Holders of non-Danish teaching qualifications
If you hold a teaching qualification enabling you to teach in upper secondary school in the country where you qualified, you can apply to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science for authorisation to teach in general upper secondary education, i.e. STX, HTX, HHX and HF programmes.
You need to fill in this form:
If the Agency recognises your qualification at once, you will receive a letter stating the types of teaching positions you have been approved to apply for.
In some cases, the Agency gives conditional approval. In order to obtain final approval you must then fulfil one of the following requirements:
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Complete additional education as specified in the decision letter.
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Undergo an adaptation period at an upper secondary school (applies only to EU and EEA citizens). This period of employment may last up to two years, and you must work at least two-thirds of full-time. The adaptation period includes a course in didactics. The agency will inform you about the specific requirements for the adaptation period.
Once you have fulfilled the requirement, you must write to the Agency and request final approval.
Persons without teaching qualifications
You can apply to a school for a permanent teaching position in general upper secondary education (STX, HTX, HHX and HF) if the level of your qualification is comparable to Danish Master's (kandidat) degree level and meets the competence requirements that apply to appointment as an upper secondary school teacher in Denmark.
The competence requirements are laid down in the ministerial order on professional postgraduate teacher training (see link below, under Laws and regulations).
The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science can make an assessment of whether your non-Danish qualifications fulfil the competence requirements. To request an assessment please use this application form and make sure to mention that you want an assessment of "faglig kompetence" (under "Other purposes or additional information" on the page "Purpose"):
The school's headmaster makes the final decision and may base it on the Agency's assessment.
In order to maintain a permanent position you are required to complete professional postgraduate teacher training (pædagogikum) within one year of starting work.
If you want to teach vocational subjects in HHX or HTX, you need to have at least two years of relevant professional experience in addition to your educational qualification.
The nominal duration of the training position (pædagogikum) is one year and the position is paid. Information about pædagogikum is available in Danish:
Other possibilities
You may apply for temporary jobs in general upper secondary education (STX, HTX, HHX, and HF programmes) without any authorisation from the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science.
Language
Before hiring a foreign teacher the headmaster must ensure that the teacher has the necessary knowledge of Danish, cf. the ministerial order on professional postgraduate teacher training, section 29 (4) and section 30 (2) (see link below).
Laws and regulations
- Ministerial Order on professional postgraduate teacher training (in Danish) – at Retsinformation.dk
- Nordic agreement on a common labour market for certain groups of upper secondary teachers (in Danish) – at Retsinformation.dk
- Free movement of professionals – European Commission