Compare and Choose: Best A-Kasse for International Students in Denmark
Updated: Feb 19
A-Kasse is very foreign concept for many internationals coming to Denmark for the first time. And what is this a-kasse? Below you'll have a quick introduction to the concept, and see some of the best options, especially for you as a student.
A-kasse - What is it?
A-kasse stands for "arbejdsløshedskasse" which translate into unemployment insurance fund. In very short and basic words; if you should be without a job after education, and you plan to stick around, you will have financial support called dagpenge. So this is something that's gonna be essential to you - so sign up already now and be sure to be qualify for the support. If you want to read even more about it, you can find it on our blog here.
In this blog we've outlined some of the best a-kasser for students, and explaining which are good depending on your line of work.
But let's get to it! Let's look at some of the options.
Which A-kasse to choose?
CA A-kasse - OUR PICK
CA a-kasse is for people working with business and communication, marketing, management, HR, sale, economics etc. They brand themselves as a carrier partner within these fields. They focus on helping you in your work life and on your carrier path.
They are somewhat more expensive, and their A-kasse costs 528 DKK/month, which is more than some of the other options on this list.
But you actually get a lot of benefits with their a-kasse!
They provide you with web seminars, coaching and sparring about your job and carrier, they can offer courses to up your skills, and then of course help with job applications etc. They furthermore have an option of CA Advokathjælp or Legal support for 55 DKK ekstra pr. month, which is basically a mini union. Here you'll get legal counselling more or less the same way as in other unions.
They have very great rating on Trustpilot with a score of 4.9 stars - based on 1.200+ reviews. Their members are emphasising the good service and help.
AND as a student you'll get all of this for free!!
You wont start paying until you have graduated. So if this one sounds like anything for you - sign up here.
Min A-kasse
Min A-kasse is for everyone, but if you are gonna work or study within IT and sales and marketing, they can have an edge. They provide guiding, sparring and support no matter your profession and your carrier path. They have been around for over 100 years, and are one of the oldest in the field. Min A-kasse is medium priced with a monthly fee of 506 DKK. This is without option of union.
They have great rating on Trustpilot as well, especially considering that they help and support members with all sorts of educational background. They have 4.5 stars based on almost 2.000 reviews.
As many other a-kasser, they offer their services for free when studying! So get cracking!
Ase A-kasse
Ase a-kasse is also an a-kasse for everyone. They don't have any demands towards what your educational or job background is. As many of the a-kasser which are for everyone, they have sparring and counselling about job, and help you in your job search.
They are also in the more pricy end with a monthly instalment of 527 DKK/month.
At the moment though, if you sign up, you get their union for free for 6 months, after that it's 601 DKK/month for a-kasse and union.
Where they differentiate from other a-kasser is that they are now offering a special deal with you have family here. They can offer you a family package on their union, where they'll help you and your kids with counselling regarding jobs.
Ase have very good rating on Trustpilot, reaching 4.4 stars based on 3.400+ reviews.
Business Danmark
Business Danmark is an a-kasse which specialises itself 100% within sale, marketing and service. It costs 506 DKK/month. With their a-kasse you'll get help with your job search and dagpenge.
If you choose to have both a-kasse and union it's 673 DKK/month. This can seem pricy, but it seems like that the union is worth it, when you see what's included. As a member you'll have access to sparring about skills, coaching, they will provide you legal advice, counselling about salary and much more. They only specialise in sale and marketing, and their rating on Trustpilot reflects this. They have 4.8 star rating, based on 1.000+ reviews, and people are praising their sparring, professionalisme and their understanding of their members situations.
AND very important to mention; a-kasse and union is completely free for students!!
So if you are still studying and know you'll be working within marketing and sale, don't waste another minute and sign up now!
Quick Overview
Is your brain now overloaded with too much information? Don't worry. Below you'll see all the amazing options one more time, put into a very nice box that will give you a quick overview.
| TrustPilot | Recommended for | Offices | Price | Offers: | Links |
| 4.9 stars based on 1.200+ reviews | Business Communication, Marketing, Management, HR, Sale, Economics | København, Aarhus, Aalborg, Kolding, Odense | A-kasse: 528 DKK/month Advokathjælp/union: 55 DKK/month | Free for students | Sign up here |
| 4.5 stars based on almost 2.000 reviews. | IT, Sales & Marketing | Aarhus, Aalborg, Fredericia, Valby, Odense, Næstved | A-kasse: 506 DKK/month No union | Free for students | Sign up here |
| 4.4 stars based on 3.400+ reviews | Everyone | Bornholm, Esbjerg, Herning, Hillerød, Hjørring, Holbæk, Kolding, Odense, København, Aarhus, Slagelse, Aabenrå, Aalborg, Vordingborg, | A-kasse: 527 DKK/month A-kasse + Union: 601 DKK/month | Free union for 6 months at sign-up | Sign up here |
| 4.8 stars based on 1.000+ reviews | Only sale, marketing and service | Valby, Aarhus, Aalborg, Rødovre, Fredericia, Odense, Næstved, | A-kasse: 506 DKK/month A-kasse + Union: 673 DKK/month | Free for students | Sign up here |
Requirements
As to any things else that are awesome, there are a few requirements before you can receive the support from a-kasser.
I've tried breaking down the requirements that you'll have to fulfil in order to get dagpenge. This is the requirements in generel, for students and graduates, you'll find fitting information a bit further down.
You would have to have earned some money, because the support that you'll receive depends on how much you've earned.
Sign up at an a-kasse that fits your needs, because you'll have to have been a member for at least a year before being able to receive support.
If you become unemployed you need to be available for the job market, meaning that you'll have to be ready to take a job with a days notice.
For graduates:
You can get benefits from first a day of unemployment after end education, but only if you've been a member for at least one year.
If you are not a member when you graduate, then sign up no later than 14 days after end education. Then you'll receive support the following month.
Be aware that the support for new graduates can be lower than for others. Talk to your a-kasse about your situation and where you'll be when you graduate, then you'll get the best answers.
For Students
The memberships are free for students in most of the Danish a-kasser. There for we, here at the Student Survival Guide, recommend that you sign up already today, if you aren't a member.
The earlier you do it, the better. When you then graduate you have hopefully already been a member for +1 year, and can get your support right away.
Overview of the benefits
There is really no easy way to describe and write about all the things that have an impact when it comes to what you can get in support, so I've made you an overview of the how much you can receive in dagpenge depending on your situation. And I hope this will make some sort of sense.
Membership Group in A-kasse | Max. rate pr. month - before tax | Max. rate first year - before tax | Max. rate second year - before tax |
Full-time insured | |||
With the right to employment supplement, in the first 3 months | 24.199 kr. | 255.828 kr. | 244.308 kr. |
With the right to employment supplement, after the first 3 months | 20.359 kr. | 255.828 kr. | 244.308 kr. |
Without the right to employment supplement | 20.359 kr. | 244.308 kr. | 244.308 kr. |
Graduates (non-providers) in the first 3 months | 14.557 kr. | ||
Graduates (non-providers), under 30 years, from the 4th to 12th month | 10.011 kr. | ||
Graduates (non-providers), over 30 years, from the 4th to 12th month | 12.645 kr. | ||
Graduates (providers), in the 1st to 12th month | 16.694 kr. | ||
Part-time insured | |||
With the right to employment supplement, in the first 3 months | 16.133 kr. | 170.556 kr. | 162.876 kr. |
With the right to employment supplement, after the first 3 months | 13.573 kr. | 170.556 kr. | 162.876 kr. |
Without the right to employment supplement | 13.573 kr. | 162.876 kr. | 162.876 kr. |
Graduates (non-providers) in the first 3 months | 9.705 kr. | ||
Graduates (non-providers), under 30 years, from the 4th to 12th month | 6.674 kr. | ||
Graduates (non-providers), over 30 years, from the 4th to 12th month | 8.430 kr. | ||
Graduates (providers), in the 1st to 12th month | 11.130 kr. | ||
Youth | |||
Full-time youth, 50% | 10.180 kr. | 122.160 kr. | 122.160 kr. |
Part-time youth, 50% | 6.787 kr. | 81.444 kr. | 81.444 kr. |
Conclusion
This concludes our blog about some incredible options when it comes to a-kasse in Denmark. It's a huge labyrinth to navigate, so we hope this overview can help you. The contenders on the list, makes up a big spectrum of industries, and we've chosen them on the background of their good ratings and what they can offer you!
Remember that a-kasse is an amazing thing, even more when you are studying where so many of them are free for student!! But also after end studies, and maybe before you land a job, it's incredible to know that you can have financial help and guidance into the big wide world of work.
So sign up now!
Still confused?
Should you sit left behind and still with some confusion, we have explained what the whole dagpenge-system is about in our blog here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here at Student Survival Guide we want to help internationals navigate Denmark and one of the big topics that can raise a lot of questions is A-Kasse.
So we've decided to do a little FAQ on the subject, so you always can find a quick answer if you need it.
What a-kasse should I choose?
There are many different a-kasser in Denmark. Most of them are accepting everyone no matter what education or occupation you have.
But there are some that do specialises and that can give you extra benefits.
Does it cost anything to be a member of a-kasse?
All a-kasser takes a monthly fee for their services. This price is typically around 400-600 DKK/month +/- depending on what it includes.
But many a-kasser do offer you their a-kasse service for free when you are a student. Be aware though that there are some requirements that needs to be uphold. Read about these requirements further up in the blog.
How much is a-kasse paying?
The support that you can get varies depending on how much money you've earned before going on dagpenge. Because there can be many factors involved in how much you'll receive, please refer to our box in the section Requirements, here you'll be able to see all the information with numbers from 2023.
Is a-kasse a union?
No, A-kasse is not a union. A-kasse provides you with financial support when you don't have a job. They help you with basic job search and can spar with you on this.
Many a-kasser either have their own union connected or are cooperating with external unions. So in many cases you can choose the union as an "add-on" so you can benefit from legal advice, help with job contracts, rights and so forth.
How to change a-kasse?
Most a-kasser will handle the transfer for you. You just need to fill out their form and then they will do the rest. Just like when you change mobile subscription.
If they don't handle the transfer they will inform about this on their website.
NB: some information and numbers might be outdated. We do our best to keep everything up to date!
