Learn Danish for free - the official Danish Education
As a newly arrived international citizen residing in the municipality of Aarhus, you are most likely entitled to receive a referral to the free official Danish Education.
After you have been issued with a CPR number by Citizen Service (Borgerservice), you will receive a letter from the Danish Team at Jobcenter Aarhus, City of Aarhus referring you to the official Danish Education. The letter will be sent as Digital Post, which you must access using MitID.
The Danish Education Programme
It is up to you whether you would like to make use of the offer and attend the free Danish lessons.
The education itself takes approximately three years to complete. You are entitled to up to five years of Danish lessons calculated from the date indicated on your referral letter. You cannot postpone the start of your five-year period. However, this timeframe allows you to decide if you would like to delay learning Danish or take breaks in between your modules.
Please note that potential extensions of the five-year period can only be given in the event of chronic long-term, documented illness. Depending on your educational background and language skills, the language school will place you in one of three Danish Educations (1, 2 or 3). The Danish Education consists of 6 modules. The module you’ll start with depends on your knowledge of Danish.
The language school
The official language school you'll be referred to by the City of Aarhus is A2B Sprogcenter Aarhus. You may choose a different language school if you wish. Please contact the language school of your choice to enquire about attending with them.
Conditions and deposit
Generally, you must be over 18 years of age when arriving in Denmark to be entitled to the official Danish Education.
To start your education, you are required to pay a deposit of DKK 2,000 (2024 rate) which is paid directly to your chosen language school. The course itself is free of charge.
Please contact your language school regarding payment, reimbursement and other conditions concerning your deposit.
If you did not receive a referral letter within 30 days of being issued with a CPR number, we kindly ask that you contact the Danish Team at Jobcenter Aarhus regarding your offer.
If this is the case, you may still be entitled to the official Danish Education.
Please contact the Danish Team at Jobcenter Aarhus for them to evaluate your possibilities.
Children who have little or no knowledge of Danish, who would like to attend a Danish public school (Folkeskole) must first attend a reception class. This allows the child to learn a sufficient level of Danish to be able to transfer to an ordinary class. Your child can attend a reception class from the year the child turns 6 until the age of 17.
Are you a young person under the age of 18 and not attending a reception class or an ordinary class in a public school? Then your first contact should be UU Aarhus (Ungejob og Uddannelse Aarhus), part of the City of Aarhus, to know about your possibilities for learning Danish. You will find their contact information on their Danish page on aarhus.dk.
If UU Aarhus does not have a relevant offer for you, and you have entered Denmark at the age of 16-17 and have not received any form of Danish language training, we kindly ask that you contact the Danish Team at Jobcenter Aarhus regarding your options.
Without a CPR number you are entitled to the official Danish Education, should you be able to provide the following documentation:
- A copy of your passport
- A copy of employment contract/letter of enrolment/other documentation proving valid reason for staying in Denmark (not tourism or visiting family members)
- A copy of a rental contract that proves that your address is in Aarhus
If you can document the above, please contact the Danish Team at Jobcenter Aarhus as you will not automatically receive a letter of referral to the Danish Education, if you do not have a CPR number.
Please be aware that you must register for a CPR number if your stay in Denmark exceeds six months.
If you’re a Danish citizen who has lived abroad for years, you may be entitled to the free Danish Education.
Please contact the Danish Team at Jobcenter Aarhus for them to evaluate your possibilities.
If you are in Denmark as an au pair (§9j), you do not have to pay a deposit for taking the education.
As a cross-border commuter from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you are entitled to the official Danish Education.
Please note that you will be required to provide the following documentation:
- A copy of your EU passport
- A copy of an employment contract that proves that your company’s main office is in Aarhus
- A copy of your CVR number from The Danish Tax Agency (Skattestyrelsen).
Please contact the Danish Team at Jobcenter Aarhus with your documentation.
If you are a refugee, asylum-seeker or other family members and have been offered an Integration Programme, you will be offered the official Danish Education free of charge as part of your programme. Your language school in Aarhus is AOF Job og Dansk.
If you have questions concerning your right to the official Danish Education, please contact Job, Virksomhedsservice og Integration. You will find their contact information on their Danish page on aarhus.dk.
The Danish Team
City of Aarhus
Telephone hours:
Monday-Wednesday 9.00 – 14.00
Thursday 9.00 – 16.00
Friday 9.00 – 14.00
When sending an email to the Danish Team, please write 'Danish education' in the subject line.
Phone:
+ 45 41 85 63 21
E-mail: danskuddannelse@msb.aarhus.dk