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Be prepared before you go

Congratulations on your Danida fellowship!

To prepare yourself for your stay in Denmark, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the information on this page.

A Danida fellowship covers the following:

  • Study fees to the place of study, paid directly by Danida Fellowship Centre.
  • Application fees required by the place of study, where applicable. The fee will be paid by the fellow and refunded by Danida Fellowship Centre.
  • Visa fees, where applicable. The fee will be paid by the fellow and refunded by Danida Fellowship Centre.
  • Residence permit, where applicable. The fee will be paid by Danida Fellowship Centre.
  • Mandatory language tests, where applicable. The cost will be paid by the fellow and refunded by Danida Fellowship Centre.
  • International travel to and from Denmark for the course/study. Tickets will be booked by Danida Fellowship Centre.
  • Per diem/allowances paid to fellows by Danida Fellowship Centre within the first few days of arrival. Read more.
  • Accommodation in Denmark.
  • Transportation to and from the place of study.
Before
Arriving

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Around two months before your departure to Denmark, you will receive your ticket, insurance papers and Letter of Acceptance/Letter of Invitation from our office. For fellows who need a visa for Denmark (please see below), you will also need these documents when applying for your visa.

A valid passport is required for entry into Denmark, and the Danish Immigration Authorities at the airport may ask you to present your Letter of Acceptance/Letter of Invitation from DFC.

VISA AND RESIDENCE PERMIT

A Schengen visa or a temporary residence permit for Denmark is required for citizens from most countries, and some European countries demand a transit visa. A residence permit is always required if the stay in Denmark exceeds 90 days. Expenses for Schengen visa/residence permit for Denmark will be paid/reimbursed based on a receipt by Danida Fellowship Centre. Please note that Danida Fellowship Centre will not cover travel/hotel costs related to obtaining visa/residence permit. It should be noted that the processing of Schengen visa/residence permit takes approx. 12 weeks.

Read more

VISIT TO OTHER COUNTRIES

If the fellow plans to visit other countries outside the Schengen Area while in Denmark, the fellow must obtain visas if applicable, before coming to Denmark. If the visit is planned on the route home please note, that it is only possible to alter the return air ticket in exceptional cases, and at the fellow’s own expense.

PRODUCING ID WHEN IN DENMARK

The fellow is required to carry their passport (or a photocopy of the passport) at all times during his/her stay in Denmark. Should problems with the Danish authorities occur, the fellow is required to contact Danida Fellowship Centre.

Outside office hours the officer on duty at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, telephone +45 3392 0000, may be contacted.

TRAVEL AND ARRIVAL

Danida Fellowship Centre will arrange and pay for the return air ticket, economy class, to and from Denmark. Your Accommodation is also arranged by Danida Fellowship Centre (accommodation – during)

The ticket will be sent to you together with information about how to get to the Danida Fellowship Centre hostel, your hotel or your onward travel if your final destination is a city other than Copenhagen.

If you arrive later than scheduled, please contact the place of study or Danida Fellowship Centre using the contact numbers in the information letter.
If your luggage is delayed or lost, please ask the airline for a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) and inform Danida Fellowship Centre about it on the first coming workday.

Please be aware that you should bring cash to cover taxi/transport and for other expenses during your first few days in Denmark.
For more specific information see the Guide for Danida fellows.

Weather and climate

The Danish weather is unpredictable. Summer is June-August, winter is December-February, but you can have hot or cold summers and either freezing or tolerable winters. The climate is coastal, and the weather is often windy, rainy and cold. It is advisable to bring warm clothes and shoes/boots suitable for this climate.

See weather forecast

Accommodation

In Copenhagen the accommodation will either be at Danida Fellowship Centre’s own hostel at Hostrupsvej (68 one-roomed self-contained flats), or at a hotel.

At Danida Fellowship Centre’s own hostel, bedding and basic kitchen utensils will be provided. You need to bring your own towels. Fellows are expected to carry out household chores such as cooking, cleaning, etc. themselves.

During peak periods, Danida Fellowship Centre has to use hotels, some of which do not provide cooking or laundry facilities. Outside Copenhagen you will most likely be accommodated in a hostel with cooking facilities. Some fellows will follow residential courses where board and lodging are provided.

Further information about the DFC provided accomodation, please click or see under “During”.

ALLOWANCES

The allowances will be calculated as the number of days of the course period plus two additional days regardless of the actual arrival and departure dates.

Read more

Paid employment
You are not allowed to take up any paid employment and/or receive any other income while in Denmark. You will receive an allowance, which is exempt from taxation.

HEALTH INSURANCE

For fellows staying less than 90 days, you are covered by “Danida’s European Health Insurance” in acute matters (illness). Please carry the Insurance Certificate with you while in Europe (all the time).

Overview of your DFC insurance

If you use any medicine please remember to bring sufficient supplies with you to Denmark, as it is very expensive to buy prescribed medicine here.

For fellows staying more than 90 days, you will be covered by the “Danish National Health Insurance Scheme.” Upon arrival you will be registered at the local National Registration Office (“Borgerservice”), and a yellow health insurance card (“Sundhedskort”) will be issued to you shortly after.

Covid-19 Guidelines

Cancellations

Fellowships are costly and the process for obtaining them often highly competitive. Each fellowship is an investment in improving your own individual learning, skills and competencies and in supporting organizational learning and improvements. Many expenses are committed once a fellowship is granted. Late cancellations are therefore not acceptable. Especially for the cross-thematic courses, cancellations are most unfortunate, as many qualified applicants may have been turned down in the selection process.

Expectations

Participation in all aspects of the course or study for which you have been granted a fellowship is mandatory. Fellowships are costly and in high demand, and we expect you to be highly motivated and participate actively in all elements of the course/study, for which you have been selected.

You are expected to show due cause to both Danida Fellowship Centre and the place of study, should you be prevented from participating. Absence from course activities without due cause will result in reduction in per diems and, should the absence be of a longer duration, may result in the termination of the fellowship.

This also means that any and all private travel during your stay in Denmark must be undertaken outside the course programme. Should you be late for or absent from course lectures, whether due to travel delays or otherwise related to private travel, such absence will likewise result in a reduction in per diems. All arrangements related to private travel will be your own responsibility.

Guide for
fellows

This guide contains general information and guidelines for holders of Danida fellowships accepted for studies in Denmark. The fellowships may be short or longer specialised studies and training, or degree and research studies.

Guide for Fellows in Denmark 2024