Last updated: October 2026. Rules and amounts checked on borger.dk and in Skattestyrelsen’s legal guide in October 2026.
Despite the high taxes and prices that make you rather choose canned noodles every evening over eating out, Denmark offers international students more support than many expect. Besides free education and SU, there are three more things worth knowing about: housing benefit, a deposit loan from your municipality, and an extra tax deduction for students from certain countries.
Quick answer
- Housing benefit (boligstøtte): students can get it if they rent a home with its own kitchen and live there permanently. Rooms in a shared-kitchen dorm or in someone else’s home usually don’t qualify. In 2026 a renter without children can get at most 1,194 DKK a month. It’s tax-free. Apply on borger.dk.
- Deposit loan (lån til beboerindskud): an interest-free loan for the first 5 years from your municipality, but only for almene boliger (non-profit housing), not private rentals.
- Guest student tax deduction: students from 22 treaty countries can get up to 54,100 DKK extra tax-free income on their salary in 2026, by applying with form 04.062.
| Support | Who can get it | How much (2026) | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boligstøtte (housing benefit) | Renters of a home with its own kitchen | Up to 1,194 DKK/month without children | borger.dk (Udbetaling Danmark) |
| Lån til beboerindskud (deposit loan) | Tenants moving into almene boliger, under an income limit | Your deposit, interest-free for 5 years | Your municipality |
| Guest student deduction | Students from certain treaty countries with salary in Denmark | Up to 54,100 DKK of extra deductions | Skattestyrelsen, form 04.062 |
Housing benefit for students in Denmark (boligstøtte)
Once you have moved into your new place and bought all the candles you found in your nearest shop to meet the Danish standards of hygge, Udbetaling Danmark (the public benefits administration) may help with your rent through boligstøtte.
Who can get housing benefit?
According to borger.dk’s page for students:
- You must rent the home (if you own part of it, you’re not a renter).
- The home must have its own kitchen, and you must live there permanently. If you rent a room in someone else’s home, you normally can’t get boligstøtte.
- If you live with your parents or partner and have full access to the home, you can’t claim it yourself.
- Only one person per home can receive it, and they must be on the lease. Flatmates over 18 sign a joint liability declaration.
If you’re in Denmark on a residence permit, check on nyidanmark.dk whether receiving public benefits affects your permit before you apply.
How much housing benefit can a student get?
The amount depends on your rent (excluding electricity, heating, water and internet), the size of the home, how many adults and children live there, and the household’s income and assets. The 2026 monthly maximums for renters who aren’t pensioners are:
| Household | Maximum per month (2026) |
|---|---|
| No children | 1,194 DKK |
| 1 to 3 children | 4,201 DKK |
| 4 or more children | 5,251 DKK |
Source: borger.dk: Søg boligstøtte. Most single students fall in the first row, so think of boligstøtte as a useful top-up of up to about 14,300 DKK a year, not as rent coverage. Household assets under 896,400 DKK don’t affect the amount.
Housing benefit for renters is tax-free. Skattestyrelsen’s legal guide lists it among the tax-free amounts that reduce the guest student deduction (see below).
Housing benefit calculator and how to apply
- Register your move with the folkeregister first. It speeds things up.
- Calculate your amount with the official Beregn din boligstøtte calculator on borger.dk. You can use it with or without MitID.
- Apply online on the same page. You’ll need your lease (or a recent rent invoice).
- Apply within 30 days of moving in, and the payment is backdated to your move-in date. If you apply later, you only get it from the 1st of the month after Udbetaling Danmark receives your application.
Boligstøtte is paid in advance on the first weekday of each month. If your income changes a lot (for example, a new student job or graduation), report it to Udbetaling Danmark, or you may have to pay some back.
Deposit loan from the municipality (lån til beboerindskud)
We know the struggle: three months of deposit plus prepaid rent can hit your finances hard. Your municipality can lend you the deposit, but only in specific cases. According to borger.dk:
- It’s for moving into an almen bolig (non-profit housing association home) taken into use after 1 April 1964. Private rentals generally don’t qualify, although municipalities can grant voluntary loans in other cases.
- Rooms count, but almene ungdomsboliger without their own kitchen don’t.
- Your household income at move-in must be below 302,677 DKK a year for an apartment or 205,040 DKK for a single room (2026), plus 53,100 DKK per child.
- Usually no interest or repayments for the first 5 years. After that, interest is 4.5% a year. Apartment loans are repaid over 10 years, room loans over 5.
Apply through your municipality’s (kommune) website.
Still looking for a place? See our guides to finding student accommodation in Denmark and furnishing a student room on a budget.
The extra tax deduction for international students
Fradrag som udenlandsk studerende
This is what an earlier version of this article called “double fradrag”. Students from countries whose tax treaty with Denmark has a student clause can get a guest student deduction on top of the normal personfradrag. In 2026 it’s up to 54,100 DKK a year on salary from work in Denmark, reduced if you’re only here part of the year. It’s also reduced by support you get from abroad and by tax-free Danish benefits such as housing benefit.
Which countries qualify?
Skattestyrelsen’s legal guide (section C.F.8.2.2.20.2) lists these 22 countries:
Brazil, the Philippines, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, India, Indonesia, Iceland, Jamaica, Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, Montenegro, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zambia.
Brazil, India, Jamaica, Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, Montenegro and Portugal have special rules with different amounts or conditions. China, Ukraine and Trinidad and Tobago, which appeared in an older version of this list, are not on the current list.
How to apply
Fill in form 04.062 and submit it through virk.dk, TastSelv (Contact → Write to us → Udland → Fradrag som studerende), or by post. Include documentation of your studies. Once approved, check the deduction also appears on your årsopgørelse, or you’ll get a bill.
For tax cards, rates and other deductions, read our student guide to taxes in Denmark and what to do at the end of the tax year.
FAQ
Can international students get housing benefit in Denmark?
Yes, if you rent a home with its own kitchen and live there permanently. Shared-kitchen dorm rooms and rooms in someone else’s home usually don’t qualify. Check on nyidanmark.dk whether benefits affect your residence permit.
How much is housing benefit for a student?
At most 1,194 DKK a month in 2026 for a renter without children. The exact amount depends on rent, home size, income and assets. Use the calculator on borger.dk.
Is housing benefit taxable in Denmark?
No, boligstøtte for renters is tax-free.
Can I get a deposit loan for a private rental?
Generally no. The municipal deposit loan is for almene boliger (non-profit housing). Municipalities can grant voluntary loans in other cases, so ask yours.
Does SU affect housing benefit?
Housing benefit depends on household income, so your income, including a student job, affects the amount. The calculator on borger.dk lets you enter your own numbers. More on SU in our SU guide.
Conclusion
Yes, prices are high for international students in Denmark, but so is the support. After all, Denmark wants you to have some money left at the end of the month to enjoy an authentic Danish pastry with a cup of hot gløgg on a windy winter evening in your local café, after you haven’t seen the sun for a couple of weeks.
