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. Reduced number in English, but still available.

 
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 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 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 vast majority of children under the age of six are looked after by a childminder or a nursery from Monday to Friday. It is your job to contact the municipal authorities to book a daycare spot for your child. In order to sign up for childcare you need a CPR number for your child and an address in Denmark. If there are not any places immediately available, the child's name will be placed on a waiting list. The earlier you put down the child's name, the greater the chance of finding a place when you need it. You can apply for childcare online

Read more about public childcare on the GreaterAarhus 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.

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. It is education itself that is compulsory, not school.

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 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´re looking for folkeskolen outside of Aarhus, contact your local municipality.

Private schools

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

International schools

International schools in Aarhus:

• Aarhus International School, Aarhus campus
• Kochs International, Aarhus campus

Aarhus International School offers employees at Aarhus University a discount of 20% on monthly tuition.

Read more about fees and terms

International schools outside of Aarhus:

The Ministry of Education has made a list of international basic schools in Denmark.

Home schooling

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

Independent boarding schools (form level 8-10)

Read more about this option on this webiste.

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.

Find more facts about the upper secondary level of education. 

Upper secondary education for foreigners

Some schools offer general upper secondary programmes in English, German or French. The Ministry of Children and Education have created a list of all the options offered in Denmark.

Read more about upper secondary school options.

Children can be cared for at after-school centres or in after-school care schemes (SFO) in grade 0-3. Children can play with their friends, do homework or take part in various other activities. Read more here.

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.

Gyngehesten Playgroup

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, who are at home and not in a kindergarten. The parent/grandparent/nanny stays with the child the whole time. Read more about Gyngehesten on their Danish website, or contact Lotte Højfeldt and she will provide the information needed in English.