Employment law

How to resign in Denmark: resignation letter template and rules (2026)

How to write a resignation letter in Denmark: free templates, your notice period as a salaried employee, hourly-paid worker and during probation, when your last day is, and what to know about holiday and your a-kasse.

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Free resignation letter template and 3 examples

Start with the blank template, or pick the example that matches your job. Press "Copy text", paste it into an email or Word and replace the text in [brackets].

Resignation letter template (blank)

Works for most jobs. Replace the text in [brackets] and send it to your line manager.

[City], [date]

SubjectResignation from my position as [job title]

Dear [line manager's name]

I hereby resign from my position as [job title] at [company] with the notice period that follows from my employment contract.

My last working day will therefore be [date]. [Optional: I would like to agree how best to hand over my tasks and how my remaining holiday is taken.]

Thank you for [the collaboration / my time with you]. Could you confirm in writing that you have received my resignation?

Kind regards

[First name Last name]

When to use it: A resignation only has to say three things: that you resign, which position it concerns and when you leave. You do not have to give a reason.

Example: Resignation as a salaried employee (funktionær)

For monthly-paid staff working full time or part time over 8 hours a week - e.g. office, retail, customer service and clinics.

Copenhagen, 10 March 2026

SubjectResignation from my position as customer service agent

Dear Mette

I hereby resign from my position as customer service agent with 1 month's notice to the end of a month, in accordance with my employment contract and the Salaried Employees Act.

My last working day will be Thursday 30 April 2026. I have 6 days of holiday left and would like to agree with you whether to take them before I leave, and how I hand over my cases.

Thank you for three good years in the team - I have learned a lot, and I hope we stay in touch. Could you confirm by email that you have received my resignation?

Kind regards

Anne Holm

When to use it: The standard case. The resignation is handed in during March, so the notice runs through April. The date at the top and the confirmation at the bottom document that it arrived before the end of the month.

Example: Resignation during probation

When you are on probation (at most 3 months for salaried employees) and want to stop before it ends.

Aarhus, 4 February 2026

SubjectResignation from my position as warehouse coordinator

Dear Thomas

I hereby resign from my position as warehouse coordinator, in which I am employed on probation. According to my employment contract, the notice period during probation is 14 days.

My last working day will therefore be Wednesday 18 February 2026. Until then I am happy to hand over my tasks to whoever you appoint.

Thank you for a warm welcome. The job is not right for me, and I would rather say so now than later. Could you confirm that you have received my resignation?

Kind regards

Jonas Berg

When to use it: During probation your contract sets your notice - the Salaried Employees Act sets no notice when you resign yourself. Check the number before you write it.

Example: Resigning from a student job or hourly-paid job

For student jobs, part-time jobs and hourly-paid work in e.g. retail, cafés and warehouses, where the collective agreement or contract sets the notice.

Odense, 12 June 2026

SubjectResignation from my student job as sales assistant

Hi Lars

I am writing to resign from my student job as sales assistant, as I start an internship after the summer holidays.

With the notice stated in my contract, my last shift will be Saturday 27 June 2026. I am happy to cover the shifts I am already scheduled for until then.

Thank you for being flexible with my shifts during exams. Please reply to confirm you have received this.

Best wishes

Sara Nielsen

When to use it: If you work 8 hours a week or less, or are hourly paid outside the Salaried Employees Act, the collective agreement or contract applies. The tone can be more informal, but still send it in writing.

Step-by-step guide

1
Find your notice period
If you are a salaried employee (funktionær) - typically office, retail, warehouse dispatch or clinical work and more than 8 hours a week - you resign with 1 month's notice to the end of a month (Salaried Employees Act § 2(6)). The same notice applies no matter how long you have worked there; the long 3-6 month notice periods only apply when the employer dismisses you. A longer notice from your side is only valid if it is in a written contract and the employer's notice is extended correspondingly. If you are hourly paid or not covered by the Act, your notice is in the collective agreement or contract and is often shorter; your written statement of employment must state it. During probation your contract sets the notice, and on a fixed-term contract, check whether it allows resignation before the end date at all.
2
Keep the resignation short and neutral
A resignation only needs four things: the date, that you resign from your position (with the job title), which notice you use, and your last working day. You do not have to give a reason, and you should not criticise colleagues or management - the letter stays in your personnel file. End with a short thank-you and a request for written confirmation. Use the templates above and adjust the dates to your notice.
3
Hand it in - and get it confirmed
Tell your line manager face to face first, then send the resignation the same day. As a salaried employee your resignation must be in writing and received by the last day of the month before the notice starts to run (Salaried Employees Act § 2(7)). An email is in writing and shows the time; a letter can be handed over in person against a receipt. Ask for confirmation that the resignation has been received, and keep it. If it arrives on the 1st of a month instead of the last day of the month before, your employment lasts a month longer.
4
The notice period: work, pay and handover
During the notice period you work as normal and receive your usual pay. The employer can choose to release you from work (fritstilling) but must still pay you until your leaving date. Make a handover plan for your tasks, and return your computer, keys and access card on your last day. Check your contract for non-compete or non-solicitation clauses: they can apply even when you resign, and the employer must pay compensation while they apply. If in doubt, ask your trade union before accepting a job with a competitor.
5
Holiday and holiday pay when you leave
Holiday you have earned and not taken is not lost. You can agree with your manager to take it during the notice period; otherwise your employer settles it as holiday pay when you leave. You get the holiday pay through borger.dk (Feriepengeinfo) when you take holiday - also if you have started a new job. Check your final payslip: it should show the holiday settled and any holiday supplement.
6
Talk to your a-kasse before resigning without a new job
If you have a new job, there is no problem. If you resign without a new job and without a valid reason, you are voluntarily unemployed and get a 3-week quarantine: 111 hours without unemployment benefits if insured full time and 90 hours if insured part time. If you become voluntarily unemployed again within 12 months, you lose the right to benefits until you have had 300 paid working hours over 3 months. The a-kasse assesses whether you have a valid reason - e.g. health reasons - so call them before you hand in your resignation.

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Frequently asked questions

Keep it short and neutral: (1) date and city at the top, (2) "I hereby resign from my position as [job title] at [company]", (3) the notice you use - e.g. "with 1 month's notice to the end of a month" - (4) your last working day, and (5) a short thank-you and a request for written confirmation. You do not have to give a reason. Send it to your line manager by email or letter, and keep the confirmation. Use the free template on this page.

As a salaried employee, 1 month to the end of a month, no matter how long you have been employed (Salaried Employees Act § 2(6)). A longer notice only applies if it is in a written contract and the employer's notice is extended correspondingly. Hourly-paid workers and others who are not salaried employees have the notice stated in their collective agreement or contract - often shorter. During probation your contract sets the notice, typically 14 days.

As a salaried employee, your last day is the last day of the month after the month in which your employer receives the resignation. Hand it in on 31 January and your last day is 28 February; hand it in on 1 February and it is 31 March. Notice runs from the day the resignation is received - not the day you wrote it.

Yes. The Salaried Employees Act sets no notice when you resign during probation, so your contract applies - typically 14 days both ways. If it says nothing about your own notice, ask your trade union. The employer can dismiss you with 14 days' notice during probation, which may last at most 3 months for salaried employees.

Yes, as a salaried employee your resignation must be in writing (Salaried Employees Act § 2(7)). For other employees the collective agreement or contract often requires it, and in any case it is the only way to prove when you resigned. A verbal message to your manager should always be followed up in writing the same day.

An email is in writing and shows the time, and it is the most common way today. Send it to your line manager (and HR if relevant), and ask for confirmation. A text message can also count as writing, but it is more easily overlooked and gives weaker documentation - only use it if that is how you normally communicate, e.g. in a student job.

No. You have no duty to explain why you resign. Many write a short, neutral reason such as "I have accepted a new job" or "I am starting an education", but it is optional. Keep any criticism out of the letter and raise it in an exit interview instead.

Only if your employer agrees. Once the resignation has arrived, it is binding and you cannot withdraw it on your own - unless the withdrawal arrives before or at the same time as the resignation. If you change your mind, talk to your manager as soon as possible and get any agreement to continue in writing.

Yes, but usually only after a 3-week quarantine (111 hours if insured full time, 90 hours if part time), because you are voluntarily unemployed. If you have a valid reason, e.g. health reasons, the a-kasse can exempt you. If you become voluntarily unemployed twice within 12 months, you need 300 paid working hours over 3 months before you can get benefits again. Resigning because you have a new job is not a problem.

How to resign in Denmark: resignation letter template and rules (2026)

Free resignation letter template and 3 examples

Resignation letter template (blank)

Example: Resignation as a salaried employee (funktionær)

Example: Resignation during probation

Example: Resigning from a student job or hourly-paid job

Step-by-step guide

Find your notice period

Keep the resignation short and neutral

Hand it in - and get it confirmed

The notice period: work, pay and handover

Holiday and holiday pay when you leave

Talk to your a-kasse before resigning without a new job

Frequently asked questions

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