Danish parties propose travel reimbursement for rural students on school trips

Danish parties Venstre (Liberal Party) and the Social Democrats have agreed to change rules so vocational and upper secondary students can receive travel reimbursement for school trips, even when using private cars, DR reports.

Currently, students can only be reimbursed for public transport, which is often unavailable in rural areas. Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye (Social Democrats) stated that requiring public transport risks cancellations or excessive logistical challenges for schools outside major cities.

“In some parts of the country, you can’t just assume there’s a metro,” Tesfaye said. “If we insist on public transport, I fear school trips will be scrapped or become too cumbersome to arrange.”

Venstre’s parliamentary candidate Anni Matthiesen, who has repeatedly raised the issue, called the current system discriminatory. “There’s a real disparity between students in cities who can hop on a bus every few minutes and those in rural areas who must drive themselves but can’t get their costs covered,” she said.

Under the proposed change, students could receive the standard state mileage rate—2.28 DKK per kilometre in 2026—tax-free. Schools would require students to sign a declaration confirming the funds were used for travel.

Lars Bossen, principal of Vejen Gymnasium and Vocational School, welcomed the proposal, noting that arranging buses for trips currently costs the school 12,000 DKK per outing. “This would make it cheaper for us and easier for students,” he said.

The Social Democrats plan to introduce the bill in autumn 2026 if a parliamentary majority supports it, with implementation set for January 1, 2027.