Childcare in Denmark

Nursery and kindergarten

If your child is aged between 8 months and 2 years, you can apply to the municipality for a nursery place for the child. If your child is aged between 3 and 6 years, you can apply for a kindergarten place as soon as you have moved to Denmark. However, the municipality cannot allocate a place until the child has a social security number.

Applying to the municipality

If you wish to apply for a place for your child in a nursery or kindergarten, you should contact the placement service in the municipality where you live. If no vacant place is immediately available, the child will be placed on a waiting list.

You must pay for childcare.

Nurseries and kindergartens in Denmark are subject to user payment. Prices and discounts are stated by the municipality’s placement service.

Prices may vary, but parents pay no more than 30% of the costs of the nursery or kindergarten care. However, municipalities that offer a place guarantee may charge a special, increased parent payment.

Child-minding: An alternative to nursery

You can also apply for child-minding for your child. A child minder is a person who looks after your child in their own home.

A child minder may look after a maximum of five children at a time, and most of the children in child-minding are aged between 6 months and 3 years.

The child minder is an alternative to the nursery. The child minder is employed, paid and approved by the municipality.

Subsidy for care of own child

Some municipalities provide subsidies for parents to care for their own children from age 24 weeks until school start. The child cannot simultaneously receive subsidies for other care offers, and the parent receiving the subsidy must not at the same time have earned income or be in receipt of transfer income.

Contact your municipality for further information.