Private insurances will help you face the financial consequences of unfortunate situations, such as experiencing or causing an accident or burglary. There are many different insurance companies. Some are open to all whereas others will only accept clients from certain sectors of employment. Prices vary from company to company so you should study the market carefully to compare prices.
The Danish Insurers' Information Service has published the booklet 'Insurance for everyday needs' which outlines the risks typically covered by the individual types of insurance as well as non-covered risks. The booklet also includes a section about the types of insurance that apply in the workplace. Read Insurance for everyday needs.
In Denmark the following insurances are compulsory:
We recommend basic insurance (familiens basisforsikring or indboforsikring), which consists of the following insurances.
We also recommend
For further information about insurances visit the Lifeindenmark home page
Read more about private insurance on the Work in Denmark website
Aarhus University provides personal on-the-job injury insurance. This will cover you if you sustain an injury caused by the work or working conditions.
The university also covers the expenses if you do damage (unintentionally) to Aarhus University property, on the job.
It depends on your status as a PhD student, whether you are covered or not. A distinction is made between whether a PhD student is employed or enrolled without being an employee (for example, in the first part of the 4+4 scheme).
Enrolled, employed PhD students are ranked in the same category as other employees and are, thus, covered.
Read more about personal injury and property damage on the Staff Portal under Insurance
If you need to travel in connection with your work (e.g. if you are attending a conference abroad), you will be covered by the Travel insurance policy for Danish government employees (Tjenesterejseforsikring). The insurance scheme is handled by the private insurance company Europæiske Rejseforsikring.
Aarhus University Travel Insurance cards can be issued to both Aarhus University employees and people not employed by Aarhus University if the university bears the travel expenses in full or in part.
The insurance only covers acute illness or an unexpected deterioration of existing or chronic illness and does not provide cover during holiday or leave. Routine examinations or scans (eg. in connection with pregnancy) are therefore not covered by this insurance.
As the Travel insurance policy for Danish government employees will not cover you while you are on holiday or on official leave (incl. sabbatical), you may consider buying private travel insurance.
In Denmark, insurance against unemployment is voluntary. If you want to be insured against unemployment, you must apply for admission into an unemployment insurance fund (a-kasse).
However, please read the following guide before you go ahead and sign up with an a-kasse. Especially non-EU citizens may have difficulty to use the unemployment insurance system, since you may not be eligible for unemployment benefits.
Check the different options and find links for online signup forms at a-kasser.dk
Requirements to being eligible for benefits:
See a list of all unemployment insurance funds in Denmark
You can maximum get DKK 19,083 (in 2020) per month in unemployment benefits (dagpenge). This is regardless of your previous income.
It is, however, possible to buy additional wage insurance (Lønsikring). Nearly all a-kasser in Denmark also offer this extra insurance.
In order to buy supplementary wage insurance through the a-kasse, you must be a member and pay the normal (basic) unemployment insurance.
You can also buy a similar kind of wage insurance at traditional insurance companies. In this case membership of an a-kasse is not required.
If you stay in Denmark for less than 3 months, you cannot get a CPR number, and therefore it is difficult to take out private insurances in Denmark. Read more under Short-term stays
Aarhus University cooperates with the private insurance company Bupa Global, which provides worldwide coverage on health and travel insurance. You can also take out health, travel and personal liability insurance through Bupa Global for short term stays in Denmark. Read more about Bupa Global.