Sprogskole: how Danish language school works
A sprogskole, or sprogcenter, is the language school where adults who move to Denmark learn Danish. The teaching itself is free, your municipality refers you, and you can be offered lessons for up to five years from the referral. Here is how the system works from the learner’s side, and how to find the school near you.
The rules change. This page follows the rules for 2026. Your municipality (kommunen) and your language centre always have the last word about your own case.
How does Danish language school work?
You start by contacting your municipality, which refers you to a language centre. The centre looks at your background and puts you on one of three courses, depending on your school background and how fast you are expected to learn. Each course is split into modules, and you move up when you pass the module test. Since 2026, online teaching may be part of it.
- et sprogcentera language centre
- et modula module
- en modultesta module test
- en kursista student at the language school
The three Danskuddannelser
| Course | For whom | Modules and final exam |
|---|---|---|
| Danskuddannelse 1 | little or no schooling | 5 modules, ends with Prøve i Dansk 1 |
| Danskuddannelse 2 | a short education | 6 modules, ends with Prøve i Dansk 2 |
| Danskuddannelse 3 | a medium or long education, learns fairly fast | 6 modules, Prøve i Dansk 3 after module 5, Studieprøven after module 6 |
On Danskuddannelse 3 the levels go from A1 in module 1 to C1 in module 6. All of Danskuddannelse 3 is about 1.2 years of full-time study and is planned so that it can be done in three years. The tests after each module are explained on the page Danish module tests.
Who gets free Danish lessons?
The teaching is free for the people the municipality refers. If you support yourself, for example with a job, you pay a deposit of 2,000 kroner per module. You get it back if you pass the module test in time: within 6 months for modules 1 and 2, 7 for module 3, 8 for module 4 and 9 for modules 5 and 6. Whether you are offered the course, and on what terms, depends on your situation, so ask your municipality.
How long do you go to language school?
It depends on the course and on you. Danskuddannelse 3 is planned for about three years, and you can be offered lessons for up to five years from the referral. Do not wait too long to start: the five years run from the day you are referred.
Find your sprogcenter
There is no school you have to find on your own: your municipality knows which language centres it works with. Ask at the citizen service or on the municipality’s website, and search for sprogcenter plus the name of your town. Some of the big ones:
| Town | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Aalborg | Sprogcenter Aalborg |
| Aarhus | several schools; Aarhus Kommune refers you |
| Odense | AOF Job & Dansk; ask Odense Kommune |
| Copenhagen | Studieskolen (Københavns Sprogcenter is part of it) |
| Kolding | Sprogskolen Kolding |
| Vejle, Herning, Viborg | ask your kommune which centre it uses |
| Glostrup, Ballerup, Taastrup, Hillerød, Helsingør | ask your kommune which centre it uses |
Useful sentences for the first phone call:
- Jeg vil gerne starte på sprogskolen.I would like to start at the language school.
- Jeg er lige flyttet til Danmark.I have just moved to Denmark.
- Kan du tale lidt langsommere?Can you speak a little slower?
How to practise between classes
Classes are a few times a week. The rest is up to you, and that is where most students lose their speed. The free course on this site follows Danskuddannelse 3, module by module: 20 lessons in each of modules 1 to 4, practice for the module tests and the words for every topic. It is made as the homework your school does not have time to give you.
What this part of the guide covers
The articles below explain language school in Denmark: the courses, the modules, what to expect from a class and how to keep going when it gets hard. If you are on Danskuddannelse 2, read the page Danskuddannelse 2 as well.
Updated 18 October 2026