You can apply for substantiated leave under special circumstances. See examples of special circumstances down below. Note that you cannot apply for leave retroactively.
Own illness
You can be granted leave if you are suffering from illness that prevent you from being an active student. If you want to apply for leave due to illness, you need to submit a medical certificate written by a physician. In this certificate, your physician must state that you are unable to study due to illness, and estimate the period of time you have to be on leave.
Pregnancy / adoption
You have a right to a maximum of 12 months of leave due to pregnancy or adoption. For fathers, the maximum is six months. For mothers, your leave can start from six weeks before the expected time of birth. For fathers, your leave can start from the time of birth. For both mothers and fathers, your leave can end no later than 12 months after the date of birth or adoption. If you want to apply for leave due to pregnancy or adoption, you must submit documentation, which can be a medical record, birth certificate, or other relevant documents.
Military service
You can be granted leave if you have to serve in the military. This includes service connected to international military operations and conscientious objector service. If you want to apply for leave due to military service, you must submit documentation, which can be a certificate from the draft board, a contract, call-up papers, or other relevant documentation.
Caretaking of close relatives
You can be granted leave if you have to take care of close relatives who are handicapped, critically ill, or dying. We consider parents, grandparents, children and spouses/cohabiting partners to be close relatives, although we also accept other people to be close relatives in certain cases . You need to provide documentation that the person you need to take care of is a close relative, and that he or she is in need of care in a specific or expected period of time. You also need to document that you will be the primary person caring for your relative.
Research
You can be granted up to 12 months of leave to do research at a Danish or foreign university. This is called research leave. Research leave requires approval from your study board. The study board will decide whether the planned research you wish to conduct has a sufficient academic level. Please note you cannot be granted research leave if you have begun your final semester of your master programme.
Other special circumstances
You can also be granted leave due to other special circumstances that justifies leave. Such circumstances must prevent you from being an active student, and are typically not self-imposed. You need to provide documentation showing special circumstances.
Convert unsubstantiated leave to substantiated leave
If you have been on unsubstantiated leave for a period of time and are able to provide documentation that you would have had a right to substantiated leave, you can subsequently apply for a convertion of your leave period into substantiated leave.
