Requirements for receiving unemployment benefits

You can receive unemployment benefits if:

• You have a residence permit and address in Denmark
• You are registered as unemployed at Jobnet.dk
• You have been a member of an unemployment insurance fund for the past 12 months
• You fulfill the income criterion, which is a minimum of DKK 273.504 (2025) while being a member of an unemployment insurance fund
• You are able to accept and start a full-time job with a day’s notice

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When you receive unemployment benefits, you should be able to accept and start a full-time job with a day’s notice, and actively apply for jobs

This means that:

• You should be registered as unemployed on Jobnet.dk
• You should apply for multiple full-time jobs every week
• You should update your joblog on Jobnet.dk on a regular basis
• You should read your messages from us (link to user page) as well as from your jobcentre on a daily basis
• You should participate in the events and activities that you sign up for at the jobcentre
• You should be able to accept and start a full-time job with a day’s notice
• You should be able to participate in meetings with us as well as your jobcentre with a day’s notice
• With a full-time insurance, you should be able to work a full-time job 37 hours a week
• With a part-time insurance, you should be able to work a part-time job 30 hours a week

You should also remember to inform your jobcentre when:

• You fall ill
• You go on vacation
• You start studying or participate in courses
• You go abroad
• You move your address
• You cannot find a babysitter for your kids

You actively apply for jobs when:

• You apply for jobs within your field of expertise
• You apply for multiple jobs per week
• You register your job applications every week, as well as upload two job applications every month to you joblog on Jobnet.dk
• You apply for jobs that reflect the current job market
• You apply within a wide range of fields, as well as geographically

You should always register your job applications in your joblog on Jobnet.dk. Jobloggen is primarily a tool used by your job- and career consultant at our fund, as well as your jobcentre, since this is what we primarily discuss and use as a starting point for your search at your meetings with us and the jobcentre. The joblog gives us the opportunity to give you feedback, advice, and answer any questions you may have about your applications. The joblog is also a way for us to make sure that you live up to the criteria of actively looking for work, and therefore receiving unemployment benefits.

Meetings at the unemployment insurance fund and the jobcentre

When you are unemployed, you need to participate in meetings with the Teachers’ Unemployment Insurance Fund, as well as with your jobcentre. These meetings are obligatory, and we will call you in using our website, where you should sign up to the meetings within the 2 weeks’ notice. If you do not sign up for these meetings, your status as unemployed will be cancelled on Jobnet.dk. This means that you cannot receive unemployment benefits in those days where you are not registered as unemployed, and you will have to register yourself as unemployed once again. If you do not meet up to your obligatory meetings in your fund and jobcentre, you will not receive your unemployment benefits on those days, until you contact us or your jobcentre.

It is important that you check your messages from us on a daily basis, as well as your messages from the jobcentre.

Your first appointment with us is the introductory meeting, which is obligatory. We will call you in for this meeting fourteen days after you have registered yourself as unemployed, at the latest.

You are always welcome to book a career counseling session or sign up for one of our workshops. These are not obligatory, but are offers that can help and support you further in your job search.

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Unemployment benefits are disbursed on an hourly basis

You are able to receive unemployment benefits for 2 years, and you can apply for stretching this amount out over 3 years. The benefits are calculated in hours, which means that 2 years equals 3,848 hours.

If you are unemployed and participate in no activities for a month, your benefits will be paid out for 160.33 hours. Activities will be calculated within your benefits. Activities that will affect the amount of unemployment benefits disbursed each month include:

• Going on vacation
• Calling in sick
• Going on maternity leave
• Working part-time jobs
• Not being registered as unemployed on Jobnet.dk
• Not meeting up to an obligatory meeting without a legal reason and cancellation

If you participate in more than 145.53 hours of activities within a month, such as working paid jobs, you will not receive unemployment benefits for that month. This is what is called the minimum payment rule (mindstebetalingsreglen).

If you have a part-time insurance as opposed to a full-time insurance, you will be able to receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 130 hours per month. You should also not be working in a minimum of 12 hours per month in order to receive unemployment benefits.

Waiting period/qualifying period (Karenstid)

For every 4^th month that you are unemployed, an amount will be subtracted from your benefits, which will be the same amount as 1 day’s benefits. You can avoid having your benefits subtracted by working for more than 148 hours within a period of 4 months.