Below are a number of examples of cases where students’ ties with Denmark have been assessed in connection with their application for state education support (SU). The examples show our decisions which are all made based on our discretionary assessment of each individual student’s case. Therefore, your case may involve issues that lead to a different decision than in the examples even if your situation is similar to the examples.
Condition of ties 1
Continuous residence in Denmark for at least two years within the past 10 years prior to the time of application.
Continuous residence means that you are not abroad studying or working a couple of weeks a month or for occasional longer continuous periods. Having a registered residence in Denmark is not sufficient. You must have actual residence in Denmark which can be documented.
We have previously granted SU to a student who, according to the Civil Registration System, was only a few days from fulfilling the condition but who could produce written confirmation from a school in Denmark documenting that the student had indeed attended school on these days.
Condition of ties 2
Related to a frontier worker.
You can receive SU according to this rule if you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen who does not reside in Denmark, but is a worker in Denmark (a frontier worker). It is a condition that the family member crosses the border at least once a week in order to get to work. Your family member must have worked in Denmark or run a business in Denmark for at least five years within the last seven years prior to the time you apply for SU – and it is, as a starting point, a condition that this family member has supported you.
We have previously rejected an application in a case with a student who is a family member of an EU citizen who is employed by a company located in Denmark, but who did not cross the border at least once a week in order to get to work
Condition of ties 3
Attended school in Denmark for a considerable period
The term school in this case includes primary and lower secondary school, including preschool class and youth education programmes (general upper secondary school (STX), higher preparatory course (HF) etc.). The term does not cover day nursery and kindergarten, nor does it cover universities and other places of further education which are termed institutions of higher education.
You must have attended a school located in Denmark for a considerable period. The programme must not be a distance education programme; this also applies if the language is Danish and Danish social education is included.
We have previously granted SU to an applicant who had attended primary and lower secondary school in Denmark for seven years.
We have rejected an application from a student who had attended a 10-month course at a folk art school in Denmark. The reason for the rejection was that the school was not a school as this term is understood according to the condition and that the period was not considerable.
Condition of ties 4
Close relationship with family members in Denmark (other than family supporting the student) for a considerable period up to the time of application
To be granted SU abroad based on this condition, you must document a close relationship with other family members than those who support you financially. The close relationship must last for a considerable period.
Short holidays, e.g. recurring summer holidays with grandparents in Denmark, Christmas celebrations or celebration of own confirmation are not considered to be a considerable period and are therefore not comprised.
An application based on e.g. one six-month stay with a family member in Denmark does alone not render the applicant eligible for SU.
However, an application from a student who resided with e.g. a grandmother in Denmark or a student who recently resided with his/her aunt in Denmark for a considerable period will be looked upon favourably.
Condition of ties 5
Considerable financial ties with Denmark for a considerable period
A bank account or a children’s savings account with a bank domiciled in Denmark does not qualify as considerable ties. Nor does the receipt of social benefits from Denmark qualify as considerable financial ties.
An application from a student who has carried on business in Denmark for e.g. three years and is able to provide documentation in the form of registration with the Danish Central Business Register (CVR) and payment of VAT and direct tax will be looked upon favourably. In such case, it will be immaterial whether you reside in Denmark or abroad.
Condition of ties 6
Previous work in Denmark of a certain scale and for a considerable period
Here, two criteria must be met: The work must be of a certain scale (e.g. stated as weekly number of working hours) and for a considerable period (from the date of employment to the date of termination). Working for 3.5 hours a week is not enough, nor is having or having had a summer job at a café in Denmark for six weeks.
We have previously granted SU to a student who had worked full-time in Denmark for three years. Whether the student resides in Denmark or abroad is immaterial.
Condition of ties 7
Considerable ties with Denmark when a student is close to fulfilling one of conditions 3-6 but without fulfilling it and has considerable knowledge of Danish
If you are very close to fulfilling one or more conditions and if your correspondence with us demonstrates to us that you have considerable knowledge of Danish, our assessment of your specific situation may be that you have considerable ties with Denmark and are thus eligible for SU for a study programme abroad.
We have previously granted SU to a student who had attended Danish primary and lower secondary school for six years, had worked full-time in Denmark for several months and had done his military service shortly before applying for SU. These three factors combined to prove to us that the student in question was presumably integrated into the Danish society and had special ties with Denmark.