Holiday money in Denmark: how it works and what to expect 2026

Kristian Ole Rørbye

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Updated July 22, 2026

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Everything you need to know about holiday money in Denmark

If you work for a Danish employer you will normally build up holiday pay (called feriepenge). The main things that confuse expats are: how much you accumulate, who actually holds the money, when you can get it, and what happens to it if you leave Denmark or change jobs. This guide focuses on the practical steps to check your balance, claim payment and avoid the usual delays.

Taking a closer look at holiday allowance

Feriepenge is the money you earn while working that pays for holiday. The typical accrual is 12.5% of your taxable pay – equivalent to around 2.08 days per month, or five weeks after a full year. How that money is handled depends on your contract and sector:

• National scheme: many private-sector employers report and pay into the national system (FerieKonto / Feriepengeinfo) and you claim payout from there.
• Payment in lieu: some employers include feriepenge on your payslip and pay it directly when you take holiday or when you leave.
• Collective agreements/public sector: different rules and payroll flows can apply – always check your employment contract and payslips for lines labelled feriepenge or feriepengeindbetaling.

1. How it accrues: you usually earn 12.5% of gross pay for each pay period – that amount is added to your holiday balance.
2. Where it sits: if your employer uses the national system, your balance shows in Feriepengeinfo (access via borger.dk).
3. How you get paid: you request payout (or HR does), and funds are transferred to your NemKonto when processed.

If you also want to understand the legal leave days and how they interact with feriepenge, read more about employee leave entitlement in Denmark.

Receiving your annual holiday overview and digital notices

The national holiday fund sends an annual overview to your Digital Post on borger.dk. That overview lists how much you’ve accrued, who reports your payments, and any locked savings from the transition period. If you aren’t receiving Digital Post notifications, you may still get a paper letter – but missing mail or an incorrect CPR address is a common reason expats don’t see their holiday letter.

If you discover you need a Danish bank account or your IBAN is not connected to your NemKonto, check details on IBAN in Denmark so payments won’t be held up.

When is the holiday allowance paid out?

Under the older system the holiday year ran 1 May-30 April and payouts were handled during the following holiday year. Since the 2020 reform you can in many cases use some holiday closer to when you earn it, but how and when money is paid still depends on whether your employer pays you directly or the national fund does.

If your employer pays holiday pay directly, it will generally appear on your payslip when the leave is paid (or as part of your final salary when you leave). If you leave Denmark or stop working for a Danish employer you are still entitled to any accrued feriepenge – you can request payout even if you do not take the actual holiday days.

If your employment situation affects your residency or right to work, review the implications on our work permit in Denmark page to understand how changing employers or leaving the country can affect your status.

Will the new Danish Holiday Act affect you?

The Holiday Act reform that took effect on 1 September 2020 changed the timing of accrual and use: you can now, in many cases, take some holiday closer to when you earn it instead of waiting until the following holiday year. The overall statutory entitlement remained 25 days per year.

Because of the reform, a transition conversion applied to the period 1 Sep 2019-31 Aug 2020. That conversion moved some previously accrued holiday into a special savings balance (sometimes called a locked savings account) with different access rules – for example, funds in that converted balance can be restricted until a later date or available only under certain circumstances.

For self-employed people or business owners, holiday handling is different. If you run or plan starting a business in Denmark, make sure your accounting and payroll treat feriepenge correctly – misreporting can block payouts later.

Other useful immediate actions:

• Keep your CPR address up to date so FerieKonto and employers can find you.
• Check payslips for a line mentioning feriepenge or feriepengeindbetaling and ask HR if you’re unsure who reports your holiday.
• If you plan to leave Denmark, request payout of accrued feriepenge before departure or include it in your final payroll discussions.

For related practical information about working and taxes in Denmark, check guidance on tax in Denmark and how employment rules interact with leave and pay. If you need to confirm minimum earnings that affect accrual in certain sectors, see minimum wage in Denmark.