Entry requirements and application: the way into EUX
Grade requirements, educational readiness, optagelse.dk and what to do if you don't meet the requirements
EUX is a vocational education with upper secondary subjects on top, and therefore admission follows the rules of vocational educations. According to the Danish Ministry of Education, the basic requirement is that you have at least a grade of 02 on average in both Danish and mathematics at the lower secondary school final exam (or equivalent), and that you—if you apply directly from 9th or 10th grade—are assessed as education-ready. Because EUX at the same time elevates the subjects to upper secondary level, schools also expect that you can and will work academically; some schools hold a conversation with applicants to ensure that EUX is the right match.
§The formal requirements briefly
- 01At least 02 on average in both Danish and Mathematics from final exam (or equivalent)
- 02Assessed education-ready if you apply directly from 9th or 10th grade
- 03Application via optagelse.dk – from primary school typically with deadline March 1
- 04A signed apprenticeship agreement with a company meets the admission requirement in itself
- 05If you don't meet the grade requirement, the school can offer a centrally set entrance exam and an interview
§GF1 is the broad introduction to the main area while GF2 is directly aimed at the car painter trade.
The basic course consists of two parts of 20 weeks each. If you come directly from 9th or 10th grade — or completed it at most two years ago — you start in the basic course's first part (GF1), where you get a taste of the trade and first core subjects. If more than two years have passed, you start directly in basic course's second part (GF2), which is targeted at the specific apprenticeship. On the EUX track, both parts also include the extra core subjects at C level, which the academic part requires.
| Your situation | Starting point | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Direct from grade 9/10 (up to 2 years after) | GF1 → GF2 | Education readiness + 02 in Danish and mathematics. |
| More than 2 years after primary school | GF2 | The grade requirement still applies |
| Has a signed education agreement | GF2 is the trade-specific half year at vocational school where the teaching deals specifically with sales, service, product knowledge and retail economics. | The agreement meets the entry requirement |
| 25 years or older | Individually arranged (EUV) | The school assesses your experience and possibly shortens the program |
§If you do not meet the grade requirement
Lack of 02 in Danish or mathematics is not necessarily the end of the dream. According to admission rules you can be called for a centrally set entrance exam at the school and a subsequent conversation where the school assesses whether you can complete the education. And if you have already secured an education agreement with a company you meet the admission requirement that way — the company's signature carries heavy weight in the system because it shows that someone believes in you in practice.
§The application itself: optagelse.dk
If you apply from 9th or 10th grade, the application is made via optagelse.dk together with your study choice portfolio, normally with a deadline of 1 March. You choose school and trade and mark that you want the EUX programme. If you left school a long time ago, you typically contact the vocational school directly or apply via optagelse.dk as an independent applicant — schools admit continuously to GF2, often with several annual start dates.
- 01Check on UG.dk or school website that your desired education is actually offered with eux
- 02Have documentation ready: graduation certificate, any course certificates and CV
- 03Search in good time — popular trades and boarding schools may have limited places
- 04Consider open house and bridge-building: a day at school says more than ten websites
- 05Are you over 25? Book a prior learning assessment — it can shorten your course.
“The entry requirement is a threshold, not a wall: 02 in Danish and mathematics, the will to study intellectually — or a master who has already signed that he believes in you.”