Family

• Pregnancy and birth

  As an employee at SDU you will be covered by the general rules regarding maternity and paternity leave.

  Read more about maternity and paternity leave at sdunet.dk.
• Parent groups and playgroups

  Becoming a family is a wonderful experience but it can also challenging especially when you are living far away from your social network and family. These networks focus on expats with small children.

  Odense

  • The Odense international parent group on Facebook has many different events going on for children. They also have a discussions on their Facebook group page, where you can follow some of the child-related issues experienced by expats in Denmark.
  • The International garden is an opportunity for international children in Odense to meet up regularly in a school garden and learn more about nature and where our food comes from. It is possible for parents to meet up at the same time in the garden. To find out more about the project, and how to sign up, contact Annika Jarl, jarl@sdu.dk.
  • In the Mamma Mia group, found at fts-odense.dk, pregnant women and new mothers with babies from all over the world meet once a week.

  As well as this, many other activities for babies are going on in the city, for instance:

  • BabyBio: Different cinemas in town show movies during the day, which you are welcome to attend with your baby.
  • Baby swimming: Some public swimming pools offer different swimming activities for you and your baby.

  Visit at your local municipality homepage to find out more.

  Sønderborg

  To find information about leisure activities in Sønderborg, have a look at sonderborg.dk for newcomers.

• Childcare

  In Denmark, most children are enrolled in a daycare programme before they start primary school. A wide range of daycare programmes are available. Some are public and heavily subsidised by public funds, where as others are private and do not receive financial support from the municipality.

  To enrol your child in a daycare programme, contact your local municipality and ask for 'Pladsanvisningen'. You should be aware that there might be waiting lists for daycare programmes, and you are therefore advised to contact the administration at Pladsanvisningen as soon as possible after you have registered in Denmark.

  Please find further information by clicking on your city below:

  • Odense
  • Esbjerg
  • Kolding (only in Danish)
  • Sønderborg.

  
  
• Primary and lower secondary education

  In Denmark, education is compulsory between the age of 6 and 15. In the year the child turns 6 years old, the child can attend a public Danish primary school for free. Your child will be given Danish lessons in an integration class for as long as necessary and will then be transferred to the nearest primary school. Private schools in Denmark charge a tuition fee.

  You can read more about primary and secondary education in Denmark at lifeindenmark.dk.

  For an overview of the entire Danish education system (including adult education), please visit the website of the Ministry of Education.

  International primary schools

  A number of international schools offer instruction in other languages than Danish. The international schools charge an instruction fee. Interested applicants must contact the individual school to enquire about a place for their child. Some schools are very popular and have waiting lists. You may also wish to ask if the school can guarantee an after-school facility for your child.

  We strongly recommend contacting the individual school as early as possible.

  Below you can find a list of international schools in the areas where SDU is situated:

  • Odense International School: The international department of Henriette Hørlücks Skole in the city centre. It provides internationally recognised primary and secondary education for children between the ages of 5 and 16. If you want your child to be enrolled in an international school with an international, certified programme in English you can contact Henriette Hørlücks Skole in Odense.
  • Esbjerg International School: The school currently has over 170 registered students representing 35 nationalities from ages 3-17. Although English is the main language of instruction at EIS, students with no prior English ability are accepted at all age levels. Read more about the school on their website.
  • International School of Billund: The closest international school for citizens living in Kolding is in Billund. You can read more about the International School of Billund here.
  • Sønderborg International School: The school has more than 100 students representing 30 nationalities aged between 6 and 16. You can find more information about the school on their website.

  
  
• Upper secondary school

  The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a 2-year international upper secondary school diploma programme that is offered in over 100 countries, including Denmark.

  Find more information about the programme, entry requirements and admission under each educational institution on the list at Uddannelsesguiden.

  International upper secondary schools

  • The closest international upper secondary school to Odense is at Nyborg Gymnasium. In addition to the Danish upper secondary education programme they also offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) - an international diploma programme that is recognised by universities worldwide. The IB programme is taught in English. Tuition is free. For further information, visit their website.
  • The International Baccalaureate in Esbjerg is offered by Esbjerg Gymnasium, Spangsbjerg Møllevej 310, 6705 Esbjerg Ø. Tel.: 7514 1300. For more information, visit their website.
  • The International Baccalaureate in Kolding is offered by Kolding Gymnasium, Skovvangen 10, 6000 Kolding. Tel: 7633 9600. For more information visit their website.
  • The International Baccalaureate in Sønderborg is offered at Teknisk Gymnasium Sønderjylland, Hilmar Finsens Gade 14-18, 6400 Sønderborg. Tlf.: 7412 4242. For more information, visit their website.
• After-school activities

  You will be able to find a club for pretty much anything in Denmark, and life hare definitely revolves around the clubs. Most clubs are run on a volunteer basis, and volunteering is a great way to meet Danes and build a social life. Children in particular attend a variety of sports clubd in the afternoons, and this is where they meet friends outside of school, so it is a very good idea to sign your kids up for some afternoon activities that they like and enjoy.

  Find more information about activities in Odense at odense.dk.

  
  
• Child benefits

  If you are a an international parent and work in Denmark, you may apply for child benefits if you:

  • share custody of the child
  • can document that you are related to the child
  • are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, if your child does not live in Denmark.

  In addition, you must have worked or lived in Denmark for a certain period within the past 10 years.

  Read more about child benefits in Denmark at lifeindenmark.dk