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Leave in Denmark
Maternity, paternity, and parental leave in Denmark
Adoption leave in Denmark
Other leave in Denmark
Public holidays in Denmark
Protect your employees and your business
Paid time off in Denmark
Every country has its own rules and standards when it comes to leaves and time off from work — and employers need to know about them. For example, employees in Denmark are entitled to paid time off for holidays, sick leave, and when they have a baby. They are also entitled to time off work for military or civil service. Employees also get paid time off in Denmark if they need to care for a child or relative who is sick.
In Denmark, paid time off is mandated by either the Salaried Employees Act or individual collective bargaining agreements. Employers can also set their own policies for paid leave. However, they can’t give employees less generous leave than what’s provided for in the relevant CBA or the Salaried Employees Act.
In this section, we’ll cover several different types of paid leave in Denmark, to help you understand what your Danish employees are entitled to. We’ll discuss annual leave, including how much employees get and how it’s calculated. And we’ll also go into the various particularities of maternity and paternity leave for Danish employees. Read on to learn everything you need to know about paid time off in Denmark.
Leave in Denmark
Both part-time and full-time employees in Denmark are entitled to five full weeks of paid holiday each year. For full-time employees, this amounts to 25 days of leave. For part-time employees, the number of days is worked out on a pro-rata basis.
Employees in Denmark can choose whether they want a paid vacation or a holiday allowance. If they choose the first option, they are paid their normal salary, plus a holiday supplement of 1%. Alternatively, they can receive a holiday allowance of 12.5% of their annual salary.
Calculating annual leave in Denmark
Annual leave in Denmark is accrued at the rate of 2.08 days per month for full-time employees. That means that for every month an employee works, they can take 2.08 days of holiday. This adds up to 25 days over the year. Holiday is accrued during the accrual period, which runs from 1 September to 31 August. However, employees can choose to take their accrued holiday from the month after it is accrued.
Carrying over and paying out annual leave in Denmark
In theory, employees in Denmark accrue holiday during the accrual period (1 September to 31 August) and use it during the same period. However, they can carry over unused leave until 31 December of the same year. For example, holiday accrued between September 2024 and August 2025 can be taken any time before 31 December 2025.
Employers generally don’t have to pay out unused annual leave in Denmark, and employees lose access to any leave they haven’t used by 31 December in a given year. However, employers do have to pay out any unused leave days when an employee leaves the company.
Paid sick leave in Denmark
Under the Salaried Employees Act and most collective bargaining agreements, employees are entitled to paid sick leave in Denmark as long as they meet certain conditions. During the first 30 days of leave, the employer is responsible for paying the employee at their normal rate. After this time, the employee can get sickness benefits from the local municipality authorities.
Usually, the employer continues to pay the employee and claims a refund for an amount corresponding to the local authority’s sickness benefit rate.
Employees are entitled to paid sick leave in Denmark if they:
- Have been continuously working for the same company for at least 2 months
- Have worked a minimum of 74 hours during this period
Employees are entitled to the sickness benefit for up to 22 weeks in a nine-month period. The local municipality will evaluate the employee’s situation before the end of this period to determine whether they should continue to get sickness benefits.
Maternity, paternity, and parental leave in Denmark
Employees in Denmark can get various types of parental leave when they or their partner gives birth. As long as they meet certain conditions, both mothers and fathers are also entitled to the parental benefit, which is a weekly payment during their leave.
Maternity leave in Denmark
Mothers in Denmark can take four weeks of paid leave before the birth of their child. They are then entitled to a further 24 weeks of maternity leave, some of which can be shared with their partner. This breaks down into:
- A mandatory two weeks immediately after the birth
- A further eight weeks to be taken within 10 weeks of the birth
- A further 14 weeks to be taken before the child’s first birthday
In some circumstances, parents can extend or postpone some of their leave beyond the first year, as long as they take it before their child’s ninth birthday. However, nine weeks of this leave have to be taken within the first year.
Paternity leave in Denmark
Fathers or co-parents are also entitled to leave when their partner gives birth in Denmark. Like birth mothers, they have to take a mandatory two weeks of leave immediately after the birth. They can then take an additional 22 weeks of leave at any time before the child turns one year old. In some circumstances, they can postpone 13 weeks of this leave as long as they take it before the child’s ninth birthday.
Transferring parental leave in Denmark
Essentially, both parents get 24 weeks of parental leave in Denmark. Some of this leave can be transferred to the other parent, while some can’t. Specifically, employees must take at least nine weeks of parental leave themselves, including a mandatory two weeks immediately following the birth for both parents. They can then choose to transfer some or all of their remaining leave to their partner.
Pay for parental leave in Denmark
Whether or not employers have to pay employees for maternity, paternity, and parental leave in Denmark depends on the collective bargaining agreement that applies. Employees who don’t get paid during their leave can claim the parental benefit. And, when employers do pay the employee’s full or partial salary, they can claim the parental benefit on their behalf.
To be eligible for the parental benefit, employees must:
- Be in work the day before the leave starts
- Have worked at least 160 hours within the last four whole months
- Have worked at least 40 hours per month in at least three of those months
They also have to be physically present with their child every day during their leave. Full-time employees in Denmark with a monthly salary of at least DKK 19,728 receive the highest unemployment benefit during their parental leave. This amounts to DKK 4,550 (around EUR 600) per month.
Adoption leave in Denmark
Parents who adopt children in Denmark are entitled to adoption leave. This is calculated in a similar way to maternity and paternity leave, and similar conditions apply. Essentially, each parent is entitled to 24 weeks of adoption leave. Some of this leave can be transferred to the other parent.
Adoption leave in Denmark breaks down into:
- Six weeks of leave with parental benefit after receiving the child. Only two weeks of this leave can be taken by both parents at the same time. Employees can choose to transfer up to four weeks of leave to the other parent.
- An additional 18 weeks of leave to be taken within one year of receiving the child. Employees can postpone some or all of this leave until any time before the child turns nine if they meet certain conditions.
Parents can get the parental benefit during this time if they are not paid by their employer.
Leave before receiving the child
Employees who adopt a child in Denmark are also entitled to leave before the child arrives to live with them. The amount they are entitled to depends on whether the child is adopted from Denmark or from abroad. Employees can take:
- Up to four weeks of leave if they are adopting a child from abroad
- One week of leave if they are adopting a child from Denmark
Other leave in Denmark
Employees in Denmark may also be entitled to various other types of leave, depending on what is written in their collective bargaining agreement. Of course, employers in Denmark can also choose to provide their employees with additional leave by specifying this in their individual employment contracts. They can’t provide less leave than what is stated in the CBA or the Salaried Employees Act if it applies.
National military or civil service leave
Employees aged between 18 and 30 in Denmark can be called up for national military or civil service, which normally lasts four months. Both men and women can also volunteer for national service. It’s illegal to dismiss an employee for taking or requesting national service leave in Denmark.
Carer’s leave
Employees in Denmark are entitled to up to six months’ leave to care for a relative who is dying or seriously ill or injured. Employees in this situation receive a carer’s allowance from the local authority where they live.
Bereavement leave
Employees are entitled to bereavement leave after the death of a child or a stillbirth. They can take this leave for up to 26 weeks after the child’s death. During this time, they can receive unemployment benefits as long as they meet certain requirements.
Unpaid leave
Public sector employees in Denmark are entitled to unpaid leave in various circumstances, such as if they or their partner is temporarily posted abroad. There is no specific right to unpaid leave in the private sector. However, employers are free to make individual arrangements with employees who request unpaid leave.
Special event leave
There is no specific law in Denmark that grants employees the right to time off for special events like weddings or funerals. However, many workplaces have policies in place that provide for paid time off in these circumstances.
Public holidays
Employees in Denmark are typically entitled to time off on public holidays. Collective bargaining agreements might also grant employees additional days off work.
Public holidays in Denmark
There are 10 public holidays each year in Denmark, and Danish employees are typically entitled to time off on these days. How this is paid depends on the type of employment. Employees on a monthly salary usually receive the same salary each month, regardless of how many public holidays occur. For hourly-paid employees, whether public holidays are paid depends on the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and the individual employment contract.
Many Danish public holidays (e.g., Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) always fall on the same weekday, while others (such as Christmas Day) can fall on a weekend. Denmark does not move public holidays to the next working day if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday.
Also note:
- Great Prayer Day (Store Bededag) is no longer a public holiday (abolished from 2024).
- Mother’s Day and Liberation Day are observances, not statutory public holidays.
- Constitution Day (Grundlovsdag, 5 June) is widely observed in practice in many workplaces, but it is not one of the 10 statutory public holidays.
Public holidays in Denmark
1 January
New Year’s Day
2 April
Maundy Thursday
3 April
Good Friday
5 April
Easter Sunday
6 April
Easter Monday
14 May
Ascension Day
24 May
Whit Sunday (Pentecost)
25 May
Whit Monday
25 December
Christmas Day
26 December
Boxing Day (Second Day of Christmas)
Protect your employees and your business
As an employer in Denmark, you need to understand your employees’ rights and entitlements. But keeping up with them can be a lot of work.
When you hire workers with CXC, we’ll ensure your engagements are in line with all local, national, and international employment regulations. That way, your workers will get the benefits they’re entitled to, and your business will be protected from risk.
FAQ's
1. How does annual leave work in Denmark?
Under the Danish Holiday Act, employees generally accrue vacation days in Denmark concurrently, allowing leave to be taken soon after it is earned. The standard entitlement is 25 working days each year, accrued at 2.08 days for every month worked.
The holiday year runs from 1 September to 31 August, followed by a period in which accrued leave can normally be used. The holiday-taking period lasts 16 months, running from 1 September until 31 December of the following year. Employees and employers should agree holiday dates while considering business requirements, notice arrangements and any collective-agreement provisions.
The employer ultimately determines when holiday is taken after consulting the employee and, where possible, considering the employee’s wishes. The employer must generally give three months’ notice for the main holiday and one month’s notice for remaining holiday.
Holiday may be paid through ordinary salary during leave or through a holiday allowance arrangement, depending on the employee’s status. Employees who do not receive salary during holiday generally accrue holiday allowance at 12.5% of qualifying pay. Employees entitled to salary during holiday generally receive their usual salary plus a holiday supplement of at least 1%, unless more favourable terms apply.
Employers need accurate records covering accrual, use, carry-over, sickness during holiday and payment on termination.As a general rule, only holiday exceeding four weeks may be transferred by written agreement. Different rules apply where the employee was prevented from taking holiday because of circumstances such as sickness or statutory family leave. A reliable process also helps managers plan staffing without asking employees to give up statutory leave or take it at unsuitable times.
2. How many days of annual leave are employees entitled to in Denmark?
Employees are generally entitled to 25 working days each year, equal to five weeks. Whether every day is paid depends on the employee’s accrued entitlement and holiday-payment arrangement. Vacation days in Denmark accrue at 2.08 days per month, including where the employee works part of a month under the applicable rules.
The statutory entitlement is separate from public holidays and any additional days provided by a collective agreement or employment contract. Some workplaces offer an extra week, personal days or seniority leave, but those benefits are not part of the universal statutory minimum. Public holidays are not automatically replaced when they fall on a weekend unless a collective agreement, contract or workplace arrangement provides otherwise.
Employers should explain how leave is requested, approved, carried forward and paid. The contract should also clarify treatment for part-time employees, new starters and employees leaving during the holiday year. Part-time employees remain entitled to five weeks of holiday, but leave must be recorded in a way that reflects their normal working pattern.
Payroll must track accrued and used leave accurately. This is particularly important when employees join or leave part-way through the year, change working hours or transfer between departments. Clear records prevent disagreements about entitlement and final holiday payments.
3. What types of statutory leave are employees entitled to in Denmark?
Employees in Denmark are entitled to several types of statutory leave, including annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity or co-maternity leave, parental leave and leave to care for a seriously ill child or close family member in certain circumstances. Employees may also have rights to five working days of caregiver’s leave per calendar year, force-majeure leave for urgent family reasons and bereavement leave in specified circumstances. Some entitlements are established by law, while collective agreements may provide additional paid leave or more favourable conditions.
The main statutory leave entitlements include:
Leave type | Entitlement |
Annual leave | Five weeks of annual leave, with payment depending on accrued holiday rights, under the Danish Holiday Act. |
Sick leave | Employees are entitled to sickness absence rights, with salary or sickness benefits depending on the employment arrangement and applicable rules. |
Maternity leave | Birth mothers are entitled to maternity leave before and after childbirth under the Danish Maternity Leave Act. |
Paternity or co-maternity leave | Fathers and co-parents are entitled to statutory leave following the birth or adoption of a child. |
Parental leave | Parents may share statutory parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child, subject to Danish leave rules. For eligible salaried employees living together at the time of birth, each parent is generally allocated 24 weeks with maternity or paternity benefits after birth, of which 11 weeks are non-transferable. |
Care-related leave | Employees may have statutory rights to take leave in specific family or caregiving situations, including up to five working days of caregiver’s leave annually where a child, parent, spouse, partner or household member requires significant care or support for a serious medical reason. Caregiver’s leave is not automatically paid.Additional entitlements often provided through collective agreements. |
Many Danish employees are also covered by collective agreements that provide benefits beyond the statutory minimum, such as additional paid family leave, care days, seniority leave or special leave for family events. Employers should always check whether a collective agreement applies before determining an employee’s leave entitlements.
4. How does sick leave work in Denmark?
Employees who are ill should notify the employer promptly under the workplace’s normal procedure. Sick leave in Denmark may be paid by the employer initially, subject to employee status, the contract and any applicable collective agreement.
Employees covered by the Danish Salaried Employees Act are generally entitled to their normal salary during sickness. Where an employee does not receive full salary, the employer may be required to pay statutory sickness benefits for the first 30 calendar days if the employee has worked for the employer for at least 74 hours during the preceding eight weeks. After the relevant employer period, the municipality may administer sickness benefits if the employee meets the applicable conditions. The employee may need to provide information about expected duration and work capacity, but employers should avoid requesting unnecessary medical details.
A fit-for-work discussion can focus on practical adjustments, a possible return date and whether duties can be modified temporarily. Health information must be handled confidentially and shared only where necessary.
The sickness policy should explain reporting channels, contact expectations and payroll treatment. Employers should also understand any reimbursement or municipal notification duties. Consistent handling protects employee privacy while giving the organisation enough information to plan cover, manage workloads and support a sustainable return to work.
5. What are the employer’s obligations during an employee’s sick leave in Denmark?
When an employee takes sick leave in Denmark, employers must manage the absence in accordance with the Danish Sickness Benefits Act, employment contract and any applicable collective agreement. This includes paying salary where required, recording the absence correctly, meeting reimbursement deadlines and maintaining appropriate contact with the employee throughout their absence.
During sick leave, employers are generally responsible for:
- Recording the sickness absence and applying the correct pay arrangements.
- reporting sickness and applying for municipal sickness benefit reimbursement (sygedagpengerefusion) where the employer is eligible.
- Requesting a medical certificate (friattest) or fit note (mulighedserklæring) where appropriate to clarify the employee’s ability to work.
- Maintaining reasonable contact with the employee to discuss their expected return to work without requesting unnecessary medical information.
- Considering temporary workplace adjustments or modified duties where these could support an earlier return.
For employees on long-term sick leave, employers may also need to participate in follow-up discussions with the employee and the municipality as part of Denmark’s sickness benefit system. Collective agreements may impose additional obligations, including enhanced sick pay or more detailed absence management procedures.
6. What maternity and parental leave are employees entitled to in Denmark?
Pregnant employees in Denmark generally have four weeks of leave before birth and ten weeks of maternity leave afterwards. Fathers and co-mothers generally have two weeks connected with the birth. For parents living together when the child is born, each parent is generally entitled to 24 weeks of leave with maternity or paternity benefits after birth. For salaried employees, 11 of those 24 weeks are normally non-transferable and up to 13 weeks may generally be transferred, subject to the detailed statutory rules.
The legal right to be absent from work and the entitlement to receive maternity or paternity benefits are related but separate. Parents may have broader rights to extend or postpone leave, but additional weeks are not necessarily covered by statutory benefits. Special rules apply where parents do not live together, one parent has sole custody, a child is hospitalised or the parents are adopting.
Maternity leave in Denmark may be paid by the employer, supported through public benefits or governed by a collective agreement.
Employers should confirm notice dates, payroll treatment, pension continuation and any enhanced company benefits. Employees must not be disadvantaged because they request or take family leave.
Good administration includes recording planned dates, explaining benefit arrangements, arranging temporary cover and agreeing how the employee will stay informed. A thoughtful return-to-work plan can help retain skills and maintain continuity after leave, particularly where the employee has held a specialist or managerial role.
7. What has changed about parental leave in Denmark?
Denmark significantly reformed its parental leave rules for children born on or after 2 August 2022. The biggest change is where parents live together at the time of birth, each parent is generally allocated 24 weeks of leave with maternity or paternity benefits after birth. If the parent is an employee, 11 of those weeks are generally non-transferable: two weeks connected with the birth and nine additional earmarked weeks. This replaced the previous system, where parents had greater flexibility to transfer leave between themselves.
The reform was introduced to encourage a more equal sharing of childcare responsibilities and to align Danish law with the EU Work-Life Balance Directive. While part of the leave can still be shared, the reserved weeks are generally forfeited if they are not used by the parent to whom they are allocated. The precise allocation and transfer rules depend on whether the parent is an employee, self-employed, unemployed or in another employment category. Special rules apply for single parents, adoptive parents and parents who do not live together.
For children born or received from 1 January 2024, transferable weeks may also be transferred to qualifying social parents. A sole legal parent may transfer eligible weeks to specified close family members, including the parent’s parents or adult siblings.
A further change applies to children born or adopted on or after 1 January 2026. Where the child is hospitalised – or receives qualifying early treatment at home – each parent may extend leave with benefits by the period of hospitalisation, up to 12 months per parent. This replaced the previous combined extension limit of three months.
For employers, the changes mean employment contracts, parental leave policies and payroll processes should reflect the current allocation of leave and parental benefits. Employers should also check whether a collective agreement provides more favourable paid leave than the statutory minimum, as many do.
8. What is carer’s leave in Denmark?
Carer’s leave in Denmark gives employees the right to take up to five working days of unpaid leave each year to provide personal care or support to their child, parent, spouse or partner, or a person living in the same household who requires significant care or support for a serious medical reason. This entitlement was introduced to implement the EU Work-Life Balance Directive and is separate from annual leave and other family-related leave.
Carer’s leave is intended for short-term caring responsibilities and applies regardless of an employee’s length of service. Employees should notify their employer as soon as reasonably possible and may be asked to provide information confirming that the leave meets the statutory requirements. The employer may require medical documentation supporting the need for significant care or assistance but should process that information in accordance with data-protection requirements.
Employees must not be subjected to adverse treatment or dismissal because they request or take qualifying carer’s leave. However, the statutory entitlement does not itself require the employer to pay salary during the leave.
Employers should distinguish statutory carer’s leave from other forms of leave that may be available under Danish law or a collective agreement. Many collective agreements provide more generous arrangements, such as paid care days, compassionate leave or additional family leave, which go beyond the statutory minimum.
9. How do public holidays affect paid leave in Denmark?
Public holidays are generally separate from annual holiday entitlement. If a public holiday falls during approved leave, it will not normally consume one of the employee’s statutory holiday days where the day is ordinarily a non-working day for that employee.
However, Denmark does not provide one universal statutory right for every employee to receive a paid day off on every public holiday. Entitlement to time off, salary or enhanced pay on a public holiday often depends on the employment contract, a collective agreement or established workplace practice. Employers should distinguish public holidays from contractual days off, collective-agreement holidays and workplace closure days. Vacation days in Denmark must be recorded accurately so employees do not lose entitlement through an incorrect payroll calculation.
Some sectors operate special holiday calendars or agreements that affect scheduling and pay. The employment contract or collective agreement should explain those arrangements. Managers should also check whether a public holiday affects shift premiums, overtime or a planned workplace closure.
HR teams should publish the annual holiday calendar, identify closure dates and ensure payroll records match organisational policy. If an employer requires employees to use statutory annual leave during a workplace closure, the normal Holiday Act consultation and notice requirements must be followed. This reduces disputes over whether a day was annual leave, a public holiday or an additional contractual benefit. Clear planning also gives employees reasonable notice of expected absences and workplace closures.
10. How can CXC help businesses stay compliant with Denmark’s leave regulations?
CXC provides Employer of Record (EOR) in Denmark, helping businesses manage employee leave in line with Danish employment laws and collective agreement requirements. CXC supports annual leave administration, holiday pay, sick leave, parental leave, carer’s leave, leave record management, payroll coordination and ongoing employment compliance.
Our local specialists help employers apply Danish leave entitlements correctly throughout the employment lifecycle. We manage leave administration, maintain accurate leave records, coordinate statutory payments and payroll treatment, and monitor legislative changes that may affect employer obligations. Where collective agreements apply, we also help employers administer any additional leave benefits and entitlements.
For international businesses, CXC provides practical local expertise without the need to build an in-house HR or payroll function in Denmark. Whether you employ workers through our Employer of Record solution or have your own Danish entity, we help ensure leave is administered consistently, employees receive their statutory entitlements and compliance risks are reduced.
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