Transferring periods of work and insurance from another EEA Country

You move to Denmark - how can you use your acquired rights from your home country ?

Your right to quicker access to unemployment benefits in Denmark depends in most cases on what nationality you have.
However for individuals who move to Denmark from another Nordic country the nationality is irrelevant.

For the following groups of persons there are different rules/requirements:

Nationals of non-EU countries

Nationals of non-EU countries, legally residing on the territory of the EU, who have moved between these countries, and their family members, as a general rule (this means in all other EAA countries) have the right to transfer earned rights from one EU-country to another.
BUT Denmark has a special rule saying that Denmark only accepts to take into account acquired unemployment benefit rights of EU-nationals.
So as a non-EU national - even if you have been working and insured against unemployment in another EU country, you can NOT transfer your earned rights regarding unemployment insurance to Denmark.
For non-EU Nationals coming from one of the other Nordic countries, please see our special section below.

EU-nationals

For EU-nationals moving to Denmark there is an additional requirement before you can transfer your acquired rights from your own EEA-country:
Like in other EEA countries, you must apply for membership of an Danish A-kasse within 8 weeks after you ceased to be insured in another EEA country, but in Denmark there is an additional requirement saying that - if you have not been member of a danish A-kasse within the last 5 years - within the 8 weeks you must begin work in Denmark and work for at least 296 hours over 12 weeks / 3 months.
Among all the EEA-countries, this requirement for additional work is found only in Denmark, Belgium and Finland (in Finland the requirement is 4 weeks of work and in Belgium 3 months of work).

For being able to transfer your rights you need a PD U1 document.
The form is issued by the public employment service or the competent social security institution in the last country(ies) where you worked.
Submit it to the A-kasse in Denmark where you wish to become member.
You can see how the PD U1 looks like here.

Calculation of Unemployment benefit rate ("dagpengesats") after using PD U1

If you have been insured in Denmark within the past five years, you can have a Unemployment benefit rate ("dagpengesats") calculated on the basis of the most recent work in Denmark supplemented with income from the other EEA country, if this is needed.
As far as possible, (the best) 12 months within 24 months must be included in the calculation.
An income earned during an insurance period in the other EEA country is indexed on the basis of the indexing factor of the country in question.

If you have not previously been insured in Denmark, or if it is more than five years since you were last insured in Denmark, you can only have a Unemployment benefit rate ("dagpengesats") calculated for work carried out after your return/arrival to Denmark, and it must be at least 296 hours within a continuous period of three months (for part-time insured persons it must be at least 148 hours).

Residents from Nordic Countries

Residents (EU or non-EU nationals) coming from the Nordic Countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland) are treated according to the Nordic convention on social security (from 2014). Regardless of whether you are an EU/EEA or non EU/EEA citizen you will be treated like EU nationals - if you have been covered by the social security rules in one of the Nordic Countries (have been subject to the legislation there). Denmark has in the convention committed itself to use the rules for EU Nationals (see above) also on non-EU Nationals coming from one of the other Nordic countries.

Citizen of the Faroe Islands

If you are citizen of the Faroe Islands, the only condition is that you apply for membership of a Danish A-kasse within 8 weeks after you ceased to be insured in the Faroe Islands.

Legislation

Nordic convention on social security (from 2014).
Regulation (EU) no. 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems
Dansk-Færøsk aftale om dagpenge