Denmark · Student

Denmark Folk high school

First stay: 1 yr 6 mo

Folk high school residence permit

First checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026Change log

Key facts

Folk high school is a student route for Denmark. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.

Government fees: DKK 3,060 ≈ $460
Processing: 60–90 days
First stay: 1 yr 6 mo

Cost, time and long term

To apply: government fee DKK 3,060 ≈ $460; decision: 60–90 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

Government feesDKK 3,060 ≈ $460

DKK 3,060 (≈ $460)Processing fee; normal processing 2 months, up to 3 months.

Shown, not spentDKK 7,426+/mo ≈ $1,110

DKK 7,426 a month (≈ $1,110)Per month of stay, only if the course fee paid does not cover food and accommodation.

Renewal18 months max in total

The permit covers the course, with a maximum of 18 months in total across folk high schools.

Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration

Processing60–90 days

Normal processing time is 2 months; up to 3 months if more information is needed.

Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

Time on this route is capped at 18 months in total
Needs a place at a school or university in Denmark
Work isn't allowed on this route
Family members can't join on this route
Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports

What you'll need

Who can apply2

The applicant is enrolled in a course at a state-approved and monitored Danish folk high school.
The applicant understands Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German reasonably well and the language of instruction.

What you must show3

The course fee is paid and covers tuition, food and accommodation.
If food and accommodation are not covered, funds are DKK 7,426 (≈ $1,110) per month of stay (2026 level).
The processing fee is DKK 3,060 (≈ $460).

Documents2

The school principal signs a statement that the course is eligible for state subsidies, or the school provides an official statement on the course.
Applicants under 18 attach both parents' signed consent and a declaration of proper residence from the school.

After you arrive2

The holder may stay for the duration of the course, for a maximum of 18 months in total across folk high schools.
The holder generally may not work and family cannot accompany.

When you become tax resident

How Denmark decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Foreign-source income: Personal income after labour market contribution; full tax liability on worldwide (including foreign-source) income.

All tax rules for Denmark Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026

Official site

What you need to arrange

Accommodation
The course fee is paid and covers tuition, food and accommodation
Money to show
This route asks for savings of DKK 7,426+ a month ≈ $1,110.

Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.

Full official text

Residence permit for a course at a state-approved Danish folk high school, for a maximum of 18 months in total. ^{1 2}

What you must show and pay

Savings of at least DKK 7,426 a month (≈ $1,110) · Per month of stay, only if the course fee paid does not cover food and accommodation. ^{1 2}
A fee of DKK 3,060 (≈ $460) · Processing fee; normal processing 2 months, up to 3 months. ¹

Requirements

The applicant is enrolled in a course at a state-approved and monitored Danish folk high school. ¹
The applicant understands Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German reasonably well and the language of instruction. ¹
The course fee is paid and covers tuition, food and accommodation. ¹
If food and accommodation are not covered, funds are DKK 7,426 (≈ $1,110) per month of stay (2026 level). ¹
The processing fee is DKK 3,060 (≈ $460). ¹
The school principal signs a statement that the course is eligible for state subsidies, or the school provides an official statement on the course. ¹
Applicants under 18 attach both parents' signed consent and a declaration of proper residence from the school. ¹
The holder may stay for the duration of the course, for a maximum of 18 months in total across folk high schools. ¹
The holder generally may not work and family cannot accompany. ¹

Stay

For the duration of the course, for a maximum of 18 months in total across folk high schools.
First stay: up to 18 months, decided case by case.
Not renewable according to our source.

Nationality

Third-country nationals; EU/EEA and Swiss citizens apply for an EU residence document instead. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.

Work

As a rule no work; unpaid voluntary work for a non-profit organisation is allowed.

Family

Family cannot accompany the student.

Checked 2026-10-11

Official sources

Folk high schools · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-11
Financial self-support on specific SIRI schemes · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-11

Folk high school and its alternatives

Route	Money needed	Stay	Work
Folk high school	–	1.5 yr	No
Youth study programme	–	1 yr	No
PhD studies	–	–	Limited
Student permit	Needs savings of DKK 89k+ a year ≈ $13k	–	No
Student permit Portugal	Needs income of €920+ a month ≈ $1,030	3 yr, renewable	Yes

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Folk high school?

Savings of at least DKK 7,426 a month (≈ $1,110). Per month of stay, only if the course fee paid does not cover food and accommodation. A fee of DKK 3,060 (≈ $460). Processing fee; normal processing 2 months, up to 3 months.

How long can I stay on the Folk high school?

For the duration of the course, for a maximum of 18 months in total across folk high schools.

How long does the Folk high school take to process?

Normal processing time is 2 months; up to 3 months if more information is needed.

Can I work on the Folk high school?

No. As a rule no work; unpaid voluntary work for a non-profit organisation is allowed.

Can I bring my family on the Folk high school?

Family cannot accompany the student.

Who can apply for the Folk high school?

How are Folk high school holders taxed in Denmark?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Folk high school. The standard rules apply: 8% labour market contribution on salary, bottom-bracket tax 12.01%, plus municipal tax averaging 25.049% and church tax averaging 0.639% for all taxpayers (0.867% for church members) in 2026; middle-bracket 7.5% above DKK 641,200, (≈ $95,900) top-bracket 7.5% above DKK 777,900, (≈ $116,000) additional top-bracket 5% above DKK 2,592,700 (≈ $388,000).

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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

Ask the AI about this route AI

An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.

How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-11 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

Folk high schools · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-11
Financial self-support on specific SIRI schemes · Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.