Yes, there are scholarships for international students in Denmark, but the picture is narrower than most people expect. The main Danish government scheme is small, it is run university by university, and it is aimed at students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. If you are from the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you do not need a scholarship for tuition, because higher education is free of charge for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland.
Who the Danish government scholarship is for
The Danish universities receive a limited number of government scholarships each year for highly qualified full-degree students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. It is not a fund you apply to centrally. The universities administer it themselves and each selects the students.
There are eligibility rules you should check before you build your plans around this. You must be a non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, enrolled in a full-degree programme, and hold a time-limited residence permit due to education. Students at artistic institutions are not eligible. If any of that is unclear for your situation, ask the institution, and for permit questions the deciding body is SIRI, with the details on nyidanmark.dk.
What the scholarship actually covers
The government scholarship has two parts, and it can be a full or partial tuition waiver, and/or a grant towards living costs. Which version you get depends on the university and the award, so treat "scholarship" as a flexible word here rather than an automatic full ride.
Because these awards are limited, they are competitive. The practical consequence is that you should apply on the assumption you may not receive one, and treat any award as something that changes your budget rather than something your budget depends on.
Where to find the awards
Our scholarship directory gathers the schemes we can verify, and it is a sensible place to start narrowing things down. It currently includes:
- Danish State Scholarships at Aarhus University
- Danish Government Scholarships at the University of Copenhagen
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarships
- DTU Tuition Fee Waiver for International MSc Students
- SDU Tuition Fee Waiver Scholarships (Sønderborg MSc and Vejle BSc)
- Aalborg University Master's Scholarship
That list is not the whole system. The scholarships page tells you to enquire at the institution you choose for details, and that instruction is the most useful sentence on the subject. Each university sets its own conditions, its own amounts and its own selection process.
You can browse universities to find the institution you are aiming for, and then read its own scholarship pages. This site lists 24 Danish higher education institutions and 422 programmes imported from the Study in Denmark register, so you have a reasonable map of where to look.
Other routes that are not the government scheme
If the university award does not come through, there are other routes worth knowing about: Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees, Nordplus, Fulbright Denmark for Americans, and SU for narrow groups. SU is the Danish student grant, and it is only available to specific groups, so check the rules on su.dk rather than assuming you qualify.
For PhD students and researchers, Study in Denmark points to the European Researchers' Mobility Portal instead of to a Danish scholarship scheme. That is the right door to knock on at that level.
Fees, deadlines and the paperwork around them
Tuition fees are the reason this topic matters. Higher education is free of charge for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and for students entitled to the same status as Danish citizens under EU law. Other full-degree students pay tuition fees set by each institution.
Where you see a fee on this site, it is shown as listed in the Study in Denmark register, and you must confirm it with the institution before you rely on it. The same goes for application deadlines. Undergraduate applications are coordinated centrally through optagelse.dk but assessed by the institutions, and the deadlines are 15 March and 5 July, both at 12 noon (CET).
If you are coming from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, you normally need a residence permit for study before you arrive, applied for through SIRI. Sort that in parallel with the scholarship question, not after it.
How to actually work through this
- Decide which institutions you are applying to. Use the university listings and check the programme pages.
- On each institution's site, find its scholarship page and read the eligibility rules for your citizenship and level.
- Check the tuition fee for your programme, confirm it with the institution, and work out your budget with and without an award.
- Note the application deadline for your level and apply on time. Missing the deadline ends the conversation.
- Ask the institution directly about scholarship consideration. Some universities consider you automatically; others need a separate step. Only the institution can tell you which.
One reassurance: all Danish higher education institutions use ECTS credits and follow national rules on teacher qualifications, degree structures and examinations. Whatever you end up paying, the structure of the degree you get is consistent across the system.
Sources
- Study in Denmark, scholarships
- Study in Denmark, tuition fees and scholarships
- Study in Denmark, how to apply
- Study in Denmark, residence permits for non-EU/EEA citizens
- Study in Denmark, guarantee for a quality experience
Frequently asked questions
Do international students get free tuition in Denmark?
Higher education is free of charge for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and for students entitled to the same status as Danish citizens under EU law. Other full-degree students pay tuition fees set by each institution. Check the fee for your programme with the institution.
Who is eligible for the Danish government scholarship?
You must be a non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, enrolled in a full-degree programme, and hold a time-limited residence permit due to education. Students at artistic institutions are not eligible. The universities administer the scheme and each selects the students.
What does the Danish government scholarship cover?
It has two parts and can be a full or partial tuition waiver and/or a grant towards living costs. The universities receive a limited number of these scholarships each year, so they are competitive.
Where can I find scholarship deadlines and amounts?
Only at the institution. Study in Denmark tells you to enquire at the institution you choose for details. For permit questions go to nyidanmark.dk, for the student grant check su.dk, and for undergraduate application deadlines see optagelse.dk.