Maternity Leave in Denmark: Expat Guide

Denmark is a popular country for expats. At the last count, over 16,000 UK nationals were making the country their home. Of that number, it’s almost certain that a few would be families. So, how does Denmark help look after them, and what is maternity leave like in Denmark?

Well, if you read our article about maternity leave in Sweden, you’ll already have a good idea. Both countries share a similar maternity leave programme, so in this blog, we’ll dive into it a little, focusing specifically on Denmark. Then you can decide, if you haven’t moved already, which country may be best for supporting the raising of your child.

Maternity leave in Denmark is quite generous, and much like in Sweden, it is structured around the idea of both parents helping to raise the child. As of 2 August 2022, parental leave is split equally between both parents.

However, the mother, as long as she is socially insured in Denmark, gets four weeks of leave before the birth and up to 41 weeks of leave in total. We say “up to” as much depends on the status of the other parent.

Should both parents live together and be socially insured in Denmark, they are each entitled to 24 weeks. However, if only one parent is socially insured in Denmark and eligible for maternity benefits, they can apply for an additional 13 weeks of paid leave.

This means that the father could take 37 weeks of parental leave if the child is registered with him, and the mother could take 41 weeks due to the 4 weeks granted before birth. This leave can be further extended by 9 weeks if sole custody is granted before the child reaches the age of one.

Yes. If, at birth, the child only has one parent, an additional 22 weeks of leave can be applied for. This will bring the total to 46 weeks.

Examples of where this applies could include:

Much depends on how many children you have. A new law came into effect in May 2024, where parents of twins can apply for a further 13 weeks of additional leave (on top of the standard 24). This leave needs to be taken within the first year of birth.

Should you have more than three children from the same birth, an additional 26 weeks of leave can be applied for. These must be taken within the first 18 months of birth.

Maternity leave is a legal right for all mothers in Denmark; however, parental benefits won’t just be handed out to anybody. You’ll need to fulfil some specific criteria to be eligible. You’ll need to:

Should you be new to Denmark and have moved from another EU/EEA country less than four whole months before your leave should start, any employment in the other country can count towards your 160 total hours.

However, you must be employed in Denmark to get paid maternity leave.

If you have moved to Denmark after the birth of your child, and the child is under the age of one, you may also be eligible for parental benefits. For this, you would need to:

Parental benefits also exist for the unemployed, but only when you have declared yourself unemployed in your unemployment insurance fund and have made yourself available for work at your local job centre. You won’t be eligible for maternity leave with maternity benefits if you already receive income support or welfare benefits.

How much you will get paid on maternity leave in Denmark depends on your current earnings. If you are on full leave, employed for 37 hours per week, and earn more than 21,092 Kroner, you’ll receive the maximum benefit. This is currently set at 4,865 Danish Kroner per week.

For complete accuracy, your benefit calculation is made by taking what you earn per hour, minus Labour Market Contribution, and how many hours of leave you take per week. At the time of writing, the maximum hourly rate is 131.49 Kroner before tax. Should you earn less than this, you’ll get your standard hourly rate.

Due to occasional changes in working hours, holidays, sick days, and so on, your hourly rate will be based on your average income and working hours for the three months before your leave is due to start.

It depends. In most cases, Udbetaling Danmark – the department responsible for benefits in Denmark – will pay your maternity leave. Occasionally, an employer may pay the full salary for the entire maternity leave period or a portion of it. When the salary is no longer paid, the employee moves onto maternity benefits from Udbetaling.

If you wish to transfer part of your maternity leave, you are welcome to. However, only certain weeks of the allowance can be transferred.

A transfer can only happen once the child is born, and both parents must be registered as parents before any leave can be transferred. Furthermore, you’ll either need residency status in Denmark or be covered by Danish social security.

You can transfer whole weeks or individual days to either parent, but some weeks of the allowance are protected. Currently, a mother can transfer 5 weeks of leave, with a potential transfer of an extra 8 weeks in some circumstances.

Fathers or co-mothers can transfer 13 weeks if they wish. All remaining leave is protected for both parents and is non-transferable.

The circumstances that allow a mother to transfer an extra 8 weeks are made possible should she decide to resume full-time work or continue directly on the 14 weeks of leave together with the child. These transfers can only happen between the 3rd and 10th week after the child is born.

A sole legal parent or solo parent can transfer parts of leave to a close family member if they wish. Close family members are defined as parents of a legal single parent or the legal parent’s siblings aged over 18.

How much can be transferred depends on the employment status of the sole parent and whether it is the mother or father who is legally responsible for the child.

Assuming you are employed, you must start by reaching out to your employer. They must go to virk.dk/barselsdagpenge and inform Udbetaling Danmark that you will be going on maternity leave. This can be done no earlier than your first day of leave.

You’ll then receive an email giving you access to apply for the benefit. You can only apply for the benefit within certain timeframes:

Should the application arrive after the deadline, your benefit will not be backdated, and you’ll start to be paid from when they receive your application. If you are in employment with more than one company, you should inform each of them of your wish to take maternity leave.

You can. Both parents, if they like, can return to work and save up to 32 weeks of leave. However, any saved leave must be taken for a continuous period before the child’s ninth birthday.

Maternity leave in Denmark is generous, with a standard 24 weeks after the birth of the child being seen as generous compared to many other countries. Add on the additional 4 weeks before birth, and it gives a mother time to prepare as well as nurture. With fathers able to take 24 weeks of paid parental leave too, families are a focus in Danish life. Factor in the potential additional weeks for single parents or where working partners want to transfer some of their allowance, and it becomes a programme that truly puts parents and children first.

If you are moving to Denmark or have it in your plans, don’t forget to be covered with comprehensive health insurance for expatriates. That way, you’ll get the best possible care when your baby is due. Contact us today to find out more.