HOLIDAY RULES AND BENEFITS

The condition for receiving holiday benefit is that you have earned the right to it on the basis of benefits paid out by an unemployment insurance fund or parental benefit paid out by Udbetaling Danmark. You can receive holiday benefit if you are unemployed, employed or self-employed as a secondary occupation, and you have received unemployment benefit or parental benefit during the holiday year from 1 September to 31 August of the following year.

It is only when the unemployment benefit or other benefit is paid out that we know how many days of holiday benefit you are entitled to. Your holiday benefit can be paid out no earlier than one week before the start of your holiday. It is therefore only at that time that we can make the final calculation of how many days of holiday benefit you are entitled to.

You can keep track of how many days you are entitled to. In Tast Selv, find ‘Ledig ’ (Unemployed) or ‘Lønmodtager‘ (Employed) and select ‘Ferieoversigt’ (Holiday Summary). The Holiday Summary is updated each time you are paid unemployment benefit, holiday benefit or parental benefit.

The holiday year in which you earn your holiday days runs from 1 September to 31 August of the following year (12 months). You must take your days with holiday benefit before 31 December, otherwise you will lose the right to have the benefit paid out. The deadline for applying for the rest of your holiday benefit is 31 January.

Yes, you can. Initially, however, you will have to pay for it yourself. This is because you can only be paid holiday benefit for the number of days you have already earned. If you later earn your entitlement to the holiday days you have taken, you can apply for and be paid holiday benefit for those days.

Here is an example:

If you apply for 5 days’ holiday with holiday benefit for 5 days, but you have only earned the right to 3 days, you can take all 5 days. Initially, you will only be paid holiday benefit for the 3 days you have already earned.  If you later, for example, receive a full month's unemployment benefit from the unemployment insurance fund, you earn the right to 2 more days, which you can then apply to have paid out.

You cannot receive holiday benefit until you have taken any holiday days you may have earned at an employer. That is why you need to tell us how many holiday days you have earned at an employer. If you are uncertain about the number of days, check your payslips. However, when you add up the holiday days, please note that you cannot count more than 2.08 days in total for each month, including holiday benefit from us.

If you are working or have worked at reduced hours, please note that some employers state that you have earned 2.08 days of holiday days, even if you have not worked full time during a month.

The unemployment insurance fund will assess whether you are self-employed, and whether this is your main or your secondary occupation. If it is your main occupation, you can only receive holiday benefit when you are no longer self-employed. If it is your secondary occupation and you are entitled to unemployment benefit, you can receive holiday benefit under the same conditions as unemployed persons and employees.

You will receive the same amount in holiday benefit as you would receive in unemployment benefits if you were unemployed.

The rate cannot exceed 90% of your previous income or the maximum unemployment benefit rate (DKK 21,092 in 2025). All the mentioned rates in this section are for fully insured individuals. If you are a recent graduate, there are special rules, see more below.

If you have a valid rate, that will be the rate at which you receive holiday benefit. This does not apply if you receive employment supplement (a rate that can be paid for the first 481 hours/3 months of receiving unemployment benefits in certain cases). Therefore, you may experience receiving a lower rate on holiday benefit than on unemployment benefits.

Holiday benefit for recent graduates

You will receive the same amount in holiday benefit as you would receive in unemployment benefits if you were unemployed.

If you are a recent graduate and a provider, you will receive holiday benefit at the 82% rate (DKK 17,295 in 2025).

If you are under 30, a recent graduate, and not a provider, you will receive holiday benefit at a rate that is 71.5% of the maximum rate (DKK 15,081 in 2025) for the first 481 hours (3 months) you receive benefits. After that, the rate is reduced to 49.17% of the maximum rate (DKK 10,371 in 2025).

If you are over 30, a recent graduate, and not a provider, the rate is DKK 15,081 (2025 rate) for the first 481 hours (3 months) you receive benefits. After that, the rate is DKK 13,100 (2025 rate).

Remember to inform the Job Centre at least 14 days before you take a holiday. You can do this at jobnet.dk.
If the job centre approves your holiday, you will not be obliged to attend any interviews, activities, etc., to which the job centre invites you during the holiday period. If you do not inform the job centre about your holiday, you may risk having to attend an interview, because the job centre does not know that you are on holiday.

In order to receive holiday benefit, you must notify the Job Centre no later than the first day of your holiday. If you notify them later than this, you can only receive holiday benefit from the day on which the Job Centre receives notice of your holiday.

• You must be a member of a Danish unemployment insurance fund at the time when you wish to take a holiday
• You must meet the same conditions for receiving unemployment benefit as if you were unemployed
• You must be unemployed, employed or self-employed as a secondary occupation, and you must have received unemployment benefit or parental benefit during the holiday year from 1 September to 31 August of the following year
• You must take the holiday days that you have earned at an employer before you can receive holiday benefit
• You really are on holiday
• As an unemployed person, you must give notification of your holiday at jobnet.dk 14 days before you take the holiday, and you must be available for work before your holiday
• You are resident in Denmark at the time of your holiday. However, this does not apply if you are a cross-border worker with a Danish employer

Even if you have earned the right to holiday benefit, there are some cases where you cannot receive it.
You cannot receive holiday benefit if you:

• Have lost the right to unemployment benefit
• Are in education or training without being simultaneously entitled to unemployment benefit
• Are self-employed as your main occupation
• Are sick or on leave
• Are in quarantine
• Receive full pay during your holiday
• Receive early retirement benefit, flexible working allowance or cash assistance
• Are employed in a senior job
• Are involved in a labour market conflict

You can apply for holiday benefit in Tast Selv whether you are employed or unemployed. In Tast Selv, find your application for holiday benefit by selecting ‘Ledig ’ (Unemployed) or ‘Lønmodtager‘ (Employed) and select ‘Søg feriedagpenge’. You can apply for holiday benefit in Tast Selv here (link opens in new tab).

You can apply five weeks before you take your holiday, at the earliest.

Once you have applied, you will be able to see your application in Tast Selv, and you will receive a letter confirming that we have received your application for holiday benefit. You will receive a further letter when we have processed your application.

We will pay out your holiday benefit approximately one week before you go on holiday. It is only at that time that we can finally calculate how many days you have earned, and determine the rate at which the holiday benefit can be paid. If you have already taken your holiday, you will be notified as soon as we have processed your application.

When your holiday benefit has been finally calculated, you will receive a letter approving, rejecting, or partially approving the payment. If holiday benefit is paid out to you, an itemised payment slip will be sent with the payment.