Insurance for staff at Aarhus University

There are many different insurance companies in Denmark. Some are open to all clients whereas others will only accept clients from certain sectors of employment. Prices vary from company to company so you should study the market carefully to compare prices.

The Danish Insurers' Information Service has published the booklet Insurance for everyday needs which outlines the risks typically covered by the individual types of insurance as well as non-covered risks. The booklet also includes a section about the types of insurance that apply in the workplace. Read Insurance for everyday needs.

Required insurance

In Denmark you are required to have an insurance in the following cases:

• Third-party liability insurance if you own a car, motorcycle, scooter or moped
• Third party insurance if you own a dog
• Third party insurance if you own a horse
• Home-owner insurance if you own a house

Recommended private insurances

We recommend basic insurance (familiens basisforsikring or indboforsikring), which consists of the following insurances.

• Third-party/liability insurance (ansvarsforsikring): this insurance covers any losses you might have if you must pay compensation to another person.
• Home insurance (indboforsikring): insurance of your personal belongings against fire, theft and water damage.
• Travel insurance is possible to add to the basic insurance package, which is often the most affordable option.

We also recommend

• Accident insurance (ulykkesforsikring): this insurance covers the financial consequences of an accident.

Other optional insurances

For further information about insurances visit Lifeindenmark Insurance 

Aarhus University provides personal on-the-job injury insurance. This insurance will cover you if you are injured at work or by your working conditions. 

The university also covers the expenses if you unintentionally do damage to Aarhus University property, on the job.

Persons covered

• Employees with an employment contract
• Persons engaged in permanent, temporary or casual work, paid or unpaid
• Persons who are employed to carry out work in Denmark, but who go on official trips of a short or long duration

PhD students 

It depends on your status as a PhD student, whether you are covered or not. A distinction is made between employed and/or enrolled PhD students.

PhD students that are both enrolled and employed are covered by the personal on-the-job injury insurance.

Further information about AU insurance

Read more about AU insurance cover on the AU insurance page 

Aarhus University travel insurance

If you need to travel in connection with your work, you will be covered by the AU travel insurance policy (Tjenesterejseforsikring).

About the insurance

• All who carry out work for Aarhus Univeristy will be covered by AU travel insurance, if the university bears the travel expenses in full or in part.
• The insurance only covers acute illness or an unexpected deterioration of existing or chronic illness.
• The insurance does not provide cover during holiday or leave. You need to take out private travel insurance.

Read more about travel insurance on the AU travel insurance page

In Denmark, insurance against unemployment is voluntary. If you want to be insured against unemployment, you must apply for admission into an unemployment insurance fund (a-kasse).

However, please read the following guide before you sign up with an a-kasse. Especially non-EU citizens may have difficulty to use the unemployment insurance system, since you may not be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Membership and requirements

Check the different options and find links for online signup forms at a-kasser.dk 

Requirements to being eligible for benefits:

• You must have been a member of an a-kasse for at least one year
• You must have earned/have had an income of at least DKK  246,924 (amount applicable in 2022) during the last 3 years (in total) 

Unemployment insurance according to citizenship

• Citizens of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: If you come from another EU/EEA country, you can retain earned rights (membership period and working period) from your home country's unemployment insurance scheme. Read more about transferring periods of work and insurance from another EU/EEA Country in this article
• Citizens of a non-EU/EEA country: For people from non-EU/EEA countries, unemployment insurance may not be relevant or even allowed depending on the type of residence and work permit you hold. Contact the International Staff Office or Danish Immigration Authorities for further information.  It is not possible for non-EU/EEA citizens to transfer earned rights from an unemployment insurance scheme from your own country.
• Citizens who have lived in the Nordic countries: It is possible to transfer earned rights according to the unemployment insurance scheme between the Nordic countries. The only requirement is that you have been covered by the social security rules in one of the Nordic Countries. Read more about transferring periods of work and insurance from another EU/EEA Country in this article

Unemployment insurance funds 

See a list of all unemployment insurance funds in Denmark 

Supplementary insurance

You can maximum get DKK 19,351 (in 2022) per month in unemployment benefits (dagpenge). This is regardless of your previous income.

It is, however, possible to buy additional wage insurance (Lønsikring). Nearly all a-kasser in Denmark also offer this extra insurance.

In order to buy supplementary wage insurance through the a-kasse, you must be a member and pay the normal (basic) unemployment insurance. 

You can also buy a similar kind of wage insurance at traditional insurance companies. In this case membership of an a-kasse is not required.