If you are born after 1967, the retirement age is 69 years old.
- If you are an EU, EEA or UK citizen and have lived in Denmark for at least one year, you qualify for state pension.
- If you are a non-EU citizen, you need to live in Denmark for 10 years, including five years before the retirement age.
- If you are a refugee, you qualify.
- Cross-border workers working in Denmark, but residing outside the country, also have the right to a state pension.
The basic state pension is 6,928 DKK (before taxes) per month. To qualify for the full amount, you need to have resided in Denmark for a minimum of 40 years since you were 15 (starting in 2025, this will be reduced to 36 years). If you have lived here less than 40 years, you receive a percentage proportional to your time in Denmark.
As a state pensionist, you qualify for several supplements. Some are impacted by the time spent in Denmark, while others are not: (a) The pension supplement (which is based on whether you are single or married) of 4,102-8,016 DKK per month, is impacted both by the time spent in Denmark and by your other income (private pensions, side work, dividends, etc.). (b) You can get a yearly old-age check (Ældrecheck) of 19,900 DKK if you have less than 99,200 DKK in wealth and no other income (this is also impacted by your time spent in Denmark). (d) Health, heating and housing allowances are not impacted by your time spent in Denmark.
The state pension is just one income source available to the elderly. You can also get a labor market pension as part of your work contract and/or a private pension that you sign up for.
