Typical gap year jobs are pedagogical assistant and substitute teacher, unskilled cover in care homes and home care, warehousing and logistics, shops and supermarkets, hotels and restaurants, customer service and temp agencies. Many are 6–12-month temporary jobs. Ideally look in the field you want to study — it gives relevant experience for quota 2 and your CV.
Young & students
Gap year in Denmark 2026: find a job, earn money and apply for university
How to get a job in your gap year (sabbatår): where the jobs are, when to apply, tax card and holiday pay, SU rules when you start your studies, quota 1 and 2 — and working holiday abroad.
Step-by-step guide
- 1
Plan your year
Decide what the gap year should give you: money to travel or move out, experience in the field you want to study, a folk high school stay, or just time to decide. Many split it in two — work from August until Christmas or March, then travel or folk high school. Put two dates in your calendar: 15 March at noon (quota 2) and 5 July at noon (quota 1) on optagelse.dk, if you want to start higher education the following year.
- 2
Look where they hire school leavers
Employers that often hire for a gap year are schools and day care (pedagogical assistant, substitute teacher), care homes and home care (unskilled cover), warehousing and logistics, supermarkets and shops, hotels and restaurants, temp agencies and customer service. Search full-time, temporary and part-time jobs — a 6–12-month temporary job often fits a gap year exactly. If you want to study e.g. teaching, pedagogy, nursing or engineering, look for jobs in the same field; the experience can count in quota 2.
- 3
Be honest about how long you will stay
Write in your application that you are on a gap year, when you can start and how long you can stay — e.g. «from 15 August to 31 July». It is an advantage, not a weakness: the employer knows you are reliable for a fixed period and can plan around it. Mention part-time jobs, clubs and any certificates such as a driving licence. When you get the job, make sure you have a written contract with pay, hours and end date.
- 4
Sort out your tax card, pay and holiday pay
If you go from a part-time to a full-time job, update your preliminary income assessment on skat.dk with MitID so your withholding rate is right — otherwise you get back tax. The personal allowance is DKK 54,100 in 2026, and you pay the 8% labour market contribution. Use the salary calculator to see what you take home after tax. As an hourly worker you earn 12.5% holiday pay; on a monthly salary you take paid holiday. When the job ends, you request your holiday pay on borger.dk when you take time off.
- 5
Check the SU rules before you start studying
What you earn in your gap year usually does not affect your SU. If you start higher education after the summer and were not enrolled in any programme in January, the periodisation rules apply: you may earn without limit in the months you are not enrolled. From the start of your studies you may earn DKK 20,749 a month in 2026 (before tax, after the labour market contribution) in the months you receive SU. If you want to keep your gap year job alongside your studies, check with the earnings calculator on su.dk.
- 6
Use the gap year to get into university
In quota 1 you are assessed only on the grade average from your qualifying exam, and the old bonus for a quick study start (average multiplied by 1.08) was abolished from the 2020 intake — so a gap year costs you nothing in quota 1. In quota 2, institutions set their own criteria, and some value relevant work, folk high school or time abroad. Read the quota 2 criteria on the programme’s website early, so you can document what they ask for before 15 March.
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Frequently asked questions
Start in May and June so you can begin in August, when other school leavers start studying or travelling. Schools and day care often hire for the start of the school year, and warehouses and shops are busy in the run-up to Christmas. If you come back from travelling mid-year, temp agencies and temporary jobs are the quickest route into work.
It depends on the job, hours and collective agreement. Unskilled full-time work is usually paid under an agreement with supplements for evenings, nights and weekends, so night shifts in warehouses and care pay the most. The personal allowance is DKK 54,100 in 2026, and you pay the 8% labour market contribution. Use the salary calculator to see your pay after tax.
Usually not. If you are not enrolled in any programme in January or December, or for at least four consecutive months of the year, you may earn without limit in the months you are not enrolled (periodisation). Once you start and receive SU, the earnings limit is DKK 20,749 a month in 2026 in higher education.
No. The bonus for a quick study start, where your average was multiplied by 1.08, was abolished from the 2020 intake. In quota 1 only your grade average counts, however many years have passed since your exam. The bonus for extra A-level subjects is a separate scheme and still applies.
It can. In quota 2, institutions set their own criteria, and some value relevant work experience, folk high school or time abroad, while others use admission tests or specific grades. The deadline is 15 March at noon on optagelse.dk, and you must document what the programme asks for.
Only if you meet the normal requirements: at least one year of a-kasse membership and enough earnings to meet the income requirement. An upper secondary exam does not give graduate rights to benefits, because it is not a vocational qualification. If you become unemployed without benefit rights, contact the job centre in your municipality.
Yes. Denmark has working holiday agreements with countries including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Chile, letting young Danes travel and work for up to a year; you apply to that country’s embassy. Within the EU you can work freely. Bring the blue EU health insurance card in the EU and travel insurance outside the EU.