it is 1 year for applications from 1 Oct 2026.
4. Showing a parent's bank statement, or one older than 30 days.
5. A 3-year Pass degree, which is assessed as only 2 years of a Danish bachelor's.
6. Relying on an English-medium degree, PTE or Duolingo instead of IELTS or TOEFL (KU, AU).
7. Missing a tuition deadline (KU 15 April; AAU 20 April for two semesters; DTU 1 May).
8. A non-state-approved, part-time or working-professionals programme (no full post-study route).
9. Working more than 90 hours in a month from September to May.
10. Arriving in August without a room, or paying a deposit in cash or by Western Union.
11. Staying abroad more than 6 months in a row (the permit lapses).
12. Counting on the Establishment Card (abolished).