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EK’s internship agreement is digital. 

Once the internship is agreed upon, the student fills out a web form and collects necessary information from the company. 

A teacher must approve the agreement before it is emailed to both the company’s contact person and the student. 

Both parties must confirm the content by replying to the email. Once both confirmations are received, a confirmation email is sent to all parties. 

Under Danish law, the intern must be covered by the host company’s compulsory industrial injuries insurance. Host companies may also be obliged to arrange insurance cover for students who do not work on the premises. 

Sole proprietors who would like to take on a student intern should note that they must also take out all statutory insurance policies before the start of the internship as legal and financial liability always rests with the company under Danish law. 

If the internship is placed in a non-Danish company outside of Denmark, the company must comply with local rules and regulations regarding insurance of student interns. 

In countries where it is not obligatory for companies to insure students during internship, the student can take out the appropriate insurance on his or her own behalf. 

Confidentiality 

Students who gain knowledge of trade secrets during their internship in Denmark may not disclose or use such secrets without prior permission, cf. section 23 of the Danish Marketing Practices Act. 

Host companies may require student interns to sign any standard non-disclosure agreement which they may normally use. KEA is not required to read through or approve such documents, but students are always welcome to ask for help from the internship coordinator, if necessary. 

Copyright 

Unless otherwise agreed by the host company and the intern, the intern obtains no copyrights in connection with the performance of his or her duties during the internship period. 

Working environment 

Like all other employees, interns must be offered acceptable physical and psychosocial working conditions. 

The weekly working time is 35 or 37 hours, including lunch, depending on the study programme. 

It can be agreed that the 35 or 37 hours are excluding lunch, if the student prefers to follow regular employee schedules. 

Working hours are generally placed on weekdays during the day. However, it is possible to agree on evening or weekend hours if needed. 

Unless otherwise agreed by the host company and the intern, the intern obtains no copyrights in connection with the performance of his or her duties during the internship period. 

The student is not entitled to vacation during the internship (except for special rules applying to Optometry, Retail Management and Laboratory Technician programmes). 

It can be agreed that the intern takes time off during the internship period if the missing hours are made up at other times, so that the average weekly hours still total 35 or 37 depending on the programme. 

Students are entitled to time off on public holidays. 

The student must inform the company directly in case of absence due to illness or other valid reasons. 

Active participation is required to pass the internship. Therefore, the student must be present for at least 80% of the internship period. 

If absence approaches 20%, EK’s internship coordinator must be contacted. 

Internships in EK programmes are unpaid (except for Optometry, Retail Management, and Laboratory Technician programmes). 

This requirement is set by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, and EK is obliged to ensure that students are not paid during the internship. 

Gratuity 

The company may offer a voluntary appreciation payment, also known as a gratuity, of up to DKK 3,608 per month of completed internship. 

This applies from the spring semester of 2025. The amount is adjusted annually on January 1st. 

Since the gratuity is a token of appreciation and not a wage, it cannot be agreed upon in advance or included in the internship contract. 

Companies may reimburse documented additional costs incurred by the student in connection with an unpaid internship—without it being considered salary. 

Examples include: 

• travel insurance 
• plane tickets 
• rent abroad 
• local transport between home and company 

If the student uses a private car for transportation between home and the company, the company must follow the Danish State’s travel reimbursement rates (DKK 2.23/km in 2025 – adjusted annually). 

The student does not acquire intellectual property rights related to tasks performed during the internship—unless this is agreed upon directly between the student and the company. 

If doubts or problems arise during the internship, both the company and the student are encouraged to contact EK as soon as possible. 

Experience shows that early dialogue often helps resolve issues constructively. 

The internship agreement can be terminated at any time by either the student or the company. 

However, EK expects both parties to first attempt a dialogue to resolve any problems before terminating the contract.

Contact EK immediately if uncertainties or problems occur during the internship. 

Depending on the programme, EK instructors may visit all or selected internship companies as part of internship quality assurance. 

The visit can be either physical or online and is an important part of EK’s ongoing professional dialogue with partner companies. 

Before the internship ends, the company’s contact person will receive a link to an online evaluation form. 

A reminder will be sent after one week if the form has not been completed. 

Your feedback is valuable to EK’s efforts to continuously improve the internship experience and develop our educational programmes.