Adult education in Denmark
Adult education can equip adults with new skills, help you to advance in your working life or provide access to more education. Lifelong learning means you can build up new skills throughout your working life.
Some adult education programmes are targeted at people who are in work, while others are aimed at adults who wish to improve their basic skills, take single subjects or change their educational or career paths.
Can you take a programme of adult education in Denmark if you live in another Nordic country?
If you are a citizen of Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden, you can live, study and work in Denmark without a visa or residence permit.
You can in general apply for a programme of adult education in Denmark, but you must always examine the entry requirements for the specific programme, as these vary between educational areas. The requirements may, for example, relate to your age, previous education, work experience, Danish language skills, documentation or affiliation with Denmark.
Many programmes of adult education are offered part-time, as evening courses or as distance learning. This varies from programme to programme, and from provider to provider. You should therefore examine the specific offer before applying. Several of the offers are also relevant for unemployed people who wish to strengthen their skills and broaden their opportunities on the labour market.
What types of adult education are available in Denmark?
There are many different types of adult education in Denmark. Some programmes provide access to further education, while others are short courses that can be used in working life.
You can read more about the possibilities on the website of the Ministry of Education.
You can take general courses as an adult if you wish to strengthen your basic skills, or in order to meet the admission requirements for further education.
Such courses include:
- Preparatory adult education, FVU
- Adult dyslexic education, OBU
- General adult education, AVU
- HF single-subject programmes
FVU consists of five different offers: FVU start, FVU Danish, FVU mathematics, FVU digital and FVU English. With the exception of FVU start, the subjects are divided into stages, with the upper stages aimed at bringing the specific skills of the student up to the level of elementary school ninth grade. The individual stages of the courses may be completed with a proficiency assessment or an examination. FVU start is a programme for adults who speak Danish as a second language, and who wish to enhance their skills in Danish in order to participate in FVU mathematics or FVU Danish.
Adult dyslexic education is aimed at adults with dyslexia.
AVU offers the opportunity to improve one or more subjects at elementary school level, and is aimed at adults aged 25 and over.
HF single-subject programmes are for students who wish to take courses at primary or secondary school level.
Programmes of vocational adult and continuing education are often targeted at people who are already in work, or who wish to enhance their skills for the labour market.
Labour market education, AMU, is continuing education for people who work in skilled or unskilled jobs on the Danish labour market.
Persons with residence in Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden can attend AMU if the programme does not exist in their home country, or if they live close to Denmark and have a shorter distance to the Danish educational institution than to a corresponding school in their home country. If you live or work in Denmark, you meet the admission requirements for AMU.
Vocational education for Adults, EUV, is adult education that is targeted at persons aged 25 years or more who wish to take vocational training.
EUV differs from ordinary vocational training in that:
- It takes account of your work experience and previous education.
- The programme can therefore often be completed in a shorter period of time.
- The course is adapted to your specific prerequisites through an individual competence assessment (RKV).
You can also take programmes of supplementary and continuing education as an adult, including academy programmes, diploma programmes and Master’s programmes.
- Academy programmes typically build upon vocational education, an upper secondary school education or another kind of education at the same level.
- Diploma programmes typically build upon short or medium-cycle programmes of higher education.
- Master’s programmes typically build upon a Bachelor degree, a Professional Bachelor degree or another kind of higher education at the same level.
These courses are often offered on a part-time basis, and are as a rule targeted at people who have work experience or who are currently in work. There may be participation fees, and the admission requirements vary.
You can also take a course at a folk high school in Denmark. A folk high school is a form of school for adults where you typically live at the school, attend classes and participate in a community together with the other students. Folk high schools do not have examinations, and you do not usually have to meet particular academic entry requirements.
Folk high schools offer both short and long courses in many subjects, such as art, music, sports, society, nature, languages or preparation for further education. You usually pay for a stay at a folk high school yourself, but there may be opportunities for support or grants, depending on your situation.
How do you apply for a programme of adult education in Denmark?
You normally apply directly to the school or educational institution that offers the programme.
Before you apply, you should check:
- What admission requirements apply
- Whether the programme requires special subjects or documentation
- Whether the programme takes place physically, online or as distance learning
- Whether the programme is full-time or part-time
- What the programme costs
- Which application deadlines apply.
Application deadlines and admission requirements vary between the types of education and educational institutions.
How can you finance adult education in Denmark?
Participation fees may apply in some programmes of adult education. In other programmes, you can apply for financial support if you meet certain conditions.
The possibilities for support depend inter alia on the type of education, and on your citizenship, residence, work and connection to Denmark.
- SU (student grants): Some programmes may entitle you to receive State Education Support (SU), if you meet the relevant conditions. You must usually be a Danish citizen in order to receive SU, but foreign citizens can in some cases apply for equal treatment with Danish citizens, under EU rules or Danish rules. You can investigate your possibilities at SU.
- SVU: The State Adult Education Support (SVU) is a support scheme for adults who wish to continue their education or attend further education during working hours. In order to receive SVU, you must meet a number of conditions. The conditions depend, amongst other things, on the type of programme involved and on your age, work, citizenship, residence and previous education.
- VEU allowance: VEU allowance is financial support to attend AMU courses. To receive VEU allowance, you must meet certain conditions. Relevant factors include whether you are in work, whether the course takes place in your working hours, and whether you will lose part of your salary due to attending the course. If you live abroad or are a foreign citizen, you may be entitled to VEU allowance if you work for a Danish company in Denmark and meet the other conditions.
What should you pay special attention to if you live in another Nordic country?
If you live in another Nordic country and wish to take a programme of adult education in Denmark, you should in particular check the practical requirements for registration, attendance and documentation.
You should also investigate whether you can obtain support from Denmark, your country of residence or your employer. The rules depend on the type of education and your situation.
If you work in one country and live in another, social security rules may also affect your rights. This applies in particular if the programme is related to your work, or if you are receiving benefits.
Assessment of education and skills
Individual skills assessment, IKV, gives adults the opportunity to have the competencies they have gained through education, work or other experience assessed and recognised. The aim is to make the individual’s skills visible so that they can form the basis for seeking educational credit, an abbreviated programme or a targeted plan for further education.
If you have an education or work experience from another Nordic country, you should ask the educational institution how to document your qualifications when applying for admission. The educational institution will assess whether your examinations, single subject courses, work experience or other skills meet the admission requirements of the programme you are applying to enter.
In connection with academy programmes and diploma programmes, you can apply for prior learning assessment, PLA. PLA is an assessment of what you already know in relation to the content of a specific programme. You can use a prior learning assessment to apply for admission, even if you do not meet the formal admission requirements, or to assess whether you can be granted credit for parts of the programme.
Europass can help you to describe your skills, experience and qualifications in connection with educational programmes or work across borders.
Where can you obtain guidance on adult education in Denmark?
You can obtain guidance on education, jobs and careers at eVejledning. eVejledning is a public advice service that can help you to find relevant educational opportunities and understand your options.
You can also consult Uddannelsesguiden (The Education Guide) and Voksenuddannelse.dk to obtain an overview of educational programmes, admission requirements and providers.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.