Understand letters from your Danish kommune — a calm guide in English

A letter from your kommune may ask for documents, invite your comments or tell you a decision. Here are the Danish words to look for, how to find the deadline, and a completed reply you can adapt.

What is the letter asking you to do?

• “Vi mangler dokumentation”: “We need documentation.” Find the documents and the period requested, such as payslips for August.
• “Indkaldelse”: an invitation to an appointment. Look for the date, time, location and instructions for changing it.
• “Partshøring”: an opportunity to comment before a decision. Identify the information the kommune wants your comments on.
• “Afgørelse”: a decision. Find the result, the reasons and any appeal instructions.
• “Til orientering”: “For your information.” It may explain a change or an upcoming event; look for any dates or instructions elsewhere in the letter.

Six useful Danish words

• Frist: deadline. “Senest den 24. september” means “no later than 24 September”.
• Sagsnummer / journalnummer: case number. Include it in the subject of your reply.
• Dokumentation / bilag: supporting documents / attachments.
• Bemærkninger: your comments, for example a correction to the dates in a hearing letter.
• Begrundelse: the reasons for the decision.
• Klagevejledning: instructions on how and where to appeal, including the deadline.

Example: the letter and a completed reply

In this fictional example, Sara receives a request for two documents. The kommune, case number and dates are invented.

The Danish letter

In English: The benefits office needs a bank statement covering 1–31 August and proof that Sara paid August rent. She must send both through Digital Post by 24 September, with case number EK-26-527 in the subject.

Sara’s reply in Danish

In English: “Thank you for your letter of 10 September. I attach my bank statement for 1–31 August 2026 and the receipt for my August rent payment.”

The subject identifies the case, the reply answers the request directly, and the attachment names make both documents easy to find. When adapting it, replace Sara’s details and attach the documents named in your own reply.

If you need more time or language help

If a document will arrive after the requested date, ask for a specific new deadline. For Sara’s example, the message could be:

In English: Sara asks to send the bank statement by 30 September because the bank cannot provide it until the 28th. She sends the rent receipt now and asks the office to confirm the proposed extension.

For language help, you can write: “Jeg har brug for hjælp til at forstå brevet på engelsk. Kan I forklare, hvad jeg skal sende, og hvilken frist der gælder?” This means: “I need help understanding the letter in English. Can you explain what I need to send and which deadline applies?”

In cases where an authority must make a decision, it must generally ensure that it understands a person who does not speak Danish and that the person understands it. Depending on the circumstances, this may require interpretation or translation. See the Ombudsman’s guidance on language help, section 2.5.

Partshøring: replying before a decision

A hearing lets you comment on information the authority plans to use. The general hearing duty concerns important information against your interests that you do not know the authority has, including relevant factual information and external professional assessments. The Ombudsman’s guide to hearings explains the conditions and exceptions.

A useful reply names the point you disagree with, gives the correction and includes the supporting document. For example: “I skriver, at min ansættelse sluttede den 1. august. Den sluttede den 31. august. Jeg vedhæfter arbejdsgiverens bekræftelse.” In English: “You write that my employment ended on 1 August. It ended on 31 August. I attach confirmation from my employer.”

What if the heading says agterskrivelse?

An agterskrivelse describes an intended decision and invites comments. It can also become the final decision without another letter, but only when the required conditions are met. The letter must clearly explain that effect and when it will happen. If comments arrive within the hearing deadline, the authority must address them and send a decision. These conditions are explained in Ankestyrelsen’s principle notice 50-18. There is more detail in our Danish guide to agterskrivelser.

Afgørelse: finding the appeal deadline

Read the klagevejledning for the deadline, recipient and way to appeal. For social-law appeals under retssikkerhedsloven § 67, the deadline is four weeks from receipt. That is not a single rule for every municipal decision. Ankestyrelsen’s principle notice 38-23 covers this deadline and digital delivery. A Digital Post message counts as received when it is available in the recipient’s mailbox, rather than when it is opened.

For municipal social-law decisions on this route, send the appeal to the kommune first. It reconsiders the decision; if it maintains the decision, it forwards the case to Ankestyrelsen. See Ankestyrelsen’s reconsideration procedure, under “Side 4”.

Start your appeal with the decision’s date and case number, explain what you want changed, and give the facts supporting that change. Keep a copy of the appeal and its sending receipt.

Digital Post and paper letters

Your public Digital Post is available through borger.dk, the Digital Post app, e-Boks and mit.dk. Private-company mail may only appear in the platform that company uses. An English interface does not translate the letter itself.

If you cannot use Digital Post, apply for exemption at Borgerservice. You must meet an exemption criterion, such as language difficulties or lack of access to a computer, smartphone or tablet at home. Exemption covers most public mail, with exceptions, and does not cover private-company mail. The official Digital Post guide in English explains the application and full criteria.

Help with the wording

SkrivSikkert, our own tool, offers reading aloud, proofreading, rewriting, translation and explanations. Many functions are free without login. On the web or through the Chrome extension, you can work with a difficult passage or draft a Danish reply from your English notes.

Frequently asked questions

What is a partshøring from the kommune?

It gives you an opportunity to comment on information before the kommune decides your case. Reply with any corrections or missing facts by the hearing deadline.

How long do I have to complain about a kommune decision?

For social-law appeals under retssikkerhedsloven § 67, the deadline is four weeks from receipt. Other municipal decisions can have different rules. Find the deadline and recipient in the klagevejledning.

Do letters from the kommune arrive in e-Boks or mit.dk?

Public Digital Post appears in both, as well as on borger.dk and in the Digital Post app. Private-company mail may appear only in the platform that company uses.

Can I get official letters on paper instead of digitally?

You can apply for exemption at Borgerservice if you cannot use Digital Post and meet an exemption criterion. Exemption covers most public mail, with some exceptions; it does not cover private-company mail.

Can I write to the kommune in English?

You can contact the kommune in English and explain the language help you need. In cases where it must make a decision, the authority must generally ensure that you can understand each other; interpretation or translation may be needed.