Danish pensions if you leave Denmark

You can take both your company and private pension schemes with you if you leave Denmark.

You can transfer pension payments to non-Danish pension schemes if the scheme has been approved and set up in another EU/EEA country. The Danish Tax Agency (Skattestyrelsen) approves the non-Danish scheme.

If there is a double taxation agreement

If you live outside Denmark and start receiving payments from an annuity pension or pension scheme providing a regular income, whether it is a private or company scheme, the double taxation agreement between Denmark and the relevant country will decide where you have to pay tax.

The general rule is that you pay tax on the payments under annuity pension schemes and pension schemes providing a regular income in your country of residence.

As a result, you may be tax exempt in Denmark under the double taxation agreement with the country you live in. If you're exempt from taxation on your pension, you must report the portion of your pension that is tax free to us annually. You do this by entering the amount in box 28 in your tax return every year. At the same time, you declare that you still meet the conditions and are entitled to the tax exemption.

Log on to E-tax and enter ’skattefritaget’ (tax-exempt pension) on your tax return, box 28

However, Denmark seeks to ensure that the country that has granted tax relief on the contributions to the pension schemes is also the country that has the right to tax the pension payments. Under the double taxation agreement, Denmark may therefore have the right to tax the payments from your pension scheme even though you live outside Denmark.

If there is no double taxation agreement

If there is no double taxation agreement between Denmark and the relevant country, Denmark taxes the payments.

If you terminate a capital pension, old-age insurance scheme, old-age savings scheme or supplementary lump sum pension, you must pay a charge in Denmark on the full amount paid for which you were granted relief/exemption.

See the list of countries that have entered into a double taxation agreement with  Denmark:

Danish double taxation agreements and international agreements (only in Danish)

You're not taxed on pension returns if you're not subject to full tax liability to Denmark or you live outside Denmark.

Complete form 07.058  - Application for exemption from withholding and payment of tax on returns of pension assets

You can't be tax exempt if you live in Greenland

If you live in Sweden and have a Danish pension scheme, you now have to pay Danish tax on your pension return.

You may be liable to pay supplementary tax on contributions if you leave Denmark and have had more than 20% of your pay paid into a company pension scheme providing a regular income or an annuity pension scheme during the 5 years (10 years for principal shareholders) immediately prior to moving abroad.

A new double taxation agreement between Denmark and France took effect from the 2024 income year. This may affect you if you get pension payments from a Danish pension scheme while living in France.

If you get private pension payments

The payments are taxable in France, but they may also be taxable in Denmark if you were granted deductions or tax exemption on the pension contributions in Denmark. If so, you may claim French tax paid in your Danish tax assessment notice in box 775. (In this context, deduction and tax exemption means that pension contributions will be deducted from your pay before you are taxed on your income.) 

If you had no deductions or tax exemption on your pension contributions, you enter the pension amount for the year (before tax) in box 28 in your tax assessment notice.
In such case, you may have to apply for tax exemption in Denmark. You do so by completing and submitting form 01.016. (Pleae note that the form is currently in Danish).

If you get social pension payments

This kind of pension is taxable in France but the pension may also be taxed in Denmark. You can state the tax paid in France in your Danish tax assessment notice in box 775. This way, the tax paid in France will be taken into consideration when we calculate your Danish tax.

If you get public pension (after having been emloyed in public office)

The payments are taxable in Denmark. If you also pay tax on these payments in France, you should contact the French tax authorities for assistance.

However, if you live in France and are a French citizen, only France may tax the pension. In this case, you may need to apply for a Danish tax exemption by submitting form 01.016. (Form currently in Danish.)

Please note

If you lived in France by 28 November 2007 and got pension payments from Denmark by 31 January 2008, you may be covered by transitional rules. If so, the rules remain unchanged under the new double taxation agreement, meaning your pension remains tax-free in Denmark. You must still report the pension in box 28 in your tax assessment notice.

If you lived in Spain before 28 November 2007, you will in most cases still be covered by the terminated double taxation agreement.