Who Can Apply for the Danish Government Scholarship
The main rule is simple: you must be a citizen of a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. But several exceptions catch people off guard — including one most scholarship guides don't mention.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
6 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
1. The core requirement
To be eligible for the Danish Government Scholarship you need to be:
- A citizen of a country outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland
- Enrolled in or applying to a full-degree programme at a participating Danish university
- Granted (or applying for) a time-limited residence permit in Denmark for educational purposes
That's it as far as the basics go. If you're from Nigeria, Vietnam, Colombia, Canada, Australia, Egypt or any other country outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, you're in the eligible category from a citizenship standpoint.
The official rules also exclude people with a legal claim to Danish citizenship rights, children granted residence under section 9c(1) of the Danish Aliens Act as the child of a foreign citizen, and anyone who already qualifies for SU. Because you must hold a time-limited residence permit for education, holders of permanent residence in Denmark should not expect to qualify.
2. The EU/EEA list — who is excluded
Citizens of the following countries are not eligible for the Danish Government Scholarship (they also study under EU-level fee rules):
EU member states (27)
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
EEA (non-EU)
Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Switzerland is not in the EU or EEA, and earlier versions of this guide said Swiss citizens could apply. They can't: the official Study in Denmark rules require citizenship of a country “outside the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland,” and CBS's scholarship rules say the same. Swiss citizens study under the same fee rules as EU/EEA students.
Since January 2021, UK citizens are no longer EU/EEA. UK passport holders can now potentially receive Danish Government Scholarships — though they must pay tuition fees as non-EU students. If you graduated from a UK university before Brexit and are now applying to Denmark, you're treated as a non-EU applicant.
3. The SU rule — the most overlooked exclusion
Most applicants don't know this exists. If you qualify for Danish State Educational Support (SU) — the standard Danish student grant paid to Danish students — you cannot receive the Danish Government Scholarship. CBS goes further: you may not receive its scholarship if you are eligible for SU or any other type of public support in Denmark.
Who might qualify for SU as an international student?
- Students who have been legally resident in Denmark for a qualifying period
- Students who are married to a Danish citizen (in some circumstances)
- Students with certain types of Danish residence permit linked to work or family
The practical reality: most newly arriving international students do not qualify for SU and are not affected by this rule. But if you've been living in Denmark for work or family reasons, check whether you qualify for SU before assuming you're eligible for the government scholarship. The two benefits are mutually exclusive.
4. Artistic institutions are not eligible
Danish artistic higher education institutions — including music conservatories, architecture schools, design schools and arts academies — explicitly do not participate in the Danish Government Scholarship programme. The official Study in Denmark rules exclude applicants to artistic higher education institutions; the scholarship is run by the participating universities.
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts; Royal Danish Academy of Music; Danish National Academy of Music; the Royal Danish Theatre school programmes; architecture and design academies.
Technical University of Denmark (DTU); University of Copenhagen (UCPH); Aarhus University (AU); Copenhagen Business School (CBS); University of Southern Denmark (SDU); Aalborg University (AAU); IT University Copenhagen (ITU); Roskilde University (RUC).
5. Degree level — Bachelor, Master or PhD?
Available at select universities. SDU specifically offers Bachelor-level scholarships at its Vejle campus for computing and engineering programmes.
The vast majority of awards go to Master's students. This is where most international full-degree enrolment in Denmark is concentrated.
Available in some cases, institution-dependent. PhD funding in Denmark is typically handled through separate employment-based contracts.
SDU offers scholarships at both Bachelor's (Vejle) and Master's (Sønderborg) level — making it one of the few universities with a clear Bachelor-level track.
6. The “admitted to a state-approved programme” requirement
Your programme must be a state-approved (accredited) full-degree programme at a Danish higher education institution. This matters most for work rights, family members and post-study permits (students who applied for a non-state-approved programme on or after 2 May 2025 lost several of these rights), but it also defines what counts for scholarship eligibility.
All major Danish universities (DTU, UCPH, AU, CBS, SDU, AAU, ITU, RUC) offer accredited programmes. If you're considering a private institution or short-course provider, verify accreditation status carefully through the Danish Accreditation Institution (AKKR) before applying.
7. Residency — where you live doesn't matter
Your current country of residence is irrelevant. A Nigerian citizen living in the UK can still apply for Danish Government Scholarships as a non-EU/EEA student — they pay non-EU fees and are eligible for the scholarship. What matters is citizenship, not current residence.
8. Dual citizenship
If you hold citizenship in both an eligible country and an EU/EEA country (or Switzerland), you are treated as an EU/EEA student and are not eligible for the scholarship — and you also pay EU-level fees.
If both your citizenships are from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, you can apply. For example, a Nigerian-Canadian dual citizen is eligible under both passport identities.
9. Are there academic eligibility requirements?
The scholarship generally has no published academic minimum separate from admission requirements — with one notable exception: UCPH's Faculty of Science only considers non-EU/EEA applicants with a bachelor's GPA above 90%, and only on their first-priority application. Either way, the awards go to the top academic performers among admitted students. At UCPH Science, 2025 recipients had bachelor's GPAs of at least 98%. The practical academic bar is extremely high.
Admission requirements (separate from scholarship criteria):
- Academic degree: a Bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited institution.
- English proficiency: IELTS 6.5+ or TOEFL 83+ iBT (varies by programme and university).
- Field prerequisites: field-specific academic prerequisites set by the faculty.
10. Self-check eligibility
Go through each item. If all six apply to you, you meet the basic eligibility requirements. Competition is another matter.
- I am a citizen of a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. Citizenship, not residence — where you live now doesn't matter.
- I do NOT hold dual citizenship that includes an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. If one of your passports is from one of these countries, you are ineligible.
- I do NOT already qualify for Danish State Educational Support (SU). New arrivals almost certainly don't — but verify if you've lived in Denmark before.
- I am applying to a full-degree (Bachelor's, Master's or PhD) programme. Exchange programmes, short courses and diplomas do not qualify.
- My intended university is a research university — not an artistic institution. DTU, UCPH, AU, CBS, SDU, AAU, ITU and RUC are covered; arts, music and design academies are not.
- My intended programme is accredited and state-approved. All programmes at the major Danish research universities are; verify through AKKR if in doubt.
You meet the basic eligibility requirements. The next step is understanding the selection process — because eligibility gets you in the running, not the scholarship itself.
11. What if my country has a bilateral agreement?
Denmark has in the past offered cultural-agreement scholarships to students and researchers from a small group of partner countries. These are separate from the Danish Government Scholarship and target study or research stays, not full degrees. We could not find a current official page for the scheme in October 2026, so its country list and deadline are unconfirmed.
If your country had such an agreement, you may be able to use both tracks — the standard Danish Government Scholarship (through your university) and a cultural-agreement scholarship (ask the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science). Check the bilateral route’s current status directly. See Types of Scholarships.