Information for refugees
The University of Copenhagen aims to attract international talents from all over the world. International talents strengthen the diversity of our campuses and classrooms.
We believe that refugees constitute a significant resource and that education and quick entry to the labour market is the best way to integration for refugees.
The University is committed to this objective and is in dialogue with the Danish government, local authorities, and private companies on how to ease access to education and help refugees into Danish society.
On the following page you can find information on how to apply for a study program at the University of Copenhagen.
Asylum in Denmark?
If you have not yet been granted asylum in Denmark (i.e. you are an asylum seeker), you cannot apply to a study program or for a vacant position at the University of Copenhagen. If you want to work at UCPH, you can see our vacant jobs in the link below.
To learn more about the different types of asylum, please visit the official portal for foreigners in Denmark, newtodenmark.dk. Studying at the University of CopenhagenSee vacant jobs at UCPH
Information for Ukrainian refugees
The following rules for admission to UCPH and the Danish state education grant (known as “SU”) apply from 25 April 2022
Are you a Ukrainian citizen and have a residence permit in Denmark under the law on temporary residence permits for displaced persons from Ukraine (the Special Act)? In some situations, you will then be able to be equated with Danish citizens in relation to tuition fees and the right to the Danish state education grant (SU). SU is a monthly grant that students receive from the Danish state to cover the cost of living. Only students who have been admitted to an entire bachelor’s or master’s degree programme can receive SU. Guest students cannot receive state educational grants (SU).
Rules for admission to UCPH as a guest student (1 or 2 semesters)
(Guest student means studying at UCPH for 1 or 2 semesters)
- As a Ukrainian citizen with a residence permit in Denmark under the law on temporary residence permits for displaced persons from Ukraine, you can, on an equal footing with Danish and other EU citizens, pay to follow courses at the University of Copenhagen. You can find information about applying and the tuition fees here: https://studies.ku.dk/visiting/guest/
- If you are enrolled as a guest student, you are not eligible for SU.
- As a student, you can apply for housing through, for example, Housing Foundation Copenhagen.
Application deadlines for admission to UCPH (guest students)
Although the application deadlines for admission to UCPH’s guest student programme are 1 May and 1 October, UCPH’s faculties will show flexibility, which in principle allows admission outside the two deadlines. However, this does not apply to courses that do not have any study places available. UCPH is also working to establish an agreement with Ukrainian institutions on the possibility of exchange agreements through the Erasmus programme.
Contact UCPH regarding admission as a guest student
Contact us by e-mail if you are considering applying for admission as a guest student at UCPH (i.e., for 1 or 2 semesters). We will then help you find out what your options are.
We usually respond within 5 days.
Rules for admission to UCPH’s master’s degree programmes
A master's degree programme in Denmark takes 2 years
If you, as a Ukrainian citizen, are admitted to an entire master’s degree programme (2 years) in accordance with the law on temporary residence permits for displaced persons from Ukraine, you are equated with Danish citizens. Therefore, the following rules apply:
- If you are a Ukrainian refugee and enrolled on an entire master’s degree programme (2 years), you do not have to pay for your education.
- As a Ukrainian refugee and applicant, you must, in the same way as other students, live up to the qualification requirements for the English language and the specific entry requirements for the education you are applying for. However, some master’s degree programmes are only available in Danish
Flexibility can be shown in relation to the form of documentation that you would normally need to be able to present.
Application deadlines for admission to UCPH's master's degree programmes
Although the application deadline for autumn admission to the master’s degree programmes was 15 January for non-EU citizens, and 1 March for EU citizens, UCPH’s faculties will show flexibility towards Ukrainian citizens. This means that as a Ukrainian refugee, you potentially have the opportunity to be admitted to a master’s degree programme outside the application deadline if study places are available on the programme that you would like to start.
Contact UCPH regarding admission to a master’s degree programme for Ukrainian citizens
Are you a refugee and do you wish to enroll in a master's programme at UCPH? Find the right faculty below. We will then help you clarify your options regarding admission to UCPH (We cannot answer questions regarding SU, free tuition, and housing). We usually respond within 5 days.
Rules for admission to UCPH’s bachelor’s degree programmes for Ukrainian citizens
A bachelor's degree programme in Denmark takes 3 years
If you, as a Ukrainian citizen, are admitted to an entire bachelor’s degree programme (3 years) in accordance with the law on temporary residence permits for displaced persons from Ukraine, you are equated with Danish citizens.
Therefore, the following rules apply:
- As a Ukrainian refugee, you do not have to pay for your bachelor’s degree education.
- You must have passed the quota 2 test on 24 April. (Find out what “quota 2” is)
- As an applicant, you must live up to the qualification requirements for the Danish language and the specific entry requirements for the education you are applying for. The possibility of admission to a bachelor’s degree programme in 2022 closes for Ukrainian applicants on April 24.
Contact UCPH regarding admission to a bachelor’s degree programme
Contact us by e-mail if you are considering applying for admission to one of UCPH’s bachelor’s degree programmes. We will then help you clarify your options regarding admission to UCPH (We cannot answer questions regarding SU, free tuition, and housing).
We usually respond within 5 days.
Application and admission requirements
You must fulfill the application and admission requirements to apply for bachelor's and master's programmes at UCPH.
Find out more below.
FAQ for refugees
Scholars at Risk
The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) is part of Scholars at Risk which is an international network aimed at protecting scholars and promoting academic freedom.
For more information on UCPH in the SAR-network, please contact Head of International Staff Mobility (ISM); Vivian Tos Lindgaard.
Assessment of your qualifications
Please visit the website of the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education for general information about admission to higher education in Denmark and assessment of qualifications.
It is a good idea to get the agency’s assessment of your foreign qualifications before you apply for admission to higher education.
Each autumn, the University offers a preliminary assessment of your educational credentials. Usually, you can send your diplomas between 1 October and 22 November. The assessment will show to what degree your educational credentials (degrees, diplomas or certificates) meet the University of Copenhagen’s admission requirements for each of your chosen bachelor’s degree programmes. You need to attach all your examination documents in order for us to carry out the assessment. You will receive a detailed assessment within 6-8 weeks from applying. The preliminary assessment is only valid for admission to bachelor’s (undergraduate) programs at the University of Copenhagen.
Study structure
The study structure at the University of Copenhagen is divided into three levels and follows a 3 + 2 + 3 structure. Three years of undergraduate studies lead to a Bachelor's degree, and an additional two years lead to a Master's degree. Only the structures of a few degrees differ from this model.
All Master's degrees obtained from the University of Copenhagen can be extended by three more years of postgraduate work leading to a PhD degree.
Tuition fees
Refugees who have a temporary residence permit with the possibility of permanent residence are exempted from paying tuition fees for their studies in Denmark and at the University of Copenhagen.
Read more about tuition fees at studyindenmark.dk.
SU – State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme
Refugees who have been accepted into a study program at the University of Copenhagen must apply for equal status with Danish citizens to be eligible for educational support (SU).
You can read more about how to receive SU as a foreign citizen at Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education's website.
Danish state education grant (SU) for refugees
Applying for SU
In some situations, you will then be able to be equated with Danish citizens in relation to tuition fees and the right to the Danish state education grant (SU).
SU is a monthly grant that students receive from the Danish state to cover the cost of living. Only students who have been admitted to an entire bachelor’s or master’s degree programme can receive SU. Guest students cannot receive state educational grants (SU).