Bringing children to Denmark

Before birth

Your GP will confirm your pregnancy and refer you to the midwife.

You can choose how you want to give birth and you can discuss this with your midwife.

Check-ups are usually scheduled as follows:

• 3 check-ups at your GP
• 4 – 7 check-ups at the midwife
• 2 ultrasounds
• A birth and family course for pregnant women who are expecting their 1st child. Also available in English.

After birth

In general, stays at the hospital are short (when there are no complications). Your district nurse or ‘sundhedsplejerske’ will contact and visit you at home during the first week after birth.

Registering your child

• The midwife reports the birth to the authorities and the baby gets a CPR-number right away
• It is your responsibility to ensure that the child legally resides in the country
• Registering name, fælles forældremyndighed (shared custody) and fatherhood can be registered online with MitID
• You can get a print of the birth certificate (in Denmark it is referred to as a person certificate) at the local church office in person or have it sent to you.

Further information

• New in Denmark - pregancy and birth
• Children in a new country
• The Family Entrepreneurs Programme

If you give birth in Denmark, the health nurse (sundhedsplejeske) will often ask you if you would like to be part of a mothers/fathers group. These groups offer an opportunity to develop a social network and share experiences with other parents. You can learn more about parent groups on the Aarhus municipality website.

For fathers to children aged 0-3 there is a weekly playgroup called Fars Legestue, where you can meet other fathers, and have your questions answered by a health nurse and a pedagogue. 

International Community and Forening Samværd host a monthly playdate for babies and toddlers at Møllestien Folkehuset. The playgroup is called Little Friends and involves singing and playing in both Danish and English. Read more and register on International Community’s events page.

Gyngehesten is a playgroup in Skejby, Aarhus, where children aged 0-6 and their parents/grandparents/nanny come to play & socialize and meet other children. Read more about Gyngehesten on their Danish website, or contact Lotte Højfeldt and she will provide the information needed in English.

Many local churches also have playgroups for parents of young children.

The Family Entrepreneurs Programme.

Familieiværksætterne (The Family Entrepreneurs) is a programme offered by Aarhus Municipality to first time parents to-be. The program includes 9 meetings over 12 months, offering guidance on breastfeeding, child development, nutrition, sleep, and family life. Parents get to interact with professionals and other first-time parents, sharing experiences and building networks. The program is conducted in Danish, but once you have registered you can request a translator to accompany you to all the meetings. To be eligible for the programme you must live in Aarhus municipality, register no later than the 25^th week of pregnancy and be able to attend all 9 sessions. You can read more about the programme and register on the website here.

In Denmark, every child is guaranteed a place at a public childcare facility from the age of 6 months. Most children in Denmark under the age of 6 years of age are enrolled in childcare Monday to Friday. Depending on your household income, the government pays at least 75 percent of the childcare fee. The exact amount parents pay depends on the municipality where you live. 

Read more about childcare on the Aarhus Municipality website.

Types of childcare

• Daycare (0-3 years old)
• Kindergarten (3-6 years old)
• Integrated Institutions (0-6 year old)
• International options
  • Pre-school at Aarhus International School
  • International day nursery Aarhus

For further information on childcare in other cities, please contact us.

How to register for childcare

In order for your child to attend public childcare, the parent(s) and child must have a CPR number and a residential address in Denmark. Once the parent(s) are registered with a CPR number and have received a MitID, childcare applications are made online. 

When applying for childcare online, you have the option of listing up to 5 childcare centres of your choice. If there is no availability at any of your preferred centres, the child's name will be placed on a waiting list. If the waiting lists are long, the municipality may offer you an available childcare placement in the district where you live. It can take up to 3 months to be offered a childcare placement. Therefore, the earlier you apply, the greater the chances are of being offered a place when you need it.

You can read more about how to sign your child up to daycare on the Aarhus Municipality website.

For AU international staff at Postdoc level and above

If you have secured housing in Aarhus but do not have a CPR number or MitID yet, you can contact us for assistance with your childcare application.  

There are different school options in Denmark. Whether the education is received in a publicly provided school, in a private school or at home is a matter of individual choice, as long as accepted standards are met. 

Municipal primary and lower secondary schools

Municipal primary and lower secondary education comprise the public schooling option and are in Danish called Folkeskolen. Municipal primary and lower secondary education in Denmark is free of charge and there are no academic admission requirements.

Read more about the Danish Folkeskole on the Ministry of Children and Education website.

Read more about the public schools in Aarhus.

If you are looking for folkeskolen outside of Aarhus, contact your local municipality.

Reception Classes

In Denmark, different municipalities have different rules regarding whether children, who doesn’t speak Danish, should be placed in a Reception Class. Some municipalities have specific programs and classes designed to help international children integrate and learn Danish, while others may integrate them directly into regular classes with additional support as needed. We recommend you contact your local municipality to find out what offers they have for children with no or limited Danish language.

In Aarhus municipality, children who don’t speak Danish, must attend a reception class. If your child knows a bit of Danish, they might need to complete a language screening to determine whether they need to attend a reception class prior to attending a public school. Children can attend reception classes from age 6-17. The transition to a regular Danish class depends on the child’s age and acquired Danish language skills, but the maximum time a child can spend in a reception class is two years. You can read more about reception classes and the enrolment process in Aarhus municipality here.

Private schools

Read more about this option on the Ministry´s website.

International schools

In Aarhus there is one international school, which is located near the centre of Aarhus. Aarhus International School (AIS) follows the international IB curriculum, which is taught in over 4000 schools worldwide. AIS offers employees at Aarhus University a discount of 20% on monthly tuition.

If you work in Foulum, there is an international school in Viborg and another international school in Ikast-Brande (near Herning Campus).

If you are located on Sjælland, there are several international schools to choose from. You can view a full list of international schools in Denmark on the Ministry of Education’s website.

Home schooling

In Denmark, home schooling is possible. Please contact your municipality for further information.

Independent residential schools (for students between 14 and 18 years old)

Read more about this option on the website for Danish residential schools.

Once you have completed your basic school education in grade 9 or 10, you can apply for enrolment in a youth education programme. Youth education programmes are courses of preparatory study or professional qualification programmes usually lasting three or four years.

The programmes normally cater for 16-19 year olds and are comprised of either:

1. The general upper secondary education provision of the Gymnasium (stx), the higher preparatory examination (HF), the higher commercial examination (hhx) or the higher technical examination (htx). These education programmes primarily prepare for higher education.
2. Or, the vocational education and training programmes, the basic social and health training programmes etc. These education programmes are primarily aimed at preparing students for a career in a specific trade or industry.

Read more about the upper secondary education for internationals here.

See more information about the upper secondary level of education on the Ministry of Children and Education website

Children can be cared for at after-school centres or in after-school care schemes (SFO) in grade 0-3 (ages 6-9). Children can play with their friends, do homework, or take part in various other activities. Read more about SFO and how to enrol.

Aarhus Municipality offers a free programme for those wishing to continue language instruction in their native language. This service is available for EU/EEC languages and is for pupils aged 5-16 (grades 0-9). The objective of mother tongue language instruction is to enable the pupils to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the spoken and written language of their native country and to enable them to express themselves verbally and in writing.

In Aarhus the instruction takes place at Møllevangskolen.

Read more about the programme on Møllevangskolen website (in Danish).

Contact Møllevangskolen for further information.

Child benefits

In Denmark, parents receive child benefits for each child under the age of 18. The child benefits are based on age and are paid on a monthly/quarterly basis.

You are eligible to receive full benefits if:

• You are an EU/EEC citizen and you have lived in one EU/EEC country at least 6 of the past 10 years.
• You are a Non EU/EEC citizen and have lived or worked in Denmark for at least 6 of the past 10 years.

Otherwise, you can receive a percentage of the benefit.

See the rates and further information about family benefits and how to apply 

You are welcome to contact us for further information.