Best A-kasse in Denmark for International Students (2026)

Last updated: October 2026. Prices checked October 2026 on each a-kasse’s own website. Some links below are affiliate links, marked as sponsored. You never pay extra, and the ranking is based on fit for students, not on commission.

New to the whole concept? Start with our explainer What is an a-kasse? Rules for international students, then come back here to pick one.

Quick answer

• Dagpenge (unemployment benefits) are set by law and are the same in every a-kasse. The funds differ on monthly fee after you graduate, who they accept, and the career help they offer.
• Pick by field first. Business, communication or economics: CA A-kasse. University degree in any subject: Akademikernes A-kasse. Journalism, media or languages: AJKS. Not sure yet: an open-to-all fund such as A&Til (cheapest open-to-all at 521 kr), Min A-kasse (English website) or Ase (cheap union add-on).
• Student membership is usually free for up to five years, but only if you meet the conditions (qualifying education, an income ceiling including SU and, at CA for example, Danish residence right before your studies started).
• Membership is not a guarantee of benefits. If you hold SIRI’s job-seeking permit after graduation, you are not allowed to receive unemployment benefits at all. Check your own situation before you count on dagpenge.

2026 a-kasse prices compared

Standard monthly fee for a full-time member, before tax relief, without early retirement (efterløn) contributions. The fee is tax deductible: A&Til, for example, says its 521 kr is about 349 kr after tax.

Sources: AJKS, Akademikernes, A&Til, Min A-kasse, Business Danmark, Ase, CA. Akademikernes also keeps a price comparison of 13 funds (updated June 2026) that matches these figures.

The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive fund here is 47 kr a month. Since the benefits are identical, that difference only matters if two funds are otherwise equal for you.

Before you join: 4 things international students must check

Most “best a-kasse” lists skip this part. It decides whether the membership is worth anything to you.

1. Your residence permit after graduation

SIRI states that holders of the three-year job-seeking permit for graduates are not allowed to receive unemployment benefits, and that receiving them can get the permit revoked. If you are a non-EU student planning to stay on that permit, a free student membership costs you nothing, but it will not pay dagpenge while you are on it. Your residence basis is what matters, so EU/EEA citizens and people on other permits are in a different position. Ask the a-kasse to assess your case.

2. The free student membership conditions

Free means free only if you meet the fund’s student exemption rules. They are similar across funds because they follow the law:

• An education of at least 18 months (CA also accepts a kandidat degree of at least 12 months).
• Income no higher than about 319,000 kr a year, including SU (CA: 319,162 kr; Min A-kasse: 319,163 kr in 2026; Ase’s student page says 305,000 kr).
• A maximum of five years free in total. Switching funds does not reset the five years.
• At CA, you must have lived in Denmark right before your studies began. If you moved to Denmark to start your degree, ask about this before joining.

Sources: CA, Min A-kasse, Ase.

3. The Danish language or work-hours requirement

To get benefits as a new graduate (the dimittend route), borger.dk says you must either pass Prøve i Dansk 2 with at least 02 (or an equivalent test) or have 600 paid working hours (400 if part-time insured) within 12 months of the last 24. An English-taught degree on its own does not meet the language rule. If you plan to stay, our list of apps and websites for learning Danish is a good place to start.

4. The 14-day graduation deadline

You must tell your a-kasse you have graduated (or join, if you are not a member) within 14 days of finishing, usually counted from your final grade. This applies to existing student members too, even if you already have a job. CA warns that missing it by a day loses your education-based entitlement. With at least one year of continuous membership you can get benefits from the day after you finish; otherwise you wait one month. You also need to register on Jobnet on your first day without work. Source: CA graduate rules (in English).

The best a-kasse options for international students

Ordered by who they suit, not by price or commission.

CA A-kasse: best for business, communication and economics students

CA is aimed at people in business, economics, communication, marketing, HR and management, which covers many of the English-taught programmes internationals take. It positions itself as a career partner, with webinars, coaching and courses, and it publishes its graduate rules in English, which explain the deadlines more clearly than most.

• Fee after graduation: 561 kr a month (the highest in our table). Optional CA Advokathjælp legal add-on: 60 kr.
• Students: 0 kr if you meet the conditions above.
• Good fit if: your degree is in CA’s fields and you want career coaching aimed at that job market.
• Less good if: price is your main criterion, or your field is unrelated.

Akademikernes A-kasse: best for university students in any subject

Akademikernes serves “academics, managers and other graduates” and has an English section with articles for international professionals, including job applications for new graduates and working culture in Denmark.

• Fee after graduation: 517 kr a month (2026). Some unemployed graduates under 30 are exempt from part of the fee after a period on benefits, so not every graduate pays the full amount.
• Students: 0 kr if you qualify.
• Good fit if: you study at a university and want a fund built around academics, at one of the lowest fees.

AJKS: lowest fee, for journalism, communication and language students

AJKS is the a-kasse for journalism, communication and language, and is the cheapest fund we checked at 514 kr. It dropped its old under-30 limit for free student membership on 1 January 2025, so the student rules are now the same at any age.

• Fee after graduation: 514 kr a month.
• Students: free for up to five years if you qualify (conditions).
• Good fit if: your degree is in its fields. We did not find English pages.

A&Til: cheapest open-to-all fund

A&Til (formerly FTF-A) accepts members from all fields and has English membership pages. At 521 kr it is the cheapest open-to-all fund in our comparison. Note that it bills quarterly rather than monthly.

• Fee after graduation: 521 kr a month (about 349 kr after tax, according to A&Til).
• Students: 0 kr if you qualify.
• Good fit if: you do not know which field you will end up in and want the lowest fee.

Min A-kasse: open to all, with an English website

Min A-kasse accepts members from every field and has a full English website, including its student conditions. For recent graduates it advertises 414 kr for the first month, and the lower fee continues while you stay unemployed.

• Fee after graduation: 542 kr a month.
• Students: 0 kr if you qualify (18 or older, education of at least 18 months, income up to 319,163 kr including SU in 2026).
• Good fit if: you want an open-to-all fund where you can read the rules in English.

Ase: open to all, with a cheap union add-on

Ase accepts members from all fields. Its a-kasse costs 560 kr, and its union (fagforening) adds 74 kr. When you join both, Ase currently gives 6 months of union free (a saving of 444 kr). For students with a job, Ase’s student page mentions legal help for 74 kr a month; that is paid and separate from the free a-kasse membership.

Ase pros and cons

• Pro: open to every field, so switching career does not force you to change fund.
• Pro: a cheap union add-on if you want help with contracts and pay.
• Con: 560 kr is near the top of our price table; three open-to-all or academic funds are cheaper.
• Con: we did not find English pages on its website.
• Con: its own pages give two different student income ceilings, so confirm the current limit with Ase.

Business Danmark: for sales and marketing

Business Danmark specialises in sales, marketing and service. Its a-kasse costs 542 kr and a-kasse plus union 718 kr. Students on a full-time, SU-eligible programme get the union free; that free union membership is not the same as an automatic a-kasse exemption, so check both.

Which a-kasse should you choose?

1. Check you can benefit at all (permit, residence, language or work hours). If you cannot, the membership is still free while you study, but do not expect dagpenge.
2. Match your field. A fund aimed at your sector can give more relevant career help. CA, Akademikernes, AJKS and Business Danmark are sector funds.
3. If unsure, choose an open-to-all fund: A&Til (cheapest), Min A-kasse (English site) or Ase (union bundle).
4. Join at least a year before you graduate. One year of membership lets you claim from the day after you finish. Ase notes that joining later means a one-month wait.

Working while you study? A union is a separate thing from an a-kasse. Read your rights as a union student member.

How much dagpenge do new graduates get in 2026?

Monthly maximums before tax, full-time insured, 2026 rates:

Sources: Ase 2026 rate table, CA graduate rates. The graduate step-down happens after the first three months of benefits (481 benefit hours for full-time members), not on a calendar date. Graduates can get benefits for a total of one year (1,924 hours) within two years. The ordinary route needs at least 286,632 kr of income within three years (borger.dk). These are maximums you may qualify for, not guaranteed payouts.

How to switch a-kasse

Sign up with the new fund and ask it to transfer you. The new a-kasse cancels your old membership and your membership time carries over. Do not cancel the old membership yourself, or you risk a gap that resets your seniority. Remember that free student years used at your old fund count toward the five-year limit.

Alternatives to an a-kasse

There is no real substitute for dagpenge. If you are not in an a-kasse, or not eligible, the fallback is means-tested kontanthjælp from your municipality, with stricter rules. Some funds sell salary insurance (lønsikring) on top of dagpenge; prices depend on your salary, so get a quote from the fund. While you are still studying, the more useful safety net is a student job: see how to find a student job in Denmark and how hard it is for internationals.

Frequently asked questions

Which a-kasse is best for foreigners in Denmark?

The benefits are the same everywhere, so choose by field and language. For English information, Min A-kasse, A&Til and Akademikernes have English pages, and CA has its graduate rules in English. More important than the fund is whether your permit allows you to receive benefits.

Is there an a-kasse in English?

No fund runs fully in English, but Min A-kasse, A&Til and Akademikernes have English websites or sections, and CA explains its graduate rules in English. We did not find English pages at Ase, AJKS or Business Danmark.

Is a-kasse free for students?

Usually yes, for up to five years, if you meet the conditions: a qualifying education of at least 18 months, income including SU under the ceiling (319,163 kr in 2026 at Min A-kasse), and the fund’s residence rules.

Can I receive dagpenge while studying?

No. Dagpenge are for people available for full-time work. As a student you build up membership time for after graduation. Our a-kasse explainer covers this in more detail.

What is the cheapest a-kasse in 2026?

Of the funds we checked, AJKS at 514 kr, then Akademikernes at 517 kr. The cheapest open-to-all fund is A&Til at 521 kr.

Is a-kasse the same as a union?

No. The a-kasse pays dagpenge and helps you look for work. A union (fagforening) helps with contracts, pay and workplace disputes. Many funds sell a union add-on, such as Ase (74 kr) or CA’s legal add-on (60 kr).

Can I be a member of two a-kasser?

No, you can only be insured in one a-kasse at a time. Switching transfers your membership time.

Do I get benefits right after graduating?

Only if you meet the graduate conditions, registered your graduation within 14 days, and register on Jobnet. With one year of membership you can be covered from the day after you finish; otherwise after one month.