Home / Home page / Your situation / Unemployment insurance abroad

Unemployment insurance abroad

Moving abroad can affect your unemployment fund membership and your right to unemployment benefits. Here you can read what applies in different situations.

Wait to opt out of the unemployment fund

If you leave the unemployment fund, you lose your seniority and entitlement to unemployment benefits. Therefore, we recommend that you wait before you leave. You may be able to keep your membership or take your unemployment insurance with you, depending on the country you move to.

If you get a job in another EEA country

As a rule, you must be insured against unemployment in the country you work in. You must apply for unemployment insurance no later than 8 weeks after you start your job. If you meet the deadline, you can keep the seniority you have built up in your Danish unemployment insurance fund.

You can only have one unemployment insurance. Therefore, you must be deregistered from your Danish unemployment insurance fund from the date your new insurance comes into effect.

Make sure you have proof that you are insured in the new country. If you can prove that you cannot get unemployment insurance in the new country, you can continue to be a member with us.

It is the country you will be working in that can guide you on how to transfer your unemployment insurance. We therefore recommend that you contact the country's authorities.

See the list of EEA countries.

If you get a job in a country outside the EEA

If you get a job in a country outside the EEA and the country does not have unemployment insurance, you can generally keep your membership in Min A-kasse.

If you find work in the UK, you should be aware that special rules apply.

When you move back to Denmark

If you have been abroad for less than 5 years

To keep your seniority, you must join a Danish unemployment insurance fund no later than 8 weeks after your insurance has ended in the other EEA country.

Please note that your deadline may be shorter if it is less than 12 months since you left your Danish unemployment fund.

If you have been abroad for more than 5 years

To keep your seniority, you must:

Start working and join an unemployment insurance fund within 8 weeks of your insurance ending in the other EEA country.
have reported 296 hours of work in the income register within 12 weeks.

If you do not manage to work 296 hours within 12 weeks, you cannot transfer your seniority from the other EEA country.

Frequently asked questions

Can my work abroad count towards the Danish employment requirement?

Yes, it can. You must be able to document your working hours and income in the form of payslips and employment contracts. The work must have been performed under standard wage and employment conditions in the country.

Can I re-join a Danish unemployment fund if I move from an EEA country to a non-EEA country?

Yes, you can become a member of a Danish unemployment fund even if you do not live in Denmark if

You have been insured in Denmark within the last 5 years.
We will receive your membership application no later than 8 weeks after you are no longer insured in the EEA country.

Can I be a member of Min A-kasse if I am staying in an EEA country without working?

If you move to an EEA country without having a job, you can still be a member with us. When you return to Denmark, you can receive unemployment benefits if you are either:

unemployed and have unemployment benefit entitlement or
have been a member of an unemployment insurance fund for at least one year and meet the employment requirement.

What is PD U1?

A PD U1 is a document that shows your insurance and employment periods in other EEA countries. You need a PD U1 from Denmark when you apply for unemployment benefits abroad. You can apply for this by filling out the 'EEA4' form in Self Service.

Go to Self Service.

If you are unemployed when you return to Denmark, you will need a PD U1 from the EEA countries where you were previously insured.

As a rule, you cannot receive unemployment benefits in Denmark until we have received a PD U1. It is therefore important that you contact the authorities in the countries where you were previously insured for unemployment insurance to obtain a PD U1.

Special rules in Norway

Norway has a special practice. Therefore, we recommend that you obtain an employer confirmation before you travel.

Contact NAV for guidance.

I am posted to an EEA country. Is my insurance still valid?

To be covered by Danish unemployment insurance during a posting, you must be employed by a Danish company. You must be posted by your Danish employer, and your Danish employer must pay your salary during the posting. The posting must not last longer than 2 years.

You must also apply to retain your Danish social security when you work abroad.

What happens to my early retirement pension if I go abroad?

You cannot pay early retirement contributions if you leave the unemployment insurance fund due to working abroad.

When you return to Denmark, you can be reinstated in the early retirement scheme and pay your early retirement contribution. The supplementary payment must be made no later than three months after you have re-joined an unemployment insurance fund.

If you return to Denmark for early retirement, please note that you must have had a certain amount of Danish work before you can transfer to early retirement.

This website has been translated from Danish to English by using artificial intelligence (AI).