Opportunities in Denmark

Denmark's main route for international students is a degree at a Danish university or business academy, with more than 400 programmes listed nationally. Bachelor's applicants use the portal Optagelse.dk, while master's programmes are applied for directly at the institution. Funding is limited: universities award a small number of government scholarships to highly qualified non-EU/EEA degree students, and Erasmus Mundus Joint Master scholarships also exist. EURAXESS lists doctoral and researcher positions.

For applicants with non-Danish qualifications, the bachelor's deadline is 15 March at noon Danish time, with answers in late July; master's deadlines vary. Students from outside the EU/EEA need a residence permit, and those in state-approved higher-education programmes may work up to 90 hours a month, and full-time in June, July and August. A job-seeking period after graduation is usually granted with the study permit; for applications from 1 October 2026 it is generally one year, while PhD graduates generally still receive three.

Common mistakes include missing the 15 March deadline, assuming master's applications go through Optagelse.dk, and working beyond the permitted hours, which can lead to a warning or loss of the permit. Many also overlook that the job-seeking period is normally granted automatically, so a separate application is needed only in specific cases.