Foreign citizen - how to apply

Read more about how to apply

When you apply for SU for a study programme in Denmark you must:

  • apply for SU in minSU, and
  • complete the application for equal status for foreign citizens applying for equal status with Danish citizens. You can access the application for equal status by clicking on the receipt page you get when you have applied for SU in minSU. You can also access the application for equal status with Danish citizens under the section “Application for equal status (foreign citizens)” in minSU

Log on to minSU from a computer insted af a mobile device - we do not recieve all applications completed via a mobile device. You can read about technical problems here (in danish).

You can at the earliest receive SU from the month where you apply for SU and you cannot receive SU with retrospective effect.

The final date for applying for SU is the last day of the month. If, for instance, you want SU from the month of August, you must apply for SU in minSU on 31 August at the latest. The final date for applying for SU in a year is 5 December. If you apply after 5 December, you can at the earliest receive SU in January the year after.

You must complete the application for equal status three weeks at the latest after you have made your application for SU in minSU. Remember to attach the necessary documentation (the documentation you must attach is specified in the application).

You should be aware that if you complete the application for equal status later than three weeks after making your application for SU, the date of completion of the application for equal status counts as the date of application for SU.

If you are going to receive SU from the month of January, the earliest date for applying for SU is December 1 the year before, as the application for SU is accessible only from December 1 in minSU.

In some cases it can take a long time for the immigration authorities to process your case. As you may not receive SU retrospectively, you must apply for SU in minSU and complete the application for equal status for foreign citizens at the start of your studies even though you are waiting for a residence permit from the immigration authorities.

Questions and answers about the application

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about the application:

If you believe, the information in CPR is lacking or incorrect, you should contact the municipality where you reside before you apply for equal status.

You do not have to attach your residency permit or certificate of registration as an EU/EEA citizen from the Danish Immigration Service unless you apply for equal status with Danish citizens because you fall within Section 2(2), (3) or (4) of the Act on Integration of Aliens in Denmark.

You can apply for equal status under various rules. However, you only have to meet the requirements for one of the rules to be granted equal status to that of Danish citizens.

We kindly encourage you to make sure you have all the required documentation ready before you submit your application. However, if this is impossible in your specific case, you can state in the application that the remaining documentation will be send within 7 days. You must send the documentation as Digital Post via borger.dk.

If you are an EU/EAA citizen and apply for SU for a whole study programme in an EU/EEA country outside Denmark, you must be aware of the special regulations about connection to Denmark (please note that the site is in Danish).

If you apply for SU for a whole study programme abroad, you must apply for SU in minSU as well as submit the forms for equal status and connection to Denmark to the agency (please note that the forms are in Danish).

If you have been granted equal status according to the rules of EU law and later apply for SU for a new study programme, you will have to make a new application in minSU and complete the information form for foreign citizens.

If you have been granted equal status according to Danish rules and later apply for SU for a new study programme, you must make a new application in minSU. However, you do not have to complete the special information form again unless you have been away from Denmark for a continuous period of more than two years.

In some situations you cannot receive Danish SU irrespective of whether you otherwise fulfil the conditions for being granted equal status with Danish students:

  • If you receive educational support from your home country.
  • If you can receive educational support from your home country. This does not, however, apply to citizens of EU Member States or EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).

As a foreign citizen you can get MitID with your foreign passport or ID card or you can get MitID at a Citizen Service Centre.

You must have a Danish civil registration number to access minSU. If you are a foreign citizen, live and study in Denmark but do not have a Danish civil registration number, you should apply to the municipality in which you are living, where you can get a civil registration number.

If you do not have a Danish civil registration number, you must complete an application for a Danish civil registration number before you can apply for SU in minSU. You must submit the completed form at your place of education together with a copy of your passport. 

  • The copy of your passport or ID card can be a scan or a photo taken with a smartphone
  • The copy should be clear and readable
  •  The copy must be in colour
  •  All 4 corners of the passport/ID card has to be visible

You will then receive a letter from the Agency with your new Danish civil registration number.

After you receive your Danish civil registration number, you can get MitID with your foreign passport or ID card or you can get MitID at a Citizen Service Centre. When you have MitID, you can apply for SU in minSU.

Form: For the use of handling an application for SU and/or Ungdomskort

Equal status according to several rules

You can apply for equal status according to several rules simultaneously. However, you only have to fulfil the conditions of one of the rules in order to be granted equal status with Danish citizens. Please note that there are different rules for how equal status can be revoked, depending on whether you are granted equal status on the basis of Danish rules or EU law