Child allowance in Denmark
This article provides information about two types of benefits for families with children: child and youth benefit, and child allowance.
Child and youth benefit is a payment that you receive for each of your children until they reach the age of 18.
In certain circumstances you may have the right to child allowance, for example if you are a single parent, pensioner, student or trainee, the parent of children from a multiple birth, or an adoptive parent.
Child and youth benefit in Denmark
Child and youth benefit, also known as the “child cheque” (or family allowance), is a payment you receive for each of your children until they reach the age of 18. The amount you receive depends on the age of your child, how long you have been earning the right to Danish family benefits, and your income.
You can read more about child and youth benefit at borger.dk.
You have the right to child and youth benefit if:
- You have custody of your child
- Your child is less than 18 years of age
- Your child lives in Denmark
- You live in Denmark
- You are fully liable to pay tax in Denmark
- Your child is not receiving social benefits
- You have lived or worked in Denmark, the Faroe Islands or Greenland for at least six of the last ten years, or have earned the right to family benefits in other EU/EEA countries or Switzerland. If you have received child and youth benefit before 1 January 2018 and are still entitled to it, you are instead covered by an accrual principle of two years. This means that you must have lived or worked in Denmark for at least two of the last ten years.
There may be situations in which you are not entitled to the child and youth benefit, even though you meet the above conditions. In some cases, your child and youth benefit may also be stopped for a period of time. You can read more at borger.dk.
Child benefit is paid quarterly in advance. When your child reaches the age of 15, you will receive youth benefit instead of child benefit. Youth benefit is paid every month in arrears.
If the child's parents live together and have joint custody, half the child and youth benefit is paid to each parent.
If the child's parents do not live together, the child and youth benefit can either be paid to one parent, or divided equally between both parents.
At borger.dk, you can read about what to do if you wish to change how the child and youth benefit is paid, or if you do not agree with the payments.
You can find the current child and youth benefit rates at borger.dk, as well as information about when the amount may be reduced because of your income.
Child and youth benefit is paid automatically if you live in Denmark and are covered by the social security system in Denmark. You must apply for the benefit if you:
- Live in Denmark and work in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland
- Work in Denmark and live in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland
- Move to Denmark from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland
- Are Danish and have moved back to Denmark.
You can read more at borger.dk.
Child allowance
In certain circumstances you may have the right to child allowance. This applies:
- If you are a single parent
- If you have children from a multiple birth
- If you are a pensioner
- If you are studying
- If a paternity case is in progress or the child’s father is unknown
- If one or both parents have died, or
- If you adopt a child.
Different conditions apply to each of these situations. As a general rule, child allowance is paid after prior application. You can read about child allowance at borger.dk.
Family benefits abroad
If you live in another Nordic country and work exclusively in Denmark, you will in general be covered by the Danish social security system and will be entitled to family benefits from Denmark. This requires that you meet the other conditions listed above.
If the child's other parent works in the country where you live, you should receive family benefits in that country. If Danish family benefits are higher than the benefits in the country where you live, Denmark will pay the difference. If the Danish benefit is lower than in the country where you are living, you will not receive family benefits from Denmark.
If you live in Denmark and work exclusively in another Nordic country, you will in general be covered by the social security system in the country where you work. As a rule, this means that you have the right to family benefits from the country where you work. You should contact the authorities in the country where you work to ask them to advise you about the rules.
If the child's other parent works in Denmark, you should receive Danish family benefits. If family benefits from the country where you work are higher than the benefits in Denmark, the other country will pay the difference. If the benefit from the other country is lower than in Denmark, you will not receive family benefits from the other country.
If you live in Denmark and receive a pension from another Nordic country, and the child's other parent is not working in Denmark, you do not have the right to Danish family benefits. This is because you are not covered by the Danish social security system. You must instead contact the authorities in the country from which you receive your pension.
If you move abroad, you will normally no longer have the right to Danish child and youth benefit.
If you are still working in Denmark, or are a Danish pensioner, or are posted abroad and covered by the Danish social security system, you should contact Udbetaling Danmark.
Who should I contact if I have questions?
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.
