Udbetaling Danmark – Internationally

Udbetaling Danmark International Pension determines whether Danish citizens abroad have accrued pension rights under the Danish disability and state pension systems, and disburses pensions abroad.

Danish and foreign citizens living abroad may have accrued Danish pension rights if they have lived or worked in Denmark. We process applications received from the citizen concerned or from sister organisations abroad. If the citizen is eligible for disability pension or state pension, we disburse the pension directly to the citizen.

We also disburse pension to pensioners moving abroad who are entitled to take their pension with them.

Most Danish pension recipients living abroad live in the EEA or Switzerland or in countries with which Denmark has entered into a social security agreement.

Legal framework

Udbetaling Danmark awards and disburses state and disability pensions under the Danish Act on Social Pensions (Lov om social pension). For disability pension awarded before 1 January 2003, the Danish Act on Maximum, Medium, Higher Ordinary and Ordinary Disability Pension etc. applies (Lov om højeste, mellemste, forhøjet almindelig og almindelig førtidspension m.v.).

If the citizen lives in an EU/EEA country, Regulation (EC) No. 883/04 lays down Community coordination rules to ensure, inter alia, the free movement of labour. 

If the citizen lives in a country with which Denmark has entered into a social security agreement, this agreement may set out applicable provisions.

Information and self-service for citizens

Information on Danish pension abroad, contact details and self-service can be found at lifeindenmark.dk.

Read more about state or disability pension abroad at lifeindenmark.dk

Udbetaling Danmark International Pension determines whether recipients of Danish pension living abroad are eligible for healthcare paid for by Denmark.

Recipients of Danish pension living in another EEA country or Switzerland can apply for an E121DK form. This form documents that the pensioner is entitled to healthcare in the country of residence on the same terms as the country's own citizens, but paid for by Denmark.

If the pensioner has obtained an E121DK form, he or she can apply for the blue EU Health Insurance Card, which is used when travelling in other EEA countries and Switzerland.

The pensioner's spouse and minor children, if any, may also be eligible for an E121DK form and the blue EU Health Insurance Card if they do not work or if they receive pension in the country of residence.

Information and self-service for citizen

Information on pensioners' healthcare abroad, contact details and self-service can be found at borger.dk.

More information about healthcare abroad at borger.dk (in Danish)

Udbetaling Danmark is responsible for the administration of several benefits available to Danes staying abroad.

Contribution to financial support abroad

Udbetaling Danmark International Pension administers section 6 of the Danish Act on Active Social Policy (Aktivloven). This section provides for financial support to be given to elderly Danish citizens who have been living abroad for many years and do not have the income or assets to meet their basic needs. The financial support can be granted if repatriation can be avoided and if other circumstances speak in favour of granting the financial support. This benefit cannot exceed the basic amount of the state pension.

Application for and disbursement of the benefit will be effected in partnership with the Danish Embassy or Consulate abroad.

Disbursement of reintegration benefits abroad

International Pension pays reintegration benefits to foreign citizens who have voluntarily returned to their home country or a former country of residence to take up permanent residence.

We initiate monthly disbursements when the municipality has decided that the citizen is eligible to receive the benefits under the provisions of the Danish Repatriation Act (Repatrieringsloven).

Udbetaling Danmark International Social Sikring determines whether employees and self-employed persons will remain eligible for social security benefits in Denmark when working abroad.

Employees and self-employed persons are not automatically eligible for Danish social security benefits when working abroad. This applies even if you are a Danish citizen, live and pay tax in Denmark and are employed by a Danish employer.

The employer, the employee or the self-employed person may apply to remain eligible for Danish social security benefits if working in one or more other EU/EEA countries or one of the countries with which Denmark has entered into a social security agreement.

If it has been decided that you will remain eligible for social security benefits while working abroad, you are not obliged to contribute to social security schemes abroad.

What are social security benefits?

Social security benefits include:

• Health insurance under the provisions of the Danish Health Act (Sundhedsloven)
• Sickness, maternity/paternity and adoption benefits
• Unemployment benefits
• State pension and disability pension
• Civil servant pension
• ATP Livslang Pension (Lifelong Pension)
• Child benefits and child allowance
• Industrial injury insurance
• Early retirement pension (efterløn)

Legal framework

Udbetaling Danmark makes its decisions based, inter alia, on Regulation (EC) No. 883/2004 and bilateral social security agreements entered into between Denmark and other countries.

Information and self-service for citizens and businesses

Information on working abroad, contact details and self-service can be found at borger.dk or virk.dk.

Read about social security benefits abroad at borger.dk (in Danish)

Read about international social security benefits at Virk.dk (in Danish)

Udbetaling Danmark helps citizens in Denmark apply for social pension from EU/EEA member states and Switzerland and from countries with which Denmark has entered into a social security agreement.

Udbetaling Danmark establishes contact between the Danish citizen and the social pension authorities in other EU/EEA countries, in Switzerland and in countries with which Denmark has entered into a bilateral social security agreement.

The issue of eligibility for a foreign pension usually arises when the citizen is applying for Danish pension. But we can also help the citizen apply for a foreign pension although he or she is not yet eligible to apply for a Danish pension. For instance, if the retirement age of the respective country is lower than in Denmark.

The foreign pension authority determines whether the applicant is eligible for pension and disburses the pension.

Legal framework

The foreign pension will be awarded and disbursed under the rules of the country in question.

If the citizen has accrued pension rights in an EU/EEA country, Regulation (EC) No. 883/04 lays down Community coordination rules to ensure the free movement of labour, among other things. 

If the citizen has accrued pension rights in a country with which Denmark has entered into a social security agreement, this agreement may set out applicable provisions.

Information and self-service for citizens

Information on pension in Denmark, contact details and self-service can be found at borger.dk.

Read more about foreign pension in Denmark at borger.dk (in Danish)

International health insurance is an umbrella term for health insurance of Danes abroad and foreigners in Denmark. The term “International health insurance” covers three areas:

• The blue European health insurance card: The blue European health insurance card gives Danes holidaying in Europe the same right to health care as the citizens of the country they are staying in. The health insurance card covers medical treatment in the EU as well as Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
• Special health insurance card: The special health insurance card gives the holder the right to receive medical treatment in the Danish health service on the same terms as people living in Denmark. The card is issued to persons who are covered by social security in Denmark, but live abroad – i.e. primarily cross-border commuters. 
• Registration of country where one has health insurance: When a person moves to Denmark, they must provide certain information so that Udbetaling Danmark can register which country is responsible for their health insurance. If the citizen has health insurance abroad, the costs of the citizen’s medical treatment in Denmark will be collected from the authorities of the relevant country.

The task of administering international health insurance was transferred to Udbetaling Danmark on 1 May 2015. Previously, the municipalities were tasked with this job.

Information and self-service for citizens

Information, contact information and self-service for the areas can be found at borger.dk:

The blue European health insurance card (in Danish)

Special health insurance card (in Danish)

International Fraud & Error Information is part of Udbetaling Danmark − a public authority responsible for the disbursement of a range of Danish social security benefits administered by the ATP Group.

International Fraud & Error Information is authorized to collect information from public authorities outside of Danish jurisdiction for the purpose of ensuring the correct administration of Danish social security benefits. We collect information on behalf of Danish local authorities and Udbetaling Danmark pursuant to Danish law, as stated in “Lov om Udbetaling Danmark” (text is in Danish). 

International Fraud & Error Information may request information regarding the recipients of Danish social security benefits, e.g.:

• marital status
• residence 
• entry and exit records 
• children
• income from employment and self-employment
• property and vehicle information
• social security benefits from other countries