Informative Materials – Denmark

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1 Informative Materials – Denmark
1.1 Education paths leading to professional caregiving in DENMARK
1.2 Recognition of skills and qualifications acquired through non-formal and informal learning
1.3 Information for foreigners who want to become or work as formal caregivers in Denmark
1.4 Employment conditions in Denmark; recognition procedures for the purpose of work; language requirements; employment regulations
1.5 Specific training for people who come from specific countries to Denmark (as low-skilled foreigners)
1.6 Information on earning
1.7 Job offers
1.8 Some statistic data
1.9 Link to relevant websites in country
1.10 Useful materials
1.11 References

Education paths leading to professional caregiving in DENMARK

You need an authorisation to work as a social and health care assistant in Denmark.

Many basic healthcare colleges around Denmark offer training programmes for social and health careers. You can apply directly to the college or get a job with a local authority, which will get you started on the programme. An EQF level 4 is required.

The social and health care programme lasts one year and seven months, including a 20-week basic course.

The remainder of the programme is a mix of practical training periods and school study, for example:  three school study periods, a total of 24 weeks, and two practical training periods, a total of 31 weeks.

Here you will find a LINK with a lot of exhaustive information.

Recognition of skills and qualifications acquired through non-formal and informal learning

If you have work experience or another qualification, it may be possible to shorten your training programme by requesting a shortening to the official  programme  via an application to be sent to the  Danish National Board of Health.

Information for foreigners who want to become  or work as formal caregivers in Denmark

Recognition of education obtained in home country;  Recognition of skills and qualifications acquired through non-formal and informal learning

Foreigners who want to become professional caregivers in Denmark should ask for the legal recognition of their title obtained in the country of origin.

For this purpose, you should submit your request to the Danish National Ministry of Higher Education here: Guide to Diploma recognition or also via the Danish national Enic – Naric center: Denmark – ENIC-NARIC

Employment conditions in Denmark; recognition procedures for the purpose of work; language requirements; employment regulations

For general employment conditions information regarding EU citizens in Denmark, you can see the following official link of the European Commission. 

Other foreign nationals must have a residence work permit to live and work in Denmark. If you come from a country outside the Nordic region or the EU, there are various ways of applying for a residence and work permit. The positive list is a list of occupational categories in which Denmark needs qualified employees. If your trade or educational background matches an occupation on the list and you have been offered a job in Denmark in the relevant category, you will qualify for a residence and work permit. 

Language requirements: to perform their tasks correctly and cooperate with employers, families, other professionals and, of course, seniors, aspirant foreigners caregivers need to have an adequate command of the Danish language.

However, you cannot complete the basic programme mentioned above unless you have a reasonable command of oral and written Danish. The formal admission requirement for the basic social care programme is a command of Danish corresponding to level 3, or level 2 Danish supplemented with six months of relevant work experience.

If you go to Denmark on your initiative, various options for learning Danish will also be available to you. Under Danish legislation, foreign employees who have arrived and live legally in Denmark are entitled to an offer of Danish lessons from their local authority of residence at the latest one month after contacting the authority, or at the latest one month after the issue of their civil registration number.

Here you can find some useful information: Learn Danish.

If you come from an EU country and have a qualification from your home country corresponding to the social and health care assistant programme, nursing or similar, your authorisation can be transferred to Denmark.

Your application for Danish authorisation should be sent to the Danish National Board of Health.

Here you can find some easy procedures to start the process of recognition.

Specific training for people who come from specific countries to Denmark (as low-skilled foreigners)

There are no specific trainings for low-skilled foreigners who come to Denmark

Information on earning

A person working as a Caregiver in Denmark earns on average around 3,000 EUR gross per month. Salaries range from 1,569 EUR (lowest) to 4,600 EUR (highest).

It’s also possible for a Caregiver to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above. Salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender.

Job offers

Links to some job offers on the main website for job research in Denmark:

Job ads – Care and solicitude – Social and health | Jobindex

Some statistic data

In general, there is a need for formal caregivers in Denmark .

The Eurocarers website indicates that in Denmark, 15% of the Danish population is involved in caring activities.

The Danish Long-Term Care (LTC) system is among the most comprehensive in the EU. The legal basis of LTC is the Law on Social Services (Lov om social service) and the Law on Health (Lov om sundhed). Denmark has indeed given explicit policy priority to community care over residential care earlier and more resolutely than other countries, enabling older people with LTC dependency to remain in their own homes.

Link to relevant websites in country

Denmark – ENIC-NARIC

Guide to diploma recognition

Useful materials

New to Denmark

References